FREE ESSAY ON POPULAR MUSIC ISN'T COOL

POPULAR MUSIC ISN'T COOL

Pop Culture Isn't Cool
From my point of view, Great pop music is an oxymoron. These days' people look to the
media for the answer to everything, including what music to listen to, or in most cases
what music to play in the back round. I'm not saying all pop fans are closed minded to
the point where they listen to the music genre that is currently trendy in hopes of it
helping them position themselves socially. I'm also not denying the fact, people like
that are out there. In most cases, I think people listen to pop because for some reason
they're not involved in another music scene, so it's all they know exists. 
Record labels systematically chose who they want to sign, and then promote them to the
public. Therefore, they have an enormous influence on what music America and many other
countries listen to. This is bad news because corporate promoters don't just go out
looking for talent to sign to their label regardless of what kind of music it is attached
to. Companies use statistics to determine what they think will sell, and sign whoever
fits the right criteria. They don't bother looking for artists who aren't playing what's
hot; they want bands playing the sound they know sells. Labels also want bands with
catchy songs, and I don't know about you but I think catchy giggles are for
advertisements. Real musicians have to be careful where they put their signature, because
any one who takes them self seriously wouldn't stand for a company who censers their art.
Also you may have noticed TV is now just as much a source of music as radio, so 
you better be an attractive conformist if you want to be promoted as an artist in the
business of pop music. 
MTV, without doubt, plays a major role in how generic popular music has become. Obviously
the birth of music videos gave big business a chance to sell music to the other four
senses. The real opportunity for MTV to cash in on the music industry wasn't just picking
up their crumbs. Just luring in those people whose ears are uninterested in music with
flashy colors and shiny things is no longer their motive. Quickly MTV figured out eye
candy doesn't sell nearly as well as the fantasy life the right image can supply. There
is nothing wrong with having an image, everyone portrays an image whether they like it or
not. In this case the problem is, MTV uses image to sell a product where image should be
considered irrelevant. The effect of doing this is closing the viewers' minds; it causes
people to listen to music only on the expressional level. This blinds people from the
fact that on the purely musical level the product is elementary, and in my opinion more
often resembles noise than music. 
Maybe you already knew all the things I have said thus far, but you disagree with my
views on the issue. Then we see things from a different angle, and that ok by me. You
might like the things I've said, but don't totally agree with me because you figure I'm
problely just a cynical basterd. I've got no credentials, for all you know I can't back
up a single word I've said. Just to show you I'm not the only one who has such distaste
for MTV and the other big brothers of the music industry, I'll quote someone with a bit
of a longer resume than I do. Jerry Garcia, along with the rest of the Grateful Dead,
holds the record for playing the most concerts ever. 30 years of dedicated fans proves
Jerry to be 
knowledgeable in the field of music. Incase Jerry's opinion might be worth more to you
than mine, I'll quote something he said once at Dead concert (I have the tape): " We were
trying to figure out if we were going to sit down or stand up while we were playin', and
I think the industry standard is you sit down." Then vary sarcastically he said; " You
know that's the right way to do it because that's the way they do it on MTV." After the
crowd's laughter dyed down, he gave giggle that implied MTV standards are a joke and
said, " When you're playin' an acoustic instrument you gotta sit down." 
You've listened to me insult industry standards imposed by MTV and other music
distribution corporations. I also quoted the worlds most dedicated musician agreeing with
me. I hope this has inspired you to go out and look for music that really hits the spot,
hearing is believing. At one time I didn't know the music scene I'm into even excised,
but once I went to a show I was hooked like a guppy. Now I leave it up to you to enjoy
what you listen to for a change.