Dumbing Down Sound

I was listening to my ever-growing jazz collection the other day when I realized something: music is getting simpler as time goes on. This isn't because I did an in-depth analysis, it's an assessment I believe anyone could make. Just look at what passes for popular music now, and what was popular 80, 90 or 100 years ago.

It kind of makes me sad to think that people are becoming so accepting of simple, dumbed down music. I'm certainly guilty of that too! Hell, I was hooked on Chumbawumba in eight grade, so I'm as guilty as the next. But we as listeners should be demanding more from our pop! Don't let these "artists" get away with this stuff so easily. If U2 wants to count in Spanish (out of order no less) and hundreds of rappers insist on making me clap my hands and say "uh", then I'm holding a seance to bring back Benny Goodman so he can kick all their asses.

Jazz and big band music was huge in the early 20th Century. The popular bands at the time had full orchestras accompanying them, not a drum machine and a wobbling bassist. There was an air of improvisation and musical-know-how infused with what these people were sending over the airwaves and through the clubs of all the major cities. Every time I listen to the classics (Glen Miller, Goodman, Ellington, etc) I'm amazed at the coordination they have. Everyone is on top of things. Heck, I bet if they were on SNL they wouldn't have to have their music pre-recorded, they would probably make up something right there on the spot and it would be fifty times better than the junk that's on the radio today. (I also find it strange that the closest thing to pop-big-band music is ska... which isn't really popular anymore.)

Going back even further into history, we see how popular classical music was. Of course back then "classical" music was "pop" music, and Mendelssohn and Stravinsky were superstars. So how on earth did we "de-evolve"? Was it America's fault? Doesn't look like it... considering that the popular stuff in Europe is dance music (which amounts to nothing more than some thumps and midi keyboards with a girl telling me to "shake it. push it. call the doctor"). Was it perhaps caused by the mixing of cultures? A clash of musical civilizations? Simpler music from other parts of the world mixing together with the high society of European chamber music to create a crazy middle ground? I don't know, I don't know jack about musical history... I just know what I hear.

And so as the world's general taste in music seems to be going binary, I have to wonder what the future holds. Will the realm of popular music ever return to the complexities of classical music, or the improvisation of jazz? Or will it keep referencing itself from over the past 40 years. Twenty years from now pop music will be going through another retro kick, which will reference 2005, which seems to reference the 80's. Or will "swing" music come back forty years from now? I will just have to wait and see (and pray there isn't an "emo" revival.)