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Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights
Who ever said that I stopped listening to "new bands"? Perhaps...just perhaps...I just don't see anything that's offered up on the buffet table that can even come close to the Steve Miller Band, Jefferson Airplane, the Eagles, Styx or Queen. Who do you have today, that can stand up to Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, or even Patty, Maxine and Laverne? Pop culture just doesn't hold any interest for me, and I've seen enough flash, in enough pans, back in the 80's, to last me a lifetime. So, it's not that I stopped listening to the newer stuff. There is a lot of good stuff out there. Just not great stuff. I just don't see that much, if any of it, will stand up to time.
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Originally Posted by ngdawg
Truth.
A lot of the stuff I listen to is the same stuff my 15 year olds listen to; by the same token, what they're discovering now was new to me 20-30 years ago. My son listens to The Beatles, my daughter to Billy Idol, among others. And I've noticed a lot of covers of 70's and 80's rock-they can't compare to the originals, but they're becoming pretty common. But, 20-30 years from now, will bands be doing new versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or the latest 50 Cents? Kinda doubt it...The most covered song in music history, by the way? "Yesterday".
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Sorry, I'm going to have to disagree here. I think you're looking at it the wrong way. Popular music has changed a lot since the '80s. It has become greatly diversified in that there are far more genre offshoots today than there were even ten years ago. Given this new environment, it is unfair and even unsatisfying to compare today's music to the likes of Steve Miller Band or The Beatles (the latter of which I am a huge, rabid fan). Rock bands of the past, in particular, were operating out of a purer environment; they are closer to their roots of blues and R&B than bands of today.
What you get today is a type of rock that is further evolved and influenced by even more sources. A great example of this is Radiohead, a rock band whose influences are heavily derived from classical music, jazz, and electronica. Their sound is unique (in spite of obvious but sloppy copying by others) and continues to evolve. Their artistic, non-commercial approach to music ended up being commercial... some how.... Consider
Kid A: it debuted at number one in many areas worldwide despite its experimental, unconventional approach. And to this day, that album has been covered extensively by various types of musicians, including classical and jazz. I really could go on to solidify my argument, but I don't feel it's necessary, as Radiohead's legacy looks to be a certainty already, and said legacy reaches back even before
Kid A to the brilliant albums
OK Computer and
The Bends.
I agree that there won't likely be covers of many songs being produced today, but let's not rule out the few who truly are producing what I would call nothing less than aesthetically pleasing. Radiohead is just one example and shouldn't be overlooked.