That’s a real question people ask, and it’s based on what I call a “ten second theory.” A ten second theory is a theory that seems to hold up if you examine it for 10 seconds or less. Seems like a good idea, in other words, until you dig deeper. The argument goes something like this: bands who rip off older bands (like Led Zep, for example) are unimaginative and not as good as the original. Everyone these days is just rehashing older stuff, only not as good. Are you really going to outdo Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King? None of the music today is any good, and the kids don’t know it because they don’t know the history. They don’t know we’ve already heard this stuff done better. That’s the theory.
Sometimes it seems true, but mostly it’s bullshit. Stevie Wonder had influences. So did Ozzy Osbourne. So did B.B. King. And he is a pretty good anti-example. I heard B.B. King my whole life, and he bored me to tears. I understand the historical significance and importance of the man and agree that he’s a legend. But his playing never did anything for me, so I thought I didn’t like the blues. Until I heard Stevie Ray Vaughn. Stevie Ray considered B.B. the master, but to my ears, Stevie took the blues to a whole new level. And it appealed to me greatly. That’s just my opinion.
But there are only 11 notes. And unless you play jazz or classical, only a fairly small number of chord changes. Everything really has been done before, but the point on music isn’t 100% originality – it’s to make people FEEL something. You can’t do that and be 100% new and original, unless your goal is to make people feel annoyed.
The issue with popular music is that intent is never really known. We can “sense” a “real” artist by how they write, play, sing, etc. Most people would agree that John Mayer, like him or hate him, is a real artist. He’s not chasing the latest fads. He makes music he likes. Plenty of people do. Plenty of people don’t, too, but can we tell the difference? “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake was a smash hit and I’ve cranked it on my car stereo more than once, but in terms of the song’s origins, who knows? Creation of some calculations? Does intent matter? If so, how the hell are we supposed to tell?
Ultimately, it’s stupid to try to figure out if a song is “good.” You can only tell if a song is good to YOU. I’ve had people ask me why the hell some of my songs aren’t massive hits – they can’t understand it. I’ve had people tell me one of my songs was literally the worst song they’d ever heard. What does it mean? Nothing.
You could say we’re ripping off the musical past, but it’s always been that way. In popular music, trends come and go, so one year horns might be big and the next it’s cranked guitars and the next it’s synths. People want something that sounds “new and fresh” but they don’t usually get attached to it much. Technology has given every artist every sound to work with. OK, so where’s the orchestral dance metal? No doubt someone out there is doing it. Or Death Metal Polka.
Is Top 40 Music Made for Musical Idiots?
Well, yeah. Sorta. The most popular hamburger in America is made by McDonalds. Everyone knows it’s not a great burger. It barely resembles one. But sometimes you crave it. Same with Kraft Mac & Cheese – it’s nasty, but a lot of people love it. I do. The songs in the Top 40 are going to be McDonalds hamburgers. Sometimes they’re really, really good songs. But they’re written for the masses in almost every case. ALMOST every case. I love it when really good songs make the Top 40.
Not everything has to be “Giant Steps” or “Rhapsody in Blue” or even “Bohemian Rhapsody.” One of my new fave tracks isn’t a brand new song, but it’s “Gravity” by Dot. It’s brilliant. It doesn’t break any new musical ground, but I love it. Sometimes in the car I want to crank “Everything” by All Great Songs featuring Phil X. No new ground there, but crank it and your foot will press the pedal before you know it. Phil X is derivative of all the Joe Perry-type guitarists who came before him but I LOVE me some Phil X. Everything is derivative.
Have all the good songs been written? Impossible.
