Music preferences changing over time; brings in a new music standard

While the most prominent music changes happen over longer periods of time, in just the past four years, the top hits have ranged from Adele and LMFAO in 2011 to Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry in 2014.

Music is a huge part of teenage culture, it is almost impossible to walk the hallways at school without noticing someone with one or both earbuds in as they make their way to class, it’s just a teen’s way of life. With so much influence on today’s youth, there comes a point where the music industry itself starts shape our way of thinking. Are they going a bit too far?

The change in pop culture has definitely not just happened over the past four years; most people have seen the trend changes since the mid-1900’s. Compared to the 1950’s, music now is more automated and less organic, now even forming new music categories such as dubstep, techno, and dance. Also, now there is the alarming influx of songs with here-and-there drug references. Sure, this has been in rap for a few decades now, but referencing things like MDMA (more commonly known as Molly) is not something that should be popular in mainstream radio music, especially when a known use for the drug is to rape women while they’re unconscious.

Of course, not all artists have ill intent when it comes to their songwriting, and not all artists are part of the problem…yet. The real dilemma comes from the ever-changing society around us, partly fueled by the music industry– meaning that the music industry, songwriters, and artists all come together to write a new type of music that has more or less ‘edgy’ content. If the audience loves it, then they will talk about it, making the new music popular, spreading its influence throughout the country; the biggest example of this would be rock n’ roll back in the 1950’s when Elvis was thought to be risque.

I rest my case that some people will think that there is nothing wrong with the music industry, that all the music being produced is fine. Then again, maybe its saying something when music producers have to release a ‘clean’ version of a song to fit to all of their audience’s needs.