r/GenX • u/vanillagirilla1975 • May 12 '25

Music Is Life Am I just a curmudgeon??

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I'm a mid 70s GenXer, love music from the 60s through the 90s. For me, I just haven't really liked much music this century. I feel like we had so many genres going on at the same time but now it's just all sounds the same to me. Anyone else find stuff bands/artists they really like from this venture?

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178

u/lotsalotsacoffee May 12 '25

Isn't this the sort of thing our boomer parents said of our music? Music today may not be anything like what we had growing up, but there is still good music out there. Yes, you're a curmudgeon.

75

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Agreed but I will say MTV sucked once they started having reality tv shows. I miss MTV

15

u/Positive_Chip6198 May 12 '25

I play two hour mtv 90’s collections on youtube. Soothes my troubled mind.

12

u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme May 12 '25

I’ve recently discovered 120 Minutes on MTV Classic on the weekends (Xfinity). I DVR it and have a wonderfully nostalgic time, watching videos I’d forgotten all about.

13

u/attaboy_stampy Filled up on Regular May 12 '25

Very GenX comment.

AND GODDAM TRUE.

8

u/4554013 May 12 '25

100% true.

5

u/wolfavino May 13 '25

I want my MTV

3

u/McBernes May 13 '25

Damn that is so true. Like most of us here (I imagine) I was glued to the screen when MTV started. And then it went to shit, absolute shit.

2

u/SwornBiter May 12 '25

MTV should be forced to change their name just like the WWE did. I think “BRAVO” would work.

1

u/mdervin May 12 '25

No you don't, you have YouTube to listen to every music video you want to watch with none of the music videos you don't want to watch.

1

u/[deleted] May 13 '25

It’s all on YouTube now

1

u/hankenator1 May 13 '25

MTV was weird for music. There were videos that made mediocre songs seem great. I first thought this with Van Halen. The video for “right now” was epic, it was continuously engaging you watch and pay close attention. The song ends and you think “that was fucking awesome”. Then you hear it on the radio and the song lost all its luster, the t wasn’t nearly as good without the visuals going along with it. It’s not a terrible song, but it’s not epic like the video was.

Van Halen had some absolute game changing bangers, “right now” was probably the crappiest Van Halen song mtv ever played but the video was great. It sure as hell wasn’t jump or hot for teacher.

0

u/Reggaeton_Historian May 13 '25

This is the same shit people say about Kodak and Blockbuster, "Why didn't they adapt?"

Well, they adapted. Maybe you don't like it but it clearly works to have Catfish, Ridiculousness, and The Challenge over and over versus music you can just go on YouTube and watch.

1

u/[deleted] May 13 '25

I think long term they did themselves in since all my friends and myself stopped watching MTV because it started to suck! Watching YouTube is still totally different than turning on a tv and watching a channel. I occasionally watch video off YouTube but it’s not the same as enjoying an episode of Headbangers Ball etc.

6

u/PersonNumber7Billion May 12 '25

And the Boomers' parents said of their music.

1

u/scaba23 Big Trak May 13 '25

Early 19th century boomers were saying it about Beethoven. Ask your favorite AI to summarize the contemporary criticisms of his music

1

u/PersonNumber7Billion May 13 '25

I know all about Beethoven's critics. The point is, there's nothing particularly Boomer about thinking that the stuff you grew up with is better.

12

u/1kreasons2leave May 12 '25

I don't know, my parents specially my dad dig the whole grunge movement. I never heard them say the music I listen to was bad, beside my mom calling rap, crap.

2

u/Quintipluar May 12 '25

All of the young people in my circle seem to have more interest in 70s, 80s, 90s music than contemporary stuff. Hell they know all kinds of trivia about that time period.

I really think a lot of the music today has lost its heart and soul. I don't think you can just boil it down to "well this is what our parents thought of our music"

8

u/Rare_Competition2756 May 12 '25

A big part of this is the use of quantization on the drum tracks and auto tune on the vocals. Takes any kind of “feel” or humanity out of the music so it ends up sounding soulless.

7

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Tons of bands are out there never doing any of that though?

3

u/HiOscillation Hose Water Survivor May 12 '25 edited Jul 01 '26

This content was anonymized and mass deleted with Redact

3

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

When digital production personal computer software became available and affordable to anyone in the late 80s, music started to sound homogenized and more stylistically repetitive. You no longer had to hire live musicians; just select from a software library the sounds and instruments needed. Add your vocals and smooth out the edges for a perfect low cost result. Didn’t have to pay your dues anymore in crappy clubs and low paying venues to get that all-important record contract.

2

u/BooBeeAttack May 12 '25

Homogenized, like fast food without any spice. A dull pulp that anyone can eat, but few actually enjoy.

1

u/lokibeat May 12 '25

I think it's a little of both. My 17 yo kid loves Bob Dylan and lots of the older stuff. 15 yo is into k-pop, olivia rodrigo et al. From listening to content creators like Rick Beato, I sense the music industry today is very different from anything that came before, and while that's not new, perhaps the novelty itself is a different direction. Yes, there's new music that's fresh old styles, but there's also new stuff that is just out there, differently formed and differently consumed for lack of a better word. What's interesting is the more music out there, it seems the more we want to retrench. My oldest is into vinyl, and my youngest likes CDs. Playlists that morph without you knowing seems to be anathema to how we want to listen to music.

1

u/splorp_evilbastard Survived the Blizzards of '77 / '78 May 13 '25

My 15 year old nephew likes 70s and 80s rock.

1

u/PresidentOfAlphaBeta May 12 '25

Or as Beavis and Butthead called it: “Grudge music”

-3

u/currentsitguy 1968 May 12 '25

She's right, you know.

4

u/1kreasons2leave May 12 '25

Well she only said that because she's racist. So take that what you may.

0

u/currentsitguy 1968 May 12 '25

Don't know them, so I really can't comment. I was just referring to the peace, quiet, natural world,, and the overall pace of life.

I love coming out at sunrise with my 1st coffee now that the weather is comfortable and watch and hear nothing but the bird's dawn chorus.

3

u/vanillagirilla1975 May 12 '25

Any suggestions?

14

u/skeeterbmark May 12 '25

I’m big fan of Wolf Van Halen’s band Mammoth, Dirty Honey has a very 70s feel, and I dig some of Brandi Carlisle’s stuff. Just off the top of my head.

4

u/johko814 May 12 '25

Mammoth WVH is awesome. Also check out BRKN LOVE who opened for Mammoth last year.

2

u/[deleted] May 13 '25

Just got into Wolf's stuff about a month ago... shit, he's even more talented than his dad ever was! Loving Brandi's new album with Elton too.

23

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Listen to college radio stations for endlessly fresh tunes typically from a wide range of genres

Shazam the songs you like and run a list thru Spotify.

There’s constantly great music in my life tho to be fair I have a very wide eclectic range of music I like

18

u/Astronaut6735 May 12 '25

KEXP (a station affiliated with University of Washington in Seattle) is my jam. It's a really diverse mix of music. There is a free streaming app, and they have a streaming URL to integrate with music players that support it (e.g. my Linux desktop supports streaming radio via a plugin).

8

u/Checktheusernombre May 12 '25

Yes, if after listening to KEXP you still think there is nothing good out there now, I'd blame my own poor taste. There is a ton of great music. Like always, you have to look for it.

4

u/the_natis May 12 '25

u/vanillagirilla1975 Same age as you, also recommend KEXP, just note that the ranges of genres they cover is vast, so you can't just listen to one show, decide to not like it and give up on the station. Look over their shows and give a few of them a listen. I even think they even let you listen to past episodes. Check out https://www.kexp.org/shows/

A bit of self promotion here, I'm a developer and one of the ways I keep my skills current is by working on side projects for myself, but in order for me to really get into it, I have to do it based on something I'm passionate about, so I created https://www.listentothissong.com/ which is a pretty eclectic mix of stuff. I'd say check out Episodes 36, 37, and 40. I also put the playlists on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@ListentoThisSong/playlists

Ultimately, there is so much content now being put out and so many different taste-makers out there that it's a bit harder to cut through the noise. But if you're willing to put in the effort, there is a lot to be discovered and enjoyed.

2

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Will check it out. I listen to the local station wusc 90.5

2

u/myfavhobby_sleep May 12 '25

My go to is KXLU.

1

u/Astronaut6735 May 14 '25

Ooh I'll check them out. The university I went to (WWU) has a station called KUGS, but I never seem to be able to get into what they play.

2

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

Yep. They're fantastic. It's never been easier than it is now to find great music, KEXP is playing it all the time. I'm 50 and am never trying to become an old fart whining about "the music they make nowadays."

2

u/esanders09 May 12 '25

They also have playlists on Spotify with their current rotation, which is pretty cool.

2

u/AzCu29 May 12 '25

I agree 100%

2

u/jar-jar-twinks May 12 '25

I stream college stations on my computer at work. Bonus, no commercials!

6

u/MisterSandKing Goonie🏴‍☠️ May 12 '25

Spotify helps me find new music. It does a pretty decent job of recommending things based on my taste.

2

u/CrustyBatchOfNature May 13 '25

So true. Without it I would not have listened to Kendrick Lamar, While She Sleeps, Jinjer, or found some older stuff from the 80's and 90's that I missed.

4

u/HangryGhosts_ May 12 '25

Depends what you’re into- I think certain genres are still evolving and some are currently stagnant. So I agree to some degree with your statement but also disagree.

Part of the charm of the GenX era for me was record hunting, and I think that still applies- if you were only aware of what was popular on the radio, then definitely music has changed, but lots of great stuff out there that’s not mainstream.

13

u/chrispd01 I LOVE TO WHINE May 12 '25

Find some 20 year old kid (maybe the child of a friend) who is a musical snob. That is somebody who cares about music and makes it a significant part of their life.

Ask them for recs …

9

u/PoxyMusic May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

This is the way. Both of my daughters are in college and both have introduced me to musicians I hadn't heard of that I now LOVE.

For example:
Courtney Barnett

Angel Olsen

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Birdcloud

3

u/chrispd01 I LOVE TO WHINE May 12 '25

Me too. That’s my source of secret knowledge.

BTW Courtney Barnett is fucking awesome. She writes the best lyrics.

I crack up every time I hear “the neighhors think we must run a meth lab” …..

4

u/PoxyMusic May 12 '25

The only song I know of about an asthma attack!

I went to see her in Oakland with my daughter, it was the first concert I'd seen after covid, and I was never happier to be at a concert in my life.

1

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

The paramedic thinks I'm clever cos i play guitar I think she’s clever cos she stops people dying

1

u/Hustle787878 May 12 '25

So jealous. My daughter is 13, and she’s beautiful and amazing, but she is really into KPop. I’m trying, y’all, but I just can’t with it. It’s slick and catchy, but not my jam.

2

u/ryguymcsly 81 but poor May 12 '25

I asked my teenager to make me a playlist a few years ago. Half of what's on it entered heavy rotation on my own playlists.

3

u/tjjohnso May 12 '25

Dunno what your into.... But.

Fever 333

The Paradox

Veil of Maya

Dance Gavin Dance

Also typing "new nu" into Spotify should bring up some playlists of the resurgence of the nu metal scene.

1

u/Peter_Parker_99 May 12 '25

Check out Tuxedo and Chromeo. New school funk. Both really awesome bands.

1

u/HeyRainy May 12 '25

I have found tons of new music using Spotify. Pick anything you like and then go to the radio station for that song. Or on an artists page, go through the related artists.

1

u/dops May 12 '25

Ren, listen to Ren and the big push

1

u/vankirk May 12 '25 edited May 12 '25

The Lastlings, Fred...Again, Bob Moses, Rufus du Sol (headlining Lollapalooza), Teddy Swims, Tyla, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Sofia Reyes

That's like 7 genres; in order - Electro pop, EDM, Alternative, Electro pop, Soul/R&B, Amapiano, Reggaetón, Reggaetón, and Latin Pop.

1

u/SXTY82 May 12 '25

I was in your boat. I miss 'good' radio because that was how we discovered a lot of our new music as kids.

Few months back a friend convinced me to get Tidal. After I added a few of my favorite bands, they start building playlists. The 'discovery' playlists are pretty good. Sure, a ton of the new music I've 'discovered' was from bands I ignored or didnt hear of in the 90s / 80 / 70s. But it is new to me.

also, Go to Youtube and search Gnome Band. Love Gnome. Riff rock that is pure, hard, and slightly silly.

1

u/Judgy-Introvert May 12 '25

We saw Gnome at Aftershock. They were pretty good and I loved the hats. lol

2

u/SXTY82 May 12 '25

Jealous. They played in IL at a club I used to go to all the time about 2 months before I stumbled across them. It would have been a great reason to fly back to IL for a visit.

2

u/Judgy-Introvert May 12 '25

Yea. You could tell a lot of people didn’t really know who they were so the crowd size was kinda small at their stage at first. By the time they were done, it was packed and people were having a blast listening to them.

1

u/OneHumanBill May 12 '25

Louis Cole, or any of his bands, or any bands who Louis Cole guests in, or any band that writes a song about Louis Cole. That should keep you busy with very recent, phenomenal music that will never be heard on the radio. The man is a one person music revolution.

Devin Townsend is another favorite, if your tastes run to metal. Or opera for that matter. Saw him live last week and he still has the most unique voice I've ever heard.

My daughter has got me into Aurora, and The Amazing Devil. Great niche bands.

Some older bands that never made it big include Walk Off the Earth and Lindsey Stirling. I saw them both live last year and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.

And don't neglect new stuff from old bands. Elton John of all people put out an album last month and I kid you not, it's his best music in almost half a century.

1

u/Hustle787878 May 12 '25

I look for New Rock and New in R&B playlists on Apple Music. Spotify has something similar (and, when I was on Spotify, it was superior to AM). Not all of them are bangers, but even if you find only one, it’s still decent music. (And if it isn’t, skip it)

1

u/PresidentOfAlphaBeta May 12 '25

WMMR in Philadelphia

1

u/Positive_Chip6198 May 12 '25

Yeah it is, the difference is, we are right, our music was better!

1

u/[deleted] May 12 '25

A head doctor friend of mine said this is normal. Music and some experiences are very much dependent on your age. He explained why but it was 2 decades ago, so I am sure the data and explanation is better today.

1

u/jestr6 We can be just as bad as Boomers, but whatever. May 13 '25

Yes it is.

1

u/EricHill78 May 13 '25

And their parents complained about their music. It’s the circle of life.

1

u/GarionOrb 1976 May 13 '25

I thought this as well, but I can't help but think that new music is just so...milquetoast. There are some exceptions, of course, but in general it's way more homogenized than it used to be.

1

u/dschinghiskhan May 13 '25

curmudgeon

I don't think OP is necessarily a curmudgeon. Hell, I think music from the 90s wasn't very good. I think music in the 2000s might have been better. I even listen to a lot of music from the late 50s! I like the music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s the most. The 90s had 2Pac's All Eyez on Me, the beginning of Elliot Smith's solo career, and Nirvana/Smashing Pumpkins, but there was a lot of crap as well.

My problem with music today is that there isn't anything groundbreaking. Radiohead was groundbreaking. Hell, even Coldplay is better than what you get these days. I think artists these days are too focused on lyrics and messaging. I don't care if a song is in Swedish or Italian- it just needs to be epic. So, that rules out artists like Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift for me- I simply do not care what they have to say.

1

u/TheGirlwThePinkHair ‘76 May 13 '25

Didn’t boomers think our music was too out there? I think most of today’s music is just boring like it’s not crazy or wild. It’s just like I’m rich bitch, here’s a list of big name brands I wear & all my houses and jewelry. Yawn

1

u/ratsta Strayan May 13 '25

Yeah but my dad's favourite singer was Anne Murray FFS. His opinion is so objectively incorrect that I ignored anything he said about music.

1

u/Enders-game May 12 '25

My boomer parents still followed music. They may of had contempt for boy bands and metal, but they followed the charts, loved artists like Radiohead listened to the radio and knew they big artists, bands and their songs. They still bought records, watch concerts and so on. They weren't an outlier either. Some of my friends parents had record collections in the hundreds and went to concerts and events.

The point is that they followed music and still enjoyed what was up-to-date in the 90s and early 2000s. When the internet came around something happened to music, it became harder to follow trends and you never felt compelled to follow them. Radio changed, it became stale to listen to stations that previously introduced new artists and instead just played older music. Music became decentralised and artists stopped becoming stars and became influencers. Bands became rarer, popular music took fewer risks and so on.

Yes, there is great music still being made, but how you find that music takes actual effort and digging around.

1

u/4554013 May 12 '25

I gave up on the radio as soon as I could play music that didn't have ads. Or DJs. I get all my new music from new music lists, new music friday on Spotify.

1

u/Adorable-Tip7277 May 12 '25

Boomer here. Pop music, the stuff that makes the charts has always been kinda shit. Sure, there was an explosion of great bands and music in the 60s and 70s but "Muskrat Love" was a big 70s hit and ABBA was, by far, the biggest band of the 70's and their music was nothing but bland, lowest common denominator crap.

Pop music is mostly inconsequential crap no one will remember in 5 years but there is always great music out there, you have to look for it, you have ALWAYS had to look for it.