Is something missing in our musical performers?
There seems to be a gap in the music industry right now. It seems that only the most extreme musics have survived this fickle industry.
For example, if you turn on the radio, what you will hear are extremes and styles of music. In a station you will hear only talking. In another station you will hear rapping, with words of violent underlining. In another station you will listen to classical music. In another station you will hear someone singing about whiskey and forgetting their pain. At another station you’ll hear what’s left of what we used to call “pop music.”
The change in pop music, and what may be missing, is what I would like to address at this point. It seems like there used to be a greater variety of pop music available when listening to pop music stations. However, at this point it has dropped to a small amount where one singer sounds a lot like the last singer. There are not many songs available to listen to from Celine Dion. The singer who has managed to stay on top consistently is Christina Aguilera.
You cannot argue with the fact that twenty years ago popular music was very different than it is today. And I’m not sure you can argue that it’s getting better all the time. About ten years ago Elton John had hit songs from the movie The Lion King, Celine Dion had a hit song from the movie Titanic.
The eighties and nineties had many hit movie songs, such as CaddyShack, Officer and a Gentleman, Dirty Dancing, Good Morning Vietnam, Moonstruck, and La Bamba. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there aren’t many hit songs or hit songs soundtracks from popular movies these days. Hollywood has tried to do this, but has not reached the peak it once did.
Going back in time, one could trace pop music back to the roots of rock-and-roll itself. Elvis Presley set a new trend in music. The Beatles followed up with great songs and performances that changed the world of music. The Beatles seemed to go through various stages and reflected this in their music.
When the Beatles first came to America, they recorded love songs with lollipop lyrics. After this, they grew their hair out and recorded music with a more convoluted meaning, which seemed to question the rulers and authority of the time. When the Beatles finally broke up, new musical trends evolved with the music of Paul McCartney and Wings, and the solo work of John Lennon.
Elvis started out as Hillbilly Cat, recording for Sun Records. Her southern accent was very prominent and her hair was a dirty blonde color. He then entered the era where he died of black hair, completed a stint in the military, and had a whole new career in film. This was the “Elvis movie”. Then, Elvis entered his musical comeback phase. He recorded music and performed live in Las Vegas during this time. The final stage was his jumpsuit stage, sometimes called the Last Days of Elvis Presley. This was the time during which, although he still sounded good vocally, he seemed fat and bloated.
Let’s change styles right now in music and go back to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were part of the Rat Pack. They performed in Las Vegas, recorded records, and made several movies. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra certainly reflected unique talent, great voices, and wonderful music that we have to enjoy.
Yet who is the next great talent we follow with a fine tooth comb, from start to finish? Who is the next Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra?
Certainly, there is a gap in popular music today. Sure, you can find many popular artists with popular songs. However, all of them lack that certain singularity in the caliber of the interpreters of the past days. Maybe it’s a lack of charisma. Maybe it’s the lack of mystery. I do not know.
However, shows like American Idol are certainly trying to win that back with what they are doing. American Idol is trying to discover talents that can become another Elvis Presley or someone who will change the music and be remembered forever.
Although they have discovered many unique and great talents, if you ask Simon Cowell or Randy Jackson I think they will tell you that they have not found talent that has achieved what they originally intended.
Yes, they have found great talent. The talent they have discovered is certainly not lacking in anything on the vocal side of things. However, perhaps it is something in the performer’s personality that has not cast him to the status of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Dean Martin, Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain.
Perhaps it is something that these legendary artists possessed that was mysterious and unknown to us. Something is definitely missing. American Idol, along with many other record labels, are certainly still looking for someone to turn the music industry upside down.
I don’t know, maybe that won’t happen again.
Perhaps the artists who managed to change music forever, such as Elvis, the Beatles, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, are from our history and from our days. I hope not.
