I have two teenage sons, one is 19 and uses Spotify as his tiktok feed, probably never listened to any album front to back except for his single vinyl record. My youngest is 16 and he only listens to albums. He sometimes recomends albums to members of his band and no one gets past the first song. Their attention span is about 3 minutes long at best. So I am with Beato in regard to Spotify and how kids enjoy music these days.
That is a very small sample group.
I’d argue that this easy access has brought a depth and knowledge in the minority who really care about music that never existed before. Back in the Beato years (mine too) you bought a copy of Led Zep II because it was hyped everywhere and everyone else had bought a copy of Led Zep II too. The ability to explore off the beaten path was hopelessly closed-off. Major labels, their A&R departments and the DJs they pushed records to defined taste. They were gatekeepers. In hindsight it was a very claustrophobic scene; successful middle-aged white men defining what music made it and what did not. The problem with the Rick Beatos are they have not adapted to their generation and academic type being denied this power today. That power was hugely erased with punk, hip-hop, indie, techo, R&B, rap etc, it continues to be erased today, and to my eyes this is a very, very good thing.
One thing I notice about a lot of the new music I like these days is just how well informed it is. Young bands in their 20s clearly having deep-dived stuff it took me decades to find. This has resulted in an amazing multi-genre/timeline melting pot that I love, e.g. the new London jazz scene mashing everything from modern dance culture through 70s fusion to Ayler and Alice Coltrane in one piece of music. The knowledge in modern electronica about the early electronic pioneers etc. Everything is everywhere because people have listened and learned.
No, most hits are crap music.
They always have been. Most pop of the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s was truly awful. We only remember the good stuff.
I’d also argue that folk like Beato, me, and many others here are viewing a false reality. We are looking through the lens of being lifelong obsessive music fans who always had very, very strong selection filters. I’ve heard Beato suggest he was buying Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett etc in his 20s. That isn’t the behaviour of a pop fan. The difference is he seems to have lost his connection to the best new music of today. Thankfully I haven’t. I’m still finding a truly irresponsible amount of new records to buy!
Streaming is just another tool. Its main benefit is exploration. It can turn up reams of amazing new music, help you deep-dive past genres etc. Arguing against it is arguing against access, education, knowledge etc. Bright people shouldn’t need to be led by gurus.
PS Rereading this I’d add that I do view streaming platforms as gatekeepers too, though I feel Benn Jordan covers that vastly better. He understands what it is!
Just watched this interesting vid. Yes, the guy is a musician so you can always accuse him of being biased but he makes a decent argument IMHO:
pinkfishmedia.net