I don’t need to restate the news.

As an electronic music fan, someone who grew up with early 2010s “gaming music”, you would think the passing of Dolly Parton wouldn’t really affect me.

Well, it did.

Her music (specifically, her song “9 to 5”) was featured in an episode of The Orville. That was my first exposure to Dolly Parton. From there, references to her in talk shows, game shows, would have me know that she exists. But I never really knew any of her other songs until yesterday.

However, I knew that she was loved by many people. And even I was surprised to see the notification on my watch about Dolly Parton’s death. I knew it was a big deal, before opening social media hours later.

I was finishing my first day at orientation with a Dueling Pianos performance, and there were song requests. But the thing is, you need to request a song that the players can perform. So it has to be a “known song”. And I’ve wondered why music from the 80s has remained so relevant, still having its own SiriusXM station and lots of adults - and even young adults, still listening. So, what’s happening?

Popular Music - General Audiences

This is not the first time I’ve experienced a setting where people are playing music to a general audience and it tends to be music from before the 2000s.

At high school assemblies and concerts, when students got to perform what they wanted, they were usually these old songs, like from Billy Joel, or some old rock music. Even at a cabaret, people played older music.

Now, this felt weird to me, because for the musicians, I doubted how much they actually know or like the songs they are performing. There are tons of other fun songs in the 2000s onward that would be fun. The closest you typically get is Bruno Mars.

At my yearly vacation with my extended family, everyone goes to see a person who sings 70s and 80s music. This year, everyone, including the younger adults around my age went, except me and my cousin.

So, although pop music exists, something clearly changed. The music seems to hit better with everyone else.

To be clear, I do not mean any disrespect towards the artists, musicians, or listeners. You can enjoy what you enjoy, and I have no problem.

The Changing Music Industry

I’m not a stranger to looking at the music industry over time and figuring out “why has things changed this way?”. In my junior year of high school, I did a paper on how Spotify influenced the music industry a lot. I will be taking some of those factors into consideration as I try to brain dump my way through what happened here.

The 90s

So I did not cover this in my paper, but there is something that I think may help understand the transition from the popular 80s songs to the “forgotten(?)” 2000s.

I’m not going to name any names, but some people in my family have told me that they do not like 90s music. To be fair, I don’t think I listen to any 90s music either.

It’s still known, though. But thinking about it, that is when more forms of electronic and trance music started to come around.

I wonder if that has something to do with it. I think that the growth of electronic music created a bit of a split in the music industry and music culture.

Access to Music and “Specialty”

It’s also probably worth mentioning that around this time, other forms of accessing music started to become available, obviously with computers and the internet.

I’ve noticed something recently in my own life. The less you have an ability - like being able to use technology at a point in time, or being able to have a few toys - the more special it is. Quality over quantity, basically.

For example, if I have one 3x3 speedcube. That’s special. But if I have 5, well, I have a few favorites. But if I have 20, most of them are irrelevant.

One of my theories to the question of “why is the same new music not so popular nowadays?” is that people listen to music so much, that they do not enjoy it. In the 80s, well, you had radios, vinyls, things you had to physically touch and make an effort to access music. Then you would enjoy it. But it’s not like you took it for granted.

Today, we do. So much that I think one of the reasons why lots of today’s electronic music is not as full is because it ends up being “background music”, rather than music you listen to and fully vibe with. I feel like a lot of newly released music is not as exciting and high energy, but rather just a culmination of basic loops and a simple melody. And it doesn’t help that some people wear their AirPods literally all day.

So when everyone is experiencing music, it loses its magic.

The 2000s, Music Genres, Changing Pop Music

Let’s play a game. Quick, name popular 2000s songs. Go!

Off the top of my head:

  • Replay by Iyaz
  • Yeah! by Usher

… and that’s it.

If you did this with 80s music, you can easily come up with a TON of answers.

The iPod was released now, so everyone had access to their favorite music all the time. This was the start of allowing people to be picky with their music, like I am. Someone can listen to only country music, or only dance music, or only classical music. Before, they would have to listen to whatever was put on the radio.

I think this is part of the “separation” that came around the time of electronic music. But I don’t think it’s necessarily electronic music at fault, but more like, the change of music consumption.

At this time, I think, is when electronic music instruments, like synths, started to be integrated into pop music. Heck, most pop music nowadays uses synths in one way or another. I wonder if that turned a lot of people off? People who prefer real instruments would not be a fan. I imagine some people still would prefer to only listen to real instruments instead of instruments made with synths.

The 2010s

So as we enter the 2010s, honestly a GREAT time for music, we have people being a bit more overconsumed with music, more picky music genres, and a split of electronic instruments versus real instruments.

Now, I can name a ton of songs that I think EVERYONE would know. So I’ll just name artists that every single young adult should be familiar with and there is basically no excuse.

  • Bruno Mars (obviously)
  • Pitbull
  • Ke$ha
  • Lady Gaga (though she was also popular in the 2000s)
  • Justin Bieber
  • Ariana Grande
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Taylor Swift (obviously, I think she was also popular in the 2000s)
  • Katy Perry

And uh.. those are the main artists that come to the top of my head. But I mean, it is a good list.

So… why is nobody playing these songs or requesting them at Dueling Pianos or school assemblies or to general audiences?

Here is my guess.

Pop Music Is Different

This is the epiphany I had last night and this morning.

I think, that a lot of pop music before the 2000s, was about personal things that everyone could relate to, or feel something for, at all times. Bohemian Rhapsody is about the kid who killed someone. Piano Man is about, well, a piano man. 9 to 5 is about working a 9 to 5 job.

But, let’s think about the lyrics of songs in the 2000s to 2010s. A lot of them are about love (Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift). But a lot of them are about personal fame or glory, like Lady Gaga, basically teenage drama (Justin Bieber, Katy Perry), and then there are songs that are basically just for partying (Pitbull, Ke$ha).

Let’s think about Bruno Mars again. He is an amazing artist, and while I think he does sing about love, it’s more generic, instead of “this is my heartbreak song”.

Music back then was more geared towards a general audience. Modern music is about partying, or just being a personal yap fest.

Short-form content and TikTok

I don’t think I even need to explain where I am going with this, but basically, I think that lots of modern artists that just exist for the purpose of blowing up on TikTok, are uh, not going to be important.

They release their song. It becomes popular. And then it’s forgotten admist HUNDREDS of other songs. A short section of the song is used and that’s about it. Again, we see a lot of personal expression, like in Olivia Rodrigo music.

But, think about it - try to name an artist from the 2020s, that has really, and I mean, really captured everyone’s attention, making their names one for the history books? And don’t say a name that is because of boiled over popularity from the 2010s or people who continued making music and released it now.

Yeah…

Sabrina Carpenter? I don’t listen to her music.. and honestly I don’t know about everyone else.

Taylor Swift, well, she still has her glory from the 2010s. And she’s still around, and she is still known.

Uh….?????

Madison Beer?

See where I’m going here?

Remember the “choice of music you get to listen to” becoming a factor of music consumption. This has allowed everyone to find their diverse, niche corner of music, that only appeals to them and their community. Everyone else, not so much.

Skrillex - Bangarang. Great for young adults, gamers, people online, and the electronic music scene. Everywhere else? Not so much.

What Makes A Popular Song

Back then, it was really, well, can you just make the song? Can it be good, and something everyone can relate to?

Now it is: can you appeal to your selective audience?

Songs that are about personal troubles can also be relatable. But it’s personal, and not as much a feeling that everyone may be able to relate to.

Once you have the song written, and it’s good and everything, it then has to be distributed out. And hopefully, by word of mouth, radio play, or your established credibility from collaborating with other artists or your prior work, you get it to be listened to.

But it has to be good now for the general public, if you want it to REALLY succeed. It has to be something everyone knows and can sing along to. Well, if they even can. Some music is just super fast rap.

And then you have to play the pop culture and entertainment industry game on top of that.

From there, you can become a popular artist.

Dolly Parton and Today’s Artists

I listened to Dolly Parton’s music this morning. Songs like Jolene, and her old country music I never listened to.

While some of it was personal experience, the idea and way how the song is conveyed (especially like in “Jolene” with her singing, where it sounds like she is desperate but still sweet), was made in a way that everyone knew.

The lyrics were also something everyone could sing or resonate with.

And the vibe too, like that song about the Tennessee Mountains. She expressed her heart out, rather than making lyrics for the sake of lyrics.

And on top of that, she advocated for so many things that made the world a better place.

Today, artists just need the money.

And as long as the music industry continues to be greedy, and we continue to overconsume music, and short form content dominates the “music industry” for songs that can live for a couple of months and then quickly die out - no song is popular. It’s just a trend.

So, we need better artists, and better songs. And we need to deeply listen. Not just throw on background music. Make it something lovable and relatable.