Narcissism in today's music

[enyawd72]

Was reading up on David Bowie and ran across another article talking about the narcissism of today's youth being reflected in it's music/lyrics. There was a study done...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26tier.html

I had noticed a while back and was discussing it with the wife about how love songs used to be about the other person, and now I noticed almost all of them are about the singer. Most of them sing about how great they are and how the other person should be grateful, or the other person isn't good enough. Pretty sad.

[HardyGirl]

That is pretty sad. I really don't listen to most modern music. I stick to the classics!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Not picking on rap and hip-hop, but I think it's partially to blame. 95% of all rap music is all about expressing how great the rapper is.

Chris

[Spyweb007]

I've noticed this with a lot of hip hop and rap music too. I'm not sure how a song connects with liwteners when it's all about the person behind the microphone, and what kind of egomaniac puts refers to themselves by name in the lyrics? I don't care about them enough to listen to them sing about themselves. "ME, ME, ME!"

[Mikey]

I never liked rap, but it seems to take itself too seriously nowadays.

I miss the days of Funky Cold Medina and I Like Big Butts

[TrekStar]

Rap is crap, all they usually talk about is, sex-drugs-crime-cop harassment-prison and the hard life they had,
old school hip hop and R&B, disco, is fine and classic rock and country.

[Hector]

You think rap is bad...u should listen to Mexican narco Banda music lyrics, it makes rap look like a Mouseketeer Disney song...we are talking not only about AK/47s, money, gold, SUV/trucks, kidnappings, drive byes, but decapitations too...really disgusting sickening stuff.

[daz71]

check out the macc lads hilarious.not nasty stuff just drinking going with dodgy women and eating chips and gravy but they got banned a lot of places.

[Hedji]

Lyrics have always been less important to me than melody, songwriting, musicianship, and "catchiness". I would accept narcissistic lyrics if there was talent and pleasing grooves to back it up. So, yeah, I listen to oldies and Film Scores.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I cannot think of any modern act that I listen too. they all suck. I stick with the classics where there was real talent that wrote their own songs for the most part and actually played instruments, even the Monkees could actually play. today it is all done by machine

[emeraldknight47]

Man, it certainly is no wonder that I largely stick to my fifties, sixties, seventies and early eighties Spotify and Apple Radio Stations. Back then, the music was made to be enjoyed rather than make you want to go out and shoot up the neighborhood just so you can steal someone else's ride/shoes/girlfriend/drugs or whatever else may apply.

[Werewolf]

Modern popular music is narcissistic? I'm shocked. They never sang about sex or drugs in the sixties or seventies.

Yeah, I'm teasing, there's always been a lot of crap mixed in with the good.

[daz71]

I cannot think of any modern act that I listen too. they all suck. I stick with the classics where there was real talent that wrote their own songs for the most part and actually played instruments, even the Monkees could actually play. today it is all done by machine

the only modern stuff i like is retro psychedelic ,mod & garage and the libertines .there is decent stuff just not mainstream it's all underground check out shindig magazine for the best old and new stuff.

[MIB41]

I can remember a time when I knew every song by every band in the top 40. I can't even tell you who is popular today except maybe Blake Shelton and that's only because of the Voice, which my wife watches and she's taking our daughter to see him in March. I have no connection with today's music.

[huedell]

Have to bring up the point that rock has always been heavy on the narcissism....it's kinda the point---at least fifty percent of the point, that is. "I want sex (drugs & rock n' roll)" well, that's what makes rock "rock".

Same with rap.

"Love" and "Peace" and all that---well, that stuff is good. It has it's place, but too much of that and it ain't youthful music anymore. For every Beatles there should be a Rolling Stones---and even within the Beatles you have a lot of great narcissism "Baby You Can Drive My Car", "Helter Skelter", "I Am The Walrus", "Come Together", etc etc.

Too bad about the pop charts turning that way, as I agree there should be less of a self-centered message in pop---the central genre of music.

Takes a village.