They don't write pop songs like they used to

[HappyFace2025]

Just listened to 'i'm a believer' by The Monkees and it got me thinking that nobody writes toe tapping pop songs like this any more.

Some of the “old stuff” was shite though 😁My 18 year old DS has recently got into the Smiths! We have to have the CD’s on in the car. My god they’re boring, the lyrics are basic at best.
That said I’m not a fan of pop music anyway. If it hasn’t got loud drums and screaming guitars I’m not interested 😂😂

@Newname71how dare you. They’re my favourite!!!

Sorry! Maybe my penchant for metal is clouding my judgement? 😁

You're a philistine.
Morrisey is a poet.

'What she asked of me at the end of the day - Caligula would have blushed.
You've been in the house too long she said
And I naturally fled'

Yes they do.

Good Luck, Babe!
Espresso
Blank Space
As It Was
About Damn Time
We Can't Be Friends
Flowers
Texas Hold Em
Blinding Lights
We Found Love
Uptown Funk
Someone Like You
Get Lucky
Call Me Maybe
Good as Hell

All absolute juggernaut pop songs from the last 20 years

WHAT?! Genius level pop music, that.

The thread title made immediately play the opening to this in my head:
“Let me please introduce myself/ I’m a man of wealth and taste……” .

Tbf, Neil Diamond (who wrote I’m A Believer) has been writing toe-tapping songs for 70 years, so it’s a bit unfair to compare his oeuvre with modern songwriters!

I quite like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean, if we’re talking modern artists (and whoever shares writing duties!!).

As Antony said to Cleopatra / As he opened a crate of ale….. ❤️

My DP loves metal with Iron Maiden being his No 1! But we fell in love to The Beatles and Moody Blues ♥️

Was listening to 'Baby One More Time' the other day thinking exactly the same thing.

DH and I spend most Fruday nights watching Top of the Pops on BBC4. Two hours of 70's 80's and 90's music.

Brilliant. 😁

What new stuff do you listen to? Some of it’s really good and lots of the old stuff is utter crap it just triggers good memories of youth etc

Iron Maiden were the first metal band I started listening to at 13! I’m quite lucky that DSis and DS1 share my taste in music (although he’s recently developed a love of death metal) We go to as many concerts as we can and do Download together most years. Me and DSis took him to his first Download when he was 14. He does Bloodstock most years too 😁

There were always rubbish songs in the old days, just as there are good songs nowadays; BUT most of the mainstream and widely-played stuff now isn't the decent stuff, which you often have to go digging to find.

Most of the mainstream music now is formulaic and written by a relatively small pool of experienced songwriters who know what will sell, rather than caring about musical brilliance. They also value image and gimmicks as the pre-eminent thing, with the actual music side of it coming much lower down the list of importance. Can you imagine somebody like Roy Orbison nowadays - just standing there with his guitar and singing beautiful ballads that he mainly wrote himself, with nothing apart from the pure musical talent?

There are still good singer-songwriters out there, but they often get overshadowed by the conveyer-belt pop that is now pushed commercially.

TBF neither DP nor I listen to much 'new' music as there is so much from the 20th century that we love. Also I know this is a huge generalisation, but 21st century stuff sounds manufactured (and I know some old pop stuff was) and samey.

Thanks, that's exactly what I mean.

There'll be survivor's bias, but most top 40s from 1965-2000 could wipe the floor with any chart from 2015 onwards.

The record companies and algorithms of streaming sercices have a lot to answer for in promoting new acts. They're risk averse and want maximum profit for minimal effort. They don't want to find a new Beatles, they want easy, compliant solo artists avaliable for colabs and working with the corporation.

There's fewer bands anyway. Less creativity in the school curriculum. Less free time to hang out and create. Cost of music lessons and instruments to create a foundation. Loss of shared culture and inspiration. Fewer venues with live music to launch and gain experience at.

The one new band I can say that I love from the last 5 years is The Last Dinner Party. Most of the other contemporary artists I like have older roots in previous decades.

Honestly. The Smiths have boring music and lyrics?! They were literally revered for Morriseys lyrics and Johnny Marrs genius music. No offence but metalheads can be a little tone deaf when it comes to the wider world of music!

Actually pop is sounding good atm, I like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappel Roan.

My issues: They don't write songs like they did in the 80s though. Where are the middle 8s, the synth solos and the umpteen key changes? Music is a bit less experimental these days. And also, where are all the novelty songs?

I mean, Teletubbies had a no.1 in 1997 - not saying it was good music on any level but just using as an extreme example that there's less humour and oddness in popular music, it's all very self conscious.

Child of the 60s and 70s and love that music

But plenty of good modern artists - Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi, Teddy Swims, Rag and Bone Man, the excellent First Aid Kit etc

Only Good Luck Babe will be listened to in 50 years time.

IM are still the best and I've gone to their gigs but honestly, the noise! 😂 DP has known Bruce for years and his (2nd) wife is a friend of ours.

No more apologies (OP), it makes no difference

Actually I think 'Uptown Funk' will stand the test of time.

Raye- Where The Hell is my Husband, great pop song that's just come out. Plenty of good Taylor Swift pop songs. Ed Sheridan's recent ones have been good. Prior to that 1D and Little Mix had some great pop songs. I think the modern stuff is much better than the older stuff, maybe it's generational.

He’s got better and better with age 😍