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.

I usually only listen to metal but I do make an exception for Raye. She’s incredibly talented!

It's a pop classic... but it's not new, new, it's over a decade old already, and Mark Ronson has been significant in the industry for 20+ years now.

(But still new in my head )

What do we get for our trouble and pain? Just a rented room in whalley range
What do we get for our trouble and pain?
Whalley raaaaaaaaaange...

I think a lot of the music industry relies on back catalogue from artists from the late 60-90s being resold in different formats.

Live music is going to change as smaller venues have closed and the bigs acts that our still touring with roots pre-2000 and the internet age stop performing.

But there will still be new acts. It feels just more like safe pop with an image that sells well and less of the smaller artists, representing local communities.

Nope...you need to make an effort to find interesting awesome music by new artists. Try removing the Monkees from your Spotify cacheb🤣

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.

the same could be said of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman who wrote most of the pop songs in the charts from mid 70s through early 80s. They were very catchy, formulaic and were definitely more concerned about keeping the hits churning out than musical brilliance.

I do a weekly intros quiz on tiktok and they play the intros of the top 20 songs in the UK from one particular year, it was 1989 the other week and the vast majority were absolutely dire! Some of the more recent years were much better

Interestingly they're not on it! The song came up on the (old fashioned) radio 😅

I just don’t know how people can say this unless they’re stuck in the old people stereotype of ‘things were better in my day’. I’ve listened to lyrics in just the last couple of years that have been genius - Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, Chappelle Roan, Billie Eilish…and that’s just the mainstream stuff - I could go on and on and on.

I love that Monkees song but bloody hell op, to say there is no good music anymore means you’re just not open to music anymore.

Lewis Capaldi, he's hardly a looker and just stands there and sings, actually so does George Ezra.
You may not rate it, but they're very popular and neither have a gimmick.

That Raye song is constantly stuck in my head, it's so catchy. As is The Fate of Ophelia

Sam Fender too

Yes they do.
Where is my husband and Man I need are absolute bangers for a start.

Oh yes the oldies are the best.

Altogether now... a-ga-doo-doo-doo...

Less creativity in the school curriculum. Less free time to hang out and create. Cost of music lessons and instruments....

How many of the '60s groups had much in the way of formal musical education? Lennon and McCartney didn't.

And people have to remember that a lot of the '60s and '70s stuff, while it might seem simplistic today, was groundbreaking at the time, and was the starting point for everything that followed.

YABVU @HappyFace2025

Taylor Swift has some great songs. I mean, some of them are a bit slow/melancholy, but some are upbeat and catchy. Have you not heard Opalite? And The Fate Of Ophelia?

What about Demon Hunters. (Super catchy!) Lady GaGa, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Chappell Roan, Tyla, so many good songs from these artists....

And the single by Bruno Mars and Lady GaGa (Die With A Smile) is one the best songs of the decade so far. Very infectious and catchy!

You need to listen to some more current chooons, and stay away from Greatest Hits radio 70s and Greatest Hits radio 80s! Some great songs back then of course, but some great ones these days too...

Survivorship bias.

When I saw Motorhead it was so loud it made my nose bleed.

The thing with pop music is that if you're old enough to remember the old stuff new music isn't being written for you.

I have never advocated that 'things were better in my day'! I just don't find today's music appealing at all.

I watched an ancient episode of (the original) Never Mind the Buzzcocks with Bruce as a panellist last night funnily enough, he does look great now but my god he was beautiful back then!

Was there not some controversy over The Last Dinner Party being industry plants or something? No idea if that's true or not though!

But then you've equally got "I was looking for a job and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now". Which, yes, rings true for a lot of people, but they're not genius lyrics

@HappyFace2025 what are you listening to? You don't like any of today's music at all?

it is a gazillion times better than the Monkees.

Bollocks. Taylor Swift's Love Story is nearly 20 years old and still gets nearly half a million streams daily. Blank Space gets nearly a million daily streams. They're already standing the test of time.

It perfectly captures that thing.of being desperate to land a job and being so happy to get through the interviews, offer etc only to realise the prize is working for some twat ordering you about for just enough money to survive. We've all been there.

Master lyricist.