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.

Sixties music is the best

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And I love I'm a Believer by the Monkees.

having said that, I think there is a generation gap building with music now, because of streaming. Years ago, everyone heard the same stuff, on TOTP, on the top 40 radio show on a Sunday night. Making a mix tape was an effort. You bought albums of your very favourites and listened to the whole album. Now with streaming, you can get virtuallly anything. You might not even listen to a whole album of an artist. You might hear some obscure singer one day and replay their stuff even though no-one else has heard of them.

I realised this when Lulu was on Jools Holland the other day and my 19 year old didn't know who she was. Fair enough, I thought, but he'd probably vaguely know the song Shout. He didn't though. Then I thought "Well, I'm sure he'd know Relight my Fire". He didn't. Said he'd never heard it when I sang a bit to him.

So the "classic hits" are kind of more diluted now. In the same way as we don't all sit discussing what happened in Corrie at work next morning anymore or whatever, because at the time we only had 3 then 4 channels to watch so everyone watched the same thing at the same time.

I do feel sad when I look at the old 80s Top of the Pops replays on telly. The songs were such fun, either light hearted and a bit of a laugh, or quite experimental and new. The audience looked just like normal young people having a good time. Not highly made up clones of each other or overly conscious of what they looked like. Just enjoying the music.

Now a lot of the songs are so aggressive or highly sexual, in terms of the lyrics or how they are performed. Or just out to shock. Legs and Co routines look so innocent now 😆 No writhing about suggestively and thrusting.

I know what was going on the BBC with Saville etc wasn't so innocent. But I'm talking about the culture of pop music itself. It was just more fun.

Mind you some of the costumes Legs and co wore were a bit dubious 😂

I think with music from any period, we have selective memories; as true for classical periods as pop music. What we keep from the "good old days" are the survivors, if you like; when I was studying other musical period styles for my degree, I waded through some of the more obscure stuff as well, and with some notable exceptions, you could see why it had fallen into said obscurity.
Also consider that the pop music of your younger days coincided with a more carefree time in your life, and can be associated with happy or significant occasions.
Some of it was, of course, fantastic stuff which still makes me misty eyed, but try whole episodes from the archives of "The Old Grey Whistle Test" or "Top of the Pops" (if their broadcasting is still possible!).

Their dancing to the BeeGees Saturday Night Fever was very close to soft porn, prancing around in skimpy nighties (no bras) and very brief bikini pants.

Our music was definitely the best as they still play them at children's discos now.

I treated my children to some of the best songs I remembered a few years ago. They weren't convinced until I found the Chicken Song, when they decided that I was totally taking the micky and winding them up.
Even dh refused to believe there was a song with the words "boldly going forward, we can't find reverse" in.
Ds was actively terrified of My Blobby too.

One of my best moments was when ds went through a stage of putting music on his computer and doing things round the house listening to his music. I sneaked in. It was on the third time round of YMCA this dawning realisation came over his face and he raced upstairs. But as I pointed out, there won't be many songs from his age that in 30 years time everyone still knows the actions...

Morrisey is absolutely a genius.

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten tonne truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine

Never 'got' the fangirling some people have for Morrissey.

He's crap IMO.

Makes dull dreary drivel. Can't sing for shite. Bit of a dickhead.

I think his lyrics are brilliant
But ww can't all like the same music.

Even dh refused to believe there was a song with the words "boldly going forward, we can't find reverse" in.

Well that was a spoof, wasn't it. 'It's worse than that, he's dead Jim, dead Jim, dead Jim...'

Anyone who only remembers Legs & Co isn't old enough 😁 It was Pan's People. They did wear some very skimpy costumes to distract viewers from the fact that they weren't all that good as dancers but that was what they were there for. They weren't singers who were having to dance and look sexy because it wasn't considered enough just to have a good voice and sing good songs. (Even a not so good singer could get by if the song was good.)

In the pub NYE, young and old singing Die With A Smile. Bruno can make a pop record.

I can’t deny Morrissey’s lyrics, but I think you we’re definitely either a fan or really, really not.

They were there for me! Stopped my DDad from switching “that racket” off every Thursday.

They were there for me! Stopped my DDad from switching “that racket” off every Thursday.

Thursday was the day there was something for all the family in our house. Dad and brother watched Tomorrow's World, then sister and I watched TOTP, then Mum and I watched Star Trek.

At least they weren't singing WAP, I suppose...

Yes, I look on Spotify and will try some of the suggestions. It's that you never had to look very far last century to find music you liked.
I really miss rock bands with good tunes and smart lyrics.

It’s almost as if every generation says this isn’t it….

It was written by Neil Diamond who was a songwriter in the Brill Building in NY and the Monkees were a made up group. A lot of country songs are written by song writers for artists. Music scene has changed a bit since the Monkees. But Someone Like You by Adele was co written by Dan Wilson who has written for Taylor Swift. Rollercoaster by Ronan Keating was written by Greg Alexander. Prob lots out there esp for boy bands/girl groups

Distracted people from the presenters some of whom were a problem (or known to be)

This is why I only listen to smooth fm

Fine, but just because you personally aren't one of the 2 million people still streaming Espresso daily doesn't mean it's not an incredible pop song.

'Whatever your age' is an odd claim surely - I wasn't alive in the 70s or most of the 80s so it's safe to say I could look at the majority of song titles from that period and have no idea what they sound like but that doesn't mean they're not good pop songs. If you're not listening to today's music in a regular and engaged way of course you won't know the songs, but what does that have to do with how good they are?

It’s all down to your personal preferences isn’t it. I’d agree with OPs comment as my listening base remains firmly in the 60/70 early 80s,, radio wise I’m a radio 2, smooth/ gold listener. With a few exceptions I don’t like or make any attempt to listen to modern stuff and seriously dislike rap. My BIL, who is older than me , listens to radio 1and says modern music is every bit as good as the old stuff.

Max Martin writes for everyone and is VERY good at what he does.

Honestly, listening to old music front my youth and even thirties gives me the creeps. Give me what's current any day.

I am ancient but the only one of those by name at least I know is Uptown Funk. I read something recently that said the songs we love are those embedded in our teenage years for girls, for boys a little older. I don't think it's entirely true but the idea is interesting.

I think this is true, and I also think thetre is a very strong history bias in these discussions. We know which songs stood the test of time from the 70s etc. so it's easy to look back and say it was a decade of incredible songs that beat anything more contemporary. But all that's happening is people are forgetting the enormous amount of dross that was also released then but which has since faded into obscurity.

It's hugely short sighted to say nothing being written today will last in the same way that something like I'm a Believer did, just because enough time hasn't yet passed for us to see what continues to be recognised as an absolute pop anthem.

No doubt when I'm 60 I'll be harping on about how nobody writes songs like Umbrella, Single Ladies, Opalite, Espresso or Brat anymore and complaining that nothing new will stand the test of time like they did 😂