When did the music die for you?
Fifty years ago today, a plane crash ended the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the “Big Bopper”, J.P. Richardson.
It was the day, as the popular song “American Pie” proclaimed, that “the music died.”
Was that the day the music died for you? If not, when did music die? Was it with the advent of the MTV-generation, when looks and marketing began to matter more than true talent? Was it when rap, New Wave or punk it the scene? Was it when musicians started using synthesizers more? Or was it when good ol’ vinyl was replaced by cassette tapes and CDs?
When did the music die?
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67 comments Add your comment
kevin
February 3rd, 2009
11:26 am
after sammy hagar left van halen.that next album really sucked.
WrapTheRap
February 3rd, 2009
1:41 pm
Music died the day the first rap/hip-hop song was recorded.
Wes
February 3rd, 2009
1:44 pm
Music died when Kurt Cobain died back in April of 1994. And current MTV programming disgusts me and makes me wanna put a bullet through my head as well.
Chief Wiggum
February 3rd, 2009
1:51 pm
It died in 1983. That was when rock and roll started adding too many synthesizers. Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon…heck, even Van Halen added them the next year.
gagirl
February 3rd, 2009
1:51 pm
^^^Racist. So now rap/hip-hop isn’t considered music?? That’s okay. Just as long as you know that rock and roll is rooted in R&B……
Leon
February 3rd, 2009
1:51 pm
When Springsteen released “Boring The USA”
Macca
February 3rd, 2009
1:53 pm
December 8, 1980
Chris
February 3rd, 2009
1:54 pm
When American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson went to #1. Don’t get me wrong, I love the show. But, when we were young we weren’t about to go run out and buy any albums force-fed to us from the producers of “Star Search”.
pbear
February 3rd, 2009
1:55 pm
gagirl, since when is not liking rap/hip-hop racist? do black people own this music? some of us whites like it too
Who Cares?
February 3rd, 2009
1:55 pm
R&B and American Roots Music proudly gave birth to Rock ‘N Roll. The afterbirth became rap and hip-hop.
Marty
February 3rd, 2009
2:00 pm
The music dies in the 70’s. What happened??? We need more like The Eagles, Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Rolling Stones, The Who. Give me Rock & Roll!!
nikki
February 3rd, 2009
2:02 pm
Never died. In my heart always
Jade the Joker
February 3rd, 2009
2:03 pm
When the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and High School Musical became top-selling albums. XP
Randy Terrell
February 3rd, 2009
2:05 pm
When the “heavy metal” era began, it brought the music to its knees. MTV changed the focus from the lyris/music to the video. Rap and hip hop killed it off completely
itpdude
February 3rd, 2009
2:09 pm
It never died. There’s always good new music being made. It’s that much of it is not on pop radio. When is the last time you heard Willie Nelson on the radio? Or Bob Dylan? Both are still making great new music. However, their new stuff is rarely played on terrestrial radio.
Tim-mah!
February 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
There are certain ‘lulls’ when the feeling goes away, but it has to be when the brain-surgery left me less than excited to listen to most anything.
BC
February 3rd, 2009
2:11 pm
Racist because they don’t like Rap? Get a life. You are paranoid. I don’t like various types of music, and rap is one. So is acid rock, and a good bit of Country. If I don’t like Country Music, what does that mean? If I don’t like classical what does that mean? Besides, what color is Eminem? Vanilla Ice? You don’t own it, and yes, there some white people that like Rap. Some don’t – just like any other type of music…..
LydiasDad
February 3rd, 2009
2:11 pm
When hip hop and gangster rap replaced original rap (Run DMC and LL Cool J).
MrJimmy
February 3rd, 2009
2:11 pm
It didn’t die. You just need to look for it in the right places. You are not going to find it on MTV, American Idol or most FM radio stations.
Formerly Known as Prince Fan
February 3rd, 2009
2:16 pm
Music got terminally ill when Prince changed his name to that symbol, and finally succumbed when he “found religion” and became too preachy.
Zack
February 3rd, 2009
2:17 pm
The music died after the 80’s. The 90’s was all about videos and appearances. Bring back the 80’s!
Brooke
February 3rd, 2009
2:22 pm
when Madonna lip-locked Brittany on MTV!
B Boy
February 3rd, 2009
2:29 pm
Hip Hop died when 2pac and Biggie got killed(96-97). Music in General is still very much alive which is why you have a lot of “hybrid” music and sub-genres. “Singing rappers/Rap and Rock Mashups”. The traditional jazz artist has faded some while “Neo-Soul” is a mixture of jazz and r & b and soul music.
Bottom line music still lives…but in different forms.
Ruby
February 3rd, 2009
2:44 pm
12/8/1980 When John Lennon was killed
Cindy
February 3rd, 2009
2:45 pm
Music for me stopped when it became less about the music itself, and became more about MONEY.
I think today’s music is horrible. I can’t stand anything from the 90’s, and will put up with 80’s music. The 70’s and before, THAT was music.
I don’t know how you can call gangsta rap music? It’s just a bunch of noise as far as I’m concerned. There is absolutely NOTHING artistic about rap.
Give me Dylan, Cream, Yardbirds, etc ANY DAY.
blkshephered
February 3rd, 2009
2:46 pm
after 1989. that was the last year of good music. 1990 to the present has no substance and just absolutely horriable. the 90s was nothing but sampling and make overs. Rap music steals from R&B and Rock and Roll. I have heard many rap songs sample from rock and rolls songs like “True” Sailing, as well as soul hits like ..Good Times, countless James brown beats, even John Legend got a grammy Stealing the music from Stormy to create Save Love which a direct rip off.
80s Still Rule
February 3rd, 2009
2:50 pm
The music was killed my a Flock of Seagulls, after crap like that started becoming popular it was all down hill from there.
Sandy
February 3rd, 2009
2:50 pm
It died when Michael Stipe’s singing became comprehensible.
Uncle Tom
February 3rd, 2009
2:54 pm
It died the first time back when Michael Jackson saw the man in the mirror and “changed.”
ChevyLevy
February 3rd, 2009
2:55 pm
It died when Tom Petty started sounding like Bob Dylan.
Fred
February 3rd, 2009
2:55 pm
I suspect that if each commenter above did a little self-examination, you would find that whatever the death event specified, it happened when you were between 30 and 35. Like most 55 year olds, I have a couple of hundred “records” and CDs recorded before 1985 and a couple of dozen recorded since then. While I would like to think that the music of my youth was the best ever (it was!), I fear that everyone feels that way and you’ll never win the argument.
OffMyLawn
February 3rd, 2009
2:55 pm
Music never died for me. There are lots of indie musicians out there that puts ‘pop’ music to shame. Mainstream music died in the mid 90’s for me. Rap became angry obscenity laced garbage. Rock became this Cobain-ish emo garbage. Country sold its soul to image. Rave music started playing in more clubs. Pop/R&B became so darned canned that a hamster’s flatulence sounded better.
still blastin
February 3rd, 2009
2:56 pm
No matter what you like, it’s out there and better than ever. Just open your eyes and look around.
JT
February 3rd, 2009
2:56 pm
Music, to me, died when the classifications changed. They call these new artists r&b, they aren’t r&b!! R&B was signified by supreme vocal talent, i.e. Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, James Ingram, Gladys Knight, etc..and i’m not hatin’ on these new cats, Omarion, Chris Brown, etc., but they ARE NOT r&b but they couldn’t hold a candle to any of the real singers from back then!! The lyrics of the song were another factor, it’s why they are all sampling the music from back then, because the lyrics had substance and are timeless.
Jai
February 3rd, 2009
2:57 pm
The day that money trumped artistry
joaobass
February 3rd, 2009
3:00 pm
For me personally, it died when James Brown died.
Whiny Kid
February 3rd, 2009
3:00 pm
Music died when my “Close ‘n’ Play” stopped working.
orangesux
February 3rd, 2009
3:01 pm
when Stevie Ray’s plane went down.
Frank
February 3rd, 2009
3:05 pm
The day Z-93 died. When there was no more John Young, Dale O’Brien, Randy Reeves and Lindsey!
Lee Raines
February 3rd, 2009
3:05 pm
It died for me with the beginning of rock ‘n roll, and that death accelerated with the introduction of songs that glorified immorality and profane lifestyles. It died a second death with senseless, violent rap music. Another factor that has accelerated my extreme dislike for today’s music is evident everytime an “artist sings” (butchers) our beloved national anthem at public events.
David
February 3rd, 2009
3:06 pm
Rock is not dead. It is getting better and better. Linkin Park, Seether, Flyleaf, 10 Years, Bullet for my Valentine, AFI, Nightwish….
The music of today makes me feel younger. Although I grew up in the 70s and 80s, listening to that music makes me feel old. Move on!!! Adapt!!! You might feel younger too.
Jonathan Crane
February 3rd, 2009
3:14 pm
When Kurt Cobain committed suicide.
Ben
February 3rd, 2009
3:14 pm
OffMyLawn, I’m with you. Music has never been more alive for me. Wake up people. Go find it for yourself. Don’t be spoon fed by MTV, top 40 radio, or whatever else on tv. There are SO many outlets for new music since the advent of the internet. You just have to look for it. Go buy an independent music rag and find something new. Heck, for Atlantans, we have a vibrant music scene right in our own backyard that is currently producing fantastic music. Everything from rock to hip hip to singer/songwriter fare to country. I’m 34 and I hope I never lose the urge to discover new artists.
80's fan
February 3rd, 2009
3:19 pm
After 1990.
Stonoguy
February 3rd, 2009
3:20 pm
When Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed & Madonna was put in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!!! When did she ever make a rock ‘n’ roll record???!!
JASon
February 3rd, 2009
3:21 pm
In retrospect, the day Emerson, Lake, and Palmer posed on the beach marked the end of the greatest era of music in history: classic progressive rock. ELP, King Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and many others produced some of the most meaningful, existential, and altogether beautiful pieces of music that have ever been created.
clwood
February 3rd, 2009
4:22 pm
Music cried when Buddy died, but the nails were put in the coffin on 12/8/80 when John was murdered, then the nails were hammered in and the coffin put in the ground when George joined John. The good world will end when Paul is lost.
Tom
February 3rd, 2009
4:56 pm
October 20, 1977. RIP Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Lee Brown
February 3rd, 2009
5:05 pm
Gagirl, on the post below is a joke. Has to turn this into racism. (Guess who’s black and hypersensitive about her color?)
Buddy Holly was just at the start of rock and roll, but folks, he wasn’t Elvis. Elvis was, and remains, the King.
Lee Brown
February 3rd, 2009
5:06 pm
Woops! The way they post these, Gagirl is one of the first posts, at the top of the page.