When Britain refused to listen
May. 31st, 2006 01:50 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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poptimists'Not heard it' is one of the more common comments read when the Top 40 polls are posted. Which is perhaps the most unsatisfying answer that can be given. Lots of people can say they've heard every single in the Top 40, provided they'd listened to JK & Joel that particular week. Although they may not necessarily remember all of them the next day...
But, if you 'haven't heard it', bloody why not?! I personally stopped listening to the Top 40 countdown in full around the same time as I started University - some ten years ago now. As you grow up it seems life gets more and more in the way, preventing you from having the same ease of control you may have previously enjoyed when it comes to making choices as a young viewer or listener. So far so obvious, and it seems this is the real reason why the Poptimists electorate are often at a loss to decide whether a recent Top 40 hit is good or bad based on how it sounds. There are other factors too such as the nature in which media has changed since then - dedicated music video channels, t'internet (esp. portals/filters/resources such as youtube and itunes) and downloading facilities...all things intended to make the pursuit of hearing music easier. But, it's not really working that well is it? At least, not for 'people old enough to know better' who seem to be ageing faster than the technology is progressing, and that's pretty terrifyingly fast. It's all too much. But, really, aren't these just excuses? Is this sort of reasoning good enough? Should we take it as a given that the charts are reasonably constant in terms of quality (regardless of the ebb and flow of sales figures)? Should a Poptimist be putting more effort in? It's not meant to be a chore after all.
I'm interested in any serious views people may have about the whole thing, so the question(s) be as follows:
What is your current attitude to pop (however you define it) and new music? Are you keen to hear as much of it as you can or do you prefer to revel in nostalgia (or perhaps some healthy balance of both)? Where do you turn to, specifically, now to find out about new music anyway? If you DO know every song in the top 40 any given week does this just make you a Chart Geek rather than a Pop Lover now? Do you even care about music or are you just one of those disgusting poll-fetishists I've heard about?
EH?
But, if you 'haven't heard it', bloody why not?! I personally stopped listening to the Top 40 countdown in full around the same time as I started University - some ten years ago now. As you grow up it seems life gets more and more in the way, preventing you from having the same ease of control you may have previously enjoyed when it comes to making choices as a young viewer or listener. So far so obvious, and it seems this is the real reason why the Poptimists electorate are often at a loss to decide whether a recent Top 40 hit is good or bad based on how it sounds. There are other factors too such as the nature in which media has changed since then - dedicated music video channels, t'internet (esp. portals/filters/resources such as youtube and itunes) and downloading facilities...all things intended to make the pursuit of hearing music easier. But, it's not really working that well is it? At least, not for 'people old enough to know better' who seem to be ageing faster than the technology is progressing, and that's pretty terrifyingly fast. It's all too much. But, really, aren't these just excuses? Is this sort of reasoning good enough? Should we take it as a given that the charts are reasonably constant in terms of quality (regardless of the ebb and flow of sales figures)? Should a Poptimist be putting more effort in? It's not meant to be a chore after all.
I'm interested in any serious views people may have about the whole thing, so the question(s) be as follows:
What is your current attitude to pop (however you define it) and new music? Are you keen to hear as much of it as you can or do you prefer to revel in nostalgia (or perhaps some healthy balance of both)? Where do you turn to, specifically, now to find out about new music anyway? If you DO know every song in the top 40 any given week does this just make you a Chart Geek rather than a Pop Lover now? Do you even care about music or are you just one of those disgusting poll-fetishists I've heard about?
EH?
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Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:14 pm (UTC)Spot-on I think.
It would be a shame if 'poptimists' were to = 'nostalgia'; but I think with the PWC the complication is 'download'; 'remember to listen to'; 'remember to vote' i.e. three stages, which for many people will have to happen on different computers -- lj round here seems to be very much limited to work day times. Whereas a poll = insta-gratification.
Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:16 pm (UTC)I only end up voting in PWC because my werk computer can stream .mp3 files.
Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:19 pm (UTC)I am expecting a much improved turnout for the final (i.e. expect continual harassment).
It WOULD be a shame if 'poptimists' = 'nostalgia' but the interesting things about the Now polls for me have been
i. micro-generational clashes i.e. our nostalgia = their bafflement; their nostalgia = our flush of rediscovery; their modern nastiness = our pure pop (FSVO 'their'/'our', ever-shifting).
ii. the shifts in what gets appreciated and canonised as Now gets nearer to Now.
So there's an erm 'interrogation' of nostalgia as well as a wallowing in it.
hungry probing alien tongues
Date: 2006-05-31 02:26 pm (UTC)in iran's favourwe should explore poptimism's kneejerk-response-to-unfamiliarity factorit has driven me excitedly across the many many MANY persian download sites -- but is this more a SüKRåT thing?
Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:31 pm (UTC)the top 40 polls...well, how useful are they really? i am worried that all they do is prove how 'out of touch' everyone here appears to be. or, WORSE! that the top 40 today really is rubbish and not as interesting as it was. i sort of think both are true but hey it's still fun - as byebyepride says, a good excuse for a natter...
Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:34 pm (UTC)Re: Poptimists Participation Probe
Date: 2006-05-31 02:33 pm (UTC)I don't really have any ideas as to how to tie the occasional what-are-you-listening-to-right-now chat (which is often excellent - eg the Fundamental hand-wringing, and I enjoyed my Ellen Allien post) into the mammoth orgafun polls though.
I am saving up for An Laptop (or maybe An Proper PC), and as of October will have lovely home internet again. WOO.