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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my personal pop-picking rounds
Date: 2006-05-31 02:28 pm (UTC)- I feel this is too limited a range of sources and am looking to expand it
Homechoice digital TV music service lets you view all the latest videos (it adds more on the fly, every few days) in sequence if you choose. I love doing this, even thought for 25 or so videos there'll only be a couple I like in any given fortnight.
No magazines read or radio shows listened to at the mo. I still think of this as a bad thing - I'm not looking to free myself of this guilt, interestingly.
I think TOTP has really lost it's thrill even though Pop hasn't, for me. But as I've said before I would absolutely love to see an exciting new format of The Chart Show - much more befitting of the times potentially I think. More insightful documentation and reportage of Pop Music on TV (not this cheap cheerful cosy fishbowl style of Popworld) would be more inspiring too I really think.
Re: my personal pop-picking rounds
Date: 2006-05-31 02:43 pm (UTC)- Use slsk to download everything ever mentioned on the various bobbins threads
- Use Myspace NOT to discover new bands but to hear what established artists currently have on offer eg this is how I heard recent singles from LL Cool J, Ashlee Simpson &c
- Go to a couple of mp3 blogs but not v many as there are far too many of the things
- Definitely not visit Racistjustice ever because it's racist and I don't go to the KKK or 4ry4n N4tion site do I? And Pete B agrees with me on this!
Re: my personal pop-picking rounds
Date: 2006-05-31 02:52 pm (UTC)