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: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:45 pm (UTC)Also I am fascinated by how many poptimists seem able to download and listen to music while at work! I am in a v easy-going office but quite apart from anything else wouldn't have the time!
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:48 pm (UTC)i'm off to look for a "join these mp3s together" utility for mac...
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:49 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:50 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:53 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:55 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:57 pm (UTC)(I say this because mine has crashed inexplicably and ALL MY WORK IS LOST FOREVER)
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 02:57 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:00 pm (UTC)if it wasn't this thread making me think i'd be the only member of the audience i would volunteer to GET IT GOING.
I have worked out how to bang together some cut up mp3s and writing the RSS needed would be a walkover for me.
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:03 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:04 pm (UTC)In fact we can do one for the final and 3rd place match if you want to flex yr skillz?
I prefer discrete MP3s I think though.
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:07 pm (UTC)i'd still like to hear a "here's what's happening now in poptimism-world". 4 or 5 songs taking up 5 mins every week (roughly 5MB download), and obviously each week's mp3s would have a "discrete download" click on FT somewhere (even if on a hidden page)
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:13 pm (UTC)a PWC Review maybe? a distinct NO to PWC Ultramix or Megamix tho i fancy, arfs
the revolution will not be non-podcast
Date: 2006-05-31 03:26 pm (UTC)Re: the revolution will not be non-podcast
Date: 2006-05-31 03:45 pm (UTC)Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:16 pm (UTC)I am confused as to whether this is a 'podcast' or not.
problems with podcast idea:
Date: 2006-05-31 03:21 pm (UTC)2. dubious legality of using copywritten music? (doesn't popjustice have to use unsigned bands cos they can't afford others? stycast doesn't seem to care tho)
3. i find podcasts a bit of a chore to get through quite frankly especially when you're stuck in the middle of a song you don't much care for
4. the two problems above would be solved by using snippets, but if I were in the slightest interested in a track I might well hate to only get a minute or so of it. hopefully i'd react to taht by searching out the full track, but--
you can do the mixing in audacity easy, i think (i've done it before).
Re: problems with podcast idea:
Date: 2006-05-31 03:34 pm (UTC)2 is no different to the current problem with mp3 blogging really
3 this would be fine with aac cos you can put chapter marks in - not sure about mp3. perhaps you can add em, but only some mp3 players would recognise them. either way mp3 is still the lowest common denominator, so if they can't do em, it's still probably the bestest. i ffwd through podcasts on occasion.
i'm not even after mixing :-)
Re: problems with podcast idea:
Date: 2006-05-31 03:39 pm (UTC)Re: problems with podcast idea:
Date: 2006-05-31 03:41 pm (UTC)3. for some reason I find ffwding in itunes an absolute chiz and will just skip, I don't know if others have the same reaction.
by 'mixing' i kind of mean 'starting one track after the previous one stops or maybe a second or so before' :)
Re: problems with podcast idea:
Date: 2006-05-31 03:46 pm (UTC)i have got a little utility that uses iTunes to bang mp3s together in a row now. a fade in/out would be nice, but :-/ :-)
Re: MP3s
Date: 2006-05-31 03:10 pm (UTC)