The Shrine

The probably the last year I really loved going out to the clubs as often as I possibly could (although turning 26 in early 2007 might have had something to do with it). There were so many good songs going all the time.

The argument:


Overall I felt Nelly Furtado's Loose was the strongest album release of the year. While Promiscuous was the biggest song off the album in North America, the best song was probably Say it Right; this was also the song that ended up being the largest single worldwide from the album, and for the entire year. I liked Promiscuous better originally, but I like this song a lot more now, and it gets WAY more radioplay nowadays.

Madonna had the album confessions, which was a very strong album overall. This single was released in the early part of 2006 after Hung Up wound down (Hung Up was released the previous year, and ended up hitting number 1 consecutively in more countries than any other song has done to date).



Outkast had a really good album as well, Hey Ya probably the best song; but Roses/Caroline was also a very good song.

Gnarles Barkley had Crazy, which was a fairly good song, there is a cool Remix of Tupac's Holla if Ya Hear Me which uses the beat to this song. Tupac being one of the three very best rappers of all time (the other two being Makaveli and 2Pac)




Rihanna had a strong debut here. Her next album was a little stronger, with the song Umbrella; then she just kind of fell away and the biggesgt news about her was that guy beating her up.



The Peurto-Rican beat that is used in about a million Reggaeton songs best fits this Shakira song (seriously, the EXACT same beat is used in EVERY Reggaeton song). I really like this song; probably Shakira's best.





I don't think there was another year in the decade that was as strong for good music. There were others of course, Smack That Eminem/Akon, Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back, etc... I never really listened to those ones much after 06. Ridin Dirty guy never went anywhere after that year; I didn't like that song very much, and hated the stupid Weird Al remake. London Bridge by Fergie was another song that was sort of lost in the year.


Ironically, the year also had my most hated song of the decade: Temperature by Sean Paul.

Gwen Stefani also released a fairly bad album (although very heavily produced), but on the bright, it sent her back tio No Doubt and ended her solo career that yielded 2, maybe 3 good songs over the 6 or 7 years it lasted. No Doubt rocks!

While I like Lady Gaga better than all of these singers/bands, she's really been the only thing going hot for the past couple of years; so the combined music from 09 and 10 don't really stack up, even with Lady Gaga. Although, she did had some songs in 2006; they're VERY different from what she is popular for now, but still fairly good:

All of those songs sucked. Madonna? Nelly? Why not these from 2006:









I'd post more but I have to go to work.

Awesome...now I have a CD for the car.

SineSwiper wrote:All of those songs sucked. Madonna? Nelly? Why not these from 2006

Because I'm an adult.

Lol.

Julius Seeker wrote:

SineSwiper wrote:All of those songs sucked. Madonna? Nelly? Why not these from 2006

Because I'm an adult.

Ha, being an adult is the worst reason to like pop/rap which is riddled with teens, tweens, and wishiwasstillateens.

I like Sine's list. Band music and legends like Thom Yorke > hip hop/pop/crap.

No kidding. If becoming an adult is switching over to pop music then I think I'll pass. The only song on your list I can still even stand is Crazy.

Edit: Although to be fair, Harrowdown Hill is the only song on Sine's list that I still listen to today. In conclusion - we all have differing opinions again :P

Shrinweck wrote: In conclusion - we all have differing opinions again

Whaaaaaaaa!?!?! You must have my opinion and i will write paragraphs upon paragraphs until i see that you do.

Oh, come on... I had some weird ones in the end (deliberately), but Knights of Cydonia is the shit, if nothing else, for the badass video alone.

SineSwiper wrote:Oh, come on... I had some weird ones in the end (deliberately), but Knights of Cydonia is the shit, if nothing else, for the badass video alone.

So now you're arguing against your own post?

Shrinweck wrote:No kidding. If becoming an adult is switching over to pop music then I think I'll pass. The only song on your list I can still even stand is Crazy.

Edit: Although to be fair, Harrowdown Hill is the only song on Sine's list that I still listen to today. In conclusion - we all have differing opinions again

I've only ever really listened to pop music; probably the same as you. Both my list and Sine's list are made up of pop music. Just the songs on my list were much bigger hits. The only two songs listed in this thread that aren't pop are the two early Lady Gaga songs I posted.

The major difference between what you would be hearing would be the crowd of people and venue. In a club aimed at people in their 20's and 30's, you would be more likely to hear the stuff I listed.

Where do you find people listening to Muse and and talking about how much the more successful music sucks?

In High School, sitting at home on their couch watching MTV.

Julius Seeker wrote:I've only ever really listened to pop music; probably the same as you. Both my list and Sine's list are made up of pop music. Just the songs on my list were much bigger hits. The only two songs listed in this thread that aren't pop are the two early Lady Gaga songs I posted.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I'm not sure I can top Sine's response.

Julius Seeker wrote:

SineSwiper wrote:All of those songs sucked. Madonna? Nelly? Why not these from 2006

Because I'm an adult.

Non-sequitur of the year.

SineSwiper wrote:

Julius Seeker wrote:I've only ever really listened to pop music; probably the same as you. Both my list and Sine's list are made up of pop music. Just the songs on my list were much bigger hits. The only two songs listed in this thread that aren't pop are the two early Lady Gaga songs I posted.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Correct me if I am wrong, but every song on your list was recorded for commercial release, and is not a relatively long composition, and is not of an archaic genre (ie. instrumental, folk, etc...)? If yes, then they are all pop-music.

The two songs composed and played by the younger Lady Gaga are the only two songs on that list that weren't recorded for commercial release, or even to promote a commercial release; therefore, are not pop music.

I do know you have a vendetta against anything even associated with popularity (rather unfortunate); but it does not change the fact that your list is pop music, and the two Lady Gaga songs I posted are not.

We've had this conversation numerous times. Your definition of "pop music" is fucked up. Everybody knows it except you.

My definition is the common definition.

What's your definition?

Did you stop reading that definition after the part that partially proves your point?

Yeah, I think he did:

Wikipedia wrote:Although pop music is often seen as oriented towards the singles charts, as a genre it is not the sum of all chart music, which has always contained songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs, while pop music as a genre is usually seen as existing and developing separately. Thus "pop music" may be used to describe a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as a softer alternative to rock and roll.

I was talking about the "aimed at a youth market" part. Aphex Twin doesn't really mesh into that definition as far as I can tell.

"often aimed at the youth market" is not the same as "exclusively aimed at the youth market". Therefore, not all pop music is aimed at the youth market.

Aphex Twin song satisfies much of the remaining criteria for the common definition of pop music listed in the link: Commercially recorded, short, utilizes technological innovations.


Sine, that part of the article is from outside of the main description. It only offers an alternative view. I want to know what your definition of pop music is; as you haven't provided one yet. I want to know why you think that the two Lady Gaga songs I posted are pop music and why the songs you posted are not.

Aphex Twin doesn't fit ANY definition of pop music. Ever.

Julius Seeker wrote:Sine, that part of the article is from outside of the main description. It only offers an alternative view.

Uhh, no it doesn't. Now you're purposely being obtuse, and just trolling at this point.

SineSwiper wrote:

Julius Seeker wrote:Sine, that part of the article is from outside of the main description. It only offers an alternative view.

Uhh, no it doesn't. Now you're purposely being obtuse, and just trolling at this point.

Pop music (a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of "popular") is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented towards a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple love songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes. Pop music has absorbed influences from most other forms of popular music, but as a genre is particularly associated with the rock and roll and later rock style

This is the main section of the article; the common understanding of what pop-music is in a nutshell. Which my definition is in line with.

Also, what is your definition of Pop-music?

This is all top 40 and you guys suck at having taste.

You're an asshole =P

Anyway, what's wrong with successful music? And out of curiosity, what do you listen to Bovine?

There's nothing wrong with music being successful, it's just the typical type of music that tends to be successful. I like to think that I require more than adolescent lyrics and catchy hooks. Also let it be known that I don't particularly share Sine's music taste although at one time I would have liked basically everything he posted.

Pop music invokes the Disney Generation of boy bands and Miley Cyrus. Or Madonna, or Boys to Men, or Bone Thugs in Harmony, or Vanilla Ice, etc., etc., etc. All of these bands have the same thing in common: they appeal to the masses, which means using the lowest common denominator of intelligence and complexity in their music. The boy bands especially just take some random set of singers, and link them up with some producer, who has been doing the same shit for years in producing the music for these bands, and just letting them sing and look good.

These pop artists have nothing to do with music. They can sing, but singing is one instrument. Unless you are doing some acapella, one instrument is not a band. So, they have other people (who aren't really part of the band) produce some sort of music for them. Nobody says "Wow, OutKast has a good guitarist" or "Nelly has a good producer", because nobody cares; they aren't really a part of the band. There is no band. Madonna has been doing this for years, just trading in producers every album and changing her style to suit some sort of audience to profit on. (I'll admit that I like one Madonna album, but that's because she picked a producer I like and am familiar with.)

Next to the singing, they are all about the good looks. Nobody would give a shit about Lady Gaga if she was ugly.

Pop music is less complex than the more obscure stuff. I like complex music. Not only do I abhor pop music, but I dislike bands that aren't complex. I grew up on 70's progressive rock bands like Yes, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Camel, Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, etc. Now, I listen to modern prog rock bands and electronica of all flavors. Yes, some of the bands I listen to are popular, but they are not pop music. Radiohead will never be pop music in any sense of the term, especially in the latter directions they've gone. (Even in the first album, it's still alternative music.) Aphex Twin is the anti-thesis of pop music, the exact OPPOSITE of pop music, even if he has a lot of popularity in electronica circles. Muse is probably as close as I could get to listening to pop music, but even they are considered a progressive rock band.

You can be successful and not be pop music, but you can't be pop music and not be successful.

SineSwiper wrote:Pop music invokes the Disney Generation of boy bands and Miley Cyrus. Or Madonna, or Boys to Men, or Bone Thugs in Harmony, or Vanilla Ice, etc., etc., etc. All of these bands have the same thing in common: they appeal to the masses, which means using the lowest common denominator of intelligence and complexity in their music.

Well, one thing is for certain, your view of what pop music is more narrow than mine; in that the definition encompasses less (in your Disney generation part). The second part I have a problem with (lowest common denominator of intelligence and complexity in their music.), particularly because that is how I would describe a good amount of the music you listen to - you don't really get less intelligent than ICP, and bands like Marilyn Manson and such are not very complex either - Manson covers a lot of other pop; just giving it their gloomy take on it which they do with all their music.

I don't mean to be too judgemental here, but your description makes you sound like all you need to do is start writing a novel on your non-Apple notebook, and you're just a coffee shop away from becoming a hipster.

SineSwiper wrote:These pop artists have nothing to do with music. They can sing, but singing is one instrument. Unless you are doing some acapella, one instrument is not a band. So, they have other people (who aren't really part of the band) produce some sort of music for them. Nobody says "Wow, OutKast has a good guitarist" or "Nelly has a good producer", because nobody cares; they aren't really a part of the band.

Well, Outkast IS a band, and saying no one cares about their guitarist is the same as saying no one cares about Nirvana's guitarist; Andre IS the guitarist, the lead singer, the main song writer, and the bass player during recording sessions.

Nelly Furtado's producer for the songs I listed is Timbaland, OF COURSE everyone knows him. He's perhaps the most celebrated producer of the last 5 years.

SineSwiper wrote:Next to the singing, they are all about the good looks. Nobody would give a shit about Lady Gaga if she was ugly.

And nobody would listen to Insane Clown Posse if they didn't dress up like Clowns.

SineSwiper wrote:Radiohead will never be pop music in any sense of the term

As far as Radiohead goes, and your abhorrence for simple music. Their main song, Creep, the one that they netted most of their fans with, is a good example. Just because the lead singer moans "I'm a creep, I'm a weiner-er-er-er" through the chorus doesn't mean it's not pop; it falls into the same sort of sappy theme of a lovesick miserable young man that was a very popular theme in 80's pop music, from Tears For Fears, to Michael Jackson, to the Police, and to Van Halen. Not to mention that it also follows a standard pop verse chorus verse set-up, combined with a quiet loud quiet set-up which was popularized a couple of years earlier by Kurt Cobain's ultimate pop song, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Not to mention, if you can play Air that I breathe, you can play Creep, they are essentially the same song - and Air that I Breathe is most definitely pop, and is definitely more complex.

SineSwiper wrote:You can be successful and not be pop music, but you can't be pop music and not be successful.

I find this statement kind of odd. So essentially if the intent is there, but the result isn't, it isn't pop (ie. K-Fed)?

Julius Seeker wrote:You're an asshole =P

Anyway, what's wrong with successful music? And out of curiosity, what do you listen to Bovine?

I like just about every type of music, except whatever genre you would classify that popular country music. That shit is just awful. I enjoy the pop music too, I'm not too snooty about my music taste, but arguing over music is dumb. However, saying that, I don't like it when people just stick to top 40 or major label efforts.

I am really big into going to shows. Local stuff, small bands touring through Canada, or more elaborate stuff that I like. I recently missed Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene who both played up in Saskatoon. I don't really like the larger venue that Arcade fire played at, and I had already seen Broken, so I didn't see the need to trek up to Saskatoon for that. I went and saw two new local bands (Jump Off and Bright Black) last night at my local drinking constabulary. Next week is Deep Dark Woods from Saskatoon, and the week after that has Two Hours Traffic coming in from Charlottetown and The Jezebels from Australia. Even if you live in a small city, like me, you can easily see a bunch of fantastically talented acts. I pirate a lot of my music, so when I go to a show I will pick up some vinyl and a shirt of whatever merch they have to make up for my lack of support for them. Since I like to think that I vote with my money, I am voting for them to come to my city more.

There are some bands from Regina that have been mildly successful. Before they broke up, Despistado, Sylvie, and Geronimo were some excellent acts from the city. Rah Rah (awesome) and Library Voices (not as awesome) are two bands that are still kicking and are touring across Canada right now. If they hit your city, I recommend you see them, but you should check out any of these bands on itunes.

So I can still tell you that I really dig Kid Cudi, that Maximum Balloon album is surprisingly fantastic, and that the new MIA album is not as great as the one previous, but I don't focus all of my time on the major label stuff, and I recommend you check out local talent, or at least be a little more investigative when looking for new music. Listen to the crappy opener to the band that you want to see, because they might be amazing and open your eyes to an entirely different set of music. Also, don't be so concerned about genres. I used to say that I hated all country music, but I found that there was some really good and interesting stuff that I DO like that is pretty country sounding (Neko Case, some Local Natives, Fleet Foxes, Polymaths, Timber Timbre, Band of Horses.... stuff like this).