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Aesthetic_Mess's avatar

How did we come from classical music to today's pop music?

Asked by Aesthetic_Mess (7863 points ) November 16th, 2010

How did we get from this, to this?
What happened in between?
What do you think composers back then would say to today’s music?

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13 Answers

iamthemob's avatar

We didn’t…we got from music like this.

There wasn’t a decline in art in any form, objectively. Popular music has always been simple, fun – and many times very stupid. Artists like Bach are mirrored today in some profound popular music artists, as well as composers working in the symphonic genre as well.

Someone like Bach would say, regarding the style of modern music linked, “Hey, that’s like this song I heard in the tavern this one time. We were soooo drunk that night.”

crazyivan's avatar

That’s not at all what Bach would say. He would say it in German.

I think that there are songs coming out today that will have the same longevity as the works of Mozart and Brahms. There’s also a lot of crap. In defense of today’s pop artists, the populist crap that was coming out in the sixteenth century simply didn’t survive long enough to be compared to today’s crap.

I wonder more often what classical composers would think of file sharing. My guess is that by and large they would think it was freaking awesome.

erichw1504's avatar

I blame Buddy Holly.

iamthemob's avatar

(I look just like Buddy Holly)

erichw1504's avatar

(and you’re Mary Tyler Moore)

loser's avatar

It would take a long time to thoroughly answer this question. The evolution of music was a 4 semester class where I went. In a nutshell, it just evolved like culture in general.

mattbrowne's avatar

Creativity and the love of novel things.

iphigeneia's avatar

Cultural diversification, technological advancements, general evolution of art.

You can’t lump all classical music together like music didn’t change until the 20th Century. Tastes always have been, and always will develop and grow alongside the wider society.

HungryGuy's avatar

A world full of creative musically talented people…

Symbeline's avatar

Sorry, totally misread this.
Classical actually influenced the Metal genre waaaaay more than it ever did Pop, which the latter merely incorporates elements thereof in its works, rather than going from it.

Ron_C's avatar

Remember that composer in the earlier centuries were on the cutting edge of music. Many of them were considered too progressive or radical for their times. I remember my Dad saying that Rock and Roll was too boring and could never match the music of the 40’s. Personally, I don’t get Rap but an willing to let today’s kids do what I did, rebel against current fashion. It’s funny, though, I see that my kids and grandkids like much of the 70’s and 80’s rock that I like.

Who knows maybe in 200 years Rap stars will be considered classical music!

crazyivan's avatar

We stole it from the black man.

Ron_C's avatar

This is a p.s. answer for @Aesthetic_Mess I listened to both video. I liked them both, is somthing wrong with me?

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