Why does 80s pop music sound so different from todays'? I show you why in this video tutorial

Chords, scales, harmony, melody, etc.
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T-CM11 wrote:Can you define pop music stylistically?
If you say that Michael Jackson and Alphaville have little in common, then one of them isn't pop music OR you just mean "popular music".
I'd like some context for the term - if we're talking about popular music then this tutorial is quite meaningless (comparing music that has only popularity in common).

edit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_music
From this I can only conclude that a certain piece of music is called pop music because of some (contemporary, but not always) general consensus, or because it's just marketed as such. Hardly a solid basis for a technical comparison.
That's the point. It is a huge diverse genre. The title implies that 80's pop had a typical sound.

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fluffy_little_something wrote: That's the point. It is a huge diverse genre. The title implies that 80's pop had a typical sound.
I quoted you because you seemed the most critical voice in this topic, not because I disagreed. :wink:
Anyway, I don't know what I'm doing in a topic with a title that sounds like 'click bait'. :dog:

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Drown everything in reverb and chorus
Amazon: why not use an alternative

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fluffy_little_something wrote:My problem with that theory is that Pop music of the 80's was very diverse. I don't really see similarities between, say, Michael Jackson (the King of Pop, as they say) and Alphaville.
I don't say that all 80s pop sings was alike nor very similar. My point is more that 80s pop compositions was more chords and melody driven than today and that there is a connection between the melody and the chords. Both MJ and Alphaville has that in common.

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elkanah77 wrote:I don't say that all 80s pop sings was alike nor very similar. My point is more that 80s pop compositions was more chords and melody driven than today and that there is a connection between the melody and the chords. Both MJ and Alphaville has that in common.
Well, if they're not alike or similar, then why are they both pop music?
Ow, and melody is not the opposite of chords. Single notes are. I'm sure you're talking about the connection with the main melody and the background melody (or fast & slow / loud & quiet, etc...).

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T-CM11 wrote:Can you define pop music stylistically?
If you say that Michael Jackson and Alphaville have little in common, then one of them isn't pop music OR you just mean "popular music".
I'd like some context for the term - if we're talking about popular music then this tutorial is quite meaningless (comparing music that has only popularity in common).

edit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_music
From this I can only conclude that a certain piece of music is called pop music because of some (contemporary, but not always) general consensus, or because it's just marketed as such. Hardly a solid basis for a technical comparison.
In music scholarship the term "pop music" is often used to describe anything that is not "high art" music (e.g. "classical").

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stringtapper wrote: In music scholarship the term "pop music" is often used to describe anything that is not "high art" music (e.g. "classical").
And that's mere academic popular opinion.
I can do that too, classify all music I'm not interested in into a single genre; I call it "crap music". :P

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elkanah77 wrote:
Thanks for the detailed review of the video. You're absolutely right in what you say, the longer the 80s went,the more it got watered down.
I hope to revitalize some of it in my own tracks and I'm happy you like it! :)

I listened to some of the tracks on your Bandcamp and it's very good man! Do you have a Facebook page or whatever?
Wow, thanks! Appreciate it. I do not have a FB page although I probably should. That album is getting reviewed soon by some online pub and all I do is direct people to bandcamp. Some of it is laziness but mostly it was because I just wanted people to enjoy the album, no strings attached. If I do create one, I will let you know.
Even I was offended by what I was going to put here.
Newest Release, retro EBM, Brute Opposition - Unity of Command, released Sept '22 bandcamp link

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I also think its the production, equipment and technology that has changed. And the collective taste for commercial music has changed a bit. Like the ear that is listening now expects a different sound than in the 80s.

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How many of you commenting actually watched the video in the original post before sharing your opinions on the subject question?

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T-CM11 wrote: Ow, and melody is not the opposite of chords. Single notes are.
So you never heard of an arpeggio. Why strain yourself so? Ow, indeed.

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jancivil wrote:
T-CM11 wrote: Ow, and melody is not the opposite of chords. Single notes are.
So you never heard of an arpeggio. Why strain yourself so? Ow, indeed.
Sure I have, what's your point?
If melody is the opposite of chords then you can't play a melody by playing chords.

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Looks interesting. I'll download the video. :)
Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

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still sounds great, i cant sit still when i hear 80s pop.
rich teen music

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What is a 'H' chord? Maybe someone asked already.
Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

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