this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2023
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Showerthoughts

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Been thinking a bit about this, popular music (the ones that hit top 100 charts or whatever) never has lyrics that point out real problems or point to culprits and how they're fucking our shit, which is very easy to find in punk rock and some variations, as well as rap.

Of course, part of the problem are the record labels themselves, which often hold artists "hostage" in order to profit off them. Bigger ones will obviously prefer to avoid having such lyrics become popular.

Still, there seems to be absolute zero songs in certain genres that even come within 10 meters of talking/singing/teaching/bringing awareness about situations that affect a LOT of listeners, even from far away, and would be extremely helpful in spreading some knowledge.

Granted, doing so is easier said than done, a catchy tune that calls out big oil's many attempts to burn the world, or big pharma's frequent price gouging, aren't things "any idiot" can come up with. But that nobody outside "angry" genres seems to be doing it is what saddens me.

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[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Well, John Lennon tried but someone shot him. Imagine was an intensely political song though.

[–] CarlsIII@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Truly the most popular current artist

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Would a more current musician dying make you feel any differently?

[–] CarlsIII@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

About whether or not your post was relevant to OP? I would have to see.

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh. Something happening in the past influencing how people in the present act isn't that unusual.

[–] CarlsIII@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Are you trying to say that there isn’t any currently popular music with “angry” lyrics because these artists are afraid of being killed, based on John Lennon being killed?

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a singular purpose, things are seldom that cut-and-dried, where this person over here made the choice they did just because of that one, singular, reason.

I would call it an influential event in the chilling of political music though. Which is a little ironic, since if I remember right, the guy that shot him was just mentally ill.

[–] CarlsIII@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Would your view change if I revealed to you that current popular artists DO have songs featuring “anger” and “real world complaints?” Here‘a one example. I’m not a huge pop fan so I don’t currently have any other examples at the moment.

https://youtu.be/k0QWX2M7W7M?si=21KV20GBdYGDWT6t

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

No, I was aware that exceptions would exist, as trends are merely trends, they do not mean something is true 100% of the time.

I imagine op was also aware that political pop songs still get made, and was not trying to say that zero exist.

[–] CarlsIII@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I suppose there is technically some hedging in “seems to be absolute zero”

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Yea I guess I missed that part. I just skimmed the post, the gist they were going for wasn't too hard to figure out.

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