Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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The lack of "real world complaints" and "anger" in popular music genres helps keep the masses docile (programming.dev)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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.

(page 2) 38 comments

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hey OP, have you listened to what's on country radio these days? EVERY other song is about how alcohol is so useful (to party, to forget your ex, to enjoy being poor, to self medicate after a 70 hour work week). It's bonkers. And the other half still reference drinking.

Long Neck Bottle has nothing on these insane anthems that encourage drinking and being happy being poor. It's a perfect pacifier for a demographic that is largely impoverished with very few ways to escape poverty. Might as well have em singing along about how the cold beer they have means being broke is fine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Where I live (not USA), most songs on the radio are about:

having fun at a party/show/bar
the joys of being single (flirt and kiss everyone)
betraying your wife/husband
crying about being betrayed by your wife/husband

It's common to have a mix of those things in a single song

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Been listening to Ren for a while now and it’s quite a good experience. Money game needless to say, crucify your culture and dear god are probably other songs that hit different.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Give me something to not feel depressed and let me tune out.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I hate Punk Rock but its left so I need to like it I guess 🤷‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was thinking about this watching the doc "Midnight Oil: 1984". A year and a band (I think) that transcended the angry genre, music was catchy and very popular. So maybe the times will come around again. I feel sick of the media ignoring even the most basic issues (like, dunno, survival and stuff), and I think and hope others will connect with art that expresses some level of discontent. Which is a form of sanity these days.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

FYI, AWOLNation & Rise Against just released a cover of "Beds are Burning".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

IDLES are getting pretty popular and they are very vocal about social justice and politics. Still not a top 100 charts band though.

Things were a bit different in the 80s and 90s I would say, with songs like "Land of Confusion" by Genesis and "Civil War" by Guns n' Roses charting in the top 10.

I think the reason we dont hear much music that is critical about current events in the charts is a consumer problem though. Mary and John just don't want to listen to stuff that is uncomfortable. Record Labels would definitely produce music like that again, if it would be profitable.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Does music necessarily need to bring awareness? I'm not even a big lyrics person. Half the time, I don't really pay attention to them. I'm sure I'm far from alone. Otherwise there wouldn't be right-wing RATM fans.

There are other ways to make people politically aware.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Are you serial saying that modern music isn’t angry anymore? Because it ALL sounds angry to me.

I miss the 80’s when things were far less angsty.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

No, I'm saying some genres completely lack anger and seem to rarely, if never, touch or try to bring awareness to problematic issues

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