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DJ Highline
02-20-2012, 09:02 PM
Why do DJs hate top 40 music? That is the question.

It seems if you even mention the term top 40 to many DJs, they scoff and mock. My question is why? The whole idea of top 40 is that these are the top 40 songs in the charts which means they are pretty popular. And yes I understand that popular doesn't always mean good...but popular doesn't mean bad either. This hatred of top 40 music seems to be completely irrelevant to genre. A punk rock band that makes it big (such as Sum 41) gets shunned by other rockers. Hip Hop acts get called sell outs for not "keepin it real". Even as what would have been perfectly acceptable in the dance music scene 5 years ago (Tiesto & David Guetta) now that it is considered pop it gets hated on. Are we all simply haters? Is it the fact that these songs no matter how good they may or may not be have found success with the masses and therefor as the supposed musical trend setters we don't like to be associated with whats popular but instead what will be popular? Is it that because we are exposed to this music sooner and more often than the masses that we tire of it quicker?

Why do DJs hate Top 40?

DJArmani
02-20-2012, 09:07 PM
sometimes, top 40 just rly suck. i mean its just about who you know that gets the song on the charts. just look at justin bieber ! great example !

Sean
02-20-2012, 09:16 PM
Because it's cool not to like top40 :P I think Top40 can be great to spin. I love playing it because it's amazing to see the crowd react to the song they know. Plus, it really can set you apart if you manipulate it different than other DJs.

Jason Cerna
02-20-2012, 09:24 PM
1. Lyrics
2. Writers of Lyrics

http://jasoncerna.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Screen-shot-2012-02-20-at-10.23.17-PM.png

Andrew B
02-20-2012, 09:24 PM
I gave up on Top 40 almost 25 years ago. I don't hate everything on the charts, in fact there are plenty of songs that I like just fine. And I love it when an underground favorite gets huge. :shrug:

I simply feel that it's worthwhile to dig and find some unknown treasures. I guess I just prefer the sound of the underground.

DJ Elroy
02-20-2012, 09:26 PM
By definition it's "played out", and DJs are like hipsters whether they admit it or not. Once something gets too popular it's not cool anymore. So by the time something makes it to the Top 40, it's already old news.

I could get into how most of it is manufactured and is more about a name, a pretty face, or a good voice, than any real musical talent. But I won't, since it's pretty obvious.

I think Top 40 DJs get hate because a lot of them do suck. I've seen some amazing Top 40 jocks, but most just fade the tracks and don't bother with any kind of artistic or stylistic spin.

moyo wilde
02-20-2012, 09:27 PM
I agree sean, the crowd reaction can be crazy. i have seen dj's play one pop song or a remix the room picks up then they go back to a half hour of "underground" stuff and the room goes back down. i always think sets should be aimed to satisfy as many as possible and full of surprises.

personally i go to a party to have fun, not as a music critic. i always think some songs can be taken tongue-in-cheek, just about having fun.

KLH
02-20-2012, 09:45 PM
Top 40 are played so often that they become familiar to the masses over 8-12 weeks. In that time those tracks are played 8-12 times per day, per station.

As DJs, we are typically exposed to these tracks early and get tired of hearing them 2 weeks into their 12 week life. From there, the same tracks are usually requested event after event for the next 4 months.

I don't care who you are. After hearing the same tracks for months, you get tired of the cycle. That's all it is.

-KLH

Jason Cerna
02-20-2012, 09:48 PM
3. Producers

How many fucking producers does it take to make a debut album these days? WTF is with the executive and co-exec credits? wack

http://jasoncerna.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Screen-shot-2012-02-20-at-10.52.26-PM.png

Jason Cerna
02-20-2012, 09:56 PM
4. Autotune. Shit is way out of control.

see: T-pain toy microphone

5. Payola.

peterwo2e
02-20-2012, 09:56 PM
that's how i feel about drake the bs he rapps. keeping his nose deep in jay-z but hole pays off. may god i almost forgot drake's woman minaj.
but this is what you hear in nyc these two clowns.

pittsey
02-20-2012, 09:57 PM
Because its bad, that is all. Top 40 music has ALWAYS been bad as well, don't buy into the beiber ruined music thing, lyrics of top 40 music have always been bad. (for example:
Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli lollipop

ChrisHynds
02-20-2012, 09:58 PM
Im a Top40 hater, its the complete lack of creativity that gets me, listen to any (so called) Hip Hop track thats in the Top40 at the minute, if you take out the artists vocals the tracks are hard to distinguish apart, and even when you add the artists vocals, they are all just talking the same (auto-tuned) shit over and over, they have very little talent, listen to the lyrics of each song, half of them dont even make sense, I dont have any examples as Im not into Top40 but I remember hearing a song by Black Eyed Peas or it may have been Will.I.Am. and it was literally an onslaught of words that rhymed, they didnt even make a scentence? and then its played a million times per day on the radio. There are some songs that I hear and honestly think, yea thats no too bad, but 2 weeks later I cant stand it because Ive heard it 20x a day.

popong
02-20-2012, 10:02 PM
where im at, the only music is top40 :tdown: :mad:

Jason Cerna
02-20-2012, 10:12 PM
Because its bad, that is all. Top 40 music has ALWAYS been bad as well, don't buy into the beiber ruined music thing, lyrics of top 40 music have always been bad. (for example:

you're comparing late 50s barbershop music to justin beiber. just stop right there.

a single person wrote 'Lollipop,' Julius Dixson.

Sween
02-20-2012, 10:16 PM
Why you hatin on lollipop?

Seriously though... Most Pop music relies on being extremely catchy... which means it quickly become annoying to the people who's job it is to play it over and over again.

The average person listens to Top 40 radio for an hour and there in the car. They love some PartyRock. The DJ on the radio hears the song twice an hour for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week... He hates that shit.

nem0nic
02-20-2012, 10:20 PM
I can only speak for myself. Top 40 is made to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I haven't liked what would be considered contemporary "top 40" at any point in my life, so why would I want to spin it? Sure, some of the stuff I used to listen to might now be classified top 40 (some 80's classics for instance), but it wasn't top 40 when it was new. When I first started DJing, I worked a number of gigs to get in the door that were definitely top 40, but as soon as I was good enough I transitioned out of it and into music I found interesting.

Interracial Tea
02-20-2012, 10:22 PM
Britney Spear's Toxic is awesome.

Redcon-1
02-20-2012, 10:23 PM
b/c it sux

DJ Highline
02-20-2012, 10:25 PM
What I am getting is that for many of you, its the lyrics of the song...but for me at least that is a very small part for me. Most songs, I don't listen to the lyrics at all and for the most part really don't know what they are saying (unless some profanity comes out, my ear is trained to pick that up) other than the general gist of the song.

As far as all of the producers, do you think all of those people actually have a hand in making a record or are those people listed simply in title only. So & So ego needs massaging so we will list him on the track.

I understand the manufactured aspect of it all too...I mean the music industry like all others is a copy cat industry...if something is doing well then others want their piece of that pie. But that happens everywhere...

oliosky
02-20-2012, 10:34 PM
Britney Spear's Toxic is awesome.

seconded. So is Kylie Monigue's - Can't get You Out of my Head

tekno_violet
02-20-2012, 10:35 PM
Top40 is going to be hated by true music/ art fans in any genre.

Its generic music.. ripped off and only produced to generate money and fame. Most of the fan base kids, girls and hipsters dont have that passion for music that the 'haters' have.

dont care if its on from time to time but dont care for it. I do like the black eyed peas though. I think they are good at being pop.


I do want to learn to mix top40 though, its part of the job right.

oliosky
02-20-2012, 10:38 PM
fuck the OP shit. Lets make this thread about timeless top 40 records that don't suck chode.

I'll start

Outkast - Hey Ya. If you don't like that song, you have no soul and may be the next Hitler.

drop1
02-20-2012, 10:41 PM
fuck the OP shit. Lets make this thread about timeless top 40 records that don't suck chode.

I'll start

Outkast - Hey Ya. If you don't like that song, you have no soul and may be the next Hitler.


I miss OutKast :(

Ocie
02-20-2012, 10:45 PM
I miss OutKast :(

this :(

RDRCK
02-20-2012, 10:46 PM
I love love :love: top 40. Of course, it has to be top 40 from three or more decades ago.

Raindance Rob
02-20-2012, 10:51 PM
Why do DJs hate top 40 music? That is the question.

It seems if you even mention the term top 40 to many DJs, they scoff and mock. My question is why? The whole idea of top 40 is that these are the top 40 songs in the charts which means they are pretty popular. And yes I understand that popular doesn't always mean good...but popular doesn't mean bad either. This hatred of top 40 music seems to be completely irrelevant to genre. A punk rock band that makes it big (such as Sum 41) gets shunned by other rockers. Hip Hop acts get called sell outs for not "keepin it real". Even as what would have been perfectly acceptable in the dance music scene 5 years ago (Tiesto & David Guetta) now that it is considered pop it gets hated on. Are we all simply haters? Is it the fact that these songs no matter how good they may or may not be have found success with the masses and therefor as the supposed musical trend setters we don't like to be associated with whats popular but instead what will be popular? Is it that because we are exposed to this music sooner and more often than the masses that we tire of it quicker?

Why do DJs hate Top 40?

its cuz most top 40 is music for twelve year olds, obviously there is exceptions but they are few & far between. plus alot of it very commercial, cheesy sounding & made simply for money hence the term sell out

Maikky
02-20-2012, 11:00 PM
Because its the same fucking song over and over again (A lot of top 40 sounds the same) gets recognized while other more "None-Mainstream" talent that is 100% more original and sounds better gets pushed to the side .

All based on the fact of "O YOU GOT X FAMOUS RAPPER TO DO A LYRIC ON IT ALL THE KIDS WILL LOVE IT" or who ever has the biggest backer (Gets more airtime)

There are exceptions to this of course, I like some top 40 but the ones I hear the most are usually ass .

TLDR : VENGEANCE PACK ALL THE SONGS

RDRCK
02-20-2012, 11:03 PM
fuck the OP shit. Lets make this thread about timeless top 40 records that don't suck chode.

I'll start

Outkast - Hey Ya. If you don't like that song, you have no soul and may be the next Hitler.

C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
Snap - I Got The Power
Inner City - Big Fun
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love
MJ - Anything off Off The Wall or Thriller

The list goes on.

Raindance Rob
02-20-2012, 11:05 PM
C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
Snap - I Got The Power
Inner City - Big Fun
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love
MJ - Anything off Off The Wall or Thriller

The list goes on.

tunes but back then dance music was new & fresh, sadly most of the dance music in the top 40 in the UK lately is shitty funky house bollox

DJStevieRay
02-20-2012, 11:05 PM
Top 40 pays my bills, it's the OVEPLAYED! top 40 that bugs me. I mean when you hear the same song 1-2 times every hour on the same radio station, it gets old fast.

Raindance Rob
02-20-2012, 11:06 PM
Top 40 pays my bills, it's the OVEPLAYED! top 40 that bugs me. I mean when you hear the same song 1-2 times every hour on the same radio station, it gets old fast.

but you still play it lol

oliosky
02-20-2012, 11:27 PM
C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
Snap - I Got The Power
Inner City - Big Fun
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love
MJ - Anything off Off The Wall or Thriller

The list goes on.

thats the spirit. I'm gonna go on a bit of a timbaland top 40 tangent:

Justin Timberlake - Sexy back
Missy Elliot - get Ur Freak on
Aaliya - Try Again

Moss
02-20-2012, 11:39 PM
Personally , I like some top 40 tracks. It's fun to hear when you're driving , with friends or whatever. But the problem for me is that they are played so often , that I don't want to hear that when I go to a club. Every single club you go to , it's the same music and it gets annoying. That being said , it's from a dj's perspective , and I don't judge or say it's bad. Like it's been said on this thread , the feeling of everybody in the club singing to a song makes it worth it playing. Again , people are there to have fun

Schreiber
02-20-2012, 11:57 PM
I think my main gripe with it is that it's hard to stand out & be memorable if you play the exact same stuff people already listen too. You shape your unique style through your unique music.

Manu
02-20-2012, 11:58 PM
The top 40 is saturated with manufactured shite and it's been like that for quite a while now. I get better track faster by digging underground stuff. So many turds soon to be forgotten that have nothing on real classics.

Get a dancefloor in front of you, play some britney spears from 6 months ago and people will moan because "it's old". Then play some Eurythmics and watch the same crowd go wild.

Manu
02-21-2012, 12:02 AM
tunes but back then dance music was new & fresh, sadly most of the dance music in the top 40 in the UK lately is shitty funky house bollox

and the goddamn X factor rejects / soon to be rejected or forgotten. And replaced for that matter. I can't believe how bad the music industry has gone in UK. There's still loads of talent but it seems the British top 40 is not about talent anymore.

http://i41.tinypic.com/k13spj.jpg

Interracial Tea
02-21-2012, 12:16 AM
fuck the OP shit. Lets make this thread about timeless top 40 records that don't suck chode.

I'll start

Outkast - Hey Ya. If you don't like that song, you have no soul and may be the next Hitler.

http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?1345-THE-Top-40-songs-Old-New-Classic-Etc

brb putting toxic and can't get you out of my head on my ipod

mostapha
02-21-2012, 12:26 AM
4. Autotune. Shit is way out of control.

see: T-pain toy microphone

Here's the funny thing about this argument…I've used AutoTune. I honestly don't have a clue how T-Pain gets that sound out of it. And Kanye openly said in an interview that he didn't use it on 808s & Heartbreak because it didn't have the control he needed. They use real vocoders.

I think AutoTune's marketing is amazing (and this is me saying that…I think marketing is all lies) because they've managed to become standard practice on a lot of recordings and are so well-known that laymen who have no idea what a vocoder is know AutoTune.

I'll never forget the day that someone claimed Peter Frampton used AutoTune. Having used it…I honestly believe that if you think you hear AutoTune on a song, you're hearing another vocoder. If you can't hear it…it's probably AutoTune'd unless the producer is too cheap to be able to afford it and it wasn't recorded in a pro studio.

So, as to the OP's question………IDK.

I haven't met too many people IRL that actually like top40 as a genre…even among people who only frequent top40 clubs. They honestly don't think there's other music out there or if they know about it, they assume that they're the only person who has a legitimate opinion on the quality of music and–unlike us–accept it to keep the peace among friends, broad social groups, or people at a party.

Apart from that, I think it's just exposure. It's really easy to turn on the radio, listen for artist names, and find them in the iTunes top sales sections or the CD section at Wal Mart. It takes legitimate effort to find what you like among the plethora of music available today if you go anywhere else…and most people just don't care that much.

Why do DJs hate top40? Because they're willing to put the effort in to finding better music.

l0ckd0wn
02-21-2012, 12:32 AM
Why do DJs hate Top 40?

I don't know what's really to like about it?

Chay
02-21-2012, 12:42 AM
I gave up on Top 40 almost 25 years ago. I don't hate everything on the charts, in fact there are plenty of songs that I like just fine. And I love it when an underground favorite gets huge. :shrug:

I simply feel that it's worthwhile to dig and find some unknown treasures. I guess I just prefer the sound of the underground.

This is how I feel about Top40 as well, although I still enjoy the "Top40" from the 80's and 90's. Always will.

But the one thing that contradict my "hate" for modern Top40 is that when I say I don't like the Top40, I still listen to the Top40 but as in K-Pop/J-Pop.

Windows 95
02-21-2012, 01:11 AM
Top 40 are played so often that they become familiar to the masses over 8-12 weeks. In that time those tracks are played 8-12 times per day, per station.

As DJs, we are typically exposed to these tracks early and get tired of hearing them 2 weeks into their 12 week life. From there, the same tracks are usually requested event after event for the next 4 months.

I don't care who you are. After hearing the same tracks for months, you get tired of the cycle. That's all it is.

-KLHI wish I could play a lot more Top 40 for the exact opposite reason. Most Top 40 tracks are dead & gone in just a few months. I play mostly Classic Rock & modern Country music. A play-list made today, one made 10 years ago & one made 20 years ago would look almost identical.

It doesn't matter how many times you played "Sweet Home Alabama" & "Thunderstruck" last year, you're going to be still playing them this year, next year & the year after.

Chay
02-21-2012, 01:21 AM
I wish I could play a lot more Top 40 for the exact opposite reason. Most Top 40 tracks are dead & gone in just a few months. I play mostly Classic Rock & modern Country music. A play-list made today, one made 10 years ago & one made 20 years ago would look almost identical.

It doesn't matter how many times you played "Sweet Home Alabama" & "Thunderstruck" last year, you're going to be still playing them this year, next year & the year after.

Although I do mostly agree with KLH, there will always be timeless classics that will be played.

dlove
02-21-2012, 01:28 AM
top 40 or underground - it's the difference between going for a McDonald's or a good steak.

NPC
02-21-2012, 01:39 AM
I honestly think 90% of it just has to do with hearing something way too many times. Yes there's the other 10% that's genuinely manufactured corporate crap. But when you hear something in the bank, the grocery store, the mall, the radio, and the TV. The last thing you want to do is play it back at a club, supposedly your escape and sanctuary from the world.

dlove
02-21-2012, 02:11 AM
I honestly think 90% of it just has to do with hearing something way too many times. Yes there's the other 10% that's genuinely manufactured corporate crap. But when you hear something in the bank, the grocery store, the mall, the radio, and the TV. The last thing you want to do is play it back at a club, supposedly your escape and sanctuary from the world.

Yeah. 'Rolling In The Deep' being a case in point. If I heard that in a club, I'd leave.

Chay
02-21-2012, 02:14 AM
Yeah. 'Rolling In The Deep' being a case in point. If I heard that in a club, I'd leave.

If that were to happen, you're in the wrong club with start off with :P

Manu
02-21-2012, 02:16 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzfQwXEqYaI

dlove
02-21-2012, 02:22 AM
If that were to happen, you're in the wrong club with start off with :P

Deffo', although, I was browsing juno the other day, and a reggae version came up...for my sins, I slightly considered it for a moment until I remembered I hated pop ballads, with or without a reggae chop behind them!

Chay
02-21-2012, 02:26 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzfQwXEqYaI

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/1248/nvl5e.jpg

dlove
02-21-2012, 02:28 AM
...although, in saying that, I've got a reggae version of 'I'm Too Sexy' by Macka Diamond, so maybe I'm just kidding myself, thinking I'm 'underground' haha :P

Atomisk
02-21-2012, 02:35 AM
5. Payola.

gettin on that corporate big money swag

dlove
02-21-2012, 02:36 AM
when you hear something in the bank, the grocery store, the mall, the radio, and the TV. The last thing you want to do is play it back at a club, supposedly your escape and sanctuary from the world.

good point :tup:

Sigma
02-21-2012, 02:58 AM
It depends what you mean by "top 40".

I love a lot of pop music, particularly 80s stuff. It's basically impossible to hate all music that's been in the top 40 otherwise you hate De La Soul, Metallica, Depeche Mode, The Beatles, The Prodigy, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley etc. - the list goes on.

But on here, when someone says "top 40" I just think of watered down throwaway rap records. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just can't see people listening to that stuff in 20 years and calling it "classic" like you might do with a top 40 record by The Smiths or New Order from 20-30 years. It's the low bar for a genre I've been into since 1982.

Some people hate on whatever is popular though, just out of trying to portray a particular image or through lack of confidence in their own taste.

Marc S
02-21-2012, 03:06 AM
^^ pretty much this, i dont consider everything in the top 40, "top 40" music.

there is a massive list of great tracks in the charts from amazing artists and performers, even today. but these days there are a shit load more "manufactured" artists. more music thats written with the sole purpose of making money and not written to be a good song. i dont hate anything that was written to be a good song, even if i dont like the song, its just not my thing, i'll still appreciate the track.
But i dont like music that is written for the sole purpose of making money,

I dont get why people hate on the singer for it though. people shouldnt hate beiber, its people like simon cowel who create him/his music that they should hate. Trust me, if you were 16 and someone offered you 10's of millions of dollars and unlimited pussy, you would take it, in a heart beat.

Quentin Legend
02-21-2012, 03:22 AM
Top 40 works wonders @ house parties & School parties + Weddings.

It works and people enjoy it so I don't have a problem playing it.

I don't like everything on the Top 40 charts but there are some decent songs and if I get bored with the songs, I just look for Dubstep or Electro House remixes.

Windows 95
02-21-2012, 04:13 AM
i dont consider everything in the top 40, "top 40" music.I do.
Top 40 just means it's popular. Doesn't matter if it's Country, Hip-Hop, Rock, Dubstep or some other style. If it's sales become large enough, it becomes classified as Top 40.

Having always been a Top 40 fan, I have always liked all kinds of different music. There's been some off the wall stuff that's done pretty well on the Top 40 (& Top 100) charts.

ElectroManiac
02-21-2012, 07:05 AM
I don't hate top 40, I hate bad top 40. Not all top 40 music is bad like hey ya - outkas that oliosky say. There are plenty of good top 40 out there, but I have to admit most top 40 is crap

Lost Connection
02-21-2012, 07:07 AM
I spin top 40, I do enjoy new and old top 40. But I am not even close to enjoying all of the hits out there. I play in highschool parties since I am only 17 and therefore unable to do club gigs, and in the parties I spin all the top 40 stuff is hot and makes people dance.

I dont hate it, I like some of it. I just get tired of some of the tracks. Still, I enjoy good house music more than almost all of the top 40 songs.

deejayjsin
02-21-2012, 07:28 AM
I play top40 because its what people want to dance to. I don't think it's all crap, but I do get burned out on overplayed songs really fast so I don't listen to it unless I'm spinning or Practicing...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sween
02-21-2012, 07:36 AM
Britney Spear's Toxic is awesome.

I thought I was the only one...

Recently one of my favorite songs from last year has blown up... that Gotye song Somebody I Used to Love. So tired of hearing it now. At least it's not a dance song... but get ready for the remixes...

I'll admit, I Liked "Only Girl" for about a minute too. Also "Hello" by Solveig... and "Take Over Control" by Afrojack... But I really hate them now.

It's like this... I like ice cream. But if I had to eat for every meal I'd end up hating really quickly...

Mahatma Coat
02-21-2012, 08:01 AM
Saying DJs hate Top 40 because they're all hipsters is such a cop out...

Most of the music in the Top 40 is shit. It's bland, creatively void, lowest common denominator drivel. Manufactured exclusively for making money; its an insult to human creativity.

That said there are of course decent tunes in the Top 40 from time to time, but my bet is most of them come from some genre or other, and probably a genre which is associated with some form of the underground, like Inner City's 'Big Fun', Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' or the Prodigy's 'Breathe', for a few examples.

Florence and the Machine is also great, but she's obviously a talented artist who has slogged it out on the live gig scene for years. There's quite a few examples of artists/musicians like this in the Top 40 too, but they're seriously outweighed by all the other garbage.

On another note, why would you want to play/listen to music you hear on the radio all day? Music that presumably reminds you of work/school/shopping malls, how is that going to help you get away from yourself for a bit?

NickJames
02-21-2012, 08:14 AM
Saying DJs hate Top 40 because they're all hipsters is such a cop out...

Most of the music in the Top 40 is shit. It's bland, creatively void, lowest common denominator drivel. Manufactured exclusively for making money; its an insult to human creativity.

I think it`s both... Lot`s of DJs will hate on Top 40 songs that have been heavily remixed by talented producers just because the base track is top 40.

DJ Highline
02-21-2012, 08:15 AM
On another note, why would you want to play/listen to music you hear on the radio all day? Music that presumably reminds you of work/school/shopping malls, how is that going to help you get away from yourself for a bit?

That is assuming that you are DJing to get away from yourself. Is DJing your drug that you get high on to try and make the world disappear? Nothing wrong with that and its much better than anything chemical....

Ferryman
02-21-2012, 08:17 AM
It's just a bit tacky really isn't it.

Besides, we're talking demographics here. There are much more people out there who don't know what makes good music and as such don't know what they're being sold - so they buy shit, thus propelling bad music in to the top 40, compared to DJ's, many of which spend hours and hours routing through music to find a few select tune they like.

DJ's are fussy creatures by nature - it's no surprise the top 40 tunes don't land in their music tastes a lot of the time.

Adzm00
02-21-2012, 08:32 AM
^^ pretty much this, i dont consider everything in the top 40, "top 40" music.

there is a massive list of great tracks in the charts from amazing artists and performers, even today. but these days there are a shit load more "manufactured" artists. more music thats written with the sole purpose of making money and not written to be a good song. i dont hate anything that was written to be a good song, even if i dont like the song, its just not my thing, i'll still appreciate the track.
But i dont like music that is written for the sole purpose of making money,

I dont get why people hate on the singer for it though. people shouldnt hate beiber, its people like simon cowel who create him/his music that they should hate. Trust me, if you were 16 and someone offered you 10's of millions of dollars and unlimited pussy, you would take it, in a heart beat.

This and Smegma pretty much covered it.

I am not really a fan of much in the charts these days.

Ferryman
02-21-2012, 08:37 AM
Also, I hate the fact that most popular 'artists' that are in the top 40 are stunning or at the very least, good looking. I know all too many people that buy into artists because they want to fuck them. Not good enough in my opinion.

A person using a career in music to further better a modelling career on the side is just obnoxious, both to my soul and my ears.

DJ ATX
02-21-2012, 08:47 AM
I spin in an open format club. I happen to like Top40. The good thing nowadays is that Top40 is just really watered down EDM. I also use a lot to Top40 remixes which lessen the crap factor a bit.

Ferryman
02-21-2012, 08:55 AM
I also use a lot to Top40 remixes which lessen the crap factor a bit.

Example...

MeowMix
02-21-2012, 09:40 AM
Two Timbaland songs that i dont think got enough recognition. Im especially glad it introduced me to Soshy.


Timbaland - Morning After Dark ft. Nelly Furtado, Soshy
Timbaland - Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake

DJ Highline
02-21-2012, 09:43 AM
yea I absolutely love me some Timbaland...the beats are just sick....makes me want to at the very least bob my head everytime.

fueledbymusic
02-21-2012, 09:53 AM
Sometimes I want to be different from the crowd. And play music that is cool and Im the only one who has it. LOL

monomer
02-21-2012, 10:00 AM
If your reply is "its what people want to dance to"

you're playing the wrong venues.


Me, I buy music that I enjoy. i don't think I have anything considered pop made after 95 or so. I also don't play, or goto clubs where top40 is the norm. Don't like the music or most of the people it brings.

Dubstep, now THAT shit needs to stop. :lol:

drumpusher
02-21-2012, 10:08 AM
There is too much good music out there without having that sheeple shit shoved down my throat every time I come across a medium that delivers old media.

MeowMix
02-21-2012, 10:13 AM
What has really been turning me off lately is all the Pitbull tracks. THEY ALL SOUND THE FUCKING SAME (yea baby/mami/papi this is how we do it...miami, puerto rico, cubano...i made it, got money, all these women...video shot of a boat).

moyo wilde
02-21-2012, 10:33 AM
it is funny how a lot of people here think crafting a hit is easy.

a lot of pitbull does sound the same, but if you listen to his "lyrics" they are a clinic on how to be a pick up artist, which if you don't know how to dp/say it can help get you laid. the stuff he is saying in his songs is exactly what you need to say do to get laid. don't give me that yeah by stupid broads fall for it stuff, you change it up for the person you are talking to, but the rules remain the same. it comes down to simple pyschology.

popular music is popular because of the airplay in some cases, but a lot of the times it is actually well made, strikes a chord.

i have tried this before. i played some wakka flocka flame for a girl she speaks english, but not well enough to understand most songs. she didn't know who flocka was, so no predjudice there. when she started listening her head started nodding. it might just be his voice and the beat of the song that caused her to like it. i can usually tell when she likes something becuase it makes her move head, feet, whatever. when i explained the lyrics and she was immediately repulsed.

i have done it more than once and almost every "hit" causes her to move. non hits and undeground stuff not so much. keep in mind she is in china and doesn't really keep up with music like that.

Era 7
02-21-2012, 10:48 AM
because its all the same shit. you hear either T-Pain, Lil Wayne or Lil Jon on every second track. also all the fuzz around the people in top 40 (rihanna etc.) just makes me tired. most of it tries to go off as house these days and i just can't stand when people talk about it as house and i have to tell them that they mean pop/top 40.

Funkyfader
02-21-2012, 11:09 AM
What has really been turning me off lately is all the Pitbull tracks. THEY ALL SOUND THE FUCKING SAME (yea baby/mami/papi this is how we do it...miami, puerto rico, cubano...i made it, got money, all these women...video shot of a boat).

This.
Its getting ridiculous.
He throws his name on a track while all the fuck he does is a 6 sec bla bla oh babe talk.

djfarcyde
02-21-2012, 11:11 AM
I don't hate it. I dislike most top 40's music (the really poppy stuff) but the club tracks are fun. A little too much pitbull and the same artists producing tracks (which can make mixing difficult because i hate mixing artist --> same artist) but typically the beats are fun to dance to, make other people dance, and the lyrics are catchy enough without be overly annoying. I think you'll find most top40's/Hip Hop DJs don't come on DJ forum. When I spin, I spin a mix of top40's, hip-hop, and house (open format nightclub) and I like to try and get real creative when I mix. Wordplay mixing (and not just beat mixing) is a lot of fun (although it can get old after a while). A lot of tracks use similar lyrics which means if you can find a hook or a phrase in one track and lead it into another it can make for a cool transition. Really I think it also depends on your definition of "top 40." If top 40 is anything played on the radio, there are plenty of bad songs. When I think of top40 club music, I think mostly of hip hop, house remixes (bmore/philly club, dutch house, prog remixes), and party music. I don't ever spin Lady Gaga. But when I play I'll throw on a lot of house and electro tracks (prutata comes to mind, the alesso remix of pressure, no beef etc...) that I think are bangers and get a good reaction out them. It all depends on the setting and the crowd.

Smallz
02-21-2012, 11:18 AM
because its all the same shit. you hear either T-Pain, Lil Wayne or Lil Jon on every second track. also all the fuzz around the people in top 40 (rihanna etc.) just makes me tired. most of it tries to go off as house these days and i just can't stand when people talk about it as house and i have to tell them that they mean pop/top 40.

Actually Lil Jon has dabbled in a good amount of electro house hits with people like Steve Aoki, Sidney Samson, Laidback Luke, and so on.

For me, Top 40 is just like any other genre. If the song is good, I'll get it and play it. If the song is bad, I'll pass on it. I usually don't have much disdain for a genre, but mostly for certain artists.

pittsey
02-21-2012, 11:18 AM
you're comparing late 50s barbershop music to justin beiber. just stop right there.

a single person wrote 'Lollipop,' Julius Dixson.

I really don't understand your obsession with how many people wrote songs; an orchestra is compiled of as many as 100 members, does that mean they are worse than a quintet? I can point out a million examples of terrible lyrics from any decade and any genre, remember this song? Produced by 2 people, and written by one person (afaik)
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

pittsey
02-21-2012, 11:20 AM
Here's the funny thing about this argument…I've used AutoTune. I honestly don't have a clue how T-Pain gets that sound out of it.

You have to have no idea on how to use it going in to it. So I was able to get the sound pretty easily. Its been a while since I've done it but IIRC you first set the key on the program to something completely opposite to what you are singing in, turn humanize off, retune speed at like the max or the least (I forget) and scale detune all the way up?, I think

Era 7
02-21-2012, 11:31 AM
Actually Lil Jon has dabbled in a good amount of electro house hits with people like Steve Aoki, Sidney Samson, Laidback Luke, and so on.

For me, Top 40 is just like any other genre. If the song is good, I'll get it and play it. If the song is bad, I'll pass on it. I usually don't have much disdain for a genre, but mostly for certain artists.

and is it coincedence that most of aoki's, sidney samson's and laidback luke's tunes suck these days? ;) only track with lil jon i like is "less go" by spencer & hill. otherwise: meh. stay in crunk, its what he did best.

jazzyj
02-21-2012, 11:38 AM
I gave up on Top 40 almost 25 years ago. I don't hate everything on the charts, in fact there are plenty of songs that I like just fine. And I love it when an underground favorite gets huge. :shrug:

I simply feel that it's worthwhile to dig and find some unknown treasures. I guess I just prefer the sound of the underground.

Once an underground favorite gets huge... isn't it no longer underground and now is actually Top 40?


top 40 or underground - it's the difference between going for a McDonald's or a good steak.

But isn't the goal of the underground artist to achieve success and have everyone love their music and make profit? Isn't that kinda what the Top 40 people did? Whether you like it or not? lol


I honestly think 90% of it just has to do with hearing something way too many times. Yes there's the other 10% that's genuinely manufactured corporate crap. But when you hear something in the bank, the grocery store, the mall, the radio, and the TV.

Yes ^^^ Adele's Someone Like You. I hear it on the radio? I change the channel. Even if the other channel is playing LMFAO for the 1billionth time that hour, I would still listen to that than this sad ass song over and over again. So I'm good with hearing some things over n over again, but it has to be uplifting. Unless of course... it's Whitney... and she just died... and then I spend a whole weekend blasting The Bodyguard. :)

Smallz
02-21-2012, 11:45 AM
and is it coincedence that most of aoki's, sidney samson's and laidback luke's tunes suck these days? ;) only track with lil jon i like is "less go" by spencer & hill. otherwise: meh. stay in crunk, its what he did best.

To each his own. Turbulence was one of my favorite tracks last year.

And don't you dare say Laidback Luke's tracks sucked.

DJ Highline
02-21-2012, 11:53 AM
Once an underground favorite gets huge... isn't it no longer underground and now is actually Top 40?



But isn't the goal of the underground artist to achieve success and have everyone love their music and make profit? Isn't that kinda what the Top 40 people did? Whether you like it or not? lol



^^^This...the perfect current example is Skrillex...Two years ago nobody in the mainstream knew who he was and now he has what 3 Grammys.

RDRCK
02-21-2012, 11:53 AM
...which if you don't know how to dp...

Oh I know how to DP. Believe me, I do...

peterwo2e
02-21-2012, 12:25 PM
if anybody here hates tracks that continuously has the same hard beats stay away from reggaeton. if you a Latin dj then you know what i mean.

Era 7
02-21-2012, 12:42 PM
To each his own. Turbulence was one of my favorite tracks last year.

And don't you dare say Laidback Luke's tracks sucked.

lol thats actually the one i hated the most and yes they did suck ^^

Andrew B
02-21-2012, 12:49 PM
Once an underground favorite gets huge... isn't it no longer underground and now is actually Top 40?

Yes. Which is great.


But isn't the goal of the underground artist to achieve success and have everyone love their music and make profit? Isn't that kinda what the Top 40 people did? Whether you like it or not? lol

Not necessarily. Certainly a band in a specific genre wants success within that genre. Some music just won't translate to the Top 40.

Here's the difference. Typically an underground act makes music to fill a specific niche. When something like that goes Top 40, it's an anomaly. It means that a lot of people caught onto a certain sound rather than a certain sound was carefully crafted to be a hit. Most Top 40 is specifically designed to appeal to as many people as possible. In a lot of cases, the songs can end up bland and uninspired.

Era 7
02-21-2012, 12:56 PM
Most Top 40 is specifically designed to appeal to as many people as possible. In a lot of cases, the songs can end up bland and uninspired.

quote for truth. it has a reason that all the shit sounds the same. most music in top 40 is not there because it stood out and is therefore successful.

DJ Matt
02-21-2012, 12:56 PM
Why do DJs hate top 40 music? That is the question.

It seems if you even mention the term top 40 to many DJs, they scoff and mock. My question is why? The whole idea of top 40 is that these are the top 40 songs in the charts which means they are pretty popular. And yes I understand that popular doesn't always mean good...but popular doesn't mean bad either. This hatred of top 40 music seems to be completely irrelevant to genre. A punk rock band that makes it big (such as Sum 41) gets shunned by other rockers. Hip Hop acts get called sell outs for not "keepin it real". Even as what would have been perfectly acceptable in the dance music scene 5 years ago (Tiesto & David Guetta) now that it is considered pop it gets hated on. Are we all simply haters? Is it the fact that these songs no matter how good they may or may not be have found success with the masses and therefor as the supposed musical trend setters we don't like to be associated with whats popular but instead what will be popular? Is it that because we are exposed to this music sooner and more often than the masses that we tire of it quicker?

Why do DJs hate Top 40?


one of the things that makes music popular is exposure, if people hear it often enough they will start to sort of like it

and that what annoys me about top 40 music, the promoters know this and they force it down our throats until people accept it

if i go to a bar which plays top 40 in my city, there is where i will find all the cultureless people, the drones who would not be able to give an intelligent reason why they like a song

jazzyj
02-21-2012, 01:00 PM
Yes. Which is great.

Not necessarily. Certainly a band in a specific genre wants success within that genre. Some music just won't translate to the Top 40.

Here's the difference. Typically an underground act makes music to fill a specific niche. When something like that goes Top 40, it's an anomaly. It means that a lot of people caught onto a certain sound rather than a certain sound was carefully crafted to be a hit. Most Top 40 is specifically designed to appeal to as many people as possible. In a lot of cases, the songs can end up bland and uninspired.

if there was ever a true argument for underground vs. commercial, you sir, just nailed it. Your statements are pure logical. +5.

Mahatma Coat
02-21-2012, 01:15 PM
^^^This...the perfect current example is Skrillex...Two years ago nobody in the mainstream knew who he was and now he has what 3 Grammys.

Skrillex has always been considered shite by the EDM underground though, on lack of artistic ability alone he was considered an embarrassment. Which just goes to show, you don't have to be good to sell a bucket load of records, but you do have to be good to get any respect in any scene which is serious about its creativity and its music.

http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=8266


Skrillex is part of a wave of American producers coming into dubstep from other genres. More often than not, these beatmakers make a violent racket characterized by overwhelming midrange "wobble" basslines, and have a general obsession with gore, macabre and the almighty "filth." It's "mosh" music as opposed to dance music. Many of these producers take as much from drum & bass as they do more aggressive collectives like Caspa's Dub Police, lending their music a violent energy miles away from the garage and dub-inspired scenes in the UK.

Anomoly
02-21-2012, 01:29 PM
The major issue with top 40 is at this point it's become not about music... but about money... greased palms decide what music gets the most 'spins' the more spins the more likely it's is to be on the charts.

Who has the money and the connections to grease palms? big record labels who love to manufactuer hits.


on another note: I think that's why adele is so big right now... it's a throw back to real music/talent

Smallz
02-21-2012, 02:10 PM
lol thats actually the one i hated the most and yes they did suck ^^

:cry: this makes me very sad. :cry:

Dj_4-$hure
02-21-2012, 02:26 PM
Because people these days are robots, and robots have no emotion for real music. J/k (Not really). Old top 40 stuff was ok, even in the early 2000, example like ludacris, juvinille back that ass up, and even lil wayne bling bling was ok back then, but now I can't stand his ass. And he's the biigest competion to rappers these days, that's just a joke.

Era 7
02-21-2012, 02:34 PM
Because people these days are robots, and robots have no emotion for real music. J/k (Not really). Old top 40 stuff was ok, even in the early 2000, example like ludacris, juvinille back that ass up, and even lil wayne bling bling was ok back then, but now I can't stand his ass. And he's the biigest competion to rappers these days, that's just a joke.

i refuse to take a "rapper" seriously that wears leoprint skinny jeans on stage :lol:

punky
02-21-2012, 02:35 PM
I don't hate Top 40, but I NEVER listen to the radio, so shit rarely gets played out or annoying to me. I have a weakness for some Katy Perry songs and I love Florence and the Machine. I've got a lot of shit worth getting upset about in politics (which I'm somewhat involved in); I don't have the energy to be pissed at music too.

jazzyj
02-21-2012, 02:38 PM
i refuse to take a "rapper" seriously that wears leoprint skinny jeans on stage :lol:

lotta white folk said that about rappers period back in the 80's ... Run DMC wit they shoes for instance... I mean f'real. 80's styles were whiggity whiggity whack. well looking back now. somebody else gon say the same about us, n then about them. on and no. lol but yeah leoprint tho? tight ass jeans? he tryna outdo prince with them assless pants back in the day.

...least prince had the ass to back it up...

bernardgregory
02-21-2012, 02:52 PM
I don't like most Top 40 because it's played out. It's also usually poorly conceived and executed because it's made to be popular aka sound like everything else aka unoriginal.

Some Top 40 is good. For the most part, though, it's just made for the mindless masses

Era 7
02-21-2012, 03:14 PM
lotta white folk said that about rappers period back in the 80's ... Run DMC wit they shoes for instance... I mean f'real. 80's styles were whiggity whiggity whack. well looking back now. somebody else gon say the same about us, n then about them. on and no. lol but yeah leoprint tho? tight ass jeans? he tryna outdo prince with them assless pants back in the day.

...least prince had the ass to back it up...

but most rappers weren't considered "gangster rappers" as they like to call themselves these days. leosprint skinny jeans? thats pretty gangster :facepalm:

jazzyj
02-21-2012, 03:39 PM
but most rappers weren't considered "gangster rappers" as they like to call themselves these days. leosprint skinny jeans? thats pretty gangster :facepalm:

lol i don't listen to him much or much about him - does he really believe he's 'gangsta'? lol #iCant ...sigh...

moyo wilde
02-21-2012, 07:52 PM
But ya'll hate the top 10 on beatport as well?

things that make you say hmmmm?

why is that?

silentsounds
02-21-2012, 07:55 PM
To be honest, I rarely listen to the radio anymore, let alone get the time to get out to clubs as much. When I do head out though, the top 40 type music doesn't really bother me. I would never buy it because I don't like it. I think the lack of creativity is apparent in most genres of music out there. I don't hate on people who do listen to Top 40 type stuff though. Everyone has different tastes.

Smallz
02-21-2012, 08:32 PM
But ya'll hate the top 10 on beatport as well?

things that make you say hmmmm?

why is that?

i don't.

moyo wilde
02-21-2012, 08:52 PM
maybe not you, but i do recall a lot of hate for the top songs on beatport from djf 1.0.

mostapha
02-21-2012, 09:05 PM
That one is part of the hipster thing. I mean…I use them too, but beatport isn't exactly exclusive. If you're not producing good tracks or already famous, then playing from top10 lists is dangerous. If you're in a big city with a lot of DJs, you're likely to run into a situation where you loose gigs to someone who plays the same music in mostly the same way but charges less.

Picking a niche, whatever it is, leads to more stable career prospects if you have an outlet for it in your town.

PONTUS.2
02-21-2012, 09:18 PM
cuz its all about the underground maaaaaaaan

CC Ricers
02-21-2012, 09:51 PM
I hate playing Top 40 because the party poopers that are WMG, Sony, etc. will just take down your videos if you mix any of their songs on a YouTube video. More reason to support the underground :P

BuddyUK
02-21-2012, 10:22 PM
:music:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL396519FD225A2D42 (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL396519FD225A2D42)

Dj_4-$hure
02-21-2012, 10:31 PM
cuz its all about the underground maaaaaaaan

THIS! Case Closed.

monomer
02-21-2012, 11:19 PM
THIS! Case Closed.

NvWOuxT-bF8

BuddyUK
02-21-2012, 11:24 PM
FOR THOSE THAT KNOW

:slayer:

moyo wilde
02-21-2012, 11:40 PM
so it isn't about the music? only about having a secret, which is about as bad as the "sheeple"

dlove
02-22-2012, 01:24 AM
^^^This...the perfect current example is Skrillex...Two years ago nobody in the mainstream knew who he was and now he has what 3 Grammys.

yeah, the cheesy 'underground' is where the top 40 get their 'club hits'. They're only hits in cheesy clubs.

dlove
02-22-2012, 01:33 AM
so it isn't about the music? only about having a secret, which is about as bad as the "sheeple"

as Earl Zinger says, we're Last Of The Great Bassline Hunters.

BuddyUK
02-22-2012, 01:55 AM
so it isn't about the music? only about having a secret, which is about as bad as the "sheeple"

Just because I'm going to a rave and brocking out to BassBinTerrorizer (http://soundcloud.com/bassbinterrorizer) doesn't mean I'm trying to keep it a secret, the opposite so in fact, it's underground because only a small amount of people will be able to get into it/enjoy it.

Hygro
02-22-2012, 05:21 AM
1. Lyrics
2. Writers of Lyrics

http://jasoncerna.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Screen-shot-2012-02-20-at-10.23.17-PM.png

Hahaha, but really one or two people write the lyrics. There are Congressionally mandated rules about how radios pay for music, and the big cash cow goes to the writer of the lyrics. So in the contracts of songs, lots of people are credited with lyric writing so as to divide the pay.

Hygro
02-22-2012, 05:37 AM
Top 40 is really just a way of marking a time in your life. It's about anchoring memories. Hear the song over and over again, for a 15 month span. Make sure to play it at all important functions like proms, weddings, road trips, freshman years, new ******* situations, etc. Then the songs come on later, in all other times completely forgettable, and it brings you all the way back.

Top 40 as a genre, the poppier variety of popular music has to be of a common denominator else it is not a shared experience. It has to be a sing-able song (even if the singing part is a synth line) because humans retain singing memory above most else.

Top 40 serves a very important purpose.

Also, its producers are brilliant. Much of the music is terrible, yet excellent. And that is largely the point.

Dj K Stakz
02-22-2012, 12:07 PM
Well as a dj and a music fan Im not a fan of a lot of top 40 music for the simple fact that I'm in my car a lot and I hear those songs on the radio at least 5 to 10 times a day. So to listen to it all day then go out and hear it all night, theres only so many times anybody can listen to a song before they get tired of it. Im not saying they're not good songs because a lot of them are great songs hence why they're on the radio but at the same time I can't even count the number of songs Ive memorized against my will because Ive heard it so many times on the radio.

DJWhiteChoco
02-22-2012, 12:28 PM
By definition it's "played out", and DJs are like hipsters whether they admit it or not. Once something gets too popular it's not cool anymore. So by the time something makes it to the Top 40, it's already old news.

This is th best explantion i heard in a long time! REPPED!

RDRCK
02-22-2012, 12:31 PM
This is th best explantion i heard in a long time! REPPED!

Except that it's not :shrug:

Hygro
02-22-2012, 06:21 PM
A lot of the songs in the top 40 are released straight into the charts. The only "old news" songs are second/third/fourth singles off the albums.

DJWhiteChoco
02-22-2012, 06:45 PM
Our Job as DJ's is to keep up on the current music... and before it catches on in most places we have heart it a million times. Then you get a million more request for it. Make sense.

The Baxter
02-22-2012, 07:25 PM
Because it is terrible.

Hygro
02-22-2012, 07:36 PM
Our Job as DJ's is to keep up on the current music... and before it catches on in most places we have heart it a million times. Then you get a million more request for it. Make sense.

Again, this is true if:
1) you are a top40 DJ who scours pop albums. This gives you less time to dig underground music, especially if you have a day job/family/be a student.
2) it's the album's 2nd, 3rd, 4th single. None of us were listening to SexyBack before it hit the charts. But a lot of us were already playing "My Love" (I wasn't, I wasn't gigging yet). Albums' first singles, often the most popular ones, hit the radio before we hear it.

CC Ricers
02-22-2012, 08:14 PM
Hahaha, but really one or two people write the lyrics. There are Congressionally mandated rules about how radios pay for music, and the big cash cow goes to the writer of the lyrics. So in the contracts of songs, lots of people are credited with lyric writing so as to divide the pay.

A lot of Billboard chart toppers from decades past have also faded into obscurity. And groups that weren't popular sellers in their time have gotten really famous as "classics" now. (http://www.cracked.com/article_18983_5-complaints-about-modern-life-that-are-statistically-b.s._p2.html)

As we grow older it's not the current music that has gotten worse, but it's our interpretation and analysis of music that has changed.

DJ Highline
02-22-2012, 08:53 PM
And groups that weren't popular sellers in their time have gotten really famous as "classics" now. (http://www.cracked.com/article_18983_5-complaints-about-modern-life-that-are-statistically-b.s._p2.html)

As we grow older it's not the current music that has gotten worse, but it's our interpretation and analysis of music that has changed.

That was a great read...I think the biggest point that is made is the idea of a filter on music of yesteryear. Only the things that were truly good survived all the other fluff got forgotten and so we look back and say music was so much better back then.

DjDisArm
02-23-2012, 12:41 AM
LOL mainstream idgaf

Raindance Rob
02-23-2012, 01:27 AM
and the goddamn X factor rejects / soon to be rejected or forgotten. And replaced for that matter. I can't believe how bad the music industry has gone in UK. There's still loads of talent but it seems the British top 40 is not about talent anymore.

since when did it ever have any talent in it ? lol

Raindance Rob
02-23-2012, 01:28 AM
I don't know what's really to like about it?

but this is the bit i dont get, if you dont like it why play it ?

moyo wilde
02-23-2012, 03:16 AM
i remember seeing on soulstrut one of the famous crate diggin types was responding to a criticism on the boards. somebody said they went to see him dj and he played too much popular music. his response was something along the lines of he gets paid to get women dancing. he loves finding old records digging and that if he did what the poster wanted him to do he would be playing to a half filled room of music nerd dudes standing around trainspotting.

somebody said the same thing here about going to hear diplo, said he played too much popular music.

oh and buddy i clicked the link listened with an open mind and just not my steez i tried though.

Manu
02-23-2012, 03:26 AM
since when did it ever have any talent in it ? lol


The Police
Eurythmics
David Bowie
Rolling Stones
Queen
Franz Ferdinand
Pet Shop Boys
P J Harvey
Basement Jaxx
Chemical Brothers
The Prodigy

Etc..




There were loads of talent not so long ago. They've all been replaced by wannabees, like that cher lloyd trash girl, or that about average adele, katy perry, eurghhh.

BuddyUK
02-23-2012, 04:32 AM
oh and buddy i clicked the link listened with an open mind and just not my steez i tried though.

Kind of proved my point, also his set was praised afterwards as being a highlight of the night and he packed the room out even though he was one of the opening acts.

blackfoxbb
02-23-2012, 05:25 AM
I Like Top 40

Marc S
02-23-2012, 05:30 AM
A lot of the songs in the top 40 are released straight into the charts. The only "old news" songs are second/third/fourth singles off the albums.

change your promo company then, EVERY track that gets into the charts is available on promo to both dj's and radio before it charts, at least a month before hand, and usually as much as 3 months. the exceptions to this rule are few and far between, things like "......'s got tallent" winners singles for example.

moyo wilde
02-23-2012, 07:11 AM
Kind of proved my point, also his set was praised afterwards as being a highlight of the night and he packed the room out even though he was one of the opening acts.

no snarko, but what was his audience like (male/female/age/etc) and was there any dancing or is it dance music? and i bpm'd that mix at about 190. yeah and if he got to top 40 a lot of people would probably be like top 40 has gone to $h!t.

Hygro
02-23-2012, 08:05 AM
change your promo company then, EVERY track that gets into the charts is available on promo to both dj's and radio before it charts, at least a month before hand, and usually as much as 3 months. the exceptions to this rule are few and far between, things like "......'s got tallent" winners singles for example.

I guess so. Not sure why I'd bother with a promo company though as I don't spin top40 anymore.

Adzm00
02-23-2012, 08:21 AM
This is th best explantion i heard in a long time! REPPED!

I thought it was a terrible explanation. Something becoming popular doesn't automatically mean it becomes bad, just as an underground artist making money isn't "selling out" In fact if you hate something because it is popular, you are as bad as those who like something just because its popular.

And as a DJ I resent the inferation that I am a hipster in Mr Elroy's post, in fact I am considering handing out some neg rep.

Raindance Rob
02-23-2012, 12:55 PM
The Police
Eurythmics
David Bowie
Rolling Stones
Queen
Franz Ferdinand
Pet Shop Boys
P J Harvey
Basement Jaxx
Chemical Brothers
The Prodigy

Etc..




There were loads of talent not so long ago. They've all been replaced by wannabees, like that cher lloyd trash girl, or that about average adele, katy perry, eurghhh.

ok theres been bits, but on the whole its always been full of trash

blackfoxbb
02-23-2012, 01:17 PM
ok theres been bits, but on the whole its always been full of trash

bits? BIIITTTSS? How old are you uhm?

ps: Manu, you forgot New Order man.

Mahatma Coat
02-23-2012, 01:18 PM
He forgot Womack & Womack too


9C0MSa7SXE8

ae86touge
02-23-2012, 06:26 PM
I think you should play to get the crowd as riled up as you can, dancing and having an awesome time. So i think, you need to tailor your playlist to your audience. I personally hate Top 40 stuff, its all autotuned, sounds the same, blah blah. But if i was playing somewhere like a bar in town or something, thats what i would play as thats what they would like. I don't think minimal dubstep ie Getdarker stuff would really go down well, so sometimes you have to give in to the masses and play the junk they like. Thats my opinion anyway.

Finnish_Fox
02-23-2012, 06:29 PM
15 years ago, actual musicians were making electronic music. Now, anyone with a laptop and a few hundred bucks is making it.

alazydj
02-23-2012, 07:46 PM
DJs don't hate Top40.

DJs hate distasteful music.



This thread inspired me to search some old charts...

9x99ZmVefxc

It's a good rap track for the ladies...and I used to think it was just poop when it was new.


I used to HATE mayonnaise as a kid...but now I fucking love me some miracle whip!

DjDisArm
02-23-2012, 08:36 PM
DJs don't hate Top40.

DJs hate distasteful music.



This thread inspired me to search some old charts...

!

troof

aleksvanrohrer
02-23-2012, 08:45 PM
I dislike most top 40 because I just don't like it. I didn't know there needed to be a reason to not like something? You know when you first taste a food and you hate it, ya that's top 40 for me.

Andrew B
02-23-2012, 11:34 PM
15 years ago, actual musicians were making electronic music. Now, anyone with a laptop and a few hundred bucks is making it.

There's no difference, there was just a higher cost of entry back then. Same as DJing.

Hygro
02-24-2012, 12:43 AM
Some of those laptop kids with a few hundred bucks dedicated themselves and became musicians, and wouldn't have otherwise.

moyo wilde
02-24-2012, 05:05 AM
not knocking learning music theory, but a lot of people think the rza's music quality went down after he learned.

blackfoxbb
02-24-2012, 02:13 PM
a hint:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IiLZ0dvDWU

Hygro
02-24-2012, 02:19 PM
a hint:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IiLZ0dvDWU

That repeating of spoken... whatever, was the worst convention of 90s house.

dlove
02-24-2012, 02:30 PM
not knocking learning music theory, but a lot of people think the rza's music quality went down after he learned.

forgetting the professional superstar's for a mo'; my son's taking higher music and has been getting sax' lessons for around 3 years, and I wish I knew half as much about music & sound, and traditional Jazz! as he does. He can express it in communication easily, to a form, and that's what I lack.

Era 7
02-24-2012, 02:33 PM
There's no difference, there was just a higher cost of entry back then. Same as DJing.

true. you still need some theory knowledge to produce.

Hygro
02-24-2012, 02:34 PM
true. you still need some theory knowledge to produce.

Most people have a fair amount, intuitively. Most of my favorite musicians are classically trained but you certainly don't have to be!

Finnish_Fox
02-24-2012, 03:30 PM
Doesn't surprise me... musical understanding is most often naturally derived. When you try and break it down into theories, learn and teach them, you have to be very knowledgeable and experienced to apply them. Just taking a few classes and getting a certificate or degree in music theory is one thing, applying it is a whole 'nother thing.

Finnish_Fox
02-24-2012, 03:33 PM
true. you still need some theory knowledge to produce.


Most people have a fair amount, intuitively. Most of my favorite musicians are classically trained but you certainly don't have to be!

I agree with Hygro... a good portion of music "theory" is intuitive and naturally derived. So, it depends on what you mean by music theory contectually - I disagree that you need to be taught music theory to produce or make good music. If you define a portion of music theory as the general understanding that humans have of music and the ability to engage in musical creation without, then yes, it is needed produce and we all have it to some degree.

Case-in-point - you don't need music theory to hear and understand that two notes do not sound good together. You do need music theory to know why they don't sound good together.

dlove
02-24-2012, 03:38 PM
Most people have a fair amount, intuitively. Most of my favorite musicians are classically trained but you certainly don't have to be!

I played the cello in the school orchestra(s) from primary 5 to second year. I got kicked out when they discovered I was just playing by ear...bloody Queen Of Sheba got me - there was only 4 cellos in the score, and they had a leading role; it was quite complicated...hehe

BuddyUK
02-24-2012, 08:19 PM
Said it before it and I'll say it again, the cutting edge of electronic music, that which has real artistic value has nothing to do with traditional music and everything to do with SOUND, it is in effect a 'sound painting' or as I heard it once put more poetically as 'an amalgamation of sounds' in this context music theory is in effect no barrier to being truly creative. Claiming that you have to understand the 'rules' of music theory to break them is just you stroking your own ego, for pure creativity there are no rules, just because BT for example thinks he is channeling the spirit of Bach because he has grade 2 piano is BS, he produces musically simplistic, generic bullshit, some kid hitting a tin can has more artistic integrity and talent than he does. My friend and ex-employee Tom is incredibly musically gifted, can literally pick up any musical instrument and learn to play it on the fly, taught him beatmixing in no time at all, like a fish to water, with in a couple of hours he was doing the business, with a few months practice he could out DJ me after I've spent 20+ years at it and I'm still shit, bought a pair of bongos couldn't even play the buggers, I have no musical ability whatsoever, still have the knowledge and passion of a lifetime loving music and daring to be different and seeking out the new and the innovative. Despite his obvious talent it still doesn't stop him thinking that fcuking Muse are the greatest band EVER. I WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE, no fcuking rules that is what I want to hear, stick your theory up your backside mate.

thehadgi
02-24-2012, 08:31 PM
....the cutting edge of electronic music.....


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9079827/Photos/meme.jpg

Had this one tucked away and it's about the right time to bring it out again :lol:

BuddyUK
02-24-2012, 08:49 PM
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9079827/Photos/meme.jpg

Had this one tucked away and it's about the right time to bring it out again :lol:

Plenty of places to listen to cutting edge music because i don't live in Nowheresville USA lad, deal with it.

Divercity
02-24-2012, 09:54 PM
Most people have a fair amount, intuitively. Most of my favorite musicians are classically trained but you certainly don't have to be!

I have to agree with Era 7 on this one.


I am a producer first and a DJ 2nd. I play piano and have been classically trained. I have to say, Having a little bit of theory under my belt has immensely improved my musical ability. It helps in almost every aspect when producing and composing.

In saying that however, Obviously there are artists that do not know anything regarding theory and that is fine. Its not a complete essential but it certainly puts you on another level compared to the rest of the clusterfuck.

Edit: Usually though people gain a little insight just by dicking around for awhile anyway.

Hygro
02-24-2012, 10:12 PM
I took a course on modern composition and there's artists doing straight weird shit. Like, really weird shit. Nothing in the class had to do with traditional music anything. It was just all really really weird. Like the accordion guy they brought in who was making like, rain and gun fire noises while summoning the sounds of dying elephants. Or the dual vocal pitches my professor employs at once while electronically messing with them. Good stuff. I loved it, but it was not exactly listenable. Mind broadening though and it was the bomb.

ampnation
02-24-2012, 11:11 PM
Top 40 are played so often that they become familiar to the masses over 8-12 weeks. In that time those tracks are played 8-12 times per day, per station.

As DJs, we are typically exposed to these tracks early and get tired of hearing them 2 weeks into their 12 week life. From there, the same tracks are usually requested event after event for the next 4 months.

I don't care who you are. After hearing the same tracks for months, you get tired of the cycle. That's all it is.

-KLH

^^ This. A lot of top 40 is formulaic and that gets old after a while, but the biggest problem is, hearing it over and over and over and over and over and over. I remember some time back I was transferring music from vinyl to CD for my mom and one album she wanted had a song called, "Little Blue Transistor Radio" and by the time I finished the edit, using special vinyl transfer cleanup software, I was ready to find that little blue transistor radio and take a sledge hammer to it.

TocaTone
02-26-2012, 01:12 AM
I took a course on modern composition and there's artists doing straight weird shit. Like, really weird shit. Nothing in the class had to do with traditional music anything. It was just all really really weird. Like the accordion guy they brought in who was making like, rain and gun fire noises while summoning the sounds of dying elephants. Or the dual vocal pitches my professor employs at once while electronically messing with them. Good stuff. I loved it, but it was not exactly listenable. Mind broadening though and it was the bomb.

Sounds of dying elephants > top 40

dlove
02-26-2012, 03:43 AM
Sounds of dying elephants > top 40

I think I heard that on radio 1 the other day...they called it 'Justice' :P

Estacy
02-26-2012, 05:55 AM
why we hate Top 40? just listen to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6j4f8cHBIM

Era 7
02-26-2012, 06:00 AM
why we hate Top 40? just listen to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6j4f8cHBIM

maaaan you gotta listen to the subliminal message.

Divercity
02-26-2012, 06:04 AM
why we hate Top 40? just listen to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6j4f8cHBIM




the quality like this had a huge negative vibe from the population. 1st time ive ever seen a top40 track not do well. I'm surprised the stupid sheep that hated that song hadn't thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. :lol:



There is still hope for them!! There is still hope!

BuddyUK
02-26-2012, 06:30 AM
I have the pleasure, if you could call it that, of employing several 18 year old girls, the topic of this nikki minaj bird came up and I said what a pretty girl she is but how hideous are those fcuking wigs she wears are, she thought they were were 'super awesome XD', kids today :argh:

Windows 95
02-26-2012, 07:03 AM
I was transferring music from vinyl to CD for my mom and one album she wanted had a song called, "Little Blue Transistor Radio"I think you mean "Tiny Blue Transistor Radio".

Era 7
02-26-2012, 09:04 AM
the quality like this had a huge negative vibe from the population. 1st time ive ever seen a top40 track not do well. I'm surprised the stupid sheep that hated that song hadn't thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. :lol:



There is still hope for them!! There is still hope!


http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/2911410_460s.jpg

Windows 95
02-26-2012, 11:40 AM
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/2911410_460s.jpgSince the word is derived from "whore", it's "HO" not "HOE".
A "hoe" is a gardening tool.

Era 7
02-26-2012, 11:42 AM
Since the word is derived from "whore", it's "HO" not "HOE".
A "hoe" is a gardening tool.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hoe

:school:

Misspelling of 'ho' (short for 'whore'), confused with a tool for gardening.
Guy #1: Look she's a hoe!
Guy #2: No dude, she's a ho.

djTRiST
02-26-2012, 01:00 PM
I personally dont care for top 40 to listen to, but when a mainstream song gets my attention - I generally have to give the song some credit and respect.

As a DJ I think there can be a delicate balance between playing too much top 40 and playing some to keep the audience interested. It depends on the club and the night as far as what they are promoting and what the crowd is expecting. I play weds nights at this bar where it is supposed to be EDM, or underground dance- basically house, techno, dubstep, progressive, electro, etc. People still request alot of Guetta, Skrillex, LMFAO and stuff like that which I really dont play but in my current location there is very little tolerance for music that is not instantly recognizable.

To keep the place full and people interested it requires some compromise in terms of what I listen to - to what the audience wants to hear. As far as compromise I find tracks in the genres (big room prog, electro, dubstep etc.) that fit similarly with the artists sounds they are familiar with and maybe even play something like 'levels' here and there. This keeps me looking and expanding my musical knowledge and keeps the audience interested and coming back for more.

On the other hand (especially in my area) there is way too many DJs that just play top 40 songs back to back, no mixing and lots of over done efx. Still they pack a dancefloor and call it a day. Which isnt the end of the world but as a DJ I would like to see more variety of sets and styles being incorporated. Its become too formulaic and predictable IMO.

PopeofDope
02-26-2012, 01:05 PM
I think definitely the autotune vocals may occur this hate.

M!TCH
02-26-2012, 03:22 PM
I don't like Top40 because there are a lot of times these songs are just being pumped out for money instead of making music IMO. That and most Top 40 DJs I know are huge fans of fader slams.

CC Ricers
02-26-2012, 06:22 PM
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hoe

:school:

Misspelling of 'ho' (short for 'whore'), confused with a tool for gardening.
Guy #1: Look she's a hoe!
Guy #2: No dude, she's a ho.

Nicki Minaj clearly did not get inspiration from TLC.

Windows 95
01-07-2014, 04:01 AM
That and most Top 40 DJs I know are huge fans of fader slams.Maybe that might have something to do with the BPM of Top 40 songs being all over map? :shrug:

DJ ATX
01-07-2014, 09:06 AM
I am probably in the minority in this amongst DJs. I love pop music. I am an open format DJ. Top40/Pop is what pays me. Yes in the past month I have played and listened to Timber - Pitbull ft Ke$ha like 500x already, but it still doesn't irritate me.

Yes I like the less known tracks out there. But frankly if you are playing out in in mainstream clubs, Top40, Popular HipHop and Mainstream EDM is what you are gonna play. Better learn to like it and live with it. I for one enjoy it. I also do quite a bit of corporate events and in-store events, so mainstream is all I play. :lol: Hell on my Sirius Satellite presets are Hits1, BPM-51, all mainstream stuff.

As a DJ, you really need to like or at least tolerate all Genre's. Admittedly, I still hate country, but that's just me. But I know a few tracks that gets me by and can mix it if push comes to show. I always find it interesting and weird when a DJ asks how to mix a certain genre.

DJ Matt
01-07-2014, 09:19 AM
I have always disliked what passes for top 40 in my country

I think top 40 music yes appeals to more people but this is because it reaches people on a much more shallow level
In other words "lowest common denominator " , and with time the industry is getting better at this , so the standards continue to get lower and lower, musical integrity no longer even matters

Further to that , it's a "top down " system whereby 'payola' (pay-for-play) rules the roost and the industry pretty much tells people what to like by limiting their choices.
most people blindly follow it because they are either too young to understand or they don't like music enough to care that they are being treated like sheep.

It is sheer capitalism in music , pushing the quick sale

/rant

Finnish_Fox
01-07-2014, 10:20 AM
There is something very not punk rock about being in the Top 40.

ampnation
01-07-2014, 10:26 AM
I think you mean "Tiny Blue Transistor Radio".

Didn't see this comment when it was new, but yeah, I did mean Tiny Blue Transistor Radio, by Connie Stevens. I took, I believe it was 5 LPs of hers and put them on 2 audio CDs and another 2 or 3 LP of Charlie Pride on 1 CD for her. That was something I did purely because I loved my mother. There's no other explanation.

Baller95
01-07-2014, 10:30 AM
Top 40 is great.

Windows 95
01-07-2014, 10:48 AM
I did mean Tiny Blue Transistor Radio, by Connie Stevens. I figured that's what you meant. It was on the flip side of her single "Then And Only Then".
"Tiny Blue Transistor Radio" reached number 25 on the Billboard Country Music Singles chart in 1965.

ampnation
01-07-2014, 10:52 AM
Yes, if you think Top 40 music today is formulaic, try classic country.

Catch22
01-07-2014, 10:59 AM
The Top 40 is shite because people will listen to whatever is fed to them. The music isn't exactly pleasing in a sense either, dunno the last time I heard a top 40 track and thought: that's a really great sounding track! I don't need to like music to appreciate it. It's manufactured music for the masses basically, with lots of back door deals.

kir mokum
01-07-2014, 12:05 PM
top 40 is generally garbage precisely because of the same reasons it's popular: it's simplistic, overly familiar, relies on cliches and tropes, has the emotional depth of a sheet of saran wrap, and played repeated regardless of any grassroots drive, or lack thereof, to have it played. the majority of people are not aesthetes; they don't have a refined taste, they don't understand the history or theory, they don't understand the ideas being presented. they just want something familiar that they can sing along to or feel like they're a part of something without investing in it. top 40 knows this and panders to this.

generally, the unwashed masses have terrible taste in any artistic output simply because they don't know any better. sometimes there are artists who can ride that razor thin line between legitimate artistic output and mass public appreciation but that's very rare.

i have other theories too, like i think a lot of people, like a LOT of people, don't actually like music but rather like what liking music offers them socially. for example: people who only listen to the radio or have a music collection consisting of 5-10 albums all of which are still on regular rotation on the radio. i think most people hate art that is interesting or progressive or challenging. they want a slightly different version of hello kitty to parade around. again. and because of this the music that gets popular by fluke or by design is literally artistically retarded.

another theory i have is that the very top echelon of pop music is so hyper-produced that it inherently becomes emotionally vapid. a certain amount of grime, distortion, grain, flaw goes a long long way to convey emotional legitimacy, texture, and context. we like it. but top 40 constantly attempts to remove every possible perceived flaw like the photoshopped face and body of a FHM cover girl. this makes it flat, sterile, and boring. i make music for fun and i work in film and let me tell you: distortion and film grain, when used properly, makes a world of difference. i actually go so far as to grain my event posters properly [and usually do fake chromatic aberrations, depth of field blurring, and lens distortion].

kir mokum
01-07-2014, 12:11 PM
as far as top 40 relating to DJs: as a DJ your job is to push music forward and introduce your audience to new things. playing top 40 doesn't help you in this regard at all since it's popularity and placement in the world are already established by the time you get a copy of it. (this obviously doesn't apply to wedding DJs, top 40 DJs, and radio programmer DJs. no one cares what they think. :P). playing top 40 as a DJ moves you closer and closer to being replaced with itunes and your musical importance moves toward a null point.

Smallz
01-07-2014, 12:18 PM
wow. has it really been almost 2 years since this discussion started?

Era 7
01-07-2014, 12:18 PM
top 40 is generally garbage precisely because of the same reasons it's popular: it's simplistic, overly familiar, relies on cliches and tropes, has the emotional depth of a sheet of saran wrap, and played repeated regardless of any grassroots drive, or lack thereof, to have it played. the majority of people are not aesthetes; they don't have a refined taste, they don't understand the history or theory, they don't understand the ideas being presented. they just want something familiar that they can sing along to or feel like they're a part of something without investing in it. top 40 knows this and panders to this.

for most people it's even less. for most people music is just a pass time thing. listening to the radio while driving to work/on the way back home etc.. there is no certain style of music they indentify with and therefore a lot of people don't listen critically which in turn results in them not having to much of a demand in quality towards the music they listen to.

Windows 95
01-07-2014, 12:29 PM
another theory i have is that the very top echelon of pop music is so hyper-produced that it inherently becomes emotionally vapid. a certain amount of grime, distortion, grain, flaw goes a long long way to convey emotional legitimacy, texture, and context. we like it. but top 40 constantly attempts to remove every possible perceived flaw like the photoshopped face and body of a FHM cover girl. this makes it flat, sterile, and boring.Lorde's latest probably fits that, but I'm liking it. And unlike a lot of the songs from specifically pigeoned holed sub-genres of sub-genres I hear from so many fans of "underground", I don't find it boring.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JuxM-snGc

oddnumber
01-07-2014, 12:59 PM
OP: I don't hate it I just don't have enough time in a day to care for it. There is better music out there. One thing I noticed however is that even if you try ignoring it you can't. It is everywhere, tv, radio, stores, bars. There is no escape from it

ampnation
01-07-2014, 01:16 PM
top 40 is generally garbage precisely because of the same reasons it's popular: it's simplistic, overly familiar, relies on cliches and tropes, has the emotional depth of a sheet of saran wrap, and played repeated regardless of any grassroots drive, or lack thereof, to have it played. the majority of people are not aesthetes; they don't have a refined taste, they don't understand the history or theory, they don't understand the ideas being presented. they just want something familiar that they can sing along to or feel like they're a part of something without investing in it. top 40 knows this and panders to this.

generally, the unwashed masses have terrible taste in any artistic output simply because they don't know any better. sometimes there are artists who can ride that razor thin line between legitimate artistic output and mass public appreciation but that's very rare.

i have other theories too, like i think a lot of people, like a LOT of people, don't actually like music but rather like what liking music offers them socially. for example: people who only listen to the radio or have a music collection consisting of 5-10 albums all of which are still on regular rotation on the radio. i think most people hate art that is interesting or progressive or challenging. they want a slightly different version of hello kitty to parade around. again. and because of this the music that gets popular by fluke or by design is literally artistically retarded.

another theory i have is that the very top echelon of pop music is so hyper-produced that it inherently becomes emotionally vapid. a certain amount of grime, distortion, grain, flaw goes a long long way to convey emotional legitimacy, texture, and context. we like it. but top 40 constantly attempts to remove every possible perceived flaw like the photoshopped face and body of a FHM cover girl. this makes it flat, sterile, and boring. i make music for fun and i work in film and let me tell you: distortion and film grain, when used properly, makes a world of difference. i actually go so far as to grain my event posters properly [and usually do fake chromatic aberrations, depth of field blurring, and lens distortion].

I think generally speaking, you're right, most top 40 is pretty weak overall, but some of the best songs have also been top 40 IMO.

DJ Highline
01-07-2014, 01:31 PM
wow. has it really been almost 2 years since this discussion started?

Think how I felt when I opened up DJF and find this thread sitting front and center. Anyways, I think most people in this thread have brought valid points about pop/top 40 music both pros and cons and I can relate to almost everyone's taste. I think the important thing is to just remain open to music and don't prejudge it based on the idea that it is or is not "pop"

kir mokum
01-07-2014, 01:47 PM
I think generally speaking, you're right, most top 40 is pretty weak overall, but some of the best songs have also been top 40 IMO.

i don't know about "best" but there have def. been some very good ones.

Finnish_Fox
01-07-2014, 05:15 PM
i don't know about "best" but there have def. been some very good ones.

I'd agree with amp, at least historically. I mean, the likes of Marvin Gaye and James Brown come to mind.

Sigma
01-07-2014, 05:34 PM
Anyone that knows anything about music knows that if someone says "any song that's been in the top 40 pop charts is shit" is an idiot. Just being "top 40" doesn't make something shit and anyone that likes a song but pretends they don't just because it's popular is being a dick.

People dislike a lot of top 40 music because it often represents the most formulaic stuff. If I said to a producer on here "go and make a song that's as commercial-sounding as you can possibly make it", they would have a particular idea in their mind of what that song should sound like, and that's exactly how some music gets made.

There are artists who don't write their own songs, don't play any instruments, in fact, they can't even sing that well, but they have a certain look about them that is commercial. A team of people will style them, they'll get the personal trainer and all that, then you'll have the big team of song writers and producers sorting out the music, the "artist" will lay down the vocal which will sometimes get intertwined with vocals from better singers who you've never even heard of, or it'll get polished up via auto-tune, then you get the video where they're jumping about dressed in next to fuck all and there is your pop hit. In some boy/girl bands, there are literally members of the group who do nothing but make up the numbers and look good standing there in the background pretending to sing. All of that stuff exists because making pop hits has been refined so it's like a production line.

kyle133
01-07-2014, 05:45 PM
I enjoy good Top 40. My fav thing to do while playing out is mix the old with the new. Example:

Robin Thicke- blurred lines mixed into Usher- DJ got us fallin in love mixed into Daft Punk- Around the world mixed into Donna Summer- Bad girls

You can get amazing crowd reactions from mixing the old top 40 everyone has forgot about with the new stuff!

kir mokum
01-07-2014, 05:52 PM
Anyone that knows anything about music knows that if someone says "any song that's been in the top 40 pop charts is shit" is an idiot. Just being "top 40" doesn't make something shit and anyone that likes a song but pretends they don't just because it's popular is being a dick.


it drives me nuts that saying "top 40 is generally garbage music" gets conflated with "top 40 sucks because it's popular" all the time.

Sigma
01-07-2014, 06:00 PM
it drives me nuts that saying "top 40 is generally garbage music" gets conflated with "top 40 sucks because it's popular" all the time.
Yeah, same here.

When hip-hop/electro became the "in thing" here in about 1982/3, loads of kids in my class were into it, claiming that they loved it and swapping tapes and stuff. When hip-hop/electro was no longer considered the current fashionable music, almost everyone in my class stopped listening to it and they moved on to soul, which took over as the "cool thing to listen to".

I hated that sort of thing then and I hate it now, so if anyone thinks that I don't like a certain song solely because it's not "cool" or because they think that I'm thinking "if it's popular with the mainstream, it's not cool by default", then they really have got me all wrong.

Baller95
01-08-2014, 10:19 AM
I definitely listen to and play music that I like and if it's cool but I don't like it, I won't listen to it or play it.

KLH
01-08-2014, 10:29 AM
I like Top 40 and listen to it often. Sure, it's not the most talented nor creative use of music, but I like it... and that's enough, IMHO. I suppose that what I really like are extended versions and remixes of top 40 songs. I miss the days of cratedigging for those rare 12" singles. Sigh.

Anyways, what I like most about Top 40/Top 100 is that it cuts across all genres and reflects what most people like to listen to at any given time. Sure it's disposable. Sure, it's commercial. So what? It's recognizable and popular.

Without commercial music, there would be no music industry, no stars, and no money to be made in music. Chew on that.

fueledbymusic
01-08-2014, 10:38 AM
For me, I like the rare tunes. You know, something no one else has. I like being the "only one" to have that cool song. Or the "only one" who ever played something different and straight out cool. It's just not me to want to be like "everybody else" who likes that song that everybody in the universe knows. I like being different. Sadly very few (particularly youngsters) ever see it that way. But for those that do, they will have the most exhilarating experience with something different they ever had. And evidently this is what I like to see happen! So to speak.

So if I was going to give an answer for why I dislike top 40, It would be: "It's TOO much of what we hear everyday! It's too everyday!"

For the record, I do like some top 40. As long as it's not excessively glorifying the Artists, cars, mansions etc etc.

ampnation
01-08-2014, 10:47 AM
top 40 is generally garbage precisely because of the same reasons it's popular: it's simplistic...

I was reading this line again, and was reminded of the first time I really sat down with a pair of headphones to simply enjoy classical music. I forget what specifically I was listening to, but I believe it was Beethoven. I loved the way patterns emerged that would never have been noticed when listening ******ly. It was like someone took the concept of a chorus, and said, 'Yeah, but if we don't really make it a chorus, and surprise the listener with a twist, but then repeat that twist the next time around, but now with a new twist, we can keep them on the edge of their seats..." It would be the musical equivalent of the time I had sushi at Nobu and realized each piece of sushi had waves of different flavors. You didn't just get the taste of ahi. You got that, followed by something with sesame overtones, followed by... you get the idea.

Of course, for ****** listeners, a lot of this might not be obvious, even if they have good tastes. I generally don't listen to classical unless I'm in a situation where I can sit down and really listen to it, with a few exceptions like Vivaldi.

Deep N Sexy
01-08-2014, 01:06 PM
Abroad outside Sweden, people dance to the BEAT, dunno about the U.S, but mediterrainians do, and in Scandinavia people dance to the LYRICS, thats why much of the crap on the radio is accepted and liked.

Personally id rather play some good grooves from the 70s, 80s, 90 then much of the noise they produce today.
But i love EM, so i always try to find stuff that people reject that is good, thats how you build a unique sound, sure ive done Top40sets now and then, but when everybody else is sounding the same, its so boring and you cant manage to stand out in a crowd!

The development over the past 5 years have been to much, to much producers, to much music and to much crap!, just because of one thing, MONEY!

Kepik
01-08-2014, 02:06 PM
I'm cool with top40s. I like it that most of the popular top40s are dance/edm-ish tracks. Gives me opportunities to slip in some real electronic but commercial songs lol

Mahatma Coat
01-08-2014, 02:19 PM
Why scratch your balls when with a bit of extra effort you can go get yourself a blowjob?

DJ STU-C
01-08-2014, 03:20 PM
i love some commercial tracks, like pharell-happy and a few others, john newman etc

but that whole 'top40' thing has become a genre of really brash dance music with awful lyrics sung by celebrity twats like rhianna or anyone else who jumps on the bandwagon, and generally i find the noise offensive. I've grown up on techno, tech house, garage and breaks so this massive drop rubbish just doesn't appeal to me.

i also can't stand the fact every tune has to be a banger, where is the structure to a dj set thats just one massive track drop after another, no thought, no care and pretty much no intelligence or love of dance music from the crowd of amateurs turning up to be 'seen'

Hygro
01-08-2014, 09:08 PM
sung by celebrity twats like rhianna

She's a celebrity because she's celebrated for singing :facepalm:

M!TCH
01-08-2014, 10:45 PM
I like Top 40 and listen to it often. Sure, it's not the most talented nor creative use of music, but I like it... and that's enough, IMHO. I suppose that what I really like are extended versions and remixes of top 40 songs. I miss the days of cratedigging for those rare 12" singles. Sigh.

Anyways, what I like most about Top 40/Top 100 is that it cuts across all genres and reflects what most people like to listen to at any given time. Sure it's disposable. Sure, it's commercial. So what? It's recognizable and popular.

Without commercial music, there would be no music industry, no stars, and no money to be made in music. Chew on that.

Ken likes to dress up in his wife's clothes and dance to Ke$ha when no one is looking. Don't let him fool you :ninja:

disparate
01-09-2014, 04:01 AM
She's a celebrity because she's celebrated for singing :facepalm:

Indeed. I don't particularly enjoy her music, especially her EDM/autotune stuff, but at least she's an honest-to-God pop star rather than some Paris Hilton...

Era 7
01-09-2014, 04:23 AM
Ken likes to dress up in his wife's clothes and dance to Ke$ha when no one is looking. Don't let him fool you :ninja:

don't remind me of her :facepalm: i recently had to hear that "timber" track on the radio. i was like "WTF is this shit?!"

KLH
01-09-2014, 04:48 AM
Ken likes to dress up in his wife's clothes and dance to Ke$ha when no one is looking. Don't let him fool you :ninja:
You jealous. 'Cause I'm Mr. DJF... Dahlay.

Baller95
01-09-2014, 07:19 AM
don't remind me of her :facepalm: i recently had to hear that "timber" track on the radio. i was like "WTF is this shit?!"

Love that song :tup:

Era 7
01-09-2014, 08:56 AM
Love that song :tup:

every time you play it someone, somewhere clubs a baby seal

Baller95
01-09-2014, 09:06 AM
every time you play it someone, somewhere clubs a baby seal

Huh?!

Windows 95
01-09-2014, 09:09 AM
Huh?!Change the punctuation;
Every time you play it. Someone, somewhere, clubs a baby seal.

Finnish_Fox
01-09-2014, 09:42 AM
^ why the period after it?

DJ STU-C
01-09-2014, 10:03 AM
She's a celebrity because she's celebrated for singing :facepalm:

kind of my point, house tracks were normally produced featuring the vocals of some old soul diva's/lesser known singers.. not some pop princess who claims to be RnB and just happens to be the latest big thing.. thats never what dance music has been about

Finnish_Fox
01-09-2014, 10:09 AM
She's a celebrity because she's celebrated for singing :facepalm:

She is the Kim Kardashian of singing... by which I mean a talentless hack.

Windows 95
01-09-2014, 10:14 AM
^ why the period after it?Because it's kind of confusing with three commas. Plus that's the way I say it in my head.

Every time you play it (stop) Someone (pause) somewhere (pause) clubs a baby seal (stop)

Sigma
01-09-2014, 10:17 AM
Because it's kind of confusing with three commas. Plus that's the way I say it in my head.

Every time you play it (stop) Someone (pause) somewhere (pause) clubs a baby seal (stop)
That's just poor English.

Finnish_Fox
01-09-2014, 10:18 AM
Because it's kind of confusing with three commas. Plus that's the way I say it in my head.

Every time you play it (stop) Someone (pause) somewhere (pause) clubs a baby seal (stop)

That seems more confusing to me, particularly since (in my head) the first "stop" is a "pause". They are connected statements. Mine is:


Every time you play it, someone somewhere clubs a baby seal.

Don't see the necessity for having a comma between someone and somewhere.

Ausumm
01-09-2014, 10:33 AM
I don't hate Top 40. I depend on the weekly rankings to know what songs I'll get requests for.
But after working at a Top 40 radio station for many years...
I do get tired of LISTENING to it!
(when I am not at a gig)

colione98
01-09-2014, 10:44 AM
I guess it depends on what part of the world and states you are from.

"Every time you play it, someone clubs a baby seal somewhere" is how i would say it - (east coast). When ordering chinese food, some people say take-out and some say carry-out.

1228

Finnish_Fox
01-09-2014, 10:45 AM
^ its the Verizon coverage map!

Era 7
01-09-2014, 10:49 AM
geez. didn't mean to start a grammar debate. you get what i mean.

Windows 95
01-09-2014, 12:02 PM
"Every time you play it, someone clubs a baby seal somewhere" is how i would say itThat's cheating, you rearranged the word order.
or
You rearranged the word order, that's cheating.

Windows 95
01-09-2014, 12:14 PM
geez. didn't mean to start a grammar debate. you get what i mean.Da ich nicht, dass kein Deutsch weiß. Es ist nicht wirklich fair für mich Sie kommentieren Englisch Grammatik. Außerdem war ich über Interpunktion kommentieren.

Grammatik ist, wie die Wörter geschrieben, sagte oder sind. Z. B. "Wie mein Englisch geht?" nicht Grammatik korrigieren. Rechtschreibung auch.Interpunktion ist Perioden, Komma, Ausrufezeichen, Fragezeichen, halb Doppelpunkte. Sie Sätze zu beenden und sagen, wie der Satz genommen werden sollte. "Ist das richtige?" Zeigt, dass es geht.

(Since that was done with Bing translator, it probably came out as German gibberish.)

ClrCreekRdr
01-10-2014, 07:37 AM
I say one good thing,
one good thing about music
When it hits you feel no pain
One good thing about music
When it hits you feel no pain
So hit me with music

Bob Marley


This is how I feel. I love music of all shapes and sizes. I don't care how simple, complex, style, popularity, etc. It should feel good. If it doesn't then why are you listening to it?

I also don't care if punters have armature / simple ears. Enjoying music shouldn't come with rules and a manual. If they are loving getting hit with some music then right on.

jazzyj
01-12-2014, 11:42 AM
was going to comment but i see tooic has changed; therefore, i shant.


- JJ

M!TCH
01-12-2014, 11:57 AM
Da ich nicht, dass kein Deutsch weiß. Es ist nicht wirklich fair für mich Sie kommentieren Englisch Grammatik. Außerdem war ich über Interpunktion kommentieren.

Grammatik ist, wie die Wörter geschrieben, sagte oder sind. Z. B. "Wie mein Englisch geht?" nicht Grammatik korrigieren. Rechtschreibung auch.Interpunktion ist Perioden, Komma, Ausrufezeichen, Fragezeichen, halb Doppelpunkte. Sie Sätze zu beenden und sagen, wie der Satz genommen werden sollte. "Ist das richtige?" Zeigt, dass es geht.

(Since that was done with Bing translator, it probably came out as German gibberish.)

LOL wtf?!?

Badger
01-12-2014, 09:36 PM
I'll admit that I haven't read the entire thread... but I'll throw my opinions out there anyway. :)

One of the things that really drove me out of commercial mobile DJing in the early 2000s was the direction that "pop" music was taking. I noticed that an overwhelming amount of "pop" music fit one of two categories:


Modern rock grungy BS that people liked on the radio, but it wasn't danceable.
Rap tracks that were too-low-BPM and/or had inappropriate subject matter even when it was the "clean" version.


Real "dance"-oriented pop music was still out there, but ironically, I could play it and the floor would clear. Britney Spears was a great example... remember when she was actually a big deal - around the "Baby One More Time" and "Crazy" days? (The song "Crazy," not "shave my head and come after you with a golf club" crazy.) Her stuff was huge on the radio, but I received hardly any requests for her music at my events and if I did play something by her, the floor would often clear.

People would dance to older tracks that they new... but any "brand new" music that I played would usually clear the floor. This was especially infuriating when it came to high school events, because there was a vicious cycle:


I would try play what should have been "hot new dance music."
The kids wouldn't dance.
The kids would request undanceable rock tracks or inappropriate/sucky rap tracks.
I wouldn't play the inappropriate stuff at school dances.
Playing the rock tracks would still clear the floor because they weren't dance tracks.
The administrators/sponsors, who were often a gang of ignorant CHUDs, would wonder "Why isn't this guy playing the hot new dance music?"
I would try play what should have been "hot new dance music..."






So, after I started doing more club events - mainly retro events - in the early 2000s, I lost track of a lot of pop music. I still followed it kind of half-heartedly, but I didn't put nearly as much concentration on it as I'd used to

Over time, though, I noticed a welcome change in pop music culture. Dance music began to make a comeback. "Club" music and "pop" music intermingled more... which was somewhat good and somewhat bad.

I still wasn't doing a lot of "modern" dance DJing, so I missed a lot of stuff getting overplayed. For instance, I seriously hadn't heard Avicii's "Levels" until AFTER it was overblown. I finally got curious enough to look up the video and hear this song so many DJs absolutely LOATHED.

You know what? I loved it.

I loved "Levels." I still do.

I checked out his other stuff and found "Seek B*******." Loved that, too.

(I have a feeling that if we were all in the same room, some of you would already be gathering wood to burn me at the stake.)

At some point along the line, I stumbled onto the video for the Black Eyed Peas' "Don't Phunk with My Heart." I thought it was great. (Granted, I think will.i.am is a piece of shit.)

A few years back, my wife started listening to Lady Gaga. I made fun of her, because I [I]knewwwww that Lady Gaga sucked. I hadn't really listened to her, but I knew, from what I'd heard, that Lady Gaga sucked. There wouldn't be any way to redeem herself from her reputation among my esteemed fellow DJ brethren.

My wife made me watch the video for "Paparazzi." ARGH. I loved it. Ditto for "Bad *******," and "Poker Face," and "Just Dance," and "Telephone." I felt "wrong" inside because I liked this. I wasn't supposed to, because damn it, I was a self-respecting DJ and this was fluffy pop shit. However, upon further inspection... Gaga could play instruments. She was writing her own stuff. She was actually crafting some lyrics that were actually pretty good.

(I should say that I wasn't nearly as big a fan of the stuff on her Born This Way album... but I loved "Applause.")



Then, there was Ke$ha. No no no, no no no no. I had to draw the line somewhere, and this no-talent hack was the one that was finally going to make me say, "enough."

Oh, but wait. She was actually writing her own stuff, as well as tracks for others... and what I heard, while it was indeed skanky party-pop bullshit, was really GREAT dance music. I heard "Tik Tok" and couldn't get out of my head. Same with "We R Who We R" and "Take It Off" and "Blow."

So, yeah... I feel dirty. I actually LIKE some top-40 music these days. I still have to draw the line somewhere, though.



So, to round things up, here are my confessions.

I actually have found myself enjoying stuff by: Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Avicii, Bruno Mars, Flo-Rida, Katy Perry, Akon, David Guetta, and (to only a small extent) the Black-Eyed Peas, among others.

I still dislike (to various degrees ranging from "merely don't enjoy" to "cannot stand" to "die in a grease fire"): One Direction, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Lil' Wayne, and Chris Brown.

:badger:

Baller95
01-12-2014, 10:40 PM
...aannndddddd the truth starts coming out :P