Why Is Pop Music so Repetitive?
An analysis of the evolution of music over the last few centuries
“Pop music is too simple.” “Repetitive.” “Unoriginal.” “Just terrible.”
Chances are you’ve heard somebody say this before — you might even agree. But regardless of whether you’re a pop music fan or not, there’s no denying that genre yields some … well, pretty repetitive songs. But it wasn't always like this. Less than two centuries ago, Beethoven finished writing his hour-long ninth symphony, completely shattering the musical conventions of the time. Most of today's pop, however, lasts just a few minutes and typically conforms to the same four-chord progression beloved by the music industry. Given all this, the question has to be asked: what happened?
Less Formal Education
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was one of leading composers of his time and a symbol of the Baroque era.
Mozart (1756–1791) was (and still is) one of the most famous musicians of all time, and his pieces established a structure for Western classical music years after his death.
Beethoven (1770–1827) revolutionized the Classical era of music and helped introduce the Romantic period.
Bach. Mozart. Beethoven. All were flagship musicians of their respective times, and they each employed a completely different approach to composition. What could they possibly have in common?
A formal music education.
That’s right — most popular pre-twentieth century composers had a thorough musical education. Back then, genius was born out of privilege. Mozart’s father was a court musician (meaning his father performed in front of nobility). Beethoven’s father was a musician as well. As for Bach, his entire family was full of composers and musicians. Equipped with a high-quality education, these composers could write very detailed music.
This isn’t the case anymore. Many songwriters today are self-made — rather than applying skills learned from teachers, they instead look to their contemporaries for inspiration. Though this promotes individuality, it also forces simplicity. Because they haven’t been formally educated, today’s artists can’t write exceptionally technical music — they don’t know how.
A Growing Audience
Classical music is musically complex also because of the audience it was meant to serve. In the Baroque era (1600–1750), compositions were generally written for nobility; court musicians, people who composed music for kings and queens, made use of frills and over-the-top ornaments to reflect the grandeur of their employers. These heavy decorations explain the extravagance of the works of Bach and Handel.
But even after the Baroque era, music remained a luxury only the wealthy could enjoy. Given how bad poverty was a few centuries ago, the average person simply couldn’t afford to attend concerts — and since there was no way to download or play audio files at home back then, those on the lower end of the social spectrum were barred from music altogether.
This all changed at the turn of the twentieth century. A period of significant technological innovation, the early 1900s yielded some impressive accomplishments in the field of communication, such as the development of the radio, which made it possible to listen to performances at home. This, combined with an accelerating global push for democracy and freedom, allowed the expanding middle class to influence the musical styles of the time. As society shifted in favor of the common man, simpler music began to emerge, such as jazz, ragtime, rock, and classic pop. These genres favored diversity over complexity; each utilized short, memorable melodies and lyrics while having its own distinct charm. This type of compositional style seemed to be what the public responded to, and it rapidly overtook the elitist music of the classical era.
This cultural change actually makes a lot of sense. Then and now, laypeople can’t enjoy all the various themes, counterpoint, etc. of the classical genre. However, they can interact with the simpler, more catchy tunes of contemporary/modern music with ease. Many of my friends can easily hum the melodies of their favorite pop songs, but it’s a lot harder to sing the notes of a Chopin etude or a Mozart aria.
Ok, so bottom line: At the turn of the twentieth century, a larger and more diverse audience encouraged a simpler, catchier selection of music. But today’s biggest hits aren’t just simple — they sound exactly the same. Why? The answer, it turns out, is that …
IT SELLS!
In the era of pop, the producers are the ones who call the shots, not the artists. And if they don’t think a song will sell, they simply won’t release it to consumers.
In the eyes of record labels, the best way to ensure commercial success is to produce songs that sound similar to past hits. This is why pop releases are so repetitive! Sure, major producers could take a risk by promoting something completely new and unique, but there’s no reason for them to when they can keep on recycling the same decades-old chord progressions and harmonies (Find out more here). After all, people never seem to get tired of them!
After reading this, it might feel like all the control is in the hands of the music industry, but in reality, we, the listeners, are the ones that decide which songs succeed. There’s an endless sea of musicians today making genuinely original content, but sadly, many of them are forced to abandon their passion. Maybe they’re struggling to pay rent and they need to find a more stable source of income. Or they got demotivated due to a lack of downloads on their performances. Or they’re dealing with a personal issue and they just can’t bring themselves to write new songs. These are the artists we need to support — whether we go to one of their concerts or just like their newest Youtube videos. We can and must control the level of creativity and originality in our music.
