The AMA should just be cancelled in memory of Dick Clark. It no longer has any importance musically. If fact, any music show not associated with the Grammys or Country Music should be cancelled. AMAs? Gone. MTV Music Awards? MTV hasn’t shown music videos in years! VH1 Music Awards? Please.
Why do I propose cancelling this many music awards shows? It’s simple. We have become a bubble gum music nation only trying to support the whims of girls ages 10-25. Great music is rare in this country, forced to the small bars and satellite radio. Meanwhile, stadium acts and major FM stations go to acts who can’t put together more than 20 words in a song or who whine about boys even though they might be the problem (I’m looking at you, Taylor Swift—maybe Kanye West was right when he said Beyonce was better). The last time you saw truly great music in this country was 1997. It’s a fact. There was so much music for people to enjoy on the radio. You had alternative, jazz, heavy metal, and other musical genres on the FM airwaves. Now? It’s news, sports talk, political talk, and music manufactured by big business types to take advantage of young girls who haven’t reached maturity.
The carnage on the airwaves over the last decade has been brutal. Longtime rock stations have been disappearing around the country. Q101 in Chicago, 96rock/Project 96.1 and Z-93/92.9 dave in Atlanta, WHFS in DC are just some of the stations that have bit the dust. Meanwhile, the Twinkie stations in Atlanta now number 5. Do we really need more Star 94 clones on 96.1? And Ryan Seacrest of all people should know better. I hope Power 96.1 dies a painful death on Atlanta’s airwaves, and that someday, a new version of 96rock is resurrected.
The talent of these bubble gum acts is also embarrassing. Take Justin Beiber. He’s just the latest creation of music executives who brought us David Cassady, Liam Gallagher, New Kids on the Block, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, 98 Degrees, and other similar acts. Really Justin, you think you are going to be around in 10 years, looking like Vanilla Ice? Hey Justin: you’re a dime a dozen and easily replaceable. Kurt Cobain had more musical talent in his pinky than the Biebs has in his whole body. Justin is nowhere near the musical mastery that guys like Lennon, McCartney, Becker, Fagan, Michael Jackson, and other musicians had.
Musical acts like Arcade Fire can’t gain a strong foothold in the US, but Rebecca Black posts a song called “It’s Friday” and everyone goes nuts over it (BTW, there’s a sequel called “It’s Thanksgiving” done by a 12-year old that makes “Friday” look like Bach). Maybe William Hung had it right, when he showed how ridiculous music had become several years ago on “American Idol”.
I’m at a loss with this music. So, until great music returns to the free radio waves, it’s time to turn off the radios. At least we have iPods and iPhones to use to listen to past great music until the next musical renaissance take place…
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