Music

Music plays a big part of what we now like to call the modern world. It’s a massive
proportion of modern society that- to be brutally honest- I don’t think we could live
without. At this point you’re probably thinking, “It’s only popular amongst
teenagers.” For the most part you’d be right but here’s the thing; I don’t know a single
person on this planet who doesn’t know who Lady GaGa, Cheryl Cole are, be they
young or old.
I suppose the internet and the astonishing ability we now have to download things
that, 70 years ago will have been released about 6 months later on vinyl and cost the
earth, now are available at the touch of a button -or the click of a mouse - has a lot to
answer for as far accessibility goes. Not only in that, but in promotion- since the
invention of iTunes, and YouTube the way we view this tuneful form of media has
changed dramatically too. iTunes, Limewire and the other downloading sites are
almost as popular-if not more so- than the global Social Networking sites Facebook
and MySpace, and that-trust me on this- is high praise.
What we listen to depends on taste, and I apologize for this old cliché, but there
really is something for everyone. Be it rock, heavy metal-or at the other and of the
scale- R&B or club. There is one type however, which almost everyone has heard of,
listens to, and defines their ‘type’ of music as; pop music. This genre on its own is
worth its weight in gold. I suppose the reason for this, is that anyone with a splash of
talent-and more often than not, none- can show up at a recording studio, make a noise
into a microphone, and a week later be entered into one of the most over-rated rating
systems in the world; the Official UK Top 40.
So, you’re probably wondering, what is pop music? In laymen’s terms, it’s popular
music. Most commonly played on radio stations across the globe, morning-noon- and
night, it’s mostly made up of younger artists with some spirit- and a good voice-
meowing about how much they used to love the metaphorical ‘you’. Believe it or not-
this stuff sells, in its millions. Not only is this genre filled with annoying and
extremely cheesy love songs, oh no, this one really catches your senses, trapping you
in that never-ending singing in the shower, and at you desk at work the one line that
you can remember, from a song you ironically can’t remember the name of! The pop
chart is made up of artists from all over the world; Lady GaGa; Beyonce; Jay Sean,
Justin Beiber, Kylie Minogue and Pink. To sum it up then, it’s the most prominent
type of music out there, and as far as popularity goes, it really is in a class of one.
Next to go under the knife is rock music-made mostly by people with long hair, and
rather odd voices- which can trace its roots way back to the 50s where Elvis took the
throne- and kept it- as the King of Rock. Mostly rock music consists of someone with
an opinion on something, or a hatred for someone singing along to a magnificently
played guitar montage. Rock music fills auditoriums; like Hyde Park, the O2 Arena or
Glastonbury- in pretty much the same way that pop does, but the audience is in a
completely different universe all together. Despite this, in execution, it is one of the
finest at creating and expressing emotion and is known for some of the longest-and
some of the best- introductions, bridges and vocalists in the history of music. Prince,
Elvis, Status Quo and the Rolling Stones are just a few who have held the torch, and
are amongst the most celebrated names in rock music.
 Ever wondered what it’s like to fall in love, love the one you love or have your
heartbroken? Ask our good friends who have devoted their voices, talent and graced
us with emotion and love, with the wonderful sound of soul and R&B. Seal, Chris
Brown, Akon and Ne-Yo create music that exhilarates your blood flow, fills your
heart with love and create some of the most tear provoking tracks on the market
today. One thing is for sure though; every word is harmonized deeply with love,
passion and humanity. Love lines the walls, the ceiling and the hearts of listeners and
fans when the words roll of the tongues of the artists in this genre. Most have been
heart-broken, with lyrics to emphasize this pain! This, if you ask me, is simply
magical.
Then we have the outcast of the music industry, best left locked away until
Saturday night. Brimmed with remixes of what used to be half decent songs and
people no-one has heard of, and in most cases now- rip-offs of pop music, club and
rap just don’t really fit in. I suppose the same could be said for the listeners, but I’m
not here to criticize them so I’ll leave that for another time. Club music is fantastic
after a few drinks in a nightclub, or at a party-don’t get me wrong- but in the grand
scheme of things, they really are the rats of the pack. N-Dubz, Cascada and
Basshunter fill the shelves in HMV, but fail to provoke any real type of trend in the
industry-which is a shame really. Chris Brown’s latest track “Yeah 3x” is one of the
most evocative sounds I’ve heard in a long time and has me dancing “All Night
Long”, which brings me on to another case in point. There is a sort of crossover
between pop music and club music, Alexandra Burke’s “All Night Long”, Lady
GaGa’s “Pokerface” and Chris Brown’s “Pass Out” all straddle to two with varying
degrees of success. However, they do, and that’s what matters. That music can do
that.
Still around today though, we have musical legends that just never seem to go
away and make the so called A-listers seem mere civilians. Sir Paul McCartney; who
exploded into the industry in the 60s with his group of misfits then created a solo
career from the 70s onward, still hasn’t gone away, but to be honest, I don’t want him
to. Tina Turner is another one, and at this year’s Brit awards millions watched the
music legend Sir Elton John duet with rising global superstar Lady GaGa. Music
really is the largest and most influential industry in the world, you can’t deny it.
My iTunes library is filled with a mixture from all of the above, and to be honest
with you, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel I must also mention a prominent
member of the music industry, who tragically lost his life earlier last June; Michael
Jackson. Topping the charts for over 30 years, filling the shelves with album after
album, only for his devoted and rightfully loving fans to empty them in their millions,
touching the hearts of millions, filling the ears of just as many and leaving in his
wake an legacy so great, no-one will ever topple it. Not in my lifetime anyway.
Michael Jackson was-still is- and will always be: The rightful King of Pop.
Thanks to these hundreds of great artists, their millions of songs and even greater
number of fans, music keeps this earth spinning on its axis with a spring in its step, a
song in its heart and a beat that will never end. That’s the way it is and, here’s hoping,
the way it always will be.

Matt Langhorn