|
||||||||
Is there such a thing as intelligent Pop? |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 104
|
Is there such a thing as intelligent Pop?
Pop music is in opposition to music that requires education or formation to appreciate, a defining characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as musical form and aesthetics are not a concern in the writing of pop songs, the mainobjectives being audience enjoyment and commercial success.... There's got to be more to it than that?! Surely!
Would anyone consider The Beatles intelligent pop or are they too superior to hold that title of music? |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,250
|
nope......
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,833
|
Oh, I don't know...
I can't off the top of my head think of any really intellgent pop artists, but there are a few individual songs that have a certain something. Common People- Pulp- Britpop. it's You cannot say that that is not intelligent. Stupid Girls- Pink- Punk Pop. Pink fuses punk and pop very well- her songs are pop but this song was standing up against the norm, laughing at convention... just like the best punk. She's my Man/Mary- The Scissor Sisters- Disco Pop. SMM is very well written and it has good lyrics. It is also about something other than just partying. Mary was, if I remember, dedicated to soembody who had died, so it has personal meaning to the band. This is what I like about the Scissor Sisters- they are a camp pop band who operate like a rock band- working themselves up rather than being manufactured, getting their own image rather than just following the trend, and thinking about their music rather than having it written for them or going for soem easy 'get on the dancefloor' theme. All the things she said- TATU- Pop. It's quite deep really, and it annoyed me when the singers called it a 'bit of fun for their husbands' because it's actually a very emotionally charged song. I think the reason pop music lacks intelligence is becasue most successful pop bands are manufactured- so they get given safe songs about love or partying and are styled in the latest fashions. To big record labels there is no room for anything risky or controversial that might lose buyers or upset the censors, so the same old stuff gets churned out. As I said, this is why I have a lot of time for the Scissor Sisters- because they've done it themselves rather than get moulded by a record label. How many other high-profile pop bands do you know who have their own guitarists and drummer? |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,061
|
Quote:
Pop music is in opposition to music that requires education or formation to appreciate, a defining characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as musical form and aesthetics are not a concern in the writing of pop songs, the mainobjectives being audience enjoyment and commercial success.... There's got to be more to it than that?! Surely!
Would anyone consider The Beatles intelligent pop or are they too superior to hold that title of music? |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 924
|
Buy a copy of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, if you want an album that defines the term "intelligent pop".
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Middesbrough (via Manchester)
Posts: 37,343
|
A lot of songs pretend to be intelligent but just sound stupid (Razorlight - America for example... YAWN!)
The Cheeky Girls - Touch my Bum is really intelligent, dontchaknow? |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,091
|
She's so luvvaleeee shes so luvvaleeeeeeeee She's so luvvaleeee shes so luvvaleeeeeeeee She's so luvvaleeee shes so luvvaleeeeeeeee She's so luvvaleeee shes so luvvaleeeeeeeee She's so luvvaleeee shes so luvvaleeeeeeeee.....
Hmmm wonder what that songs called, there is a band with a lot to say. I can't think of any decent lyrics from the past 10 years so intelligent pop is pretty much dead these days. They don't want singers that actually have something to say do they. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Middesbrough (via Manchester)
Posts: 37,343
|
Quote:
I can't think of any decent lyrics from the past 10 years so intelligent pop is pretty much dead these days. They don't want singers that actually have something to say do they.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,833
|
Quote:
I can't think of any decent lyrics from the past 10 years so intelligent pop is pretty much dead these days. They don't want singers that actually have something to say do they. I would class her as being pop-punk though. |
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 652
|
I've gotta say I think Mika might be classed as intelligent pop. I know he gets a lot of stick and everything but his lyrics are quite clever really. When he's not singing about lollipops and big girls.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 293
|
Quote:
I've gotta say I think Mika might be classed as intelligent pop. I know he gets a lot of stick and everything but his lyrics are quite clever really. When he's not singing about lollipops and big girls.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,124
|
All pop means is popular so therefore any group that writes intelligent songs and is popular would fill the criteria .
The Doors - People Are Strange Alice Cooper - Elected Billy Bragg = "A New England", which was a big hit for Kirsty MacColl Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire. There are loads of intelligent well written songs by popular artists. |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,325
|
yes - Squeeze.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,124
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Londaaan Taaaan
Posts: 1,392
|
I don't particularly think there's such a thing as intelligent music...
|
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,124
|
Another group that had sucess with well written songs with social and political weight are the Boomtown Rats.
I Don't like Mondays and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qup6zeY0H6o are classics. |
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: London
Posts: 13,382
|
Pet Shop Boys.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,416
|
Quote:
I don't particularly think there's such a thing as intelligent music...
Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys, Kirsty Maccoll, Beatles, Squeeze,Pulp, Manics and thousands of others are what I may describe as intelligent pop if pushed. |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: West London
Posts: 24,325
|
I don't think there's as much of it as there used to be.
Listen to almost any Sixties Motown song and you can hear the intelligence behind the lyrics. The same with anything written by Pete Townshend or Ray Davies or Bacharach and David or Goffin and King. I'm not sure I agree about Brian Wilson, though. Some of his lyrics were dreadful. Ironically some of the cleverest lyrics nowadays are found in areas not widely associated with intelligence - hip-hop for instance. Even Eminem produced some pretty smart stuff in his time. |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 104
|
Quote:
Oh, I don't know...
She's my Man/Mary- The Scissor Sisters- Disco Pop. SMM is very well written and it has good lyrics. It is also about something other than just partying. Mary was, if I remember, dedicated to soembody who had died, so it has personal meaning to the band. This is what I like about the Scissor Sisters- they are a camp pop band who operate like a rock band- working themselves up rather than being manufactured, getting their own image rather than just following the trend, and thinking about their music rather than having it written for them or going for soem easy 'get on the dancefloor' theme. I think the reason pop music lacks intelligence is becasue most successful pop bands are manufactured- so they get given safe songs about love or partying and are styled in the latest fashions. To big record labels there is no room for anything risky or controversial that might lose buyers or upset the censors, so the same old stuff gets churned out. As I said, this is why I have a lot of time for the Scissor Sisters- because they've done it themselves rather than get moulded by a record label. How many other high-profile pop bands do you know who have their own guitarists and drummer? Perhaps pop that is earnest is the most intelligent pop regardless of lyrics and composition... pop that is produced by people purely for monetary gain or "stardom" comes accross in an empty way... |
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 104
|
[quote=brunolover;21441179]well I'd class intelligent pop as any artist who has a knack for being a great lyricist and has an interesting way with words to tell a story which isn't just about Bleeding Love ot Touching Someones bum.QUOTE]
LOL!!!!!!!! That just made my day! |
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,325
|
Quote:
I don't think there's as much of it as there used to be.
Listen to almost any Sixties Motown song and you can hear the intelligence behind the lyrics. The same with anything written by Pete Townshend or Ray Davies or Bacharach and David or Goffin and King. 1960s - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Richard Thompson 1970s - Springsteen, Squeeze (Difford/Tilbrook) and the guys from Queen (lots of wit there) 1980s - Lloyd Cole, All About Eve (forgot her name), Joan Armatrading, Eddie Reader 1990s - some Blur/Pulp/Oasis is witty, some is just nonsense 2000s - perhaps too recent to judge properly |
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 217
|
Yes - The Smiths, St. Ettienne and British Sea Power.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 892
|
Pet Shop Boys and the Smiths
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 104
|
Quote:
2000s - perhaps too recent to judge properly
That's a good point!
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 15:33.



Up The Junction is a perfect example.