The Degradation in the Quality of Popular Music Today

Every time I turn on the radio to a popular music station, I immediately hear either a simple hip-hop tune full of references to sex, drugs, or violence, all of which are delivered via a hook, or I hear an, again, simple rock song that is musically formulaic and lyrically cliché. What is baffling is that these types of music continue to be the most popular among listeners despite being critically berated. How is it that low quality music makes its way onto the airwaves and is accepted by the public?

My exploratory paper will argue that even though the majority of today’s popular music is musically simple or inferior, young adults listen to and still enjoy it. I will use evidence from music professionals to prove that much of the popular music today is musically and lyrically substandard. Then I will use various statistical studies to explore as to why it continues to dominate the airwaves. I will examine some popular music and analyze them to provide some examples of this cliché music.

I intend to have my audience be everyone who listens to music. If someone does not listen to any music, they would be neutral.