Music is certainly not dead. No, it’s quite powerfully alive with its spirit living on from past centuries and decades of music.
However, the spirit of newly-emerging genres of music is in hibernation. Across the globe we have people making music incessantly, striving to recreate old genres (e.g. The Killers and the Shins to the 80s), but we aren’t seeing groundbreaking new genres. Examples of these genres are: 1950s (Elvis, Johnny Cash), 1960s (Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Isley Brothers) , 1970s (Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Bee Gees), 1980s (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Genesis, Michael Jackson) and 1990s (Nirvana, Blink 182, Green Day).
Perhaps the spirit of music has been shut up by becoming polluted and convoluted in its pursuit of “Hollywood”. In my small word and close circle of friends, music died at the end of the twentieth century along with Nirvana, Blink 182, and Tom Petty (the 90’s version).
Another contributor to music’s forced hibernation may have been the Youtube boom. The Youtube boom enabled millions of people to publish music online instantly. And putting out music became about just that – putting out new music (and not creating music for the sole purpose of knowing that you’re called to do so).
Newport Beach resident, professional Civil Engineer, musician, photographer who enjoys surfing, skateboarding, running, cycling, weight training, golf, swimming
