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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 8, 2018 23:25:00 GMT 10
This was something I was thinking about earlier this evening. Are there any rock songs from this decade that sound distinctively "2010s" and would sound out of place if they were released in a previous decade? This might be quite hard to think about, because rock has been largely absent from the mainstream for the majority of this decade and many of the rock songs that have become hits have relied on certain elements/styles that were popular in previous decades (e.g "the pop-rock/post-grunge sound of "In My Blood").
Here are a couple of examples I can think of:
This was a Top-10 hit here back in Mid 2010. I know i'm somewhat bias (since I can remember when it was popular), but to me, the music video and song itself are such a product of their time. Everything about "Lying" is unmistakably 2010s, IMO. I just couldn't imagine this being released during the Late 2000s. Just out of curiosity, what does everyone else think about it? "Lying" would actually have to be one of my favourite songs of the Early 2010s.
Indie-rock has been popular in parts of Europe and Oceania since the Mid 2000s, but even without taking that into account, I still couldn't imagine "Pumped Up Kicks" being released in a decade other than the 2010s.
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Post by #Infinity on Sept 9, 2018 2:32:48 GMT 10
"Lying" sounds fairly 2010s, but "Pumped up Kicks" is far too unique-sounding to represent 2010s rock as a whole.
I would personally point to these as examples of rock songs that sound very 2010s:
Rock music that gets big, in general, sounds super anthemic, except with a few elements of indie thrown in the mix. I cannot really imagine this, nor its copycat successor "Best Day of My Life" existing in the 2000s, even though they're both in rock territory.
This is pretty much the type of rock ballad that echoes throughout the rest of the decade: forcefully "hip' singing, heavy reverb, and most likely a piano thrown in for effect. For the record, I don't hate "Take My to Church", but I don't think it's anything that great either, and I prefer Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times", even though that track is depressing to listen to in our current world context.
5SOS have been a pretty huge deal this decade, and this track in particular strikes the balance of sounding distinctly post-2000s anthemic, in contrast to the very 2000s-sounding "Don't Stop", while still definitely being rock, unlike their new songs this year that may as well have been Marshmello features.
This production kind of reminds me of "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, but to be fair, that track got popular at the very eve of the 2010s and was generally considered a progression from typical 2000s rock anyway. Whatever the case, this here is squarely in 2010s territory thanks to its extra reverb and also Shawn Mendes being the singer.
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Post by Telso on Sept 9, 2018 4:42:27 GMT 10
"Indie Pop" pretty much defined 2010s rock to me. Has to be light and with a positive, empowering message, relying on lots of different instruments. First song that comes to mind is this big hit from 2013/14:
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 9, 2018 12:06:06 GMT 10
Rock music that gets big, in general, sounds super anthemic, except with a few elements of indie thrown in the mix. I cannot really imagine this, nor its copycat successor "Best Day of My Life" existing in the 2000s, even though they're both in rock territory. It's interesting that you should use that song as an example. I have heard "It's Time" a countless number of times (no pun intended) since it's release back in 2013, but I wasn't actually aware who the artist/band was. Interesting to know that it was released by Imagine Dragons. Anyway, I agree that it would sound out of place if it had been released in the 2000s. It maybe could have been released as early as 2009 (it's somewhat reminiscent to "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap), at a very stretch, but even then it wouldn't have complimented to well with the rest of the music scene. Yep, "Take Me To Church" would have to be one of the defining songs of the 2010s. I have much the same opinion in regards to "Take Me To Church"; I don't mind listening to it every once in a while, but it's not a particularly great song by any means. Sorry, but I would have to disagree with you on this example. If it wasn't for the overly-polished and anthemic production, I actually think it could have been released sometime in the Late 2000s. The vocals, in particular, are strikingly reminiscent of Good Charlotte and it stylistically isn't too disimilar from the Y2K-Era Pop-Punk movement. It does have qualities which make it sound distinctively 2010s, but there are influences in the song which discourage me from regarding it as quintessentially 2010s. "Indie Pop" pretty much defined 2010s rock to me. Has to be light and with a positive, empowering message, relying on lots of different instruments. First song that comes to mind is this big hit from 2013/14: I agree, "Cool Kids" is very distinctively 2010s.
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Post by #Infinity on Sept 9, 2018 14:44:08 GMT 10
I'm kind of on the fence with this one, since it's fairly novel, but production-wise, I still think it sounds quite of its time:
The reason I think "Drive By" sounds very 2010s is because rather than infusing elements of post-post-grunge, pop punk, or emo like early 5SOS, it combines folksy guitars with stomping, anthemic production, complete with claps and kicks with heavy reverb, unlike "50 Ways to Say Goodbye", which has 2000s-sounding electric guitars and rhythms. However, I feel "Drive By" is only truly representative of the first half of the 2010s; it's a bit too bubblegummy to really fit in with the type of stuff you hear on the radio today.
I was on the fence with this as well because it reminds me of Muse's "Uprising", which was originally released in 2009, but between the vocal style, heavily echoed kick drums, and buzzing electric guitars, this is still a pretty 2010s rock song.
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 10, 2018 0:19:43 GMT 10
I agree that both "Drive By" and "Ex's and Oh's" sound quintessentially 2010s, especially the latter.
Here is another example:
I'm quite divided over this song. On one hand, I couldn't exactly picture it being released in the 2000s, but the distorted guitars and vocals are very reminiscent to those of The Butterfly Effect, an Australian alternative-rock band whom had a string of hits during the Mid 2000s. Still, I think "Wild At Heart" largely sounds like a product of it's time, despite it's alternative-rock sound.
In retrospect, I think it's incredible that an alternative-rock song was such a massive hit as recently as 2011. "Wild At Heart" not only topped the ARIA Radio Airplay Chart (meaning that it was the most played song on FM Radio in the country) in Early 2011, it was also nominated for Single of the Year at the 2011 ARIA Awards.
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Post by #Infinity on Sept 10, 2018 2:12:21 GMT 10
Here is another example: I'm quite divided over this song. On one hand, I couldn't exactly picture it being released in the 2000s, but the distorted guitars and vocals are very reminiscent to those of The Butterfly Effect, an Australian alternative-rock band whom had a string of hits during the Mid 2000s. Still, I think "Wild At Heart" largely sounds like a product of it's time, despite it's alternative-rock sound. This sounds like the type of alternative song you'd hear in 1999 or the early 2000s. It's vaguely nu-metal but also has late '90s alternative tendencies, making it fit pretty easily alongside the nu-metal bands and mildly experimental pop-rock bands that were huge back then. I don't find it quintessentially 2010s at all.
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Post by Telso on Sept 10, 2018 2:21:25 GMT 10
Ex-Pop Punk bands kind of accidentely invented this weird kind of electronized Power Poppy Pop Rock as a way to adapt, and I have a hard imagining this stuff being released in any other neighbouring decade.
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Post by al on Sept 10, 2018 4:28:09 GMT 10
I don't know how rock it is, but I think "Counting Stars" really captures the mood of the decade.
Elle King was who this thread immediately made me think of. I think her style of melding country/folk with rock has been fairly popular, which even though different, is somehow more similar to rock of the 70's than we have seen in a while.
Andy Biersack/BVB have been leaders this decade in, idk what to call it, hardcore? Except I could see songs like this one having gone over last decade as well.
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 10, 2018 9:41:13 GMT 10
This sounds like the type of alternative song you'd hear in 1999 or the early 2000s. It's vaguely nu-metal but also has late '90s alternative tendencies, making it fit pretty easily alongside the nu-metal bands and mildly experimental pop-rock bands that were huge back then. I don't find it quintessentially 2010s at all. I see your point. I guess it's just hard for me to judge the song without taking into account the context surrounding it's release. It was such a huge radio hit in Early 2011, so by default, I think of it as being synonymous with the era in which it was released. If I had never listened to the song before, I would most likely have the exact same viewpoint. With all that said though, I actually think the distorted guitar riff (between 0:48 and 0:52) is somewhat reminiscent to "I Think I'm Paranoid" by Garbage.
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 10, 2018 10:10:43 GMT 10
Ex-Pop Punk bands kind of accidentely invented this weird kind of electronized Power Poppy Pop Rock as a way to adapt, and I have a hard imagining this stuff being released in any other neighbouring decade. I agree. In a way, it's incredible that Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco! have been able to remain relevant in the mainstream for as long as they have, especially when you consider the fact that a significant backlash had formed against the Emo scene around the turn of the decade. I know that both bands changed their sound, but still, it's quite an achievement. I don't know how rock it is, but I think "Counting Stars" really captures the mood of the decade. Yep, I agree. I'm not sure if it would have become a hit if it had been released this year, but it's definitely representative of the first-half of the decade.
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Post by al on Sept 10, 2018 14:22:08 GMT 10
Again, how rock are these? Ehh idk. Itunes defines so much as alternative it has grown disjointed. But there's definitely been a pattern of folk influence along with lyrics about "going against the grain".
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 10, 2018 18:33:16 GMT 10
Again, how rock are these? Ehh idk. Itunes defines so much as alternative it has grown disjointed. But there's definitely been a pattern of folk influence along with lyrics about "going against the grain". Those songs would be regarded as "rock" from a 2018 context, but in previous decades, they never would have been associated with the rock label at all. As you pointed out, rock (as a collective genre) has become so unrefined over time and it's diminished presence in the mainstream has only further blurred the boundaries between "what is" or "what isn't" rock. Quite honestly, there's a lot of songs that have become hits this decade which I don't think should be regarded as rock. For instance, I've come across a few sources which categorise 5 Second of Summer's "Youngblood" as a pop-rock song, which I think is ridiculous. The only element of that song which even remotely resembles rock is the thumping guitar chords in the chorus. That's basically it.
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Post by #Infinity on Sept 10, 2018 23:39:14 GMT 10
Again, how rock are these? Ehh idk. Itunes defines so much as alternative it has grown disjointed. But there's definitely been a pattern of folk influence along with lyrics about "going against the grain". Those songs would be regarded as "rock" from a 2018 context, but in previous decades, they never would have been associated with the rock label at all. As you pointed out, rock (as a collective genre) has become so unrefined over time and it's diminished presence in the mainstream has only further blurred the boundaries between "what is" or "what isn't" rock. Quite honestly, there's a lot of songs that have become hits this decade which I don't think should be regarded as rock. For instance, I've come across a few sources which categorise 5 Second of Summer's "Youngblood" as a pop-rock song, which I think is ridiculous. The only element of that song which even remotely resembles rock is the thumping guitar chords in the chorus. That's basically it. Probably the most severe examples of this include songs such as these... Just because you have like one guitar layer doesn't put you in the same category as AC/DC or the Rolling Stones. You gotta especially love how the "Moves Like Jagger" video shows the drummer of Maroon 5, even though the beat is a 100% synthetic EDM loop.
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Post by SharksFan99 on Sept 11, 2018 0:03:28 GMT 10
Probably the most severe examples of this include songs such as these... Just because you have like one guitar layer doesn't put you in the same category as AC/DC or the Rolling Stones. You gotta especially love how the "Moves Like Jagger" video shows the drummer of Maroon 5, even though the beat is a 100% synthetic EDM loop. Exactly. I really wish more people would come to that realisation. To me, the fact that music critics collectively regard songs such as "Thunder" and "Youngblood" as "rock", only emphasizes the absolute dire state that rock is currently in. It's a sad state of affairs when "Thunder" is one of the defining hits of a genre that was traditionally an avenue for social expression and creativity.
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