Music Is Becoming Generic – And Now There’s Proof

These are dark days for music fans and particularly those who appreciate the skilled songwriter. The business and its practitioners suffer through a diminishing market and the industry’s reflex reaction is to blame the end user for sharing digital files and stealing intellectual property.

Don’t get me wrong – that’s a problem. If you want a vibrant, creative music business you need to support its artists and practitioners. However, it’s hard to support artists that resort to formulaic songwriting instead of investing in creativity. Such is the state of country music today.

As a kid, I loved country music. I still listen to almost my entire Sun Records catalog. However, many have complained that today’s country music is all the same. AND NOW THERE’S PROOF.

A very astute listener using the name “Sir Mashalot” has created a video illustrating this point, scientifically comparing audio from several previous #1 hits from 1012 until now. Sound samples are taken from each song and compared in Protools, laid parallel into the same sound file. In some cases it was necessary to alter the tempo to ensure that they all ran at the same speed.

After watching the video, you’ll be amazed at the similarities between each of these hits:

• ”Sure Be Cool If You Did” by Blake Shelton
• “Drunk on You” by Luke Bryan
• “Chillin’ It” from Cole Swindell
• “Close Your Eyes” by Parmalee
• “This is How We Roll” from Florida Georgia Line
• “Ready, Set, Roll” by Chase Rice

There are many reasons why the music industry is slumping these days however, when its practitioners do their best to subvert the process and alienate real music lovers and pander to the taste-makers (American Idol or The Voice, anyone?), its no wonder things are looking grim.

Given this newly presented evidence, tis hard to feel sorry for the business. They deserve that they get.

Here’s Sir Mashalot’s video. We report, you decide.