Hello, I no longer actively follow music, so I get most of my notion of what is hot by the radio that plays in my office, mostly pop mainstream stuff. OK, so in 2005-2012 and especially in 2007-2012 I definitely think mainstream music was worse than now. All the music I heard back then was like rape to my ears. That "Call Me Maybe" song was so annoying. Not to mention some other hot hits. But in 2013 when I started a new job I've noticed that hearing "Get Lucky" and later "Happy" by Pharrel and "Royals" by Lorde I felt so much better than hearing whatever song I heard in the late 2000's and the early 2010's. To me it seems music is improving but slowly. It definitely looks better than in 2005-2012 when it was getting worse and worse every year. Back then the big, too loud music was fashionable but since 2013 it seems like more mellower melodies have come forward which to me is good. To me those were the worst years in music so far. Anyone agree?

I think that "adult sound" was already present in 2011 with Adele; maybe Gotye later on. I agree 2013 was a good year for music, though 2014, besides the ballads you mention, is rather trashy (hope Iggy leaves forever)

2013 was like an amazing fresh year of music and then 2014 came along and its sounds just as bad as the 2009-2012 years.

I noticed around mid/late 2013 music got better. So I agree.

2013 was like an amazing fresh year of music and then 2014 came along and its sounds just as bad as the 2009-2012 years.


2014 was the worst year for music since 2006.

2014 was the worst year for music since 2006.
Adele has made the years as stated more pleasant.

I think that "adult sound" was already present in 2011 with Adele; maybe Gotye later on. I agree 2013 was a good year for music, though 2014, besides the ballads you mention, is rather trashy (hope Iggy leaves forever)


I agree completely. I'd take Cher Lloyd over Iggy easily! Can't stand that woman lol, Iggy that is.

2013 was an incredibly strong year for music and, for that matter, so was 2012.  2014 has been a definite step down in quality.  In the mainstream, 2014 has seen the decline of the Dance-Pop, EDM, and Indie trends.  Go look in the top 40 this week, those styles are a pretty minor part of it now.  However, no unifying trend has come along to replace it, so we've been stuck with a lot of mediocrity.  In the non-mainstream world, 2013 was still easily better by a long shot, and so 2014 has been a letdown in comparison. 

Overall, I wouldn't say 2014's music was bad.  Rather, it was boring and forgettable.  2013 I felt had a much more distinct musical identity to it. 

I actually thought music this year was decent. Then again, I don't listen to much top 40. The alternative scene seems to be doing well this year and hard rock is coming back!

I agree completely. I'd take Cher Lloyd over Iggy easily! Can't stand that woman lol, Iggy that is.
ugh I can't stand her. Meagan Trainor is annoying too.

ugh I can't stand her. Meagan Trainor is annoying too.

So is Ariana Grande, she's fake.

At least Sam Smith seems a cool guy.

At least Sam Smith seems a cool guy.


Sam Smith I like he has some good hits "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not The Only One".

Another song I can't stand is Animals by Maroon 5. Adams voice is like nails on a chalkboard. It seems to get worse with every song.

ugh I can't stand her. Meagan Trainor is annoying too.


I kinda like Meghan actually.  :-*

2012 and probably even 2011 was a definite improvement over the awfulness of 2010. 2013 was passable, this year has been a disappointment.

But we didn't have as annoying hits as Gagnam Style and Call Me Maybe. Those two alone put 2012 in the dustbin for me musically.

2013 was like an amazing fresh year of music and then 2014 came along and its sounds just as bad as the 2009-2012 years.
Maybe 2013 was a "stop in the road" if you will of the music trends from 2009-2012. Than after 2013 "disco revival" the music scene just progressed from where it left off from 2009-2012 and forgot as if the 2013 "disco revival" ever existed! That's kinda similar to what happened in 2001-2002 music just picked  up to where it left off from the 1997-1998 era after the teen-pop era of 1999-2000. 1997-1998 and 2001/early 2002 had teen-pop but it wasn't all over the place like it was from 1999-2000 like on TRL on MTV.

But we didn't have as annoying hits as Gagnam Style and Call Me Maybe. Those two alone put 2012 in the dustbin for me musically.


That means you didn't like them?

No, I didn't. The disco revival thing was nice.

I don't know if I would really call the "disco revival" an actual overarching trend.  The amount of disco revival songs in the top 100 year-end songs of 2013 can be counted on one hand.  The thing it had going for it was that for a while, when Blurred Lines was at number 1 and Get Lucky at number 2, and I think even Treasure was working its way up the charts at the same time, it DID look like a sudden, new, dominant trend.  That trend was gone by year's end and never really extended beyond those few songs. 

You still see some examples of the "disco revival" in 2014 though: Pharrell's whole album, "Don't" by Ed Sheeran, and current top-ten entry "Uptown Funk".  But it's just become a side show. 

EDIT: "Sing" by Ed Sheeran, not "Don't"

I guess it's basically the equivalent of 2012's "indie trend".  For a while in the first half of 2012, when .fun had a number one hit followed immediately by Gotye, and .fun having another huge top ten hit (which not even Daft Punk or Robin Thicke could pull off in 2013), it felt like indie was establishing itself as a dominant genre on the charts.  That didn't happen - and to this day, virtually every indie song that hits the top 40 is relegated to instant one hit wonder status - Gotye, The Neighborhood, Of Monsters and Men, Bastille, and now Echosmith - need I go on?

Ah yes, I remember 2013. The OP is right. Music did get a lot better, but the pattern was different. It was the first year of the 2010's that the quality of music surpassed 2011. Some people debate as to whether 2013 is early 2010's or mid 2010's. I think it's a mixed bag, but I will say something had definitely changed that year. I'd pair the first half of the year with the early 2010's and the second half of the year with the mid 2010's. 2013 was definitely a transition year.

Musically, 2013 was a year of drastic change. The beginning of the year was a completely different era from the end, with few things from the couple of years previous remaining intact. Dubstep finally died a quick and painful death. Electropop, which had already become tremendously annoying a couple years earlier, shrunk into an insignificant group of a select few number of hits. Actual electronic dance music and real DJs start to hit it big in the mainstream. Rhythm & Blues and Soul, which had started off as a mild series of hits in 2011 as a result of Adele's 21 and The Voice, really becomes a major trend this year. The only meaningful trend from the early 2010's - Indie Pop - exploded in 2013, reaching heights of success which hadn't been seen before but are now achieved on a regular basis.  :o

It wasn't just music though. Everything got better that year. First of all the fashions–when I started my senior year of high school in the fall of 2013 there was a clear abandonment of those tacky early 2010's fashions that were so commonplace just a year earlier. It was when I started seeing people wearing clothes like higher riser pants, dark wash jeans, leather jackets, neutral colors, athletic pullovers, joggers, tribal prints, combat boots, Timberlands, boat shoes, ankle booties, block heels, riding boots, wedge sneakers, skater dresses, geometric prints; things that have gone on to become more popular in the mid 2010's–definitely a lot classier. Cinema in 2013 evolved into more than just summertime blockbuster cash-ins. While the early 2010's provided us with some good films, I think 2013 was really the year that the decade proved that they had more to offer than just entertaining commercial action flicks. We got two of the most memorable movies of the year: Frozen and Gravity. Gravity is definitely going to be remembered as one of the best movies of the 2010's, as well as of all time.

Regarding my personal life, 2013 was one of the best years of my life. I moved to a new state, and began my senior year of high school there. A stranger. However, I forced myself out of my antisocial shell that I had been stuck in during my freshman-junior years of high school. I started to want to interact with people more, and once I did I made so many great friends. I made myself into a new person, and that was more exciting than anything I had done before. I turned 18 in November, finally leaving the ridiculous teen melodrama behind me and gracefully entering adulthood. I graduated from high school in 2014, and I still keep in contact with all of my friends. 2013 and 2014 are easily the top two best years of my life so far. 2015 was also a great year, but it was a bit too simple and I struggled on and off with depression throughout the year. 2016 was a bit of a rough start, but now I have plans to do great things with my family this summer and I am optimistic that this will be an improvement over last year.

I'm sad. It feels like the mid 2010's are almost over. Although I don't think the late 2010's "feel" is going crop up until about two years from now, I feel like perhaps the most exciting period of my life and the structure around it is going to erode within the next year or so, which is scary, because a year is so short. The cultural paradigm that 2013 brought up is the very same one that we are in today, and it terrifies me because I know that it's going to end in the near future. I wish this period could last forever, but time never stops, and that's a really hard pill for me to swallow. The mid 2010's are so much better than the early 2010's.

Ah yes, I remember 2013. The OP is right. Music did get a lot better, but the pattern was different. It was the first year of the 2010's that the quality of music surpassed 2011, which was the best year for music since 2003; that year was also an improvement above 2002, a terrible year for music, and was almost as good as 2001. I think 2013 was better than 2003 though. Some people debate as to whether 2013 is early 2010's or mid 2010's. I think it's a mixed bag, but I will say something had definitely changed that year. I'd pair the first half of the year with the early 2010's and the second half of the year with the mid 2010's. 2013 was definitely a transition year.

Musically, 2013 was a year of drastic change. The beginning of the year was a completely different era from the end, with few things from the couple of years previous remaining intact. Dubstep finally died a quick and painful death. Electropop, which had already become tremendously annoying a couple years earlier, shrunk into an insignificant group of a select few number of hits. Actual electronic dance music and real DJs start to hit it big in the mainstream. Rhythm & Blues and Soul, which had started off as a mild series of hits in 2011 as a result of Adele's 21 and The Voice, really becomes a major trend this year. The only meaningful trend from the early 2010's - Indie Pop - exploded in 2013, reaching heights of success which hadn't been seen before but are now achieved on a regular basis.  :o

It wasn't just music though. Everything got better that year. First of all the fashions–when I started my senior year of high school in the fall of 2013 there was a clear abandonment of those tacky early 2010's fashions that were so commonplace just a year earlier. It was when I started seeing people wearing clothes like higher riser pants, dark wash jeans, leather jackets, neutral colors, athletic pullovers, joggers, tribal prints, combat boots, Timberlands, boat shoes, ankle booties, block heels, riding boots, wedge sneakers, skater dresses, geometric prints; things that have gone on to become more popular in the mid 2010's–definitely a lot classier. Cinema in 2013 evolved into more than just summertime blockbuster cash-ins. While the early 2010's provided us with some good films, I think 2013 was really the year that the decade proved that they had more to offer than just entertaining commercial action flicks. We got two of the most memorable movies of the year: Frozen and Gravity. Gravity is definitely going to be remembered as one of the best movies of the 2010's, as well as of all time.

Regarding my personal life, 2013 was one of the best years of my life. I moved to a new state, and began my senior year of high school there. A stranger. However, I forced myself out of my antisocial shell that I had been stuck in during my freshman-junior years of high school. I started to want to interact with people more, and once I did I made so many great friends. I made myself into a new person, and that was more exciting than anything I had done before. I turned 18 in November, finally leaving the ridiculous teen melodrama behind me and gracefully entering adulthood. I graduated from high school in 2014, and I still keep in contact with all of my friends. 2013 and 2014 are easily the top two best years of my life so far. 2015 was also a great year, but it was a bit too simple and I struggled on and off with depression throughout the year. 2016 was a bit of a rough start, but now I have plans to do great things with my family this summer and I am optimistic that this will be an improvement over last year.

I'm sad. It feels like the mid 2010's are almost over. Although I don't think the late 2010's "feel" is going crop up until about two years from now, I feel like perhaps the most exciting period of my life and the structure around it is going to erode within the next year or so, which is scary, because a year is so short. The cultural paradigm that 2013 brought up is the very same one that we are in today, and it terrifies me because I know that it's going to end in the near future. I wish this period could last forever, but time never stops, and that's a really hard pill for me to swallow. The mid 2010's are so much better than the early 2010's.

I totally agree with you. I loved 2013 and its music. Only thing is I think the time we're in now is worse than 2013. Just like 2011-2012 were worse than 2013 too. 2013 was definitely a transitional year. I feel like it was the only good year of the 10's. So far it feels like the defining year of the 2010's.

I am quite the opposite from you, 2013 was the worse year of my life for many reasons.

Depression was setting in a bit
Switched schools twice
No social life
Parents both unemployed from April until December
Horrible Quality of Life, no income, no job=no money
My dad attempted.... suicide.
All of my brothers except for me were having suicidal thoughts.
Parents separated for three months from September until December.
That Christmas was when things started turning around for the better. Though I did not have much presents, the situations in my life were getting better.

However, music that year was were I found solace and I loved the music that year, it was so refreshing compared to 2012(though I actually am the minority were I liked 2012 music) Justin Timberlakes album was a great and awesome one and one I still listen to(and I wish he would come out with another one!) Macklemore, Lorde, countless others, I loved it. The Disco revival I particulary enjoyed and though 2014 was a breather in that, The Weeknd brought it back with Cant Feel My Face.

2014 was one of if not the best year of my life. 2015 was a step down but it was still alright. 2016 though has been fantastic so far, letting go of the past and moving on to my future, I am looking forward to that.

Here is proof of the incredible transformation that the mainstream music landscape went through throughout the entirety of 2013. As you can see, the beginning of the year was dramatically different from the end. Different trends, different artists (a lot of comebacks and resurgences), and different production styles.

The lists are below to demonstrate what I mean. Blue means good, green means alright (both pretty good and simply listenable), and red means bad.

The Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 Week Ending January 5, 2013
http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2013-01-05
1. Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
2. Diamonds - Rihanna
3. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
4. I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
5. Beauty and a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Justin Bieber
6. Die Young - Ke$ha
7. One More Night - Maroon 5
8. I Cry - Flo Rida
9. Home - Phillip Phillips
10. Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
11. Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin) - Swedish House Mafia
12. Scream and Shout (feat. Britney Spears) - will.i.am
13. Try - P!nk
14. Some Nights - fun.
15. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo
16. Girl On Fire (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Alicia Keys
17. The A Team - Ed Sheeran
18. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
19. Gangnam Style - PSY
20. Swimming Pools (Drank) - Kendrick Lamar
21. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
22. Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
23. Clique - Kanye West, Jay Z, & Big Sean
24. F**kin Problems (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar) - A$AP Rocky
25. Adorn - Miguel
26. Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch) - Calvin Harris
27. Don't Stop the Party (feat. TJR) - Pitbull
28. Too Close - Alex Clare
29. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
30. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson
31. Va Va Voom - Nicki Minaj
32. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
33. I'm Different - 2 Chainz
34. No Worries (feat. Detail) - Lil Wayne
35. As Long As You Love Me (feat. Big Sean) - Justin Bieber
36. Wanted - Hunter Hayes
37. Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am) - The Script
38. Bands A Make Her Dance (feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz) - Juicy J
39. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
40. Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean

The Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 Week Ending December 28, 2013
http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2013-12-28
1. The Monster (feat. Rihanna) - Eminem
2. Timber (feat. Ke$ha) - Pitbull
3. Counting Stars - OneRepublic
4. Say Something - A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera
5. Royals - Lorde
6. Demons - Imagine Dragons
7. Wake Me Up! - Avicii
8. Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus
9. Let Her Go - Passenger
10. Story of My Life - One Direction
11. Hold On, We're Going Home (feat. Majid Jordan) - Drake
12. Roar - Katy Perry
13. Burn - Ellie Goulding
14. Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood
15. White Walls (feat. Schoolboy Q & Hollis) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
16. Do What You Want - Lady Gaga
17. Unconditionally - Katy Perry
18. 23 (feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, & Juicy J) - Mike WiLL Made-It
19. Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams) - Zedd
20. Applause - Lady Gaga
21. My Hitta (feat. Jeezy & Richy Homie Quan) - YG
22. Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J) - Katy Perry
23. Team - Lorde
24. Pompeii - Bastille
25. Blurred Lines (feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I.) - Robin Thicke
26. Marry Me - Jason Derülo
27. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
28. Holy Grail (feat. Justin Timberlake) - Jay Z
29. Stay - Florida Georgia Line
30. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
31. Love More (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Chris Brown
32. It Won't Stop (feat. Chris Brown) - Sevyn Streeter
33. Brave - Sarah Bareilles
34. Rap God - Eminem
35. Best Day of My Life - American Authors
36. Carolina - Parmalee
37. Drink a Beer - Luke Bryan
38. Sail - AWOLNATION
39. Show Me (feat. Chris Brown) - Kid Ink
40. All Me (feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean) - Drake

Wow!  :o  Things really did improve over the year! Even the hip-hop got better! You can see the first list is mostly comprised of your typical safe pop songs, and the year ended off far more experimental with unconventional rhythmic structures, lower tempos, and more ambient synths. You can also notice the lyrics in most of the songs became far more aggressive at the end of the year compared to the more passive, agreeable lyrics from the beginning of the year. All of these factors of the new music I pointed out that were present at the end of 2013 still continue today. Music has not changed much since my senior year of high school. All of the songs on the top 40 now? I can imagine them being popular in my senior year. That's not a bad thing–these new additions were so fresh and so innovative they still feel just as exciting now as they did then. I'm so glad I actually lived to see music transform so dramatically in the span of just one calendar year. That's definitely an experience every person will experience at some point in their youth. Class of 2014 FTW!

Here is proof of the incredible transformation that the mainstream music landscape went through throughout the entirety of 2013. As you can see, the beginning of the year was dramatically different from the end. Different trends, different artists (a lot of comebacks and resurgences), and different production styles.

The lists are below to demonstrate what I mean. Blue means good, green means alright (both pretty good and simply listenable), and red means bad.

The Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 Week Ending January 5, 2013
http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2013-01-05
1. Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
2. Diamonds - Rihanna
3. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
4. I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
5. Beauty and a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Justin Bieber
6. Die Young - Ke$ha
7. One More Night - Maroon 5
8. I Cry - Flo Rida
9. Home - Phillip Phillips
10. Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
11. Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin) - Swedish House Mafia
12. Scream and Shout (feat. Britney Spears) - will.i.am
13. Try - P!nk
14. Some Nights - fun.
15. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo
16. Girl On Fire (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Alicia Keys
17. The A Team - Ed Sheeran
18. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
19. Gangnam Style - PSY
20. Swimming Pools (Drank) - Kendrick Lamar
21. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
22. Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
23. Clique - Kanye West, Jay Z, & Big Sean
24. F**kin Problems (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar) - A$AP Rocky
25. Adorn - Miguel
26. Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch) - Calvin Harris
27. Don't Stop the Party (feat. TJR) - Pitbull
28. Too Close - Alex Clare
29. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
30. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson
31. Va Va Voom - Nicki Minaj
32. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
33. I'm Different - 2 Chainz
34. No Worries (feat. Detail) - Lil Wayne
35. As Long As You Love Me (feat. Big Sean) - Justin Bieber
36. Wanted - Hunter Hayes
37. Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am) - The Script
38. Bands A Make Her Dance (feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz) - Juicy J
39. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
40. Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean

The Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 Week Ending December 28, 2013
http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2013-12-28
1. The Monster (feat. Rihanna) - Eminem
2. Timber (feat. Ke$ha) - Pitbull
3. Counting Stars - OneRepublic
4. Say Something - A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera
5. Royals - Lorde
6. Demons - Imagine Dragons
7. Wake Me Up! - Avicii
8. Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus
9. Let Her Go - Passenger
10. Story of My Life - One Direction
11. Hold On, We're Going Home (feat. Majid Jordan) - Drake
12. Roar - Katy Perry
13. Burn - Ellie Goulding
14. Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood
15. White Walls (feat. Schoolboy Q & Hollis) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
16. Do What You Want - Lady Gaga
17. Unconditionally - Katy Perry
18. 23 (feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, & Juicy J) - Mike WiLL Made-It
19. Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams) - Zedd
20. Applause - Lady Gaga
21. My Hitta (feat. Jeezy & Richy Homie Quan) - YG
22. Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J) - Katy Perry
23. Team - Lorde
24. Pompeii - Bastille
25. Blurred Lines (feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I.) - Robin Thicke
26. Marry Me - Jason Derülo
27. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
28. Holy Grail (feat. Justin Timberlake) - Jay Z
29. Stay - Florida Georgia Line
30. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
31. Love More (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Chris Brown
32. It Won't Stop (feat. Chris Brown) - Sevyn Streeter
33. Brave - Sarah Bareilles
34. Rap God - Eminem
35. Best Day of My Life - American Authors
36. Carolina - Parmalee
37. Drink a Beer - Luke Bryan
38. Sail - AWOLNATION
39. Show Me (feat. Chris Brown) - Kid Ink
40. All Me (feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean) - Drake

Wow!  :o  Things really did improve over the year! Even the hip-hop got better! You can see the first list is mostly comprised of your typical safe pop songs, and the year ended off far more experimental with unconventional rhythmic structures, lower tempos, and more ambient synths. You can also notice the lyrics in most of the songs became far more aggressive at the end of the year compared to the more passive, agreeable lyrics from the beginning of the year. All of these factors of the new music I pointed out that were present at the end of 2013 still continue today. Music has not changed much since my senior year of high school. All of the songs on the top 40 now? I can imagine them being popular in my senior year. That's not a bad thing–these new additions were so fresh and so innovative they still feel just as exciting now as they did then. I'm so glad I actually lived to see music transform so dramatically in the span of just one calendar year. That's definitely an experience every person will experience at some point in their youth. Class of 2014 FTW!


Even though there's some songs on the billboard list I believe you should have put in green/blue instead of red or some you should have put in red instead of green/blue, I agree with the majority of your list! The later half of 2013 (our senior year) was a huge improvement from the earlier half. LOL and Class of 2014 we in here! Our senior year for music was real epic!

Oh my god! I thought I was the only one who thought this! I was going to bump my old thread about when music went bad to talk about it, but it appears someone already mentioned it!

The late 2000's/early 2010's were the worst period of pop music in my opinion. Music was just soooo monotonous and annoying. The defining style was pure electropop and dance songs. And even the songs that weren't like that, just didn't have as much emotion as pre-2005 music.

Don't believe me? Here are some popular songs from that period:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m48GqaOz90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Sd5c4o9UM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vysgv7qVYTo

Now don't get me wrong, there were decent and amazing pop songs in this time, but the majority were horrible to me. But something happened in 2013. Like you guys said, actual EDM DJs started hitting the charts, which before 2013, were only done by David Guetta and Calvin Harris. Also, more "non-conventional" styles of EDM started getting big, like trap and tropical house. Songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-M1AtrxztU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGflUbPQfW8

I know some of you may not like those songs (probably because they were overplayed). But even then, to me, they just FEEL better than music from 2009-2012. It's reminiscent of the feeling I get from early 2000's music. And even the non-EDM one's were good (even though they were overplayed by now). Like these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JCLY0Rlx6Q

I'd say I think about 40% of the Hot 100 now is good/decent, compared to 2011 when I thought only 10% of it was good/decent.  Still not as good as pre-2005 music, which was my childhood and I probably only like that sound due to nostalgia. Does anyone agree with me?

For me, it was mid-00s to about the early 10's.  8-P

I'm the opposite of everyone in this thread. 2010-2012 and 2014 were my favourites. 2013 and 2015 are the boring ones to me. 2016 is shaping up to be better, but not quite early '10s status.

I'll agree with the OP that 2004-2008 were indeed garbage though.

2013 and 2014 were the two worst years for music in modern history.  Gone were the catchy, energetic club tunes of the early '10s.  Gone was synth-based glam rap.  Replacing it was horrible teen pop like Carly Rae Jepsen and Ariana Grande and songs popularized by viral YouTube videos (Harlem Shake, The Fox).  Very few songs from 2013 and 2014 were memorable in any way.  The only year in recent history that comes close was 2006, and even that was better than 2013 and 2014.  If I could pick one song to sum up those two years in music it would be this song.

kdemFfbS5H0

2015 was when things actually started getting better and today music is tolerable again.

Haha me and my cousin memorized the dance to that #Selfie song. We're awful.  ;D

2013 and 2014 were the two worst years for music in modern history.  Gone were the catchy, energetic club tunes of the early '10s.  Gone was synth-based glam rap.  Replacing it was horrible teen pop like Carly Rae Jepsen and Ariana Grande and songs popularized by viral YouTube videos (Harlem Shake, The Fox).  Very few songs from 2013 and 2014 were memorable in any way.  The only year in recent history that comes close was 2006, and even that was better than 2013 and 2014.  If I could pick one song to sum up those two years in music it would be this song.

kdemFfbS5H0

2015 was when things actually started getting better and today music is tolerable again.

I was quite happy electropop was starting to decline in 2013, which is one of the reasons I loved it. 2013 is still the best year fornmusic of the 10's so far in my opinion. Why do you think music is good in 2015 and 2016? What kinds of mainstream music do you think is good last year and this year? I'm having trouble finding any.

2013 and 2014 were the two worst years for music in modern history.  Gone were the catchy, energetic club tunes of the early '10s.  Gone was synth-based glam rap.  Replacing it was horrible teen pop like Carly Rae Jepsen and Ariana Grande and songs popularized by viral YouTube videos (Harlem Shake, The Fox).  Very few songs from 2013 and 2014 were memorable in any way.  The only year in recent history that comes close was 2006, and even that was better than 2013 and 2014.  If I could pick one song to sum up those two years in music it would be this song.

kdemFfbS5H0

2015 was when things actually started getting better and today music is tolerable again.


Laughably off track. 2013 was the first year of the 2010's in which music wasn't cheesy, with the exception of the novelty meme-based hits that gained traction through streaming. As a matter of fact, 2013 and 2014 were the best years for music since 1997, which between that time had spiraled into unoriginal badness. I'll actually go as far as to say that 2013-2016 is the best era for music since President Clinton's first term ended. Music is actually original again, and innovative music is actually getting attention. I find it incredibly interesting that you define two entire calendar years by a completely forgotten song, and defining that era in general by irrelevant, forgotten trends; none of which were the best of what those two years had to offer nor were they the most common types of hit songs or the biggest. Popular artists like Katy Perry, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Big Sean, One Republic, and Lady Gaga all updated their sound for their respective 2013 albums; all of which are the best of their careers.

And by the way, 2006 was the year that didn't have any good songs whatsoever, with 2002 and 2004 being very close. 1998-2012 was a rough period for popular music, and the alternative was only good-not great.

The selfie song is good though.... It's a parody song. It's making fun of selfies. I don't understand why people hate it.

The selfie song is good though.... It's a parody song. It's making fun of selfies. I don't understand why people hate it.


Yeah, #Selfie is catchy but it's not something to be taken seriously... It isn't a song that you would actually pay money to listen to. Heck, I never even heard the song on the radio.

Laughably off track. 2013 was the first year of the 2010's in which music wasn't cheesy, with the exception of the novelty meme-based hits that gained traction through streaming. As a matter of fact, 2013 and 2014 were the best years for music since 1997, which between that time had spiraled into unoriginal badness. I'll actually go as far as to say that 2013-2016 is the best era for music since President Clinton's first term ended. Music is actually original again, and innovative music is actually getting attention. I find it incredibly interesting that you define two entire calendar years by a completely forgotten song, and defining that era in general by irrelevant, forgotten trends; none of which were the best of what those two years had to offer nor were they the most common types of hit songs or the biggest. Popular artists like Katy Perry, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Big Sean, One Republic, and Lady Gaga all updated their sound for their respective 2013 albums; all of which are the best of their careers.

And by the way, 2006 was the year that didn't have any good songs whatsoever, with 2002 and 2004 being very close. 1998-2012 was a rough period for popular music, and the alternative was only good-not great.


I agree with you on 2006, but I can't really think of a lot that was great in 2013 and 2014.  2015 and 2016 have been better, but still not as good as the early '10s.  Maybe its because my personal life was so bad during those years I have absolutely no nostalgia for it, but I just can't find a lot to love from 2013 and 2014.  I also find it interesting that you consider Artpop the best Lady Gaga album of her career.  That is largely regarded as her worst and is widely referred to as ARTFLOP by fans.  While she did update her sound, it didn't work and it wasn't the Gaga everyone fell in love with back in 2009 and 2010.

As for songs to define 2013 and 2014 by, here is another.

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The selfie song is good though.... It's a parody song. It's making fun of selfies. I don't understand why people hate it.


Because it's terrible and it has a bad rhythm to it. Even if it's a parody song, a lot of people who take selfies actually take that song as their anthem.

Because it's terrible and it has a bad rhythm to it. Even if it's a parody song, a lot of people who take selfies actually take that song as their anthem.

It's not terrible. I respect the Chainsmokers and I think it is a great song. People took it too literally though. In fact the reason I love it so much is because I hate the word selfie and hashtags, and this song is directly making fun of it.

I agree with you on 2006, but I can't really think of a lot that was great in 2013 and 2014.  2015 and 2016 have been better, but still not as good as the early '10s.  Maybe its because my personal life was so bad during those years I have absolutely no nostalgia for it, but I just can't find a lot to love from 2013 and 2014.  I also find it interesting that you consider Artpop the best Lady Gaga album of her career.  That is largely regarded as her worst and is widely referred to as ARTFLOP by fans.  While she did update her sound, it didn't work and it wasn't the Gaga everyone fell in love with back in 2009 and 2010.

As for songs to define 2013 and 2014 by, here is another.

jofNR_WkoCE


I can see why you dislike the current era so much, because the stories of your life that you have given out make it appear to me that you have been borderline suicidal during this period. But again, you're defining that time period again by novelty songs (another song from my senior year that is just as forgotten as "#Selfie"). It really reveals what you think about this era and how you personally experience it, although for me a song like "Team" or "Fancy" would be a more appropriate theme song for 2013 and 2014. As for Lady Gaga, I enjoy the album so much because it sounded so different from anything she had done before – it was more artistic like the album says. I think fans disliked it so much because they were so used to having pop songs catered to them, but at the cost of a more impersonal product (which I think is very much what here first three albums were).

I said this before and I still believe it, 2013 was the best year form music in the 2010s no doubt.

It's not terrible. I respect the Chainsmokers and I think it is a great song. People took it too literally though. In fact the reason I love it so much is because I hate the word selfie and hashtags, and this song is directly making fun of it.


Well yeah, but people who also take selfies actually like the song.

Well yeah, but people who also take selfies actually like the song.


It's self-deprecating humour. I don't have a strong opinion on selfies, but whenever I take one I say "let me take a selfie" in the same voice she does. It's just funny, the whole song is hilarious.

What's cool about the song is that since it came out in 2013, it doesn't just parody the mid-2010s selfie culture, but also parodies the whole early '10s "text from last night" culture, which is just as vapid. The whole song is funny.

I can see why you dislike the current era so much, because the stories of your life that you have given out make it appear to me that you have been borderline suicidal during this period. But again, you're defining that time period again by novelty songs (another song from my senior year that is just as forgotten as "#Selfie"). It really reveals what you think about this era and how you personally experience it, although for me a song like "Team" or "Fancy" would be a more appropriate theme song for 2013 and 2014. As for Lady Gaga, I enjoy the album so much because it sounded so different from anything she had done before – it was more artistic like the album says. I think fans disliked it so much because they were so used to having pop songs catered to them, but at the cost of a more impersonal product (which I think is very much what here first three albums were).


Yeah, how we see certain time periods depends greatly on how we experience them.  I am not super fond of the early 2000s, while a lot of people won't stop talking about them (though I do prefer the early 2000s over 2013 and 2014).  I agree with you on "Fancy."  Here are a few more definitive songs of 2013 and 2014 that were not novelty songs.

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If you want a good Lady Gaga album that departs from her usual style, give "Cheek to Cheek" with her and Tony Bennett a listen if you haven't.  It's one of my favorites.

2013..... what a great year for music.

I LOVED music that year.... it was great. My personal life SUCKED this year, but the music was one of the only bright spots IMO. 2014 pop music took a downturn but my personal life got better.

I said this before and I still believe it, 2013 was the best year form music in the 2010s no doubt.

I think 2010 was.. The year kicked ass!

I think 2010 was.. The year kicked ass!

2010 is my second favourite.

I say music started to get too bland then. Heck, the last new song I liked was this popstep song by Taylor Swift. I feel like that songs before 2013 had more emotion musically.