Seriously, what happened? I love dark music. It's so complex and has a lot of meaning to it. There are no dark songs on the Top 40 right now here in America. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart week ending April 25, 2015 (yeah Billboard is ahead of time somehow) here are the only Top 40 songs that are closest to being "dark" in any way, shape, or form:

1. Earned It - The Weeknd
2. Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
3. Take Your Time (Do It Right) - Sam Hunt
4. I'm Not the Only One - Sam Smith

Pretty pathetic right? While I do like #'s 1 & 2, these four are more dramatic (if anything) than dark. Everything is totally escapist. We don't have any introspective songs that are popular. While they are out there, they just don't get any attention. Why is this? Why can't less happy music get played on the radio or get any attention from major record labels? Do they think people will hate it? Why doesn't anybody realize that songs are played to make them popular instead of having already being popular?

If the people in charge of the industry were to use the same strategy on darker, more serious music as they do on happy, light-hearted music, then they could become popular (at least I hope they would). Darker music can be just as catchy, even more so, than happy music. What I love about darker music is that I find it intensely relatable. Being a cynical and deep person myself, it gives me something to think about, because a lot of times heavy music is cynical and deep.

There's a lot of really great alternative music out there. A lot of it is very radio-friendly too. The problems are: a) it's on an unknown and significantly less wealthy label, or b) it's self-published and therefore the artists are completely unsigned. They truly are independent. Another problem: c) They are signed to a big label, such as Virgin or RCA, but they receive zero promotion from their label and they are left to their own devices.

This is why I love '90s music. Even '70s music could be dark and depressing at times. These decades were such deep and introspective periods for music. I feel that is exactly what the 2010's needs. The closest we ever had to "dark" music was Imagine Dragon's first album, and that band gets a lot of hate. Sure, we have some empowering songs, but what about songs that really make you think? The 2010s have so much potential to be awesome like the '70s and '90s. There's still time left. Unfortunately, the industry just keeps making super girly and dumb songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV5lzRHrGeg

Here is '70s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmsJqzEEfco

Here is '90s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhPUAVgHZc

As you can see, dark music can be catchy. The '70s one has a disco beat, whereas the '90s one is dance. So what is it? Why can't we have serious music with deep lyrics? Is it because the modern young person doesn't have any deep thoughts? Do you think modern music needs a good overdose of dark and serious music?

80s also had lots of dark "gothic" music;
early 00s too (Linkin Park, Evanescence).

Where is Evanescence? I miss the hard rock sound with
singers who actually really sing.

Seriously, what happened? I love dark music. It's so complex and has a lot of meaning to it. There are no dark songs on the Top 40 right now here in America. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart week ending April 25, 2015 (yeah Billboard is ahead of time somehow) here are the only Top 40 songs that are closest to being "dark" in any way, shape, or form:

1. Earned It - The Weeknd
2. Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
3. Take Your Time (Do It Right) - Sam Hunt
4. I'm Not the Only One - Sam Smith

Pretty pathetic right? While I do like #'s 1 & 2, these four are more dramatic (if anything) than dark. Everything is totally escapist. We don't have any introspective songs that are popular. While they are out there, they just don't get any attention. Why is this? Why can't less happy music get played on the radio or get any attention from major record labels? Do they think people will hate it? Why doesn't anybody realize that songs are played to make them popular instead of having already being popular?

If the people in charge of the industry were to use the same strategy on darker, more serious music as they do on happy, light-hearted music, then they could become popular (at least I hope they would). Darker music can be just as catchy, even more so, than happy music. What I love about darker music is that I find it intensely relatable. Being a cynical and deep person myself, it gives me something to think about, because a lot of times heavy music is cynical and deep.

There's a lot of really great alternative music out there. A lot of it is very radio-friendly too. The problems are: a) it's on an unknown and significantly less wealthy label, or b) it's self-published and therefore the artists are completely unsigned. They truly are independent. Another problem: c) They are signed to a big label, such as Virgin or RCA, but they receive zero promotion from their label and they are left to their own devices.

This is why I love '90s music. Even '70s music could be dark and depressing at times. These decades were such deep and introspective periods for music. I feel that is exactly what the 2010's needs. The closest we ever had to "dark" music was Imagine Dragon's first album, and that band gets a lot of hate. Sure, we have some empowering songs, but what about songs that really make you think? The 2010s have so much potential to be awesome like the '70s and '90s. There's still time left. Unfortunately, the industry just keeps making super girly and dumb songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV5lzRHrGeg

Here is '70s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmsJqzEEfco

Here is '90s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhPUAVgHZc

As you can see, dark music can be catchy. The '70s one has a disco beat, whereas the '90s one is dance. So what is it? Why can't we have serious music with deep lyrics? Is it because the modern young person doesn't have any deep thoughts? Do you think modern music needs a good overdose of dark and serious music?

And the 80's didn't have dark songs? Please! I could name some. Garbage was darker without being depressing, and was still catchy enough. The 2000's had plenty of dark songs in rock. Songs such as Cold-No One, Breaking Benjamin-Believe, and many a song by Staind. These days Five Finger Death Punch with Wrong Side of Heaven is a perfect example. It's all still there you just have to listen for it.

That  song "See You Again" which is a tribute to the late Paul Walker has a darkish vibe to it.

What Happened to Dark Music?

Someone finally turned on the lights!

Of which Dark Music do you speak of?


Dark 2-step, a derivate of 2-step garage
Darkcore, a subgenre of hardcore EDM
Dark ambient, a subgenre of ambient
Dark cabaret, a fusion between punk and cabaret
Dark EBM, a subgenre of Electronic Body Music
Dark electro, an outgrowth of Electro-industrial and industrial music
Dark folk, an outgrowth of industrial music
Dark metal, variety of heavy metal subgenres
Dark psytrance, a subgenre of psychedelic trance
Dark rock, an umbrella term describing a broad array of music
Dark Wave, a part of the new wave movement

Someone finally turned on the lights!


What happened to lite music?

What happened to lite music?
Light Music, as in Easy Listening Music, like James Last and Bert Kaempfert?

Light Music, as in Easy Listening Music, like James Last and Bert Kaempfert?


I'm thinking more like in the early 80's.