Retromania Summary

Was the golden age of music truly left behind in the 20th century, or have the 2000s failed to hit the right notes of creativity and innovation?

1. Modern Music Lacks Innovation

Post-2000s music has struggled to bring anything significantly new to the stage, often recycling older ideas rather than experimenting boldly. The new millennium came with promises of innovation, but compared to earlier decades, those promises proved hollow.

Throughout the 1990s, music consistently broke boundaries. The techno and rave movements brought thrilling new beats to abandoned warehouses, while experimental artists challenged conventions. Post-2000s, however, both underground and mainstream genres leaned heavily on past formulas.

For example, experimental bands have relied on techniques like atonal music and minimalist repetition that originated more than two decades prior. Even mainstream acts such as the Black Eyed Peas attempted to appear futuristic while borrowing innovations from the late 1990s, using Auto-Tune and beats not far removed from Missy Elliott’s work.

Examples

• Black Eyed Peas used robotic effects reminiscent of Missy Elliott's late-90s tracks.
• Auto-Tune, now pervasive, was made famous by Cher’s 1998 hit “Believe.”
• Experimental genres like drone and noise trace their roots back to ideas from long before 2000.

2. Transformative Musical Movements Petered Out Post-1990s

Between the 1960s and 1990s, music transformed repeatedly, spawning entirely new movements. Each decade had something groundbreaking to offer, from disco to grunge. In contrast, post-2000s music has mostly regurgitated earlier styles with minor tweaks.

The 1960s birthed ska, folk rock, and psychedelic music. The following decades weren’t far behind, giving us punk, rap, and house, among others. Yet, since 2000, even promising developments, like grime and dubstep, built primarily on 1990s jungle and garage music, burgeoning into sub-genres without initiating broader revolutions.

For example, grime artist Tinchy Stryder broke into the pop charts, but grime itself didn’t evolve into something as universally celebrated as punk or grunge once had. Meanwhile, movements like emo mirrored punk with superficial changes to style and melody.

Examples

• Ska and folk rock dominated the '60s, followed by glam rock and funk in the '70s.
• Grunge and rave movements caught fire in the '90s.
• Grime and dubstep offered glimmers of originality but didn’t spark larger cultural shifts.

3. The 1960s Continues to Dominate Modern Music

The 1960s exert a gravitational pull on modern music, with countless artists drawing extensively from its aesthetics and spirit. Rooted in authenticity, these years remain an irresistible muse for many millennials and Gen Z creators.

The "freak folk" and new Americana movements clearly hinge on a ‘60s revival. Fleet Foxes, for instance, combine folk and country, while adding visual cues like rustic, countryside imagery to their work. Their album, "Fleet Foxes," demonstrated a deep connection to '60s ideals, with the band admitting these influences stemmed from their parents' record collections.

Additionally, the 1960s are often romanticized as a time when music carried sociopolitical weight. Sandi Thom’s “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)” played to a longing for the meaning and passion associated with that era, though its sentimental tones ultimately left younger listeners nostalgic rather than motivated.

Examples

• Fleet Foxes' imagery and sound echo '60s folk and country.
• The "freak folk" movement mirrors a back-to-roots trend from late '60s music.
• Sandi Thom’s wistful lyrics tap into generational yearning for the revolutionary spirit of the '60s.

4. Younger Artists Are Overly Reliant on the Past

Unlike past generations that rebelled against their predecessors, today’s artists are often stuck emulating them. The unlimited access to music made possible by streaming services might be partly responsible, as younger musicians are constantly saturated with great works from earlier eras.

Historically, every youth generation brought something refreshingly distinct, whether it was hip hop in the 1980s or punk rock in the 1970s. These forms borrowed bits from older styles but reshaped them dramatically. In contrast, 2000s artists seem satisfied to recycle prior movements—they've offered no major revolutions.

Lady Gaga’s "Fashion!" exemplifies this recycling mindset, sounding remarkably similar to Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” while lifting its title from another Bowie song. Rather than carving out entirely new genres, modern musicians often focus on carefully curating or mixing elements from previous decades.

Examples

• Hip-hop revolutionized the 1980s by blending old-school funk with fresh, urban vibes.
• The rise of streaming services arguably traps younger musicians in the archives of eras gone by.
• Lady Gaga’s use of Bowie-like sounds and themes demonstrates how modern pop recycles.

5. Innovation Lies in Technology, Not Music

If the 2000s are remembered for anything innovative within music, it might be for their technological advances rather than their artistry. Platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora have changed how we discover and consume music but have not invigorated its creativity.

This global digital archive significantly influences artists. Gonjasufi, for instance, creates music that feels “timeless” by merging numerous genres—from 1960s punk and hip hop to Ethiopian and Mexican sounds. Enabled by technology, creators can now produce “super-hybrids,” blending a wide array of cultural and historical influences.

However, this amalgamation does not inherently lead to groundbreaking music. Rather, it reflects an era of technological convenience.

Examples

• YouTube and Spotify offer unprecedented global access to diverse music.
• Gonjasufi’s "super-hybrid" sound merges influences from various time periods and cultures.
• Platforms have enabled hyper-access but haven’t directly spurred musical revolutions.

6. Remix Culture Reflects a Post-Industrial Era

Musicians today prioritize post-production, emphasizing remixing and editing over production. DJs epitomize this focus, restructuring pre-existing songs into something novel yet derivative. This shift mirrors broader societal changes in our transition to service- and knowledge-based economies.

Motown blossomed during Detroit’s automotive boom, while heavy metal gained traction in Britain’s industrialized Midlands. Today, music creation parallels office work, involving programming and piecing together rather than the tangible production of past eras.

This post-industrial model can be both freeing and limiting. While DJ sets are dynamic and fluid, they often lack the cultural innovation tied to original production in earlier decades.

Examples

• DJs reassemble pop music from the 30 years following WWII for live sets.
• Motown thrived in tandem with Detroit’s car industry.
• Post-production methods reflect broader economic shifts from producing to reassembling.

7. Emo: A Case in Musical Nostalgia

Emo music tried to reshape punk rock, but in doing so, its innovations were ultimately limited. Deriving heavily from 1980s punk, emo retained the classic rebellious ethos but shifted its melodic approach. These tweaks failed to create a distinctly original subgenre.

While emo was wildly popular among millennials, its roots were easily identifiable in older punk movements like those pioneered by bands like The Clash. Emo played into the trend of adorning the past with a trendy new face.

Examples

• Emo adapted punk melodies but didn’t break new creative ground.
• Emo’s lyrics emphasized teenage angst and disconnection, echoes of earlier punk ideas.
• Influences from The Clash were reinterpreted rather than fundamentally altered.

8. Dubstep: Rare Originality in the 2000s

While much of modern music recycles styles, dubstep offered a rare escape from this limitation. Drawing from jungle and garage, dubstep created an entirely new soundscape, marked by broken beats and bass-heavy drops.

Dubstep, spearheaded by artists like Magnetic Man, entered pop charts in the 2000s, signaling its influence. Though it didn’t reach the cultural dominance rap or rock once held, dubstep reoriented electronic music’s trajectory.

Examples

• Dubstep blazed trails beyond the garage and jungle genres of the 1990s.
• Magnetic Man elevated dubstep to mainstream charts.
• Its bass-heavy structure brought new sonic possibilities to EDM.

9. Music Videos Fail to Drive Cultural Revolutions

Modern music videos attempt to mimic the energy and impact of past decades but often fall short. The Black Eyed Peas leaned into futuristic visuals but recycled beats from the '90s, dampening the sense of real progress.

In contrast, earlier videos introduced shocking looks, choreography, and storytelling, often catapulting entire songs or artists into stardom. Without similar innovation, videos today risk becoming more decorative than impactful.

Examples

• Black Eyed Peas’ sci-fi-themed videos failed to fully mask their dated beats.
• Thriller’s groundbreaking storytelling reshaped music videos forever.
• Madonna’s bold imagery in the ‘80s drastically influenced global pop aesthetics.

Takeaways

1. Discover new sounds by actively seeking out genres outside your comfort zone or mainstream platforms.
2. Understanding the past provides context—study earlier transformative eras to appreciate where innovation succeeded.
3. Support musicians experimenting with truly fresh approaches instead of relying on nostalgic styles.