Music and Cultural Fabric

07/26/2004

Those of you of a certain age will remember when popular music mattered. It aired out the social and political problems of the day, and helped listeners work out what they thought for themselves. Oh, and popular music had melodies, as well (as opposed to the current crop of non-melodic rap forms and vapid slushee-style, immemorable pop songs).

I think it’s time for a change; time for the next revolution in music to take hold. Interestingly, Plato had something to say about changes in musical styles:

For the introduction of a new kind of music must be shunned as imperiling the whole state; since styles of music are never disturbed without affecting the most important political institutions.—Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.)