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From: rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Top 40 Radio
Message-ID: <743@pyuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Jun-84 13:08:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxn.743
Posted: Wed Jun 13 13:08:24 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jun-84 00:22:32 EDT
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Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 27

> I'm rather curious, though.  If Top 40 is such a bad form of music,
> why are lots of radio stations playing it?  Is it because, in theory,
> the people of America have no musical taste?
> I mean, I hear people caterwauling about what a bad form of music
> it is, but don't offer any really good reasons for it's popularity
> except "Bah!  The masses wouldn't know good music if someone served
> it to them on a silver platter?"
> I have my theories as to why it is so popular.  I'm just wondering
> whether anyone else has any ideas, other than "People are ignorant
> about 'good music', like {folk, jazz, classical, punk, new wave, etc.}"

Aren't the reasons you've offered good enough?  Actually, the second reason is
somewhat less than accurate, but is often used by those who wish to promulgate
the notion that their tastes are somehow superior to that of mere mortals.
But the fact remains:  the American public have been cleverly conditioned to
be near perfect sheep.  ("Benson, I'm going to have to turn you into a dog for
a while."  "Ohhhhh, thank you, Master!!!!")  And there is general disdain by
many people for "intellectualism" (which often means anything above the lowest
common denominator).  The fact that a large number of people who are tired of
the crap out there still go along with it stems from the fact that they have
been told that other music isn't right for them (classical music is for snitty
snobs, rock music is noise for kids, funky music is for black people, etc.)
You'd be surprised at the number of people whose eyes you can open up once
you get them willing to be exposed to new stuff.  But given the unwillingness
of media honchos to take the chance to open things up, it's an effort.
-- 
"Submitted for your approval..."		  Rich Rosen    pyuxn!rlr