There's nothing challenging going on with it. The top 40 stuff has a kind of sameness to it for awhile now that's disheartening. Even in the big genre periods like grunge and throughout the 80's there was a range of styles that came and went. But now it all has a familiar blandness to it.

life is a learning curve

Cobalt isn't, though

Wrong choice of words? Yes. Motive to make a big fuss about it? Nope. That's what bothers me about social media- people love to get offended and jump on others right away.

Sleaford Mods.

I’m not even saying that’s bad, just amusing to hear him declaim in such a thick East Midlands tone.

Both are insults.

The artists who are popular all seem to sing in a baby voice if they are female. I don’t enjoy it, but apparently others do, so yes I would call it baby girly. Styles of music change all the time. Of course there are exceptions. Black female artists belt it out and I like that. Then, who am I? Just an old woman who loves music.

Like Ann and Nancy Wilson, Joan Jett, Bonnie Raitt, Pat Benitar, I wish it was.

Well said

Portishead, Fever Ray, Chvrches, Paramore, Evanescence, Florence & the Machine, Savages, Haim

Girls have been kicking rock&roll ass for a long time ... esp. nowadays ...

I forgot Patti Smith

your point was made! Those ladies rock!

Last edited Fri Dec 29, 2017, 06:51 PM - Edit history (4)

Here, let me try my hand again, off the top of my head (wasn't thinking hard enough earlier):

Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux, Natalie Merchant, Sinead O'Connor, Tina Weymouth, Courtney Love, Kirsten Hirsch, Kim Deal, Tanya Donnelly, D'arcy Wretsky, Shirley Manson, Santogold ...

OMG ... SLEATER-F'ING-KINNEY (can't believe how long that one took to pop into my head) ...

Other great lady-led bands I don't recall the singers name(s) offhand: Elastica, The Cardigans, The Cranberries (I wanna say ... Dolores Riordan?), The Sundays (Harriet Wheeler, pretty sure), Cocteau Twins (Liz Fraser, maybe?), Cowboy Junkies (Margot ... something?) ...

As you can see, my tastes lean pretty decidedly towards so-called Modern/Alternative Rock lol ...

*On Edit*: sheesh ... definitely proving to myself that I literally could do this forever ...

Carole King, Gillian Welch, Lauren Hill, Emily Saliers & Amy Ray, Hope Sandoval, Robyn, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Alison Moyet.

And OH ... how about PJ HARVEY!?!

Jeez, what is wrong with me ... HELLO ... JANELLE MONAE?!? Sheeeit ... A Goddess ...

Oh, and uhhh ... how about a little Stevie Nicks & Christine McVie (yeah ... another huge derp)?

*EDIT, again*

Tory Amos, Tracy Chapman, Meg White ...

*And Again*

Alison Goldfrapp, India.Arie, Fiona Apple, Beth Orton, Lykke Li ...

*I'm not stopping til I name every GIRLY THAT ROCKS that I can think of *

Bat For Lashes, St. Vincent ...

* And Again ... Digging Deeper in the Memory Bank *

Bjork, Patti Griffin, Niko Case, Laura Marling, Marketa Irglova, Kasey Musgrave, Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee), Lee Ann Womack, SZA, Sia, Sky Ferreira, MIA ...

Mostly Somewhat obscure girly-led 'groups' I like, but dunno the singers name: Alabama Shakes, the xx, FKA Twigs, London Grammar, Hurray for the Riff-Raff, Big Thief, Beach House, Lucius, Say Lou Lou, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Speedy Ortiz ...

* Last And Definitely Not Least *
Kim Gordon!!!

..."all music made by women."

But there seems little doubt that, in recent years, rock has been pretty much eclipsed by "pop" (a term that would have been considered a near-obscenity in years past), and that much of said pop seems designed to be perfectly inoffensive product aimed at a teen- (or pre-teen) girl demographic. It's music that wouldn't be out of place on a Disney Channel show.

I mean, look over the list of women rockers already produced in this thread, and consider the most recent meme declaring that "the most badass bitch" (their words, not mine) in music is…Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift? Really???

Ummm ... NOT!

I don't care for many of the REALLY popular women in music today all that much, I gotta admit ... Lorde is actually pretty damn good, Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga I like okay ... I like Gaga the lady more than her music tho TBH. Madonna ... some later stuff is okay, her classics were ... classic.

Rhianna & Adele ... definitely talented, by all means, but really not my style.

Taylor Swift & Katy Perry ... ugggh.

Though I don't feel too different about the popular dudes in today's music either ...

Really though, it's a poor choice of a word to express what he means ... 'popular music today feels mostly catered towards the tastes of female listeners' conveys the same idea w/o it coming off dickish ...

...His "inner sexist" popped up (and out) and, no, he doesn't get s pass.

for "Mothers of the Disappeared."

I have been a fan of U2 for most of my life and Bono is anything but misogynist.

It was an unfortunate choice of words, and that is all.

Including 3 times on the indoor leg of Joshua Tree tour in April 1987 immediately after it came out ... in LA, San Diego, and SF. In LA we waited around for hours for them to drive out the venue, and when Bono came he stood up thru the sunroof and they drove thru the crowd real slow so he could high-five as many people as he could ... and I caught me a high-five. I was SO HAPPY! Definitely had a man-crush on all them dudes.

Also, I probably know damn near every word to every song from Boy thru ATYCLB off the top of my head. I even have the 45's of 'Where The Streets ...', 'Still Haven't Found ...' and 'With or Without You' tucked in the jacket of my Joshua Tree vinyl, which sits with my vinyls of Boy, October, War, TUF, and Rattle & Hum. As such, I could probably even sit and sing you obscurities like "Spanish Eyes" or "Luminous Times" or "Lady With The Spinning Head" (which is the "One" b-side) ... off the top of my head.

I agree ... it's just a poor word choice. Bono has definitely earned 'the benefit of the doubt' to me

Further, by naming all the women I who's music I love, I set out to prove that it's really not even an insult to 'rock like a girl'.

Speaking of people they've brought onstage, when I saw 'em on the outdoor leg of Joshua Tree tour in Oakland (in,I think, October 1987), he brought the artist Vaillancourt onstage to do 'graffiti' on it. Remember this kerfuffle, where he sprayed-painted 'Stop the Traffic Rock and Roll" on Vaillancourt Fountain in the SF Embarcadero, while filming for Rattle and Hum? Remember when DiFi (still SF Mayor) got all bent and charged him with Vandalism?



He responded by getting the artist himself to come up on HIS stage and 'vandalize' it next time he was in teh Bay Area. Pretenders (when Johnny Marr was with them) were the openers on that night ... what a GREAT friggin' night!

I was first introduced to them right after The Unforgettable Fire was released... I might have been 13 or 14. I was too young to see them in concert in 1987, but I made damn sure to see them every chance I got after that... in 1992 (ZooTV Outdoor), 1997 (PopMart), 2001 (Elevation), 2005 (Vertigo), 2011 (360), and 2017 (Joshua Tree).

Out of all those shows, I loved the outdoor ones the most (ZooTV and 360)... In 2011 they played "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" which is one of my favorite U2 songs. I also happen to love the movie (Faraway, So Close).

It's hard to pick a favorite album but my top 3 are War, Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Joshua Tree is a close 4th.

btw if you've never seen U2-Go Home (Live at Slane Castle) DVD you absolutely MUST! It's possibly a better show than any I saw of theirs IRL. Recorded at the end of I think the first world tour for ATYCLB (think they ended up doing two) in 2001, it's at Slane Castle in Ireland and there's like 250,000 people there. The set list, the passion of the band and fans ... it's breath-taking. Bono's dad had passed only days before so there's lots of heart-felt references to pop's and the bands families (out of control & kite in particular). Not to be missed if you've never seen it. The sorta 'medley' of All I Want is You/Where The Streets is friggin' MAGIC.

Stay is a great song indeed, but they have so many. Ultraviolet from Achtung is another fave ... One Tree Hill & Red Hill Mining Town. The live versions of A Sort of Homecoming & Bad that are on Wide Awake (studio versions are really good but to me those live versions are the definitive ones). The Unforgettable Fire. Kite. All I Want Is You.

Another amazing U2 moment was when they played the 2001-season Super Bowl halftime. The last 6 mins or so, Bono's jacket liner ... brought tears. I honestly kinda felt that was a national healing moment. If you missed it or don't remember it, check it out on youtube. You'll love it.

He might have said too timid or soft or gentle or....

...who knows, maybe someone should ask Bono " by the way just what did you mean by music today is too girly?" That might be helpful...just an idea rather than to second guess the guy ..anyway

unless one wants to use it as an insult or derision. It's and old school characteriation that is insulting to women in the suggestion that femininity is a problem. Bono is enough of a grown up to take some criticism.

Last edited Tue Jan 2, 2018, 10:43 PM - Edit history (1)

Has put out an album in the last 4 years or so ...

Not sure what weird world you live in.

Is Different Drum by the Stone Ponies. Got to see her in the late 70s fantastic!

being from today's music scene. They all have talent - unlike the pop shit that out today.

I grew up listening to U2, but they’ve done nothing of artistic value in over two decades. I agree with him that most music has gotten safe and soft and weak, but that’s as much his fault as anyone else’s.

As for his choice of words? He’s an old Irish guy; whaddya want out of the guy? He meant no harm.

All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) was awesome and a fair bit of HTDAAB (2004) is solid.

Gotten boring for the most part since then.

They can't seem to write a hit song these days. Their last few albums have been so bland.

That he pick up a newspaper any time in the last year and realise that just because he didn't mean any harm doesn't mean he didn't cause it.

Very derivative of last two albums.

are the best tracks off their new album.

I have never understood why U2 always releases shit singles for a new album.

If we're talking corporate rock, then yes. Fortunately, there's more to it than that.

If people think music's gone soft, they ain't looking hard enough.

The legends get a name with noteworthy work, then start mailing it in, but money keeps pouring in. Whose fault is that? My my answer, certainly not the artists'.

They've been musically mailing it in since 1995, making their portfolios off of several middle-of-the-road songs sounding similar to "Under the Bridge".

My brother's a district manager at a regional Exchange (record/CD/gaming store) - he says that, no matter how bad the new RHCP is, they still sell lots of them for whatever reason.

He needs to listen to metal variants and other less popular types of music. Yeah, all of the mainstream top 10 stuff is pretty shitty these days.

It seems to mostly consist of a singer mumbling something directly into the microphone while an army of people appear on the stage with him or her, banging all kinds of "instruments" from spoons to cellos.

James Taylor went into rehab. I like U2, but only their first album was of interest. Have no musical use for artists like Timberlake, none at all for Bieber. To me true music ended in the mid 80s.

Not going to bother me. He lives in a conscientious manner, for the most part.

His "inner sexist" popped up.

It may not bother you, but it will bother many others.

....if you’re a prick.

......give him a break ffs.

If a female said it, would everyone's be feigning such pathetic 'offense'? I think not. Calm yer tits. Not worth the energy to whine about it.

Ooh, 'calm yer tits' how offensive, wah wah wahhh! 😂

But just getting weary of all the manufactured 'I am so offended ' nonsense.

Bono saying music is 'girly' is just such a laughable thing to get all upset about, yanno? I just feel like:

A. Who gives a shit what he says
B. It is pretty lame and tame in terms of "something offensive"

🌈

and you use sexist language to display yourself

I'm not offended, just sickened

over and OUT

the ad revenue! Be angry, and visit our sponsors!

Always thought they were overrated.

Wth? Could a female not show rage in her music about injustices? Some of the very best protest singers have been female.

None of them could hold a candle to Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, or Pete Seeger.

they were the best.

The reason it isn't mainstream should be patently obvious.

I think music has gotten very sterile. I agree with him on principle, but his terminology needs some work.

... I'm sure there will be a "why does Bono hate women" movement now.



===========

Culinary arts? Yes, literature - yes, art? - yes, poetry? - yes. People buy on reputation today, not on quality.

I just read a newish Mark Doty collection ("Deep Lane&quot that blew me away.

There's not much testosterone-driven music, like the stuff from The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, Van Halen, KISS. Metallica, Nirvana, etc., being made now. Unless one counts Nickelback, and everyone makes fun of them. What is out now isn't necessarily "sterile", but it's not even close to being the head-banger music guys my age listened to when we were younger. It's a lot softer, or "girly." I'm cutting him some slack for using that choice of word, especially since added that it's not all a bad thing. And, because he's older and from a somewhat different culture. I don't think he meant to insult women in music. I think he just mourns the fact that kids these days don't have their own "Bohemian Rhapsody" to blare on the sound system in the car a la "Wayne's World" while they're driving down the road. As do I, and I'm neither young nor male.

Is Orianthi Panagaris also too girly for him?

and he'd be right.

Let's take KEXP for instance. It's the leading "Indie Rock" station in America right now - streaming, broadcasting in Seattle.

It's awash in gauzy, keyboard-based not-particularly-catchy danceable hipster pop, sung in falsettos and high registers. There's also neo-soul, which sounds embalmed coming out of the radio.

Guitars that go crunch are limited to the metal genre, and, oddly, Tuareg bands like Tinarawen.

But I'm a Rockist in my 50s. What do I know?

The music has always changed with each generation. Instead of condemning it, try continually listening to it.

I felt that I should give it a chance, so I listened to a top-40 station for about an hour. I couldn't even really classify it - definitely not rock, or folk, or ska, or anything I could put my finger on. My biggest gripe, though, was the pervasive use of autotune.

I bet by the end of that week you would likely change your "tune".

I also like to sing along. Wasn't happening that day, at least on that playlist. The best song by far that I heard was Macklemore and Keisha, and even that didn't lend itself to singing along.

I have always liked a very wide range of music, but none of what I heard was very compelling.

I drive down the road singing my ass off!

But I decided to flush the Top 40 toilet.

I wouldn't call any of that shit 'great'. Forgettable maybe.

more of a chance. There are many artists doing some great stuff!

None of the Top 40 music has moved me this decade.

In the 80s and 90s there were decent artists who contributed to the Top 40 charts. Nowadays it seems all of it is focused on pre-teen and teenagers. Demographics play a huge part in today's music scene - just like it played a big part in the decades I mentioned. Teens and 20 somethings buy the shit that is played on the radio today. People my age no longer count in that world. I'm fine with it - I would love to see another rock resurgence before I die.

Sean Mendez, Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Savage, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Khalid. The rock resurgence is just not going to happen, sorry. Really hope you give it a try. Music is the stuff of life and helps to keeps you young.

LOL

I have heard almost all of the ones you listed. IMO none of them will ever be considered "great" in my world.

Of course a rock resurgence will never happen - especially if people continue listening to that shit.

Justin Timberlake? hahah

Demi Lavato? hahaha

Pink? hahahha

Teenage girls love those artists. Did you notice that I called them 'artists' b/c NONE of those three have any musical abilities/talent.


I'll stick with my haggard crew from rock & folk - Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan all keep me young.

I don't really care what Bono has to say about this or any other subject but the androgynous falsetto whining to synthesizers genre is excruciating.

Incites backlash from whom? People with too much time on their hands?

Btw, I really hate U2’s music.

I do love Bruno Mars too. However, we need some rock and roll. Vice news mentioned they get a lot of new members from hard metal white supremacist bands.

Going to see them in May. Let's get some new rock music.

Of course, he’s talking about American music that is commercially acceptable. That’s probably a bad word choice but he’s not wrong. What little remains of mainstream rock today is pretty weak.

Commercial music is too "safe" nowadays and it all just blends in together. Bands like Nirvana or Green Day would never be sucessful if they debuted today because they don't whine about ex-girfriends in the mic over a pop beat.

Morrissey says something absurd every so often
Does it help his bottom line? He knows better than I
Rock is a business
Brand identity is important
If u can avoid the where are they now stories...

Not so much "girly" but just geared towards girls.

It will impact every corner of society.

Man's ironclad domination in all fields is about to change.

(It will be for the better.)

Bono and U2 are nothing but "girly".

Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, War, Unforgettable Fire are all on the same level as Taylor Swift's discography. LOL

Girly, my ass.

I'm over whining emo singers who...I can't tell what they are singing about because I can't listen more than 30 seconds.

...with his point and the criticism about the word "girly". But I get what he meant. I recall being in a group with younger lads and lasses and hearing one tell the other something looked "too gay" to be wearing...

Sampling the performers last night, I saw a sameness - very manufactured music. More female stars - which is good, btw - but bland...

The music doesn't push any limits, but the clothing does - and the clothing that does is on the female body much more than the male. Dance is required, but playing an actual musical instrument is not an obvious skill.

Oh sure some are the garden variety over the top man-hating “burn him!” responses but it’s quite hilarious the number of people that actually agree with Bono, that today’s music is shite. Probably not what the OP intended

and I agree. It's either generic girl stuff or some males making unmelodic noise. My millennial niece listens the Beetles.

[link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/10281185|

Executive summary: There isn't enough of an outlet in music for women of all ages who are pissed off about the way the world is turning. Girly music isn't angry music.