The Eras Of Music

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(Edited)

Music has improved over the years in sounds, beats and rhythm. But gradually it has slipped away in terms of wordings and lines that hold meaning to trigger provocative thinking. Music like "The Night by Avicii" calls for a rethink on the kind of life we live, the same goes with ASA, Westlife, and Phil Collins who not only sang, but presented music as a message to the world. With evolution in the music industry, music artists are more concerned about the song than the message they sell out to the world. The trend around women makes it easy to catch the interest of many who seem to have lines for their selfish and immoral interest.

Music In the 80s and 90s

One thing I've noticed about music is that it follows an era and trend. With the current moral decadent, a lot of youths wouldn't have interest in a kind of music that doesn't satisfy their itchiness. People in the 80s & 90s would also have rejected music that didn't promote morals. So the fall in the areas of morality has given birth to the style of music sung today. Those in the 80s engaged with life in a deeper sense and sang songs with either their experiences or a lesson they learned from those before them. The lines of their music was easy to understand because it spoke directly to an individual soul with clarity. They were preachers who didn't stand on pulpit but were eager to change the world through music.

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Music In this Era

I tried to browse through a lyric of a Nigerian musician "Patoranking" on the song "Gaza". The beat was great but when I went down to check the lyric, this is what I found

Udeme na my best friend pankolo
I just wan siddon dey shack kololo

I realized I had been dancing to a song that says nothing, but to a rhyme that flowed just well. Music in this era has improved in sounds, we have more beats than we did years back but the messages are nothing to write home about. People seem to be satisfied with meaningless songs as long as the beat is okay, and the love of the people has shaped the music industry into what it is today. It's no longer Music targeted to change the world but an entertainment industry and nothing entertaining offers life-changing experience.

Comparison of Music in the 80s and Music of Today

Sometimes it seems the musicians in the 80s and 90s had sung everything we needed to know and there's nothing left but entertainment to help cheer us in these difficult times. But that's not true, musicians can still sing against immorality, corruption, apathy and it will still be a great message judging from the decadence over time. What differentiates the music of the 80s and today is their focus. The 80s focused on changing lives and the world, and this era focused on entertainment. The 80s sang songs that inspired, this era sings danceable songs, the music in the 80s was often slow allowing listeners to follow the lines, the music in this era is fast that only echoes are left, the musical sounds in the 80s are less advanced, the sounds in this era are advanced. I hope that someday the music in this era would go beyond sounds but leave behind meanings to help educate the lad.


This is a response to the Contest by @hivenaija community on the transformation of the music industry over time. The contest is still open for participation



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26 comments
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I enjoyed reading what you wrote. Well done sir👍

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Thank You, I'm glad you enjoyed reading through

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I will agree with you that music in 80s had meaning and capable of changing lives rather than entertainment. I also agree with you that musics of today has more advanced sounds due to technology. However, there are still artists today who are not only entertaining the audience but sings meaningful songs to lift people's soul. The likes of Nathaniel bassey, mosses bliss, mercy chinwo, etc... these guys and others are really doing well.

Hopefully the world of music will keep improving

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Religion music are way different from the secular ones. We can't even talk about them when discussing the drift in the music industry today because they're purely religion and shouldn't have an atom of immorality. The change had only affected the areas of secular mostly.

And we sincerely hope for improvement.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts

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This is one of the reasons why I mostly stick with the oldies. Some of the people around me so laugh at me that I don't want to upgrade my playlist.

I love oldies mostly because they contain inspiring words as opposed to "shaking your bombom " and other songs that promote negative behaviors that are always trending now.

I always tell them, abeg leave me to my "oldies" o, I like it like that. It's not that I don't listen to songs of their era at all but I am mostly selective and pick ones with that will affect me positively.

Thanks for sharing this.

#dreemerforlife

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Hahaha oldies are actually good, what the youths of this age doesn't understand

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I just hand it to musicians with their level of creativity in developing the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms if songs these days. They are usually fire. The problem, however, is that they are usually soulless. Songs used to have so much soul before the recent times. Thankfully, there are still many musicians delivering true music.

Thanks for participating, man.

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That's right. The likes of chike, I think he tries to give meaning to his songs.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts

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Honestly, I can’t deny this one. I have one time take the initiative of searching the lyrics of what I was dancing and Blood of Jesus! I was so shocked silly. I was dancing to a song that talked about suicide and darkness. In the sense that nothing means anything anymore. But the beat was captivating and I was spell bound.

I won’t lie. I am part of the shallow ones who get carried away with the beat and not mind the words. Take Rema’s Charm for example. I know he is selling lust and all but that beat isn’t something one can ignore 😫

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Lol, we just love sounds

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Music has really deviated from what is it supposed to be in our days. I thought I am the only one that often visit lyrics to see what I feed my soul with😊. These days people sing for the money and not passion, people sing to get famous instead of sending messages. It's just so unfortunate that some of these things may never go to normal again. Our pray is that it changes in the next era.

#dreemerforlife #dreemport

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Smile
I doubt if it'll go back to normal. Decadence is taking over the music industry

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Tor let's keep hoping for good days, maybe we may stumble on one😂

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Yeah, we hope

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LoL.. boss, that your hope Sha🚴😂

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Udeme na my best friend pankolo
I just wan siddon dey shack kololo

Hahaha, you weren't informed? 😂

The only thing that sells music in this modern time is beats no longer lyrics.
If your best isn't captivating and sharp, it's going no where.
That's why I find it difficult to listen to some of these songs because they have no damned meaning.

#dreemerforlife

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Hahaha. Unfortunately I wasn't informed but now I am

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Comparing the songs of the 80's, the 80's were more heartfelt and deep with a lot of meaning while today's music is just one to flow with the vibe. Thank you for sharing this with us.

#dreemeforlife.

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Music is meant to uplift the soul. Oldies or new, music should make the listeners soothed but like you have pointed, music of this era sometimes shifts from its purpose.

#dreemerforlife

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