On Monday, 1 July 2013 09:47:26 UTC+1, yttiw wrote:
On 2013-07-01 01:40:25 +0000, Tudor Hughes said: snip But why do you get sixty-somethings who are still besotted by The Beatles? Pathetic! Presumably, you are implying that music has moved on since the days of Rocky Raccoon and Yer Blues? But if you take that attitude to extremes, why are other sixty somethings still besotted with music that was produced before the Beatles, i.e. Beethoven or Mozart? (and yes I am aware of the obvious kneejerk response that I will get to that question; however no individual can successfully re-create the effect that certain combinations of musical notes has on the brain and emotions of any other individual, thus rendering musical snobbery useless)

I don't think pop music has improved in the last 50 years. It certainly can't move very far or it will lose its audience, which says something. The point is I simply got bored with it and got interested in many other forms. Here's one end of my spectrum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V88PrOuQbgM

The other end could be a Chopin Nocturne, say, and there's much in between. All this is so much more stimulating in a variety of ways whereas pop just dulls the senses, I find. The only use I have for it is as nostalgia. Duane Eddy and his Twangy Guitar! I should point out in my defence that I was only about 16 at the time.
In 1959 Dave Brubeck's Take Five got to No. 1 in the charts (the B side "It's a Raggy Waltz" is better in my opinion). That would never happen now - no words and far too abstract. There's been a dumbing down, just like BBC weather forecasts. Now now!

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.