Give me that old time rock and roll

Call me old fashioned, but sometimes I sit back and wonder how the American music industry somehow went from this to this.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm no traitor to the music of my generation. I do (although with guilt) enjoy top 25 music while dancing at a party from time to time. However, where have we gone when our top 25 is half filled with "rappers" reliant on auto-tune with names that sound like children's toys that were rejected from Mattel (Soulja Boi Tell 'Em)? Even Jay-Z, hip-hop's reigning king, has spoken out against such artists (see: "D.O.A. Death of Autotune").

Thinking back to the music of generations past, I wonder if our generation is making the same impact that my parent's generation did. Examining the current music scene, I see that almost unlikely. The 60s and 70s had music greats. So many that the list is seemingly endless. Elvis (although controversially) broke down barriers by taking the rock and roll from a subculture and bringing it to the masses. The Beatles need no explanation. The Jackson 5 presented a young Michael Jackson who would soon be a major component in the development of pop music. Even bands and artists like the Doors, Bob Dylan, Elton John, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen -- they all came from my parents generation. Every other artist that I can recall as being a household name (Madonna, Billy Joel, U2) are from the 80's. Most artists of my generation tend to be a household name until their name isn't on the iTunes top 100 anymore.

I understand fads happen with every generation. One hit wonders will always be around. But I can't deny that sometimes when I hear a song on the radio, I'm truly embarrassed for the modern music industry (see: "LOL Smiley Face"). I have even had my fair share of mistaken one hit wonders (a.k.a. People who I thought would be one hit wonders and weren't...Katy Perry).

I'm not going to lie, I heard "Just Dance" by Lady GaGa and I thought "Lady GaGa? Sounds like a one hit wonder." (See: I WAS WRONG). For a long time, I didn't want to like her. I thought, this woman keeps getting weirder and weirder the more famous she gets. This is her gimmick. She is only famous because people think she is weird, and therefore, intriguing and a "real artist." Again, I was wrong. Turns out, she had more than one hit than "Just Dance," and moreso, her songs were good! I do have to commend her on the fact that I believe she really will be an icon of our generation. Although I do still believe she is a commodity, I understand what she's doing. It's not a fake persona. It's performance art, and the woman is incredibly talented.

It's a shame that there are so many other talented artists out there who deserve America's attention, and yet, the airwaves of our radios are filled with music that has no musical depth, and won't even be on the radio, nor in the minds of America's youth in roughly 2 months. But are we at fault? Is our American consumerism (or compulsive iTunes purchases) the reason these artists continue to rules the airwaves? Or is it record label execs, where the bigger the label the more money, and thus more money to pay off stations to play a certain artist? There's really no way to be sure. Yet, tolerate it we must.

So the next time you're driving, do what I do -- flip on a pop station, realize you secretly hate every song being played (for the twelfth time that day), and switch over to the alternative (and in my case, Canadian) station, for some well crafted sweetness. (Or your ipod...Or hell, even try the classical station -- dare to be wild!)