Is it normal that i think today's music will be totally forgotten in the future?

I too remember the Beetles in real time. My oldest sister went totally crazy as a fan for them.

While it seems that so many oldies are so good and will last forever... I'd like to point out that for every song from the 1970's - 1980's that you think is great; that there are at least 500 if not 1000 other songs that have been virtually totally forgotten about.

Really good music and songs last because they are really good, which is rare in any generation. How many other composers were there when Beethoven, Bach, etc. wrote their music. Hundreds. Who remembers them today.

I'm sure that a few of the current songs will be remembered in 50 years too.

I agree, the lyrics of most pop songs these days are just banal. They will have a resurgence in 8-11 years as “nostalgic tunes” but their lack of substance will prevent them leaving any lasting impact.

Of course rubbish music was pumped out in previous decades too but these days mainstream songs that evoke emotion are basically non-existent.

I'm ancient, and The Beatles were together when I first became aware of popular music. Since they were part of the landscape of my formative years, I can't be objective about their long-term relevance.

One thing I'm sure of is that there was a helluva lot of dross released way back then that's since been completely forgotten about. It's not like the only thing on rock stations back in the sixties and seventies is what you hear now on oldies stations.

So, yeah, I'm sure that just as was the case then, the vast majority of currently popular music will be rapidly forgotten. But I imagine some will resurface in a few decades when the kids of today get old enough for them to come down with a bad case of nostalgia, and it's possible you might then realise that some of it is actually pretty good. I know I now appreciate some artists that I didn't care for in my youth, and some of the music I liked back then no longer does much for me.

I haven't spent any time trying to track down the figures, but I'm sure another factor that must be working against the longevity of currently popular music is how there's so much more of it these days than there was before the dawn of streaming. Back in the sixties and seventies, the record companies were the gatekeepers of the music business, and they didn't invest in producing a record unless someone in the organisation believed they had commercial potential. Now, just about anyone can produce an album and success is as much about social media promotional skills as it is musicianship. The constant flood of new music has to mean that some really good stuff is getting swept by without many people noticing, while some stuff is popular for reasons that have little to do with the music itself.

I never cared fo da beatles. those niggas had it easy coz they were big fish in a small pond.
if you wanna talk about music that will last forever, speak about my niggas Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. those my bois, yeeyee!

The older will never be forgotten.

We chose to cherish the old memories.

Most music today is instantly forgettable and sounds the same. There are no true classics along the lines of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' or 'Yesterday' being written. I haven't listened to current music since 1990.

Music is unnatural and and serves no purpose.

I feel like most music from a decade ago has been forgotten. Music hasn't been original for a while. XD

Nah, there's important music from all eras in history. "Circles" by Post Malone has made history this year, so have a lot of female artists, K-pop is getting recognized as a valid genre here in the U. S., streaming platforms have made music and niche artists more accessible than ever, the list goes on. Just because you don't like the Top 40 doesn't mean there's nothing going on and there's nothing to be remembered.

No it’s just mainstream music, which has been crap since always.

im saying that its not normal just because i'm clinging to this idea of 85-year old me playing 100 gecs over and over again and my grandkids getting pissed that i keep playing "old people music"

on another note, i'm 19 and though i know of elvis and the beatles and whoever else, i don't go out of my way to listen to their music? everything i've heard from them, i've heard against my will. not saying that it's terrible, it's good music but i've only met one girl around my age say her favorite artist is elvis and good on her (she also has every movie that he's been in which is pretty cool.) i just think that the beatles will be forgotten just as beyonce will be forgotten and someone will take their places. also where is eminem?? genuinely worried for the guy

I'll listen and even enjoy today's music. Since my kind of music is instrumentals nearly every kind of music is enjoyable to me (not rap though since its 95% talking)

I disagree. Most mainstream music is utter shite, and always has been. Have a look through the charts from when they started back in the 50s. Look at all the number 1s. A lot of them are absolute crap, and stuff that you've probably not heard of. Young people go on about the 60s and 70s having all of this great music, which it did, but most of that stuff was never in the charts.

Basically what I'm saying is you have to go looking for good music. Sometimes good stuff pops up in the charts, but most of the time it's the shit that gets played. The shit you hear on the popular radio stations today is no worse than the shit they were playing 50 years ago.

One of my coworkers likes this song were the main verse is im a bad bitch over and over again. Like omg.. just fuvk off. She doesn't even discipline her kids yet she sings along to that.

I think that today's popular music will have negatively impacted most peoples ability to remember 50 years from now.

In 50 years, people will be listening to even crappier artists instead.

That's because literally all popular music today sounds the same. It's all identical, computer made music with the exact same beats, sound effects and melodies as well as crappy lyrics written by like 50 people because the "artists" are too lazy to write themselves. Of course it will be forgotten. There are no real pop icons nowadays such as Britney for example. I mean who will remember Ariana Grande lol. Lady Gaga could possibly be remembered because she has quite a few memorable songs plus she created a completely crazy image early in her career but still has enormous talent naturally so she doesn't blend in as much as the rest. But she is the only one I can think of which stands out at all. Well there's always Miley Cyrus but... Her songs are trash. Very forgettable and she didn't create a memorable image in a good way, she just came off the same way as when Britney had her mental breakdown, kind of. Not as liberated or edgy like she probably aimed for. There are of course many really talented artists and bands still today but they aren't in the spotlight, you're lucky if you come across them. I also think that many real artists just wants to create music, they don't care as much for fame, which is why they don't get as marketed and end up mainstream.
The Beatles are memorable because they did a new thing, kinda, and they didn't stick to one genre but did both pop and rock and they did so brilliantly. Made their own stuff, played their own instruments. They were real musicians, not like the boybands of today that probably has barely held a guitar and even less written a song.