I like to watch metal/rock videos on a certain website that offers a vote of either "like" or "dislike". And most of the time I read the first page of comments on the video I'm watching. What I see a lot fo the time are people complaining about those who vote the dislike option and blame it on Just Bieber fans. The comments are endless with Beiber hate and for a while I just laughed and carried on.

Then I relaized something, its not that people should be mad at Bieber for ruining music or posting dislikes, its that people should understand todays generation of kids. I myself am not a Bieber fan because I dont like pop music or most rap today. The thing is, its what is the most popular these days and has been for over a decade now.

Here's my story ~

Back in the 80's I was so in love with Metallica that I often drew pictures of each of the band members and taped them to my bedroom walls. Anything I could find that was metallica in any magazine I was on it like white on rice. I loved this band like no other from metal up your *** (kill em all) to Master of Puppets, and even the Black album. Then, one day, I started to notice not long after the Black album how many 10-12 year old kids were wearing oversized black Metallica t-shirts. This really bothered me and I immediatly stopped wearing my Ride The Lighting and And Justice For All t-shirts (my fav's).

This kind of music at the time was still fairly popular and in the end my fav band went mainstream....I was devastated. However, looking back on this now I know its just a change of the times so we just have to ride it out. We cant hate the Bieber's, Gaga's, and Lil Waynes of the world because if it wasnt for them someone else would have taken their place at the top because that's what todays genration of kids like and want.

Does today and the future look bleak for metal/rock music? yes it does, without question, but I still have many favorites that will last me a life time even if the genre never comes back.

We do? I don't. I may not like their music or their commercial attitude, but I don't know enough about any of them to dislike them as people.

To hate something because it's mainstream is silly. Bieber doesn't ruin all the good music out there, just like Metallica's later albums don't make the old ones any worse. Like it if it's good, dislike it if it's not, and quit whining.

That advice is for people in general, don't think I'm attacking you or anything.

Interestingly, I'm in an electronic music class right now, taught by student professors. The first day we just listened to some songs, all of them experimental noise and field recording things. Yesterday we had a lesson on psychoacoustics. Guess what was played as an example? Usher. And it was good. Doesn't matter who made it, whether it's mainstream pop or experimental noise. Good music is good music.

No it doesn't. Not even remotely.

I think there's a few reasons people "hate" pop music, but since I don't feel like writing an essay about it I'll just say that I think it essentially boils down to resentment.

Becuase so many people have phones, ipods, and other crap, but dont know how to use headphones. And since pop is so damn popular, I was forced to listen to it for ages on the bus to/from school.

I dont care much about the singers (except lady gaga, I dislike her more than others), its the fans that have most of my hate.

It's because they smell of wee.

Er anyway, people have always hated pop music. I think by its very nature, it's the ubiquity that gets on a lot of people's nerves, whether it's too much airtime that irritates or just not wanting to be at one with the plebs. Or in some cases because it's just irritating crap in itself.

I hate it because its all singing about hokers and stuff like that.

Kids like what marketing tells them to want. If the marketers wanted to push people into listening to different music, they would.

I Remember when Deep Purple albums had 'Popular : file under pop groups' on the cover.

Anyway, OT, I agree with Vometia, sometimes it is just crap. Would never stop liking something because it was popular, only because it's rubbish. I often wonder if fans who use the phrases 'sold out', 'gone mainstream' and 'that's after they went all commercial' are really saying 'oh no, I don't get to give myself kudos for being part of such an exclusive club anymore'.
What really matters? The next generation suddenly wearing the t-shirts because it's 'cool', or the sound coming out of the speakers?

I don't hate pop music or their artists. I like some songs I dislike others, but I don't see any reason to go around hating on the music. Like for instance all the Justin Bieber haters, I'm no fan of him and I don't like his music, but I respect him nonetheless because he seems like a good guy with good values and such. I don't find any reason go around mocking him or any other pop artists for that matter. People have always hated pop music, and it's always gonna stay that way. There are many pop artists I have no respect for, and alot of songs are plain bad, but they produce what the masses want.

What I dislike about the mainstream music today though is that theres too many party songs. I hear them everyday everywhere, and whenever I'm at an actual party listening to it I hope im drunk enough to don't bother.

i really don't like them because they are new, songs need to survive for decades in order for them to be categorize as a good song for me, and there are many songs that have survived a long time and are still popular today.

That's a depressing viewpoint on good music. Do you allow yourself to listen to anything made in the last decade, or is it not good enough yet?

that's because new songs are generally over rated because they are new, so good songs need to be about what sounds good, not what is popular today.

Are you aiming for some sort of objective "good", based on universal acclaim and longevity? I think that's the wrong way to go about art in general.

The sound coming out of the speakers of course. I didnt fall in love with their cover art. people like to represent what they love, but for Metallica they changed significantly in the early to mid 90's and that's what mattered to me. When their music changed so did the age bracket of their listeners. I dont look at a band like you would a sports team if they svck you still wear the jersey, but if a band changes everything it once stood for, for what you came to love about them, why continue to honor that?

I hate modern music simply because i dont like it.

Some singers are good (Bieber needs to grow a [censored] pair and get some meat on his bones though) but their music is bad, the lyrics aren't witty and are very generic (see "I'm sixy and I Know it") and are usualy about partying, getting wasted having six or all three.

And radio edits are hypocritical, they let "I'm sixy and I know it" (terrible song by the way) go uncensored, yet they censor the word "six" in "The Lazy Song," and censor "gun" and "bullets" in "Pumped Up Kicks," a song pretty much centering around the fact he has a gun that shoots bullets.

well i don't, i think it is a good way to understand why certain things can be considered more pleasant than others.

Wouldn't it be better to do this on a personal basis? As in, listen and judge for yourself without concern for popularity or age?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't use AllMusic reviews to direct my exploration, but I don't let the number of stars tell me how much I should enjoy something. And if their reviews are any indication, old songs can be just as easily overrated.

no, because my opinion can be bias on my personal experiences, it has to be something that we can all agree to.

But enjoyment of music is purely subjective. You can objectify and debate specifics, such as composition and mastering, but you can't ever apply a rating that everyone can agree on. We all have different tastes.

This, pretty much. There will always be "pop" music and it will always be popular. It's accessible, easy to digest, cross-marketed, and it's everywhere. A lot of people aren't looking for a new sound, deeper meaning, complex arrangements, something that speaks to their personal narrative, etc. Their tastes are simple and they're perfectly happy to buy the manufactured media that the industry is trying to push. It's a phenomenon that extends in to pretty much all areas of pop culture.

As far as hating them...I think in a lot of cases that's just an overreaction to the desire to let people know that you're not into what's popular...that you're "deeper," "not a sheep," etc. I think it's the same reason a lot of young men hate on gay people...if they hate on them it's like telling everyone, "hey, look at me over here not being gay!"

So even if you've heard a song and quite like it, you'd be willing to change your mind about whether or not it was good based on what other people thought of it?

I think what he means is he wouldn't consider it a 'good' song, but he would like it. Good meaning critic wise

I like whatever sounds good, be it pop (hey I'll even say sometimes I like Rebecca Black's "Friday" as horrible as it may be sometimes it makes me smile and I literally sing it in my head every Friday...and if I didn't 50 other people walking around would be anyway) or anything.

But that's irrelevant, as this song is about whether we like (or hate) things, not whether or not they're good.

Although to be honest I don't really see the difference. But if I did...

The problem is you say "we". if so many people hate it, then why are they the cause of all the dislikes, why is pop music the most viewed, if so many hate it.

I don't like that type of music but I don't hate it.