How music dumbed down

Do you feel like they don’t make music like they used to? You might be right! International researchers have found that classical and jazz music have become simpler and more uniform since the mid-20th century and are now closer in complexity to genres such as pop and rock.

Slave to the algorithm

Most people stream rather than buy music today, but the recommendation algorithm used by services such as Spotify tend to promote more of the same to maximise engagement, making it difficult for new acts or non-mainstream music to break through.

Static and silence

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt turned 90 this month, but remains one of the most frequently performed contemporary classical composers in the world, so how does his music evoke such profound emotions and transcendent spirituality?

Glam tidings of joy

British glam rockers Slade made “Merry Xmas Everybody” a seasonal hit for the ages and it’s back in the charts this year.

Farewell transmission

He performed in bars and small town halls and drank himself to death in relative obscurity, but Jason Molina may just be the best American songwriter of his generation.

OK Computer

Australia’s live music scene is already suffering in the wake of COVID and the inflation crisis, but AI-generated muzak could put the industry under even greater pressure.

The year the music died

While megastars can still draw large crowds, other bands have struggled to find a live audience after the pandemic, spurring the Federal Government to launch an inquiry into Australia’s live music industry just two days before Splendour in the Grass was cancelled.

Retail music

Rasta reggae great Bob Marley died of cancer at just 36 years old, and those that profit from his estate have been shamelessly raking in money on the back of his name and revolutionary image ever since.

Remembering Tony Bennett

American crooner Tony Bennett drifted in and out of fashion over his long career, but he survived his contemporaries to become a much loved icon of the classic age of American song.

Remembering Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto’s sweet and sensual rendition of “The Girl from Ipanema” brought bossa nova to the world but she was never adopted by her home country of Brazil.

In praise of Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck was one of the most influential, inventive and talented guitarists in rock history, so what made him so good?

Can’t stop the music

Hell is other people’s music, particularly contemporary pop and rap, but the data generated by plays on streaming services offers insights into broader aspects of human preferences and memory.