I agree that there is a bit of a cyclical nature to the homogeneity of music, but the homogenisation we've seen in the last 15 years has been unprecedented in modern times. It's not just the genres, it's also the people involved in the industry. The number of top flight producers is much smaller now than it was 20 years ago, and those producers are involved in almost all the mainstream chart music. The number of writers is smaller, and the music gets produced in a similar way, lessening the importance of musical ability by the artist.
My personal theory is that the movement away from 'record stores' has really killed discoverability of new music and genres, and most of the new platforms just feed you more of the same music you already listen to.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next decade, you may be absolutely right about a backlash against the ultra-commercialised nature of some of our modern toys.
My personal theory is that the movement away from 'record stores' has really killed discoverability of new music and genres, and most of the new platforms just feed you more of the same music you already listen to.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next decade, you may be absolutely right about a backlash against the ultra-commercialised nature of some of our modern toys.