The Sun-Herald

If I made a snap assessment on the top selling albums and top singles alone, I would have to say 1969. However, I would say there are bland power ballads on top in 2009 and likewise some safe but boring easy listening crud in 1969. If I had to make an overall assessment I would say the music as opposed to music industry is very good in both years. In both cases the cream doesnt always rise to the top. The difference in 2009 is that no one really takes much notice of generic best of charts anymore

• by Derek on October 25, 2009 at 07:53 AM

Sure, the POP music of today is pretty uninspiring, and uninteresting. But, there is always gonna be music that's coming from the fringes, from independent record labels, from "the underground"...the music that is coming from these places in 2009, is as interesting and inspiring as anything being played in 1969 (some might say moreso).

But then again, I don't own a single album from your list of top selling albums of 2009 (and never will), but the 1969 list, reads like a xmas shopping list (minus the musicals).

• by Simon on October 26, 2009 at 06:51 AM

Times have certainly changed. None of the current list of songs will stand the test of time. We no longer need the radio for our music. It's a lot easier now to discover fantastic tracks from a catelogue that has evolved from a century of music making. Pop and classical tracks are great but the best music is to be found in the category of rock and roll, blues and jazz. Try Buddy Guy and B.B.King. There is also some really interesting Euro rock and jazz. For quality sound I recommend Natholie Soles and for something great but different; Morphine. The lyrics of contempory tracks are weak and uninspiring and many of the ideas seem to be inferior rip-offs of previous ideas. It beats me why radio offerings are so insipid, bland, uninspiring, mind dumbing and irritating. Itunes, utube and google offer infinite opportunities for music lovers away from mainstream pop. The 60's spawned some of the best music of all time. Current music relies on the visual performance.

• by Demos on October 26, 2009 at 07:42 AM

John Farnham should be sued for Breach of Promise but that's another story.
Do you think the charts in 1969 represented as many consumers who were cashed-up 12 and 13 year old girls as today's undoubtedly do?
I think if you go beyond the top ten charts the Music Industry has never been more interesting and complex and diverse. Perhaps the sheer scope of what's available in terms of music dilutes the sales figures and only what's the latest fad or flash in the pan registers as a hit.
Some of the best and most creative music is Australian and there's more serious and thoughtful stuff out there than you can poke a stick at but you'll not find it in the top ten. Gotta go look for it.
By the way, I was prepared to rubbish the 'Twilight' soundtrack's appearance in the charts as another example of saturation versus quality but on the way to work this morning I heard that it's TripleJ's Feature Album this week and has tracks by the likes of Thom Yorke and Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie so either they've all sold out and written watered down pathitic teenagey whiney lightweight songs for the 'Abstinence is Next to Godliness as Portrayed by Vegetarian Vampires' crowd or they've come to realise that making money and writing quality tunes don't have to be mutually exclusive. Might be worth a listen.
When Alan Jones' recent interpretation of 'I Am You Are We Are Australian' in collaboration with Andre Rieughhh appears in the top ten it'll be time to worry.

• by darren on October 26, 2009 at 08:45 AM

Tonto!!! Where were you in 69??? You must have missed the hidden messages in those classic hard-core bubblegum tunes.
"Simon Says"? "May I Take a Giant Step"? "1-2-3 Red Light"? "Down at Lulu's"? "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"? "Special Delivery"? "Jelly Jungle"?Plus the greatest hidden message song of 'em all - "Chewy Chewy"??? No-one did it the way we did it back in '69!

• by d@gp on October 27, 2009 at 09:16 AM

Saying the music of 1969 is the best and greatest and nothing else will ever compare is like saying touching the shoreline of a newly discovered continent is good enough why explore it further? The music of today is exploring uncharted territory as well as going over the same old tired and true formulae. A lot of rap might be crap, but don't judge it on a quick listen to Eminem. Try listening to 'Blackalicious' and then see what you think. People probably won't know who P!nk is in five years but they will remember the likes of Radiohead and The Shins and M Ward and Ron Sexsmith and The Mars Volta and Bjork and Augie March and The Lucksmiths and Battles and Sigur Ros and Kanye West (yes, Kanye West) and a thousand other artists of today because they're innovative and creative and some of them genuine geniuses as much as, say, Brian Wilson and John Lennon.
Young people (geez I feel old at 36) today have far broader interests in music which aren't reflected by top ten charts. TripleJ's recent Hottest 100 of All Time was voted on by 500,000 (youngish) people and many of the hits of yesteryear were in there as well as the more current ones. Because the criteria was quality not nostalgia.
The top ten charts reflect the tastes of squealing 12 year old girls and their middle-aged parents trying to figure out how to be cool and Michael Jackson fans who imagine a 'Best Of' album they're only making what 50 million of will be worth something in 20 years.
I have a lot more faith in the tastes of The Australia Music Listener than I have in the tastes of The Australian Television Viewer.

• by darren on October 27, 2009 at 11:26 AM

Nothing - but nothing has come up to the high standards of (the late) Bobby 'Boris' Pickett's "Monster Mash". The song was so good, it hit the number 1 position twice in two decades and enjoyed three releases - 1962, '73 and '90!

• by I Must Get a Life... I Must Get a Life... on October 27, 2009 at 02:07 PM