Driving around with my daughter the other day, we tuned into the Top 40 radio station. It didn’t take long before I realized that today’s hits weren’t just new, catchy tunes — they were flashbacks. As each song played, I was transported back to the 80s and 90s. The piano chords, the drumbeats, and even the vocal inflections were all too familiar. Instead of fresh and new, it felt like a musical time machine. How did we get here? Is this recycled nostalgia the reason behind the decline in music sales, and is the same thing happening in other areas of entertainment? Let’s dig in.
Key points
Music Today: Familiar Beats, Lower Sales
It’s not uncommon for music to draw inspiration from the past. In fact, much of what we hear today is built on the foundation of 80s house music, 90s hip-hop, and pop hits from decades ago. Auto-tune, for instance, has become the industry norm, even if it still makes some of us a little seasick. But this reliance on the past raises an important question: Where’s the innovation?
Album sales have plummeted over the last few years. While Beyoncé’s new album selling a million copies may sound like a big deal, it’s a far cry from the numbers we saw just a few years ago. Streaming has become the dominant way people listen to music, but it’s not exactly a cash cow for artists. Musicians and songwriters are voicing their frustration about how little they earn from streaming, with many leaving the industry altogether.
In some ways, streaming is a vote of no confidence in the music itself. If people truly loved the music, they would buy it, wouldn’t they? The fact that people are content to stream instead of owning music speaks volumes about the current state of the industry.
The Film Industry: Sequels, Remakes, and the Lack of Creativity
It’s not just music that’s stuck in a rut. Hollywood is facing similar issues. The movie charts are filled with sequels, remakes, and reboots. While some have been wildly successful — think Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo — others have flopped spectacularly, like Independence Day: Resurgence. Many films hover somewhere in the middle, and box office numbers are nowhere near what they used to be.
Why are we seeing so many sequels and remakes? In part, it’s because Hollywood is playing it safe. With the high cost of producing a film, studios are less willing to take risks on original content. But this strategy has a downside. Audiences are growing tired of recycled ideas and are showing their dissatisfaction by staying home instead of going to the theater.
Books and TV: Are We Losing Interest?
Print book sales have seen a slight uptick in recent years, but e-book sales have dropped. The book market as a whole is shrinking, and even major chains like Barnes & Noble are feeling the effects. Their stores now feature more merchandising than ever, and some locations are even adding restaurants and bars in an attempt to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, cable TV providers are losing subscribers as more people cut the cord and turn to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. The problem with cable is that it offers a dizzying array of channels, most of which are filled with subpar content. This makes it difficult to find the few good shows hidden among the noise.
The Cultural Shift: Fragmentation and Economic Woes
These trends in entertainment are symptoms of a larger issue. Our culture is becoming increasingly fragmented, making it harder to mass-market anything. In the past, big movies, hit albums, and popular TV shows could dominate the cultural landscape. But now, with so many options and so much content, it’s nearly impossible for any single piece of entertainment to capture the public’s imagination on a large scale.
Economic factors are also at play. Many parts of America are still feeling the effects of the Great Recession, with Main Street businesses struggling and unemployment remaining high. College graduates are entering a shrinking job market with mountains of student debt. In this environment, people are less likely to spend money on non-essential entertainment.
Where’s the Vision?
The biggest pop culture phenomena of recent years — The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones — may be compelling television, but they don’t exactly inspire hope. Instead, they reflect a world in decline, where survival is uncertain and the future looks bleak. This lack of vision is troubling.
Where are the stories that inspire us to break out of the rut we seem to be stuck in? Historically, cultures reach a peak of technological and cultural advancement before imploding. We saw it with the Sumerians, the Akkadians, and the Babylonians. These societies rose to greatness, only to crumble under the weight of their own success.
Our current obsession with nostalgia could be a sign that we’re approaching a similar tipping point. Instead of looking forward and pushing the boundaries of creativity, we’re clinging to the past, hoping that what worked before will work again. But without vision and innovation, we risk stagnation.
The Vision Thing: Looking Forward
Ultimately, the change starts with us as individuals. While we can’t control what happens in the larger culture, we can control what we do. That’s why it’s so important to foster a personal vision. Books like Gordon White’s The Chaos Protocols offer practical ways to expand your vision and improve your personal circumstances.
Pop culture may be failing because it’s focused on pleasing the masses, but real change happens when individuals take risks, think outside the box, and push for something new. It’s time to break free from the nostalgia trap and start building a future that’s worth getting excited about.
