What happened to Britain? - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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By noemon
#14904935
Great Britain aside from being an Empire up until the 1960's, were a cultural Empire all the way down to the 2000's.

Cool Brittania was the place to be during the 90's and 00's. She was churning out everything that was cool in western pop culture, Massive Attack, Oasis, Prodigy, Guy Ritchie, Danny Boyle, Ridley Scott, Charlie Chaplin, London even managed to compete with Paris in fashion shows and Michelin restaurants during the 00's.

What do think was the recipe that brought out this cultural Golden Age which I would say peaked between the 60's-00's? And why did it run out of steam?
#14904942
As long as the old chaps carry on performing. Cannot think of any new ones taking their place however.
By noir
#14904943
noemon wrote:
What do think was the recipe that brought out this cultural Golden Age which I would say peaked between the 60's-00's? And why did it run out of steam?


Talking about music and pop culture maybe it's something to do with your youth and the music of today doesn't say to you anything. Of course, I can't be sure but this thread is going to be interesting


@Potemkin
@Decky
@Rich
#14904946
Yes that is correct, it does have to do with my personal tastes but as a music lover scouting around for good music, I can certainly say that music production in Britain has declined significantly both in terms of the variety of music genres being produced and also the number of artists within each music genre.
#14905639
noir wrote:Talking about music and pop culture maybe it's something to do with your youth and the music of today doesn't say to you anything. Of course, I can't be sure but this thread is going to be interesting


@Potemkin
@Decky
@Rich

Well I'm honoured that my opinion has been requested, although I'm not sure I'm really qualified to say anything worthwhile on this subject matter. Anyway my opinion:

Art is about is restriction, containment. (Note to self, try and remember that when you design code). So the creative explosion of the British sixties music scene came from placing American Black music in the claustrophobic, small minded, parochial culture of sixties Britain, whether it was the emotional sterility of a British public (meaning private) school or the harsh dirty upbringing of a Midlands Steel town.

John Peel only ever asked for two musicians autographs: Jimi Hendrix and Lightnin Hopkins.
By noir
#14905644
Do you know if new British music still popular in the world as it used to be when each single by obscure band from Manchester was treated as if it's a gospel? How did the British people, who is rather small and insular people, feel with their enormous popularity?
#14905646
noemon wrote:What do think was the recipe that brought out this cultural Golden Age which I would say peaked between the 60's-00's? And why did it run out of steam?

CDs and DVDs ... Killed the Music biz and the Movies. Rap music didn't help things either.

Zam 8)
#14905655
Zamuel wrote:CDs and DVDs ... Killed the Music biz and the Movies. Rap music didn't help things either.

Zam 8)

Modern media and the internet have destroyed the traditional business model of the music industry, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
#14905663
noir wrote:I've never understand the cocept of singles. Bought very few in my life. What is the point to buy a single and not wait for the LP record/CD?

Youth ritual, group identity, fantasy reality ... marketing and $$$.

Zam
#14905665
Potemkin wrote:Modern media and the internet have destroyed the traditional business model of the music industry, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The music business was a meat market (publishing is the only thing I know that's worse). But (big but) it stimulated the art and the artists. That's what has died.

Zam 8)
#14905682


Blur, Pulp and Oasis in the mid-1990s are replaced with Ed Sheeran, Little Mix and Dua Lipa nowadays. Recorded music sales in the United Kingdom rose by over 10 percent in 2017 and British pop music is not dead yet. Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé's "Perfect" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks in January and Ed Sheeran is leading the British charge.
By noir
#14905683
Zamuel wrote:Youth ritual, group identity, fantasy reality ... marketing and $$$.

Zam


But where did you keep all these singles if you also bought the LP? Did you listen to them again after couple of years?
#14905693
noir wrote:But where did you keep all these singles if you also bought the LP? Did you listen to them again after couple of years?

Those were the days ... Record stores and radio stations used to print 1/2 sheet (4x11) "top 40" lists and distribute them for free. As I recall most singles were $.99. Albums were for "grown ups." You usually "grew up" when you discovered sex (13-14). Then shopping malls and "underground FM" arrived and the old mom and pop record stores died.

Zam
#14905696
I concur music is getting worse but then I am getting old.

In terms of influence globally I think we declined some time back. Led zeppelin, pink floyd, Bowie etc totally dwarf the cool Britain’s oasis, blur or spice girls in terms of global fame.

Ed Sheehan and one direction are pretty big in money terms right?

So I’m not totally sure there is a decline in terms of Britain’s music output in terms of global market share between say 1997 and today. Without a doubt there is from the 60s, 70.s or maybe 80,s.
#14905699
The problem with the technology/internet change explanation is that if it affected the UK, it should also affect everywhere else. Yet global culture as a whole continues to thrive. There doesn’t seem to be a slowing of music, art, etc in America or Asia.

If the UK has contracted culturally, and this needs to be established. Certainly the UK has contracted in non entertainment culture. The RN is a shadow of its former self. UK NGOs are a joke these days. Should I mention UK politicians?

The UK does seem to be a culture in decline. Typically a culture goes into decline when they lose power and then lose confidence.

Have the British lost confidence in themselves?
By noir
#14905703
Zamuel wrote:Those were the days ... Record stores and radio stations used to print 1/2 sheet (4x11) "top 40" lists and distribute them for free. As I recall most singles were $.99. Albums were for "grown ups." You usually "grew up" when you discovered sex (13-14). Then shopping malls and "underground FM" arrived and the old mom and pop record stores died.

Zam



Many of the singles were trashy pop that were fine for the moment they hit the radio. What did you do with this dated "hits" after couple of months? Did you throw them or kept them like the LP's?
By noir
#14905707
@ThirdTerm posted awful song, burlesque style with mediocre singer and lesbo chic to lure the horny men. Is it the best of current British pop?

How can you compare it with this gem? People used to dream to live in this magic Britain.

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