Probably naive question about trends in pop

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Have pop records got more and more (and more) up-tempo over the last say two decades? In beats per minute terms, or whatever it's called? I listen to similar "like for like" songs, like maybe a Boyzone ballad from the 90s vs one by JLS nowadays, or a pop song by someone like Kylie as opposed to something by Lady Gaga, and modern records all seem much more faster paced. Even some old-school 'techno' stuff - 2 Unlimited, or the KLF - sounds almost pedestrian in comparison to, well, almost everything in the "dubstep" genre or whatever the kids call it.

Is this just me, or is there something in this? And if so, why?

[moolag]

Probably naive question about trends in pop

A lot of pop / 'R&B' records are produced with the likes of David Guetta, Benny Bannassi, who are basically electro house dj / producers. Rhianna, Chris Brown, Black Eyed peas, Nelly Furtado, Snoop Dogg, Nicole Schwerzinger,even J Lo getting in on the act now.

It has taken decades for 'rave' culture to hit the States and it finally went overground in the last few years. So I see it as a reflection of that.

I mean even Jay Z mentions mdma in 'New York'. It's a shame that for the most part it's basically watered down shite, but I guess that's the nature of the beast.

In the UK, the house / dance music 'scene' has been prevalent in pop from the word go - Stock Aitken Waterman latched on pretty quick, hence the Reynolds Girls 'I'd Rather Jack'. Even Rick Astley's hits were set to a house music beat.

Through the years the BPM of the club scene has been reflected in pop. Acts like KLF weren't really pop music (you'd probably call them a trance outfit) - it's just that their music got in to the charts because during that period, that music was the mainstream. Back then there were probably less BPMs on your average trance track. However at the same time in the clubs there was an abysmal sub genre - 'happy hardcore' which was extremely fast paced. Way faster than the vast majority of club music today.

Trance producer William Orbit produced Madonna's Ray of Light, which reflected the trance sound coming out of the clubs during that time (faster BPMs), then for her last album (?)she used Stuart Price - again, the electro production echoing what was being heard in the clubs back then.

Nowadays it's way more fragmented. Richard X, who produced Girls Aloud and the Sugababes used a drum and bass beat in their first single, Sound of the Underground, and then electro / house production. It could be that he influenced the current American sound.

So in answer to your question, it has gotten faster overall, but I think the pace has generally reflected the sound of 'underground'.