Shift in Pop Music?

[JonathonWally]

Now, let me start this off by saying that I never pay attention to Billboard's List, whether it be by album or song. But this week I'm absolutely shocked!

I'm sure most you would imagine what the Billboard Top 100 would be filled with, poppy teeny-bopper stuff, Britney, Jonas Brothers, and so on and so forth.

But low and behold, look who sits at #2 this week.

Billboard Top 200 albums March 2009

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Lamb of God at #2 on Billboard.

For those of you who have no idea who they are, which, I'm going to assume is all but a handful of us, they're one of the harder metal bands out there. They're not new either, they've been around a long time. Known as "Lamb of God" for 10 years now.

Wrath is their 6th studio album, and as far as I know, the only one to pop on billboard's charts. While I think it's a great album, I will be one of the first to admit that it isn't to everyone's liking.

Most of heavy metal heads are pretty niche in the grand scheme of pop music.

Anyone pick up this album? Any other fans of Lamb of God?

And as a general question to all, do you see a shift in pop music towards heavier rock?

I'm sure I could go on with a whole commentary on my views of the shift in rock and metal in the past 10 years, but I'll save that.

Here's a link to the first single off their latest album Wrath Set To Fail

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I don't know if it's just a phase. Unless of course it's a particularly good album that's struck a particular chord (you see what I did there? ) with a certain demographic at a certain period of time. We all thought this would happen back in 2003 when The Darkness dominated the UK charts for a while. It never came to fruition in the long term.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

I misread the thread title as 'Shit in Pop Music?' and I thought that summed it up quite nicely.

Actually I remember back in 2001, when the ultra shitness of UK pop music was just setting in, Stain'd were no.1 one week and Slipknot were no.1 the next - that was astonishing.

Lamb of God are all right not my cup of metal tea though. I like my metal more adventurous or melodic.

 

[JonathonWally]

I don't know if it's just a phase. Unless of course it's a particularly good album that's struck a particular chord (you see what I did there? ) with a certain demographic at a certain period of time. We all thought this would happen back in 2003 when The Darkness dominated the UK charts for a while. It never came to fruition in the long term.

Darkness had a lot of crossover and popular appeal though. Lamb of God though, very niche, moreso than Slipknot.

It would be hard for me to put down Slipknot and praise LoG because to most listeners they're going to sound the same.

Don't misunderstand me as being some kind of metal snob, I'm just saying to someone looking from the outside in the genre, they all kinda mesh together.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

Of course - it's the same with any genre of music someone has no interest. I, for instance, cannot tell one hip hop artist from another. Not that there's anything wrong with being a music snob of course

And I always put the Darkness' success down to novelty value. Which is all the charts here are anyway - club music and novelty songs mixed up with weak rock/pop singers.

 

[Pingfah]

I don't think this is that surprising, lots of niche bands have developed fervent fanbases that will all buy the album on day 1 and propel it to great heights briefly.

Take bands like Tool for instance, hardly what you would call mainstream, yet they can shift hundreds of thousands of copies in a single week, and then they burn themselves out sales wise almost immediately.

I think what we are seeing is the shift in communications, not the shift in people's tastes. People are very much aware of what is coming out and when now, as you no longer have to scour the music press to find out when you favourite bands have got an album coming out. It's resulted in the entire fanbase getting the record in the same week and high first week sales and chart positions, whereas in the past news of such albums has had to trickle through the fanbase slower. Overall sales are probably fairly steady though.

 

[Daedalus12]

Wrath is their 6th studio album, and as far as I know, the only one to pop on billboard's charts. While I think it's a great album, I will be one of the first to admit that it isn't to everyone's liking.

Most of heavy metal heads are pretty niche in the grand scheme of pop music.

Anyone pick up this album? Any other fans of Lamb of God?

And as a general question to all, do you see a shift in pop music towards heavier rock?

So is it time for us music elitists to move on to some new genre since metal seems to be already subsumed by pop music?

As for Lamb of God I am going to see them when they arrive at GA Tabernacle here in Atlanta on April 22. I am not a big fan of LoG but I've been attending as many metal concerts this year as I can. Just went to see Soilwork about 3 weeks ago in fact.

 

[JonathonWally]

I don't think this is that surprising, lots of niche bands have developed fervent fanbases that will all buy the album on day 1 and propel it to great heights briefly.

Take bands like Tool for instance, hardly what you would call mainstream, yet they can shift hundreds of thousands of copies in a single week, and then they burn themselves out sales wise almost immediately.

I think what we are seeing is the shift in communications, not the shift in people's tastes. People are very much aware of what is coming out and when now, as you no longer have to scour the music press to find out when you favourite bands have got an album coming out. It's resulted in the entire fanbase getting the record in the same week and high first week sales and chart positions, whereas in the past news of such albums has had to trickle through the fanbase slower. Overall sales are probably fairly steady though.

I agree, but I'll also say that TOOL has beed played on local radio stations here in the NYC area since the release of Undertow in regular rotation, whereas LoG have never made it out of a 2am specialty genre show.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just something I've noticed.

So far the past ten years have been very rock and metal heavy, a great time for the genre I think.

 

[sidious618]

Speaking of musical surprises I heard on the radio a week ago thatDon't Stop Believin' was the highest selling song on iTunes ever.

 

[JonathonWally]

Speaking of musical surprises I heard on the radio a week ago thatDon't Stop Believin' was the highest selling song on iTunes ever.

I believe it.

It's a great song man.

 

[stoneroses]

The Darkness are awful and always were. Nu metal sucks too.
The charts are filled with trash for the most part and the Kings of Leon have only got big by becoming boring like Coldplay. So whats new?
Boring and banal always sell well that is why the likes of Simon Cowell work with people like Leona Lewis.
I am happy when bands come from the bottom to the top of the charts even if I don't like them.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I don't find it that odd, really. It happens sometimes. Lamb of God is relatively mainstream, so it's not too much of a stretch. Pantera's debuted at no.1 before. I'd be more shocked if it was Behemoth or Darkthrone or something like that. But anyway, I love Lamb of God, and the new album is great.

 

[JoeZhang]

I'm a bit confused with the Darkness references - they were a cheesy 80s parody band for the pop market place? I don't see the relationship to the other band you mention. It's not like people took them seriously at any stage.

 

[Ashu]

They are the only ones on the list that I can actually listen to without wanting to gouge my eyes out, so seeing this makes me happy. Now, to just find a way to dispose of Nickelback and Im happy

 

[stoneroses]

They are the only ones on the list that I can actually listen to without wanting to gouge my eyes out, so seeing this makes me happy. Now, to just find a way to dispose of Nickelback and Im happy

Don't Get me started on Nickleback there 'Rock Star' is the dictionary definition of irony since it is one of the least 'rock' songs ever written. It's music for people who have no real understanding of what music is.

 

[JonathonWally]

Hell is an Eagles concert with Nickelback opening, for the rest of eternity.

 

[TheBrew]

I don't know if it's just a phase. Unless of course it's a particularly good album that's struck a particular chord (you see what I did there? ) with a certain demographic at a certain period of time. We all thought this would happen back in 2003 when The Darkness dominated the UK charts for a while. It never came to fruition in the long term.

Darkness had a lot of crossover and popular appeal though. Lamb of God though, very niche, moreso than Slipknot.

It would be hard for me to put down Slipknot and praise LoG because to most listeners they're going to sound the same.

Don't misunderstand me as being some kind of metal snob, I'm just saying to someone looking from the outside in the genre, they all kinda mesh together.

I don't listen to much Lamb, but I can easily hear the difference. It's really in the guitar work which is much more 'metal' than Slipknot and the singer is not as annoying. The drumming is also a bit more heavy. Small differences, but they add up to a lot IMO.

 

[Ashu]

Hell is an Eagles concert with Nickelback opening, for the rest of eternity.

Oh lord, please dont remind me of the fact that between this past saturday and april 6th ill have worked both nickelback, the eagles, britney spears, and beyonce.

 

[JonathonWally]

I don't know if it's just a phase. Unless of course it's a particularly good album that's struck a particular chord (you see what I did there? ) with a certain demographic at a certain period of time. We all thought this would happen back in 2003 when The Darkness dominated the UK charts for a while. It never came to fruition in the long term.

Darkness had a lot of crossover and popular appeal though. Lamb of God though, very niche, moreso than Slipknot.

It would be hard for me to put down Slipknot and praise LoG because to most listeners they're going to sound the same.

Don't misunderstand me as being some kind of metal snob, I'm just saying to someone looking from the outside in the genre, they all kinda mesh together.

I don't listen to much Lamb, but I can easily hear the difference. It's really in the guitar work which is much more 'metal' than Slipknot and the singer is not as annoying. The drumming is also a bit more heavy. Small differences, but they add up to a lot IMO.

Lamb's guitar work is much much better, Slipknot's is un-inspired shit. And I'm not even just talking solos, the main riffs, chorus', hooks, Lamb's guitar work is much more skilled.

And well ya, Lamb's drumming needs no explanation, it's just that good.

 

[TheBrew]

Darkness had a lot of crossover and popular appeal though. Lamb of God though, very niche, moreso than Slipknot.

It would be hard for me to put down Slipknot and praise LoG because to most listeners they're going to sound the same.

Don't misunderstand me as being some kind of metal snob, I'm just saying to someone looking from the outside in the genre, they all kinda mesh together.

I don't listen to much Lamb, but I can easily hear the difference. It's really in the guitar work which is much more 'metal' than Slipknot and the singer is not as annoying. The drumming is also a bit more heavy. Small differences, but they add up to a lot IMO.

Lamb's guitar work is much much better, Slipknot's is un-inspired shit. And I'm not even just talking solos, the main riffs, chorus', hooks, Lamb's guitar work is much more skilled.

And well ya, Lamb's drumming needs no explanation, it's just that good.

Well, I haven't heard much Slipknot, but I would call their guitar work just... terrible and more standard screamo guitar (which is to be as annoying as possible). Metal guitar, IMO, is hard, but also has a lyrical quality.

I haven't even thought of Slipknot in years... damn you.