Why is the music in star trek only classically.

[scotpens]

In Star Trek, everyone prefers instrumentals because singing usually ends in disaster. Nobody wants a repeat of the Lullaby Incident.

Or Leonard Nimoy singing “Maiden Wine.”

 

[Sci]

As long as the music matches the scene, any genre can work. However as much as I love rock, I don't view a rock approach to Star Trek as superior to a more classical or jazz approach as you appear to.

I'm not saying that a "rock approach" to Star Trek is superior to a more classical or jazz approach. On the contrary -- I'm musically promiscuous. I think that there's no hard and fast rule either way -- there can be a place for rock, there can be a place for jazz, there can be a place for classical, there can be a place for rhythm and blues, there can be a place for swing, there can be a place for hip hop, there can be a place for show tunes, there can be a place for folk, there can be a place for ragtime, there can be a place for damn near any style of music.

It just depends on the story being told.

But I reject utterly the notion that any particular style of music is somehow not "right" for Star Trek.

 

[KJbushway]

Excatly, not one kind of music is wrong for star trek. Most people listen to music becuase it either tells their story, it lets them escape, its a form of art to them, and becuase it belongs to the people they inspire to be. As a whole not everyone listens to all the forms of classical music. Yes its art, but it doesn't really fit into any of those other catergories. I mean I could see that Harry Kim off of voyager listened to classical music, but on the other hand Tom Paris doesn't seem to be the person who likes to listen to instruments other than guitars or drums.

 

[Myasishchev]

But Chekov was a complete Bieber fan, just look at the way he styled his hair to appear just like Justin (**sigh**).

Chekov was rockin' to the Monkees--a Russian inwention.

"HЗУ, HЭЧ, ШЗ'ЯЭ THЗ MФИКЭЗS!"

The Mfikehzs sucked. Such a ripoff of the Byedtlzs, with none of the aspiration.

I'd argue that rock could work in Star Trek, but there are some fundamentally different creative conceits that Trek would need.

For one thing, in general, Star Trek would need to be acted and filmed in a way that's less overtly stately, less reserved, less sanitized. Rock is inherently a visceral sort of music, and modern Trek -- basically anything from the Berman era -- tends to be averse to that which is visceral. If Trek is more emotional, rock can work.

And that's the key, really -- making Trek more emotional, less stoic. That's why it really worked to have the Beastie Boys in ST09 -- because J.J.'s new adaptation is much more visceral, isn't as afraid of human emotion, isn't as sanitized and self-consciously stately, as Berman-era Star Trek. It's much more human, that way, and rock'n'roll fits better as a result.

And if you do that, that opens the doors to a lot of good, time-tested rock'n'roll that can be used effectively. The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Led Zepplin, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Mowtown, Jimmy Hendrix, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Queen, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the Who, Aretha Franklin, the Police, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and the Beatles -- especially the Beatles -- are all wonderful artists whose work covers a wide emotional and intellectual range. They can all be called upon in an episode or film for use as emotive, commentary-laiden music, or even as music within a scene if you have a character who's familiar with the mid-to-late 20th Century a la Tom Paris. More modern artists like Alanis Morrissette or Sarah McLachlan could also be used, though it would be important to use them much more sparingly -- if it's an artist who hasn't been thoroughly established as a genuine classic like the ones above, I'd suggest that it's generally a bad idea to use a recently popular song, and that it would be better to use a lesser-known song than one that's been a big hit in the last several years.

A prospective problem with that (besides royalties) is that using even relatively contemporary-to-the-audience music highlights the absolute dearth of contemporary-to-the-characters' music.

Even if it is a completely unfair thing to ask someone to create an entirely new genre of music for a television show.

Interestingly, the easiest way to get away with a portrayal of future music is by making it sound like utter shit (ala Children of Men). Alien music would also be most convincing by sounding like garbage, and would have even more reason to, given that there's no particular reason why aliens would have the same auditory range limits as human ears, or employ the same musical logics as human cultures.

Not that I disagree with you in principle. When someone in the 24th century says they like Bach, the question should come up whether they mean the German dude or frontman of Skid Row.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I think it makes sense that adults would still be listening to classical music more than any other kind in the 24th century, because at this point in time, it's some of the oldest music that is popular with adults. History suggests it will likely continue to be for several hundred years. I prefer rock music, but the fact is, we haven't seen it endure for hundreds of years yet.

 

[KJbushway]

thats becuase it hasn't been around a full hundred years yet.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I know, that's part of my point...at the time the Star Trek shows were broadcast, we had not seen rock music remain popular for a hundred years or more yet, while classical music has already done just that. I'm not saying it's because rock music can't, it just hasn't yet.

 

[KJbushway]

Well actually when rock came out in the 50's it was more popular to the youth, so even though star trek came out in the 60's rock in just 10 years had become a hit all around the world, rock itself is very popular. While yes classical has been around longer, you have to remember that it came first and also that its the older generations that liked it, basically because that was really the only thing. Now once the younger generations of today get old, I guarantee you that it will be the music of today that they listen to. Classical music just isn't as popular as it used to be, it will still be around but it will be far from number 1.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Roll Over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news

 

[JarodRussell]

True. Yes, but how come there wouldn't be new music like that in that time. A 24 century lady gaga for example.

Because nobody liked "Jedi Rocks" in the Return of the Jedi special edition.


Classical music pieces are cheaper to use than contemporary songs. I think that's the basic reason.

 

[Deckerd]

Well actually when rock came out in the 50's it was more popular to the youth, so even though star trek came out in the 60's rock in just 10 years had become a hit all around the world, rock itself is very popular. While yes classical has been around longer, you have to remember that it came first and also that its the older generations that liked it, basically because that was really the only thing. Now once the younger generations of today get old, I guarantee you that it will be the music of today that they listen to. Classical music just isn't as popular as it used to be, it will still be around but it will be far from number 1.

There have always been popular songs. Perhaps not as many as there are now because of mass communication but rest assured people have been singing songs at gatherings (and I don't mean hymns), in pubs, in the playground and soldiers marching to obscene lyrics since civilization began.

 

[Gary7]

I assume the OP is referring to music played by characters, rather than the soundtrack. There are a few cases where you see some rock music. Tom Paris in Voyager shows this a number of times, although he is remarked as being the only person on board who likes it.

In Star Trek, everyone prefers instrumentals because singing usually ends in disaster. Nobody wants a repeat of the Lullaby Incident.

Thanks for that link--pretty entertaining. I didn't realize Weyoun was so popular.

Or Leonard Nimoy singing “Maiden Wine.”

I wonder if that showmanship of vocal talent was the impetus for him doing this attrocity: Nimoy sings about Bilbo.

 

[Listener4]

Creating a believable 24th century artistic culture is almost impossible.

Most of the characters on Star Trek are shown as very cultured, intellectual people.

But while they have been shown listening to classical, I can't recall them listening to medieval or renaissance music, or contemporary classical.

 

[I am not Spock]

To be fair, they did try some variation, depending on the character's music taste. We had Picard with his Berlioz, Riker with his jazz, Paris with his 50s rock n roll, Tuvok with his Vulcan funeral dirges, Worf with his Klingon opera, the Doc's son in Real Life with his Klingon industrial metal, etc.

It's true that classical music is easier to get without having to pay royalties. But gee, the Federation does seem like a dictatorship. Is there really no one that listens to rock music in the 24th C? Have the Feds banned all aggressive music, like Slayer or Anthrax?

 

[Anwar]

I...don't see how that makes them a dictatorship. It just means that out of the folks we've seen, they listen to that stuff. Not seeing folks listening to it doesn't mean they don't.

Hell, maybe WWIII destroyed a lot of the recordings of those types of music.

 

[ichab]

Classical music tends to stand the test of time while the others you mentioned do not. I'm glad that the producers went in that direction.

 

[Shatnertage]

To be fair, they did try some variation, depending on the character's music taste. We had Picard with his Berlioz, Riker with his jazz, Paris with his 50s rock n roll, Tuvok with his Vulcan funeral dirges, Worf with his Klingon opera, the Doc's son in Real Life with his Klingon industrial metal, etc.

It's true that classical music is easier to get without having to pay royalties. But gee, the Federation does seem like a dictatorship. Is there really no one that listens to rock music in the 24th C? Have the Feds banned all aggressive music, like Slayer or Anthrax?

I read that as "Vulcan funeral orgies." Started to wonder just when we'd seen that before I read it right.

 

[Barbra45]

The star Trek character's live in a Utopian Society. I really don't Think that they would get the Lyrics of Rock&Roll or even Country Music. It would go clean over thier heads.

 

[Anwar]

Why not? They listen to Jazz and Swing music.

 

[KJbushway]

I wouldn't call the federation a Utopia. Look at the timelines, its not perfect, close but not close enough.