What's your top three list of things that's wrong with music in general these days? Is it the fact that it's not about the music anymore? Beefs with artists/labels etc.

Top Three and maybe reasons why please.

1. The recording industry has no vision (except to make huge profits).
2. The top selling artists have no talent.
3. The top record producers have no creativity.

I will add two things to this.

MTV - Video definitely killed the radio star.

The fans that are making the talentless top-selling artists top selling artists. Without the fans, the labels and producers would not be able to get away with the vast majority of what is being released. Label's are into cookie cutter mode when it comes to artists and recordings.

1.) Meet the New Technology/Same as the Old Technology
The world wide whatchamacallit is just pregnant with new and exciting ways to get different kinds of music out to different kinds of listeners. Instead, the emphasis seems to be on making every listener the same listener. I'm getting hammered every day with 'news stories' etc... about people I could not care less about. Meanwhile, I need to seek out the stuff I like just like I always did. Bands and smaller labels know the score, why can't the big labels? Cause they want me to buy Britney and Kid Rock regardless of if I like it or not.

2.)No Shelf-Life
I think one reason the majors have embraced teen pap and certain types of Rap is because of the lack of shelf-life these genres have (with notable exceptions) therefore the artist never really gets the big advances etc.. somebody new comes along...Lather Rinse Repeat.

3.) Something/Anything?
Here in the states there's this guy who has become a minor celebrity from being a losing contestant on our popular and lame Talent show "American Idol" He sings badly but enthusiastically. Sadly, I think the reason he caught peoples attention is because that tiny little drop of love for what he is doing shines like a million bald heads through all that jaded "talent". Sure, many sang better but this guy LOVES singing. Well, I think the love's gone out of the Biz in a big way or why would something like that stand out?

1 - Media consolidation has made in increasingly difficult for lesser-known bands to get heard. All that gets played are the same few popular bands, with a couple of newer ones that the labels have decided to make popular.

2 - Bands either take themselves too seriously, or they think that having a sense of humour means that they have to act like retards (nothing all to witty or sly). There's noting wrong with angst; it just can't be all that you do; the same is true with messing around and singing about nothing. You reallly need to be able to see the dark and light side of things to make a great band.

3 - Bands seemed to be neutered lyrically (at least the popular ones). There's nothing really controversial or edgy about them (except for the usual crap about sex and drugs, which are really more "controversial", meaning the only people that are really shocked are a few old grandmothers). Which is not to say that nothing interesting can be said about sex or drugs, just that the stuff coming out now really doesn't make an attempt to confront them in such a manner. I can't really think of anything recent that's actually made me think, or go "Wow, did I just hear that?"

I forgot to add at least for the U.S., Clear Channel, who now run 1000+ radio stations and they are all playing the same basic things in one way or another.

1) money
2) money
3) $$$$$


Edit : most of the reasons mentioned above ultimatly derive from money (and the human weakness of greed)

Wow...you hit the nail square on the head, there, Digger...not to mention you used a freakin' great album title to make your point...

when a rock star gets alot of money/fame, they go realy big headed ( Liam Galager for example ) , and the music changes !!!

1) More a Business than an art
2) A lot consumers aren't interested in music as art so much as music as a fashion excessory.
3) Homogenous. The radiostations, the music, the artist. All teribly redundant for the most part.