Was 2015-2017 a golden age of music?

[Nycboy 987]

I’m so bored with music lately that I’ve been reminiscing of 2015-2017 when there was such diversity and interesting music out there, especially partying music, that appealed to many demographics. Put simple, the GP-favored music back then was for the most part good. Not only that, it was easy to find music back then with a cool factor. There was good dance pop music. I’m not really a fan or rap but somehow I liked it back then too. I normally don’t like Bieber and Drake for example, but they actually had some good songs back then. When I invite people over these days, I literally have no idea of what music to play, but in 2015-2017 I feel like I had such cool playlists that appealed to both straights & gays. Anyone else feel the same?

Back then we had:

Pop: Ariana’s Dangerous Woman, Bruno Mars, Lorde’s Melodrama (also ARTPOP was still kind of new), fun dance singles like This is What You Came For or Sia songs, Bieber x DJ Snake, Chainsmokers had a few earworms even if they were bad, some cool Tove Lo songs, Purpose by Bieber (and I hate Bieber!), a random Zara Larson dance track. Some Selena songs. And there were GREAT remixes of a lot of these songs.

R&B: Rihanna’s Anti, The Weeknd when he was way edgier and cooler, Frank Ocean!, Lemonade

Rap: Kanye’s Pablo, some good Drake songs (and I hate drake!), some good Kendrick songs, rise of Cardi B, lil uzi had a couple listenable songs 

Chill: Adele’s 25, Lana’s Honeymoon and L4L (even ultraviolence was still new), Gaga’s Joanne

Alternative: the XX, Tame Impala  

These days when I have people over what am I supposed to play? Chromatica/Future Nostalgia, which only appeals to gays and is almost 2 years old? Lorde and Kacey’s releases, which have zero cool factor or GP appeal? Jessie Ware, who I love but nobody knows? Dawn of Chromatica, which is super niche? Blue Banisters, which is good but very quiet? Billie Eilish is the only artist I can think of that put out some “cool” songs that appeal to the GP and is listenable to both straights and gays.  
 

give me recs! my playlists are struggling. 

[GAYHEMikey 7,559]

I had the same thought just that I think pop music peaked again from 2013-2015

like we had ARTPOP, Bangerz, Prism, Bey and overall the charts weren’t that boring 

[LateToCult 40,169]

No. Not even close. Most of the artists you listed have had much better albums that have overlapped in the past like 21/TFM/Loud/MBDTF/DW&H in 2009-2011ish

[FfFfFfFF 54,370]

7 minutes ago, LateToCult said:

 21/TFM/Loud/MBDTF/DW&H in 2009-2011ish

Why does this sound like the stan equivalent of computer coding?  

[Bat 6,162]

25 minutes ago, Nycboy said:

Ariana’s Dangerous Woman

Hands down still one of the best pop albums of the last 10 years.

[Mark 4,065]

I think we're just getting older (ft Billie Eyelash). I got off pop music post 2017-ish, just because the trap pop was getting more dominant and it just wasn't my cup of tea. A few of my exceptions were the pop gals like Gaga, Katheryn, Riri (RIP music), and the likes. But they aren't as mainstream anymore.

I did find myself diving into this whole genre of kpop now where it had similar sounds from the mainstream pop that I used to like.

I cannot wait when mainstream pop goes into the part of the cycle where it was in the late 2000s tho. At the meantime, I'll hope off pop and enjoy the new genres that I thought I'd never like.

[Mark 4,065]

Also, I just wanna say how I really relate to OP's struggles. It's funny because I find myself to not be the only one.

[Nycboy 987]

21 minutes ago, LateToCult said:

No. Not even close. Most of the artists you listed have had much better albums that have overlapped in the past like 21/TFM/Loud/MBDTF/DW&H in 2009-2011ish

I agree with you that 2009-2011 was a great time for music. To me, that period reminds me of amazing pop music, but 2015-2017 reminds me more of diverse genre blending between pop, R&b, dance, and newer sounds like trop house and mumble rap. music felt cool to me during those years. 

[ObezyankaNol 3,069]

2015 was the year these masterpieces came out so yes

 

 

[Blastertoyo 22,728]

2 hours ago, LateToCult said:

No. Not even close. Most of the artists you listed have had much better albums that have overlapped in the past like 21/TFM/Loud/MBDTF/DW&H in 2009-2011ish

Yea absolutely not to the OP

You also forgot Teenage Dream which reigned from 2010 to 2012 and Ke$ha and Nicki’s reigns peaked from 2009 up until 2014 ish too. Don’t forget Jessie J and Britney’s comeback with Femme Fatale.

2015 is what I always describe as the official beginning of the end of modern pop and the worst year for pop music in recent memory.

The absolute butt worst year end list and I literally could not stand the radio at this point

2017 also sucked a lot and was the year where the predominantly male reggaeton and trap aesthetic started to reign 

 

[Reject False Icons 4,714]

Nah it’s more 2008-2012 to me 

in 2013 the pop girls were visibly slowing down compared to previous years and every year after it was worse 

[Oyster 2,458]

I like this era of music but I’m cackling at how you labeled Joanne “chill” when diamond heart, a-yo, perfect illusion, and John Wayne are on it 

[enissa11 2,984]

no.

[PrincessGUY 388]

For me 2014/15 signaled the downward spiral of pop music

[AnglerfishbraBENUS 5,685]

59 minutes ago, Blastertoyo said:

Yea absolutely not to the OP

You also forgot Teenage Dream which reigned from 2010 to 2012 and Ke$ha and Nicki’s reigns peaked from 2009 up until 2014 ish too. Don’t forget Jessie J and Britney’s comeback with Femme Fatale.

2015 is what I always describe as the official beginning of the end of modern pop and the worst year for pop music in recent memory.

The absolute butt worst year end list and I literally could not stand the radio at this point

2017 also sucked a lot and was the year where the predominantly male reggaeton and trap aesthetic started to reign 

 

the first one is so bad lmao i can’t believe i lived during this time