Music and my theory

[jakobeast]

I had posted this in another thread, and thought it deserved it own thread. I also wanted other folks who don't wander into political threads often to read it.



A friend of mine looked at Presidents and music. For us metalheads, it is better to have a Republican in office. Going back to the 60's, it started with Kennedy being shot in '63. LBJ took over at the end of '63. the Beatles landed in '64. Along with the Rolling Stones and the hippie movement, music took a big leap, talking about more important things, things that touch and effect the lives of people. Whether you like the music or not,(I am not a big Beatles fan) it was a pivotal time in music.



Moving to the 70's, With Tricky Dick at the helm, Black Sabbath appeared. The godfathers of all metal, bringing power chords to the fore. Of course, there were other bands that had an edge to them, but Black Sabbath were bringing some dark imagery and scaring the normals. Personally, I also dig 3 Dog Night, but that is probably cause my Dad would occasionally wake me up with Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog blaring.



Enter Jimmy Carter. And bring on disco. Nuff said.



However, towards the end of his term, and the beginning of Reagan stint, punk exploded. Both here and across the pond. Punk rose in popularity, along with bands like Iron Maiden. The longer Reagan was in office, the more metal came out. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, the list goes on. You also get hair metal, death metal, and it just keeps branching off from there.



As G.H.W Bush takes over, metal hits a Peak. Also, grunge and alternative music are introduce.Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains take over. Some don't agree, but I feel they are part of metal. They have all the elements anyway. Interestingly at the same time, Machine Head and Fear Factory start to form. Machine head takes metal and brings it down. The down tune their guitars, and use baritone instruments to reach new sonic depths. Fear Factory took that industrial sound Nine Inch Nails brought to your ears and makes it truly a mechanized, driving force.



Enter Bill Clinton. During his term, America experienced arguably the best economic times in its history. However, it also drudged through some of the shittiest music, in my opinion. I couldn't stand Oasis. And the best metal to arrive at that time was Limp Bizkit. Ewwwwww.



A new millennium arrives, and so does a new leader of the Free world. With Bush in office, we see a proliferation of some of the heaviest, hardest metal yet. Couple that with technology, where people can record a professional sounding record at home, and internet file sharing, metal proliferates like it did in the 80's. Limewire, Napster, and other file sharing site are the new millenniums version of mix tapes. Killswitch Engage. Mastodon, Lamb of God, all just bring it to a new level. Hell, Gojira, from France of all places, take eco concerns and things that would please a hippie and and makes it cacophony to make you ears bleed.



With Obama in office, I haven't really been impressed with any new band. Would that change with Romney in the oval office? History says yes.











Can anyone add to this theory? Do you have your own music theory?

 

[winos5]

Its easier to rebel against the "man" when he's conservative. Gives fire to creative juices and what not.

 

[jakobeast]

Its easier to rebel against the "man" when he's conservative. Gives fire to creative juices and what not.

That's what I think, and the theory backs up. Republicans are seen as evil greedy beings by the left and the right sees Dems as big brother trying to make every one equal. I am not saying that good bands or music were not around during a Democrats time in office, just that it seems the heavier music enjoys more popularity without them.

 

[R K]

I think you were hit on the head very hard at a young age. But it def needed it's own thread.



Lunacy!



Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash...

 

[jakobeast]

I think you were hit on the head very hard at a young age. But it def needed it's own thread.



Lunacy!



Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash...

Won't disagree. However, those artists came around before '63. I am not saying those folks aren't, quite the contrary. Cash is the man. I was specifically talking about metal and the correlation between the President and the party he was affiliated with.

 

[R K]

Won't disagree. However, those artists came around before '63. I am not saying those folks aren't, quite the contrary. Cash is the man. I was specifically talking about metal and the correlation between the President and the party he was affiliated with.

I know where you went. I think correllating your "metal" aspect is stretching it to the very least. I guess everyone can have thier own philisophical explenations they create for theories. I don't buy it. I "comprehended" what you were trying to sell.



Explain Rap, hip hop, Jazz, several other types of music. How do they fit in your theory? And go even before "metal" came into existance, which is where I was going with it. How does that correllate with which "Party" is in office? Politics most certainly does not revolve around Metal or music. HOW EVER I would agree with you that certain times in history, influence music. Does that work the other way around, I'd have a hard time buying it.



Am I missing something here?

 

[jakobeast]

I know where you went. I think correllating your "metal" aspect is stretching it to the very least. I guess everyone can have thier own philisophical explenations they create for theories. I don't buy it. I "comprehended" what you were trying to sell.



Explain Rap, hip hop, Jazz, several other types of music. How do they fit in your theory? And go even before "metal" came into existance, which is where I was going with it. How does that correllate with which "Party" is in office? Politics most certainly does not revolve around Metal or music. HOW EVER I would agree with you that certain times in history, influence music. Does that work the other way around, I'd have a hard time buying it.



Am I missing something here?

Yes you are missing something.



The second line of my theory: For us metalheads, it is better to have a Republican in office.



My theory doesn't talk about rap, country, or any other music cause I was specifically talking about how metal in particular when it comes to the President and the party he is with. I wasn't talking about music in general. The other types of music don't pertain to my theory cause I am not talking about them.



And yes, absolutely, the time affect the music that comes out. My theory is just looking at a small segment. It isn't meant to be a catch all.

 

[Bringmepie]

There might be a correlation between having a Republican POTUS and the frequency of Ted Nugent's wanking but even that's a stretch (see what I did there?).



Also, most people attribute the punk explosion to 1977.

 

[R K]

so you are saying if a Republican is in office you get good metal bands?. It just doesn't ironically work out that way, yet it's the direct influence of the Conservative/Republican or bi product of that perticular, being in party power. You are nuts.



I suppose you didn't point out since 1969 you've only had Two (2) Democratic Presidents, minus Obamamama...



Jimmy Carter had Metallica. Iron Maiden didn't become popular until Carter days as well.... Just saying.



You can't just polarize Metal, because if it effects that "type" of music it also must effect other types. I know Regan the HIP HOP was primarily responsible for Rap.... See what I did there...? He and Gorbachev rapped together about knockign down the wall.





I'm sorry it's just kinda funny if you think about it. LOL I know you don't do drugs but holy shit you two must have been drinking!



Music evolves, and is influenced by many factors. I'm sure there are some metal bands in Europe (where many come from) that you've never heard that might just pop up, say tomorrow, or next week, or next month.... It has nothing to do with what POTUS is in office IMO.

 

[jakobeast]

There might be a correlation between having a Republican POTUS and the frequency of Ted Nugent's wanking but even that's a stretch (see what I did there?).



Also, most people attribute the punk explosion to 1977.

Now that is funny. You have a Stranglehold on that joke.



77 is still the era of Carter. Iron Maiden had been around since the early 75 but they didnt start to hit it big till Bruce Dickinson took over vocals '81.

 

[jakobeast]

so you are saying if a Republican is in office you get good metal band?. It just doesn't ironically work out that way, yet it's the direct influence of the Conservative/Republican or bi product of that perticular, being in party power. You are nuts.

It's a theory, not a fact. Just trying to bring a little thought process for your brain to chew on.



I am saying that, historically, the best time for metal is when the GOP is at the helm.

 

[R K]

It's a theory, not a fact. Just trying to bring a little thought process for your brain to chew on.



I am saying that, historically, the best time for metal is when the GOP is at the helm.

I'm saying it's coincidence. They existed, is my point. And yea I saw them live a couple of times when I was a yute. Not sure you were alive yet.



And my brain chewed on it alright. hehe!

 

[jakobeast]

Born in '78

 

[R K]

 

[TSD]

Im pretty sure LBJ was a democrat.

 

[phranchk]

I think your theory is pretty weak. You can find comparisons or trends anywhere you look for them. I mean if you do it based on when the band formed or became popular that's one way to look at it, but what about those great bands and the years for their album releases?

Selptura Chaos A.D, Machine Head - Burn My Eyes, Nirvana - In Utero, Pearl Jam - Vs. and Vitalogy, Pantera - Far Beyond Driven are just a few albums released during Clintons time.

Also Sevendust, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, RATM, Foo Fighters, White Zombie/Rob Zombie, Rammstein, Clutch and System of a Down arrived during Clinton's time. That's not even the whole list. And actually Machine Heads first album was 94 (I know they formed in 91). Not to mention you have a 12 year period of republican presidents from 80-92. Of course there's going to be a shit load of good metal bands in that time. It's 12 fucking uninteruppted years.

 

[Pez68]

This might be one of the silliest things I've ever read. There really isn't any evidence whatsoever to support these theories, along with the majority of the time being looked at...being Republican dominated.. Not even taking into account that Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden weren't even formed in the US... I must be missing something too.

 

[jakobeast]

I think your theory is pretty weak. You can find comparisons or trends anywhere you look for them. I mean if you do it based on when the band formed or became popular that's one way to look at it, but what about those great bands and the years for their album releases?

Selptura Chaos A.D, Machine Head - Burn My Eyes, Nirvana - In Utero, Pearl Jam - Vs. and Vitalogy, Pantera - Far Beyond Driven are just a few albums released during Clintons time.

Also Sevendust, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, RATM, Foo Fighters, White Zombie/Rob Zombie, Rammstein, Clutch and System of a Down arrived during Clinton's time. That's not even the whole list. And actually Machine Heads first album was 94 (I know they formed in 91). Not to mention you have a 12 year period of republican presidents from 80-92. Of course there's going to be a shit load of good metal bands in that time. It's 12 fucking uninteruppted years.

At least you got the gist of the theory.



All points are taken. I wasn't saying that the Clinton administration was void of decent metal. I just wasn't a big fan of some that came out around that time. Never got into White/Rob Zombie tunes. They are ok, but meh. RATM, not a fan at all. When they hit, it was all "we are socialists", and were the championsof the 99%ers of their time. Wanting to to cease big business and government and so on. Thats fine, but when I read an article with Libertyvilles own Ton Morello stating that the album that came out moved "over a million units" the image was null and void. If they truly believed what they said, moving a million units would be in their vocabulary. I also love the fact that a good chunk of their fans were/are college kids doing things that the band were writing songs about. Now ya do what they told ya.



I am starting to warm up to Tool.



I was looking at it from a band formation/first album released point of view. The album release angle could be looked at too, I spose, but the problem I run into with that is then a bands longevity becomes a question. Would you include bands that were formed after another band broke up? Does that cachet from the first band carry over?

 

[jakobeast]

This might be one of the silliest things I've ever read. There really isn't any evidence whatsoever to support these theories, along with the majority of the time being looked at...being Republican dominated.. Not even taking into account that Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden weren't even formed in the US... I must be missing something too.

C'mon, I have written way sillier shit then this.



I didn't say that the bands had to be American only. It is a general look at.

 

[LordKOTL]

Wouldn't a band's time be more indicative to their own country?



I mention that because Children of Bodom came around in Clinton's time, but they are Finnish. It might reflect more on the political climate of Finland more than the US.



I do think there could be a trend in lyrical content vs a conservative or liberal swing in the country of origin. The question is does the lyrical content reflect the political climate or polarize it.



An initial look at SOD's "Speak English or Die", released in '85, would support being more inline with conservative politics (which also had "**** the Middle east"). THEN, you look at Testament's "The Gathering", released in 1999, and with the song "Do Not Resussitate (DNR)", it does reflect a liberal view more than a conservative one. Both bands are american, so that helps the theory but you' need more reasearch and more examples. You might also have to qualify the *type* of metal as well.