From Gregorian chant to opera, opera to classical, classical to jazz, jazz to rock, rock to pop, and pop to R&B, there’s no arguing that music has made some dramatic changes over the years. The technology with which we listen to the music, the types of artists that become famous, and the talent of those artists have changed in just a matter of about 50 years. In some ways these changes are great steps forward, but in others, they’re dangerous steps back. 
    One day, my dad caught me listening to “The Beach Boys Greatest Hits” on my iPod and he went on to tell me all about how that was his very first record when he was my age. Then, when I used to go over to my grandparents’ house, my grandpa would put on Marie Osmond using his giant record player that he kept in pristine condition right next to his chest full of records. My grandpa happened to be very skilled with technology, which is more than I can say about most elderly men and women today. However, I think he genuinely didn’t want a change. He liked using the record player because that’s what he knows best. When I’m a mother or grandmother, I’ll probably go through the same type of thing. I’ll be putting in a CD or getting out my iPod to listen to music while my kids and grandkids will be using the newest music technology like a holographic music video or a single earpiece. 
    The first change that has come about in the music industry is the size of the music groups. About 20 or 40 years ago, there were mostly group artists that made it to the big time with only a few exceptions. But for the most part, the music that my parents’ generation listened to was made up of a group of men or women doing their own harmonies, playing their own instruments, and writing their own songs. These include bands such as The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Metallica, Journey, and of course The Beatles. They weren’t exactly the best role models, but their music was great. They were talented! The single artists of this time were as well! Starting from the peak of the “band” ages in the 1980s, we start to see the number of bands slowly dwindle as the years go on. In the 2000s, we begin to see the end of the group artists, (or boy bands as we refer to them now) and the beginning of the peak of solo artists. Now our top ten music charts are full of people like John Mayer, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce. As a whole, the fact that the “bands” are no longer as popular is not such a bad thing. It becomes a bad thing when the talent starts to disappear with them. 
    Today, music is more about the artist than the music they produce. Therefore, we have better role models--like Switchfoot and Coldplay—and people that we enjoy to watch, but they might not necessarily be the most talented people. Once again, there are always exceptions because there are a few truly talented people who end up making it, but less than we think. With all of the technology that we have today, it’s really hard to tell who is a good singer/songwriter. The truth usually comes out when you watch them do a live performance. If they’re good, you’ll know it because they’ll sing in a way that you can tell is different from their track. Therefore, you know they’re singing live. That’s what’s great about the show American Idol. You know what you’re getting is true, honest singing because they are forced to sing a cappella and are judged on their true abilities. 
    Nowadays, anyone can become a famous singer. You’ll notice a lot of actresses and actors that have been looking for work have turned over to the music industry. Is it just a coincidence that all of these people happen to have amazing voices along with their acting talents? Maybe, but most likely not. The fact that we didn’t have the technology years ago that we have today just proves how talented those artists were. After all, how can you possibly compare the talents of Simon & Garfunkel to those of someone like NSYNC? 
    Over the years, music has taken many twists and turns. Listening to music has become more efficient and simple, and with technology has come the inability to distinguish between good and bad artists. It’s difficult to say whether music is better now than it was 50 years ago, but it’s easy to see that the talent of these artists has slowly begun to fade away.