LETS TALK: Are Today's Lyrics Pathetic?

Last week music youtube giant Rick Beato uploaded a video titled "Today's Lyrics are pathethic" and I had some thoughts on it that I thought I'd share with you :)
Also yes, the title/concept is very much inspired by Anthony Fantano, get off my back ;)
So consider this a response video of sorts :)

[@mastermachetier5594]

What Rick is doing is called survivorship bias . There was also “crappy” lyrics and music in any area we just tend to listen to the better ones today. Objectively numbers wise there is probably more artistic music coming out today then ever before we just don’t consume them all and in 50 years we will still be listening to the ones we deem good .

[@dyver123]

That was the word I was looking for lol! But yeah that's definitely true!

[@johngatewood4638]

In 1975 while Gene Simmons was grunting " I want to rock and roll all nite, and party every day".
Robert Plant was singing "oh pilot of the storm that leaves no trace. like a thought within a dream".

[@AxeBearingVoyager]

The idea of survivorship bias is flawed in my opinion. He is criticizing the most popular (top 10 on the charts) music which we are collectively listening to by comparing their lyrical style with the most popular songs from decades ago. The 'better' songs we listen to now have survived because they were more popular back then and have aged well. The difference Rick is attempting to point out is that popular music from decades ago (which have as a consequence survived the years) had 'better' more artistic lyrics than the popular music of today which does tend to be popular because of social media soundbytes and not because of lyrical significance. I use the 90's rap golden age from Detroit, Los Angeles and Chicago artists which is essentially poetry over a beat compared to modern popular rap from the same areas as an example. The strife which young african-americans suffered under during this period created some of the most iconic and timeless lyrics ever written while modern popular rap by artists such as xxxtentacion, dababy, lil nas etc. etc. tends to be (compared to 90's rap) more basic, soulless and surface-level. Take all my criticism with a pinch of salt - there's still music being made today which is popular and has some incredibly lyricism - as you point out in the video - but I do think Rick is making a valid observation; We are still listening to old songs with their brilliant lyrics, while the most popular NEW songs live and die quickly, with less meaningful and deep expressions.

[@CretienOsmondHughes]

It isn't true to say that all of the music we listen to now from the past is music that was the most popular previously. There are many instances of music & artists that were ignored, or sold modestly when they initially launched only to find success many years later. In music I can think of Rotary Connection who only enjoyed modest success locally in Chicago who were then "rediscovered" 30 years later and in art Van Gogh who sold one painting in his lifetime. Chart music is usually the medium common denominator stuff rather than the best of the best. Bob Marley never had a number one single in the UK & The Kinks never had one in the US.

[@AxeBearingVoyager]

@@CretienOsmondHughes of course not all, but it is a good measure of what was popular previously. I take your point though