Ted Gioa is Wrong Today. Good Music is NOT What Lasts.

Ted Gioia is a wonderful writer. I really enjoy many of his articles through substack. He’s a musician and I’d also say great cultural writer that talks through many musical ideas. I highly recommend you read his material, but this weeks letter is just bizarre.

Mr. Gioia’s premise is that bad music will go by the wayside and it’s just the good music that will last as in survival of the fittest for music.

“I was shocked” when he said something so inanely wrong.

Bad music will survive. And music that has survived may or may not be good or bad music. I would venture that there is absolutely no connection between songs we continue to hear and whether they are good or bad.

So why does some music last while other music doesn’t? Randomness would have a lot to do with it. Something has to last, so it only takes a little nudge one way or the other to have something stay in our thoughts. If we want to create some storyline as to why we keep on hearing the same music while so muc good music is left behind, I’d venture that it has more to do with whether someone has internal motivation to return to the older music. How about someone else did a cover of one song or the other and that kept it going? How about money?

Do large multinationals have incentive to keep the classic rock music going? Yes. More money, less hassle with living artists, and control over the music. The music might be good. Is it better than the comedy songs that Mr. Gioia disses ? (This goes into another topic I’d like to discuss at another time, songs that should never be played again. One example being Bruce Hornsby’s The Way It is. Ugh. But I digress.)

Does the New York Symphony have incentive to continue to play Bach over and over and over again? Yes! It may be the greatest classical music ever, I don’t know, but it is not any better than the many others playing at that time? Better than Barbara Strozzi or Buxtehude? (I had to look those up) I would suggest that it’s Bach that came back into flavor when the Bach family legacy was trying to grow or someone, somewhere suggested that they should go “Bach” to the beginning of the Bach family and see where the music began.

Actually, using Barbara Strozzi brings up another point. Based on Mr. Gioia, if good music rises to the top, then woman musician and artists must have all been bad, because they’re music until the past 80 years has been lost or forgotten.

Or early Blues Music. This, in my opinion is some good (great?) music that would have been completely lost except for people trying to revive it. It is fortunate Lomax recorded lots of it. But this wasn’t survival of the fittest, it was either luck or someone trying to make money.

And it’s rather funny that he uses “Dardanella” as an example of light fluffy songs while Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington songs live on. Armstrong did a version of Dardanella with Bing Crosby!

Let’s look at the painting/art world as another example of what lasts. What makes the Mono Lisa last? If you’ve ever gone to the Louvre and walked the halls, you can’t help but be amazed at the thousands of incredible artists you pass on the way to see the little painting of a smiling person. “Is that it?” You might ask. I just passed a hundred paintings where there is incredible scenery, lots of people, crazy stories being depicted, and THIS. This little painting is what everyone wants to see!? That’s incredible. Yes, it’s good. It’s even fascinating. But I would argue that it has lasted in our world because of the idea of it, NOT because it is better.

I believe I could go on, but my point is made. Mr. Gioa, I’m sorry, but your premise today is wrong. I believe it is an excellent discussion to be making, but no. Music that lasted is Not the only good music. It’s what’s lasted because it has lasted. Randomness would be number one. Some sort of remembrance that would bring back the older music (a cover, a dedication), or someone using it to make more money.

Thank you Mr. Gioa for writing. I may not agree, but I still enjoy your work.

Stan Farrell