The first band I ever really fell in love with was The Beatles. It’s a cliché, slightly boring fact, but it’s the truth. Something about their music widely appeals to a young audience looking to step away from their more childlike interests and find an independent sense of self, but a lot of their discography still has an element of silliness that makes it feel approachable. This intersection initially drew me into their music, and while I later found out their more experimental sound had a lot to do with some more experimental drugs, it didn’t stop me from being entertained by the oddities of it all.
In the coming years after my initial interest in The Beatles, I found myself returning over and over again to any song with a story; the more outlandish, the better. David Bowie, Johnny Cash, John Prine, The Mamas & The Papas, and Bob Dylan became some of my favorite artists because of their ability to tell a ridiculous story and keep my attention the whole time. These songs weren’t meant to be serious; they were just having fun and talking about an octopus or taking on the persona of a man from Mars.
I think it’s really important to note in all of this that these artists have the ability to discuss serious topics in their music, and all of them are considered great songwriters of their generation. It is the reprieve from the severity of the subject that makes these rather silly songs fit neatly into the artist’s body of work. They all had the understanding that sometimes you need to step back and make art just for the fun of it, regardless of what the finished product looks or sounds like.
In recent years I’ve noticed less of this art for art’s sake kind of music, and I have a few thoughts on why. It may have something to do with the way we consume media today, and the fact that it is so readily available. In many of these artists’ primes, you had to buy a physical copy of their album or wait to hear it on the radio. Knowing that only their top hits were going to get radio play meant that artists could take a more experimental approach to their B-sides with the understanding that anyone who bought their record was probably already a fan of their music and would be willing to give their lesser-known works more of a chance.
In today’s media climate, anything an artist releases will be consumed and instantly analyzed by anyone with even a remote interest in their work. If it isn’t what their audience expected, an unserious sound on even one song could turn off potential listeners and set back the artist’s career. I think the return of this occasional exploration into bizarre media could result in the advancement of the music industry as a whole. Limiting expectations for artists gives them room to create things they love, and finding passion in work will always result in a more complete and dynamic product.