Adult Alternative vs. Adult Contemporary

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antiditz

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Another one of those annoying genre threads, I'm afraid.

So what is the difference between these two sometimes overlapping genres? Does it all really boil down to the same thing? Is one more rock-, another more pop- (ergo, more teen-) oriented?

One website suggested it has more to do with current vs. within-the-last-15-years music. (nyradioguide.com/formats) Does that mean a song would "graduate" genres, then, after a certain amount of time? I'd be interested in what you music-mavens out there would have to say.

I guess you could probably avoid all this by just classifying as Pop/Rock, but I find that far too general.

Man, I wish ITunes had room for sub-genres as well...
 
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melsmusic

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Well I'm sort of thinking Adult Alternative would be more like:

Nirvana, Silverchair, Oasis, Coldplay, Radiohead etc etc.

Adult Contempary:

Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Jack Johnson, Billy Joel etc etc.

That's sort of my spin on it .. not saying it's right because I am not a music genre sorterouter. Just that's how I would put them in my itunes.

I don't think of it as what year the music was from. Some of the listed above are older bands and others more current.

The only genre I have that is more year based would be "Classic Rock". Current rock I have listed as "rock" and the Rolling Stones, Cream, Led etc is classic rock. That's just so I can play the older stuff and the more current stuff as a playlist.
 

atomx

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antiditz said:
Man, I wish ITunes had room for sub-genres as well...
Well, you can do that yourself--I often change the genres that are assigned to my albums by the database--I have changed artists from "Alternative/Punk" (a genre that does not exist in my ITunes--way too broad) to "Postpunk," "Gothic, "Psychobilly," "Indie," "Industrial," "Punk," "Alternative," etc. I make the changes when I import the music, so everything is always organized into a system that makes sense to me--do whatever makes sense to you. I have a LOT of genres that are, technically, sub-genres. And, as I have nearly 7000 songs in my library, using sub-genres instead of genres makes it much easier to find what I'm looking for.
 
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melsmusic

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atomx yes that's what I did. I created my own genre's to help me get quick access to my music.

I didn't realise thats what antiditz wanted or I would have said that too.

He can also use the grouping option if the genre field is not enough.

So if you want "rock" ... but also group different types of rock .. you can do that too.

Just go to "Edit" ... "View Options" ... tick grouping and this field will come up in itunes. You can then group whatever way you want + have genre fields.
 

antiditz

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I said -
I wish ITunes had room for sub-genres as well
meaning, in addition to genre. As in, Genre: Rock, Sub-genre: Punk Rock, or Genre: Indie, Sub-genre: Indie Folk, etc. Right now I'm using the "Grouping" label to help with that (thanx mels). I've found that sub-genrifying (?!?) all my songs created the problem of tons of genres with maybe 10-20 songs in each, so I began to generalize everything more.

Now, melsmusic: Nirvana, Silverchair, Oasis, Coldplay, Radiohead - Adult Alternative? Not Rock or straight-up Alternative? Are you saying there is no (or little) differentiation between Alternative and Adult Alternative?

Boy this genre stuff is funcuzing...
 

bdb

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Plagerized from Real media store:

"Adult Alternative filled an important niche in the 1990s, acting as a middle ground for artists too safe for the Alt Rock crowd of the day, yet well short of the level of conservatism preferred by the Adult Contemporary/Lite Rock audience."

They list Jack Johnson, Coldplay, U2, Gwen Stefani, and Sarah McLachlan in this category. Doesn't sound very alternative to me, but alternative has become mainstream anyway.

"Adult Contemporary refers to music aimed at adult, professional types. It's quite often characterized by slick production, attention to intellectual themes or ideas, and sometimes leftist politics. "

They list Mariah Carey (always the intellectual), Van Morrison, Elton John, Backstreet Boys, and Billy Joel in this category. Perhaps "has-beens" is a better name for the category?

It all sounds mostly like stuff that'd be played on a light rock station. I guess that's what makes it "Adult". Fortunately I never grew up when it comes to music. :)
 

atomx

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bdb said:
They list Mariah Carey (always the intellectual), Van Morrison, Elton John, Backstreet Boys, and Billy Joel in this category.
Wow. Just...wow. Van Morrison, Elton John, and The Backstreet Boys in the sames genre? :eek: I'm not a fan of any of them, but even I recognize that Elton John and Van Morrison have the kind of credibility and history that the BBs will never be associated with.
 

bdb

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atomx said:
Wow. Just...wow. Van Morrison, Elton John, and The Backstreet Boys in the sames genre? :eek:
Yeah, I almost took that out of there because it just seemed out of place. I mainly left it in because I don't think "adult contemporary" is supposed to apply just to singers over the age of 50.
 

melsmusic

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Now, melsmusic: Nirvana, Silverchair, Oasis, Coldplay, Radiohead - Adult Alternative? Not Rock or straight-up Alternative? Are you saying there is no (or little) differentiation between Alternative and Adult Alternative?
No antiditz I don't put them in as Adult Alternative .. just straight alternative. I was generalising for your question to what I would perceive as the differences between the 2 genre's.

They would definitely not be rock to me. Same as Green Day being punk ... it's not really punk to me. The Sex Pistols are the only punk listing I have .... I still put Green Day under alternative in my ipod. Rock is like Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Pearl Jam, U2, bands like that. I couldn't see a need for me to have Adult Alternative & Alternative.

I suppose it's a personal thing and the best way is to class them as you think they belong so you can find them in the genre playlists.

The Backstreet boys (if I had any) would go under "sh*t" genre ... sorry.... but they just don't fit in with the likes of Van Morrison & Elton John .. I love Van .. not so much Elton but he obviously has a talent there that has lasted beyond the likes of some boy band.

Maria Carey needs a genre all to herself "self absorbed pop" :D

I personally wouldn't put Jack Johnson in Alternative. Alternative to me is a little grunge .. out there slightly .. yes becoming very mainstream now. I would call Jack Johnson who I have every album ... folk, relaxation, contempary. I have him listed as folk with Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Janis Joplin, Rodriguez .. just as I consider it similar and when I want that style of music .. that's where it is.

But it's a personal thing on how you perceive their music and what it feels to you.

Some might put "alternative" as Gwen Stefani .. and others like myself put boy bands on the "unwanted" list.
 
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