If this came out in 1979, it'd get five stars.

[Swish]

I guarantee you, I am already listening to it. The problem is, if it's too alien, then it doesn't sound like music to most people, and bombs.

Have you noticed? All music is done in the 12-tone system and is written in 4/4. Certainly, you're not going to argue that anything that's written based on the 12-tone scale in 4/4 is going to be new in any way? The thing to do (as a musician), is to put it together in interesting ways. Interesting does not equal new (that's commutative, as well).

And besides, the point about references is valid as well. If it's sufficiently alien (and I don't mean extra-terrestrial), we're not even going to recognize it as music, so it has to have been recycled somewhat, neh?

I am deliberately being over-simplistic -- even I listen to music outside of the 12 step, 4/4 reference.

that applies to all music as we know it, or at least for the most part (jazz, classical, rock, etc...), but I don't know that the 4/4 time argument holds up except in rock and "popular" music. Look, I think you make a valid argument in that the tones and time will be much the same, but that doesn't mean it won't be new or different, at least not in the way I'm thinking. Doo wop music sounds nothing like today's rock to me, so why can't I believe that "rock" music will sound much different in 30 or 40 years? I can't help but think that it will, even if it still uses the same basic elements.

Swish

[Troy]

This is pretty simplified, but it gets the point accross.

Rock music happened because of the convergence of:

1. Youth culture having money to spend on silly junk like records.
2. The invention of instruments like electric guitars and synthesizers.
3. The invention of recording technology.

Until there is as big a shift in technology and culture as this was, you won't see popular music changing.