Today, there are countless musicians and bands that are admired by fans around the world. From rap to alternative, and from electronic to country, every band and musician does his or her best to make a statement and have an impact on society.  Some are also known for much more than their music, rather it be breaking laws or playing a key role, musicians are willing to do just about anything to leave their mark in history.  Having said that, what current musicians will leave their name in the history books, and stand the test of time?

Musicians today inflict many thoughts into people’s minds and commit many acts, whether they be positive or negative, in order to stay relevant. The things they do may appeal to younger people, while with older people they can be considered hateful.  In order to gain a broader view and compare opinions, I asked students and teachers what they thought.

To begin, I asked sophomore Danny Finley what band or musician will stand the test of time. He replied “I think One Republic will because they are very motivational and connect with their audience.  They can be considered good role models and have many positive impacts.”

Some musicians today are getting an insane amount of publicity not only for their music, but for their absurd actions and stupidity. Some might say they doesn’t deserve the attention they get.

So I asked Finley “do you think One Republic deserves all the attention they get?” He replied “Yes they deserve it because their lead singer is very talented.  He writes all of his songs and works very hard.”

Next I asked junior Xavier Walker his opinion. Walker replied “Drake because all of his songs are huge and he is in commercials.  Plus all the girls love him and think his songs are good.”

He continued on to say; “Drake can be a good role model because he started at the bottom, but worked hard and achieved more than anyone thought he would.”

I asked Walker if he thinks we idolize the wrong musicians today. He said; “No we don’t idolize the wrong musicians because all of them are big for a reason.  They all have a talent that put them here and they work hard to earn it no matter what they write or sing.”

Some people say that music today is written just for the money and promotes no important issues. I asked Walker if he thinks music promotes important issues.  He replied; “Yes music points out important issues it can talk about world problems or ones personal problems.”

Next I asked junior Ashley Wurst which musician she thinks will stand the test of time. And just like Xavier Walker she said Drake.

I asked Wurst, what makes Drake so big. She replied “All of his music is huge and most songs are a hit.  His views and personal appearance also make him more popular.”

She also believes Drake deserves all of his attention because, “He works really hard on all his music and does all he can for his supporters.”

I asked Wurst if we idolize the wrong musicians. She replied; “Yes we idolize the wrong musicians.  For example, society still loves Chris Brown and Justin Bieber despite all the bad illegal things they did.  We tend to follow people who have music relating mostly to sex, drugs, and money.”

This lead me to ask if she thinks music today is appropriate. She replied; “Music is mostly only appropriate for teens and kids in high school, and college kids.”

When I asked Zoe Ferris who she thought would stand the test of time her response was; “One Direction because they have made such a huge impact on their millions of fans. They are without a doubt the biggest band right now.  They appeal to so many people and their music is amazing.”

I asked Ferris if she thinks we idolize the wrong musicians today. She replied “Yes, hardly any of the musicians today write anything to make a difference or about important things in the world.”

But, in order to get different perspectives I asked some of the adults at Freedom what they thought.

I asked Mr. Stevenson, the principal, what band or musician he thinks will stand the test of time. He replied “I think either Greenday or Darius Rucker, because their music has a lot of meaning and a story to it.  Many other musicians today write just to get a paycheck.  There is a large majority of one hit wonders.”

He also said “Darius Rucker is a better role model than Greenday. It just depends on the musician.  There are a lot of songs by Greenday or on the radio that I wouldn’t allow my kids to listen to.”

I asked Stevenson if he thinks we idolize the wrong musicians. He replied “I think we idolize some of the wrong values they present, not so much the musician.  A lot of what they’re saying is wrong and not appropriate for many audiences.”

I also asked if he thinks musicians promote important issues. Stevenson said “It depends.  They bring up some very good issues, but many of the things they bring up is not good for society.  Today’s music is shallower in content but it depends on the musician.  The music my daughter listens to has little to no meaning, while the music I listen to has much more to say.”

Next I talked with Mr. Patacer. He believes that Bruno Mars, Neyo, and Beyonce will all stand the test of time.  “The composition and production of their music, and their ability to sing, and song writing skills make these musicians so big.  Also the content and meaning to their songs.  They also write to appeal to other audiences and older generations.  They deserve all the attention they are getting.”

I asked Patacer if he thinks we idolize the wrong musicians. He said “Yes, a lot of kids listen to music relating to drugs, sexual things and getting money, and that sparks the idea of doing these things in real life.  The music is all about flashiness and repeating words it has no meaning at all.”

I asked him if he thinks music targets important issues, to which he replied “No they don’t target important issues, they are all nonsense. Musicians have the responsibility to promote positivity and appropriate behavior, but instead they talk about guns and getting ‘b words’.  They are saying all the wrong things are considered being successful.”

Lastly I asked Mrs. McElwee, which artist she thinks will stand the test of time and what makes this musician so big and stand out. She replied “David Guetta.  He is known for being very versatile in my opinion.  He has worked with people in the hip hop industry, EDM, alternative etc.  I think he has made himself well known and will stand the test of time because he is willing to work with all different types of artists.”

Next I asked her if she thinks we idolize the wrong musicians. She replied “Yes and no.  I think the older generation does not idolize, but can recognize good talent and enjoy it for what it is-entertainment.  I think the younger generation has a more difficult time recognizing that they are just listening to lyrics, poetry even.  It’s not supposed to be real life.  These people aren’t meant to be idolized for who they are, but for the talent they posses.  Sometimes kids think of it as how life really is, rather than realizing these people are just trying to make stuff sound good in a rhyme.  I think if anyone is able to enjoy music how it’s meant to be enjoyed, as entertainment, then the whole idolizing thing goes by the wayside.  Sure there are artists who do bad things and shouldn’t be idolized, but for the most part the media takes care of telling us who are good people and who are not.  Music is meant to be listened to.  The person behind the music shouldn’t matter as much as it does today.  The idolizing comes from videos, social media etc.  People just need to be aware that these things are only there for the hype, and these people are out to make money; they are not meant to become idols.  What really matters is if music makes you feel happy, It’s because of the sounds you hear.  Not the way the singer dresses, or what they do in their spare time.”

Clearly there are many opinions and many musicians who are believed to be up to the challenge to stand the test of time. Rather for the right or wrong reasons, they are all trying to be remembered.