What's the modern equivalent of "dating" a song?

[ChemicalChaos]

Random question here,

A friend and I were discussing how certain elements in a song can often indelibly date it to a certain decade - the most obvious examples being heavy use of synth in an 80s song, tambourines in a 60s song, etc. (yes I know there are many exceptions to the generalisation).
Anyway, we have said in the past that if we had a go at making a song ourselves (both of us are reasonably musical and quite fancy it) then it would be fun to try and make it obviously a 2010s song.
Question is, what IS the modern equivalent? Only thing we can think of is including dubstep bits in it, and we'd rather rip our ears off than do that!

[PulsatingStar]

ChemicalChaos said:

Question is, what IS the modern equivalent? Only thing we can think of is including dubstep bits in it, and we'd rather rip our ears off than do that!

http://qz.com/767812/millennial-whoop/

[KAgantua]

Brickwall limiting

[Blayney]

feat. Pitbull

[GetCarter]

ChemicalChaos said:

Question is, what IS the modern equivalent?

Little tune, little harmony, little musicality and will (with a few notable exceptions) be forgotten pretty damn soon. A very poor time for popular music.

[Blayney]

GetCarter said:

ChemicalChaos said:

Question is, what IS the modern equivalent?

Little tune, little harmony, little musicality and will (with a few notable exceptions) be forgotten pretty damn soon. A very poor time for popular music.

I'd be (genuinely) interested to hear who you think the exceptions are.

Since moving away from pop music during my teens (not that long ago... 2000ish) there have been a few people I have felt will just disappear and some I thought would stay - I've been invariably wrong!

I thought Bieber wouldn't last, but he's possibly bigger than ever. It's been 7 years, he didn't have a UK number 1 single until last year, when he had 3 in a row.

I thought Lady GaGa would last because I kinda liked some of her stuff - nope... apparently she released an album this year... who knew?

[Escapegoat]

Autotune used front-and-centre as a deliberate effect (instead of being used to fix something out of tune).

[marcosgt]

GetCarter said:

ChemicalChaos said:

Question is, what IS the modern equivalent?

Little tune, little harmony, little musicality and will (with a few notable exceptions) be forgotten pretty damn soon. A very poor time for popular music.

Truth is that's true of every period, we just remember some and not always those you think you will!

For every Beatles, Bowie, Floyd, Clash, etc there's a Baccarra, Sailor, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Herman's Hermits, Sham 69, etc...

M