If you turn on your radio at this exact moment, and tune to the U.S Billboard top 40 hits, you will most likely be bombarded by the latest twerk-tastic pop song or indie rock ballads that have been dominating airwaves since the early 2000s; if you examine almost any of these modern hits, you will find a surprising lack of substance or really any musicality at all. Without more than a cursory glance, it would appear as though the soul-moving masterpieces brought down from legends like Beethoven and Chopin are all but a distant memory in the face of a music industry that demands quantity over quality.

If one were to look at the recent popularity trends in classical music versus currently popular music, it would appear as though classical music will soon be decomposing alongside those who originally made it great. However, on closer look, it would appear that this is not the case. Granted, it is no longer social norm to be listening to Beethoven’s 9^th symphony on your morning commute, but classical music is still very much a resounding part of today’s culture, even if we aren’t entirely aware of it at times.

While classical music is not dead, it can be accurately said that it is not the musical 500-pound gorilla of the 21^st Century; that is not to say, however, that it is not still a viable contender. Research by William Robin of the New Yorker shows that classical recording presently constitutes only 2.8 percent of the market. A cursory glance at industry reports would show that the market share has hovered around three percent since the mid-1980's. The stability of that share might actually be a sign of health. Yes, it’s a niche market, but so is most music in our polyglot society—not reigning supreme is not the same as ceasing to exist. (Robin, “Classical Music isn’t dead”). So why is it that classical music has lost its illustrious position as the dominant music of today’s world? The reason for this may be more tied to society itself than the actual music. Dr. Arthur J. Houle, a renowned concert pianist and director of his own music festival, said in an interview that he believes it is more than just trending musical style. Houle states that classical music is perceived to be an art form in and of itself, and in the past several decades, the arts have taken quite a hit. With the economy on a progressive decline since the Reagan era, and an increasing demand for instant satisfaction, the arts are not dying so much as we are losing our ability to appreciate the arts. This would certainly explain why the beauty of a music revered for its complexity would be lost upon a society that does not have the time or desire to begin to appreciate it. Everything in America is getting faster, from the V8 engines in our automobiles to the A8 processors in our cell phones, we have largely become an industry of “I want it now”, and that is also beginning to strongly reflect in the music we see becoming popular. A recent behemoth of Billboard’s top 40 is Adele’s “Hello”, a fairly simple pop song that runs just shy of 5 minutes in length and took roughly 4 months to write, record, and produce. 4 months by today’s standards is still considered a massive length of time to produce any form of music (the average time according to most musicians is a matter of several days), and it reflects on how speed and demand have driven classical off its pedestal. To contrast our lovely British vocalist, we can go back in time to German born composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven’s most recognized work is unarguably his 9^th symphony, which reigned from its debut in 1824 until the mid 1900's as a massively popular piece of music, being dubbed as one of the greatest compositions ever written. In contrast to “Hello” and other 4 minute compositions, the 9^th symphony boasts a run time of just under 75 minutes (short by the standards of a symphony) and took Herr Beethoven almost 7 years to complete. With over an hour spent just to listen to this massive work of music, it would take even longer to begin to appreciate and enjoy something so massive and complex. It becomes evident that it is much simpler to sing along with Adele for 4 and a half minutes than it is to try and wrap one’s head around a brute like Beethoven’s 9^th.

Perhaps another major reason for the decline in classical music’s popularity is the way the music itself is presented by modern classical composers and performers. In Kenneth Hamilton’s book Back to the Golden Age, it is revealed how almost alarmingly different a night at the symphony is in today’s day and age. In modern classical performances, audiences are expected to remain silent until the END of a piece, without so much as a nod of approval between movements. Carnegie Hall even offers complimentary cough drops so any patrons battling colds do not disturb the presentation. In the golden days of classical music this would have been the equivalent of booing the performer off-stage or vigorously pelting the poor musician with rotten fruits. Hamilton iterates that the way these performances were originally conducted versus the modern versions makes them seem priggish and almost intimidating (Hamilton, After the Golden Age). Who would want to be forever condemned as “that guy who sneezed during Rachmaninoff’s third piano concerto”?

Hamilton’s book states as well that these practices did not begin until the mid 20^th century, coincidentally right about the time that classical music begins to lose more of its popularity. Tack this on to a fast paced culture that can barely sit down for half an hour, and you have all the ingredients to push classical music onto a back burner. However, despite this, classical music does still have its niche in modern American society.

Despite its small but stable 2.8% market value, classical music is still very much a part of modern music, even if it does not dominate radio airwaves. Speak to any professional musician and they will tell you the foundation of their musical training was built on classical roots. In addition to professionals, even amateur musicians will more often than not have a background in classical, as almost all instructors will insist on beginning in a classical foundation - it's imperative to being able to understand how music itself works and how any type of music can be built off of what classical music offers.

Despite the lack of substance in many of today’s top hits, the influence of classical music can still be found at their core. Using patterns, melodies, and themes from classical works is a common theme in popular music, a common example of this would be Pachelbel’s Canon in D, a theme used in a great deal of songs in almost all genres. One of the more notable instances of a direct use of classical music was John Lennon listening to his wife practicing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and becoming stricken with inspiration. The product was the song “Because”; although this song was not too popular in its immediate time, it has become one of the Beatles’ most renowned songs, particularly due to Lennon quoting Beethoven in the song’s main melody. In addition, the Beatles often utilized classical instruments in their recordings to enhance and add depth to their music that the fab four alone could not produce by themselves.

Despite it’s lingering success in the eyes of modern viewers, and slightly elitist aura surrounding modern concerts, classical music continues to exist side-by-side with modern music, even though it does not necessarily share its popularity. Adding the foundation of influence as well as a larger-than-life legacy from composers like Mozart, Haydn, and many more, classical music has given us the blueprint to create the very music we know and idolize today. Classical music is not only alive, but has cemented its own immortality in a way that can never really be snuffed out, unlike, say, disco.

So while classical music may not be the reigning heavyweight champion of the musical ring, it continues to stand firm as a figure for music to turn to for guidance as well as inspiration in some of the least expected places. The Apollo Creed to pop music’s proverbial Rocky, the music set down by greats like Beethoven have literally paved the very road that today’s music stands upon. So while it may not be at the top of the charts, or common listening in every household, classical music is far from a dying art form, or even an unhealthy one. From Lennon’s “Because”, to Adele’s “Hello”, classical music is ever present in our music; perhaps all we need do is take a step Bach and listen.