"Hello from Earth! Now music from about 25% of the population and landmass."
I get that Americans, myself included, Beethoven and Bach are important and influence, but if it's trying to explain all of humanity, include more stuff from the nations of Africa, Asia, South America, and some stuff from the native people of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Americas.
It feels at best stupid to say "this details the best of humanity in a small package" and the best is mostly western.
I do love the "Hello from Earth" in several languages.
I mean, they did do that, include samples from many different cultures around the world, it's just that I think 3 of Bach's numbers and 2 of Beethoven's is overkill. There's more music out there.
3 Bach and 2 Beethoven, make it one each and now there's 3 spots for Asia, Africa, and Native populations.
I know it has more, but it has a bias to who made the golden record. Trust me, I've been a space/Star Trek nerd since my youth. I know what's on there. I even have a replica of what's on it on a vinyl record.
Trust me, I’ve been a space/Star Trek nerd since my youth. I know what’s on there.
I'm not saying you don't know what's on there, but your comments kinda make you sound like someone who doesn't know what's on there.
include more stuff from the nations of Africa, Asia, South America, and some stuff from the native people of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Americas.
There literally is stuff from all of those places.
You could argue that Bach and Beethoven are over-represented, but I'm sure that a great deal of consideration and deliberation was devoted to deciding what to include.
I've often heard that there was a specially recorded song by The Carpenters (usually in the context of jokingly complaining "why The Carpenters? The aliens are going to think we suck"). But it's not on the list. Is it an urban myth? Were they on a different spacecraft?
After a quick Google - they did a song about sending a song into space. Then they did a weird-ass TV thing about sending that song into space. But as far as I can tell, no Carpenters song has actually been sent into space.
(yeah yeah radio waves whatever. You know what I mean)