A simple question about pop stars

[SweetZombieJesus]

I know a lot of you pop apologists like to use the "But the Beatles were a boy band!" defense, so let me ask you this:

Do you honestly think that NSync, or any member thereof, will ever make an album as revolutionary, challenging, or just plain good as The White Album? Do you think Justin Timberlake will ever write even ONE song as good as even John Lennon's worst solo output? Do you really believe that someday when you're old and gray, you'll feel wistful when you hear "Hit Me Baby One More Time" on the Oldies station?

If these kids are the future of music, someone please remove my eardrums post haste.

[Brucey]

1. No band will ever have the impact of the Beatles on pop music,

in my opinion, but Radiohead is a more influential band than the Beatles when it comes to purely opening up new definitions of what is music.

[SweetZombieJesus]

2. I love Radiohead, but more influential than the Beatles? C'mon

The Beatles had a much larger set of references to work from, and incorporated literally hundreds of different types of music into their own work. Radiohead, while a great band, is not nearly as influential as the Beatles were and still continue to be.

Radiohead, for me, is closer to the Floyd of our generation, with the ambition of Yes, minus the pretension. But that's just me.

[catpower2000]

6. "Minus the pretention"?

Come on now.

[SweetZombieJesus]

9. Ok, with half the pretension

At least Radiohead's pretension is cool pretension, as opposed to the kind Yes exudes.

[mvd]

3. No, the current boy bands won't

They are singing machines with mostly banal music and sappy lyrics, IMO.

[SweetZombieJesus]

7. So what about Avril Lavigne then?

Do you really see her standing the test of time? Can you see yourself listening to Sk8r Boi when you're 40 something? Hell, I'm 23 and I can't stand to listen to that shit now.

Not one of the current pre-fab pop stars has true staying power, and I don't mean that "invent a new image every five years and do something shocking to stay famous" shit Madonna pulls. Where are the Neil Youngs, the Dylans, or even the Michael Stipes of this generation? Did true artistic integrity in the mainstream marketplace die with Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, and Johnny Cash? Are we stuck with this current crop of singing Muppets for the rest of our lives? Or will another Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder emerge to steal the spotlight again, only to be mimeographed into irrelevancy again?

[mvd]

8. It was her first album

And yes, I think it was great already. That's all I'm saying. I'll come back and say I told you so when she makes it.

Even if she doesn't, I'll still enjoy her albums for years as I can listen to them over and over.

[SweetZombieJesus]

10. Great as in = to the White Album?

Or great as in, The Bangles?

You've got to be more specific here. Do you honestly see yourself loving that album in twenty years?

[mvd]

12. Yep, I will be, as I said

Boy, saying it's as good as the Bangles would be a huge compliment from me - they are one of my all time favs. I could take either White Album or them. It's closer in style to The Bangles but not there yet.

BTW, I enjoy the Beatles' early stuff just as much as The White Album.

[kid shelleen]

15. Banal music and sappy lyrics?

How would you know?

[LynneSin]

4. I think N'Sync/Backstreet and I remember New Kids on the Block

and in 5 years we'll have other boy bands that'll be the "in" band.

The test of a legendary band is if you go to the Music Store and you still have to pay full price for their CDs.

The Beatles and many of the other Legendary bands of the made their name without the benefit of MTV. 'Boy Band' is an insult to a group like the Beatles

[BurtWorm]

5. They'll need to drop a lot more acid before that happens.

But it is possible, I suppose. Given that condition.

[SweetZombieJesus]

11. There is not enough acid in the universe to make those twits interesting

They could exhaust all of the peyote supplies on the planet, and they'd still churn out crappy music, it would just be crappy music by people out of their gourds on drugs.

[musiclawyer]

13. The answer to your question is no.

I'm a musician and songwriter with my own band, with an understanding of basic music composition. The reason these pop dudes won't be remembered is not because they don't compose on their own, and not because they sing corporate composed mediocre songs, it's because they are not authentic acts. Only authentic, not contrived acts, can stand the test of time. That's just the way it is. ( By the way I think the better analogy would be: RadioHead today, what Todd Rungren or Roxy Music was a generation ago. In terms of basic rock (not R&B or motown), Radiohead will indeed stand the test of time like those I mentioned. But still not in the same class as the big 4 of the British Invasion; Beatles, Stones, Who and Kinks. In fact I predict Radiohead will be on the third tier of the podium, below such second tier acts as Floyd, and Zep, Zombies etc. Still damn excellent nontheless.

[mvd]

14. Elvis was pretty contrived

Yet he's still well known.

I have confidence in some of the new acts of today and no confidence in others.

[zekeson]

16. No, Elvis was the real thing

He may have synthesized as much race msuic as he could, but watch the early video of Elvis. That is as genuine as enything you will ever see. I am talking footage of him from 1956, 1957. The dude was nearly punk on stage. Try to place yourself in those times - there was nothing like it.

Now, put yourself in our times. Today's pop stars don't have diddly. Its all just a package, right down to Avril's tinted glasses.

[mvd]

18. He had handlers

In fact, Elvis listened to them too much, as you can see at the end of his life. And some of the pop stars today (Avril, Michelle, Evan And Jaron, Pink, Mandy Moore, and others) are also genuine.

I'm a huge Elvis fan, BTW. Had one of the best voices.

I thought we agreed that taste is taste. Pop music certainly isn't all I listen too, but it has merit today as always IMO.

[zekeson]

21. Yes, taste is taste

but I was referring to Elvis' early career, when his style alone brought him to the table so that his handlers would even pay attention to him. The issue was, was he contrived? I say, no, he was not a product wrapped up based on 100 previous other successes. He invented himself. Now, he did turn into a very sad clown of an imposter of his original self, but he WAS the original.

[kmla]

17. You can chalk it all up to timing...

The Beatles came along when there was a large void in the music industry, and they filled it. Before the Beatles, there was a dirth of interesting and fun pop music. The cause? Primarily the A&R people. They were in a mode of "me, too!" when looking for pop and rock music acts to sign (i.e. the next Elvis, the next Little Anthony, the next Little Richard, etc.). The Beatles came to America, and were a little controversial, a lot of fun, and made catchy pop tunes. They were marketed very wisely, and, excepting a couple of public relations screw-ups (we are more popular than Jesus controversy), were pretty successful in managing their maturity as a band.

That being said, there have been other times when artists/bands have filled a void in the industry, some having more success that others.

Michael Jackson - filled a void by marketing to a generation that was raised on TV (the MTV generation). Without MTV, Michael Jackson would not have achieved the success that he did.

Sex Pistols - became popular (to a limited degree) because people were tires of listening to rock stars brag about how great they were (We're an American Band, etc.) and how much fun it was. Who could identify with that? Not most people.

Nirvana - people were tired of hearing polished, new wave, synthesized sounds. Hence the entire grunge movement.

Run-DMC - popular music for the most part had abandoned the voice of the street. Pop songs were about love, harmony, and sappy sentimental issues. They were one of the first rap groups to start talkin' about what it was like on the streets.

The next big thing? Wish I knew. I just know it's not gonna be J.Lo's new album and new image.

That's my take. Thanks for listening, and flame away if you must...

[Alenne]

19. Some will and some won't

Some of the same things were said about the Beatles that are said about popstars now. She Loves You and Love Me Do aren't the best lyrics I've ever heard. The Beatles matured and so might some of the stars today.

[mvd]

20. IMO those two songs were simple, but..

extremely well written. I agree that certain people wrote them off easily because they didn't like the style.

[Gato Moteado]

22. here's a test...

listen to rubber soul, revolver and abbey road....and then put on the best nsync album you can find and see how long it takes for you to get nauseated enough to turn it off. my guess is you won't last through a whole song.