Hank The Drifter

What's wrong with underground musicians? There's certain sounds that are more radio friendly than others. Just because a band is playing whatever it is they want to play and don't become well known due to the lack of support in the mainstream world. A band doesn't need to be well known in order to be hardworking. Most of these obscure bands are often times bands that play for the love of the music and hell some of them more than likely work day jobs.

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“If a song can't be written in 20 minutes, it ain't worth writing.” - Hank Williams

The Bullet

So Mac, lemme get this straight.

You won't want to listen to anything that isn't popular, because you want to fill your mind with ONLY successful artists, THEN you can write "masses-friendly" songs without even thinking about it.

Lemme just ask, has it been working? The answer is no, I can already tell. End of story.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra

This joke better not indicate the concept of an "You just don't like pop music because you're behind the times" attitude. As somebody in his mid-twenties, I don't particularly take too kindly to the concept.

As for assuming that only popular acts are good... Well, you're either being a troll, or you're really naive. Popular acts get good by fitting into a specific mold created for them, and knowing not to deviate too much from it. The reason why they're disliked by a lot of people has nothing to do with anything apart from the fact they tend to rehash formula.

Not everyone on your list does, but there are a ton of music acts out there that are just as hard working, if not more, who sacrifice the popularity because they can explore artistic endeavors that may not be popular, but are a proper outlet for self expression, which is more important than popularity(anybody who wants to be an artist of ANY type should know this). Popularity just may, or may not be a side effect. If breaking the formula to be yourself costs you it, then at least you realize your priorities as an artists.

Besides, there's also an account that must be taken in that choice of style/instrument should be taken into consideration. You won't see a virtuoso trombonist reach the levels of popularity of the people you listed, even if he or she is a far superior songwriter.

Unless you're holding a guitar in your hand(and this is dying off), pulling off fancy vocal tricks, and dancing it doesn't mean two ****s to the top crust of modern pop music. You can do all those things, and still create good music. But, not all good music is created through such ventures.

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Al Pacino = God

Paedantic Basterd

If you consider that successful, surely the other artists who are at your level or above it are also successful, are they not? Thus also worthwhile?

Insane Guest

I don't get why the hell people care if somethings popular, if you like it, then listen to it. I band I think is a good example of this is MGMT. I don't give a **** if they are popular, their music is excellent, and I want it, doesn't matter what you people think!!!
Don't hate on an artist because they are popular, don't hate on them if you don't like thier music, hate on them cause their music sucks.

Paedantic Basterd

That hasn't been what this conversation is about though. I have not implied that popular artists aren't worthwhile, just that unpopular artists are as well.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra

Uh... See, with your line if thinking Skull Candy could just assemble their own band of random models, and pair them with random green session musicians, and they'd be both A) artists, and B) hard working successes.

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Al Pacino = God

Paedantic Basterd

Well, that's a very narrow definition of success. Do you consider artists who have popularity in other countries to be failures, as they are not popular in your own?

The Bullet

So, unless you're the single biggest artist in history, you're not successful? Like, The Beatles arn't successful? Neither was Elvis, Michael Jackson, or 2pac I take it?

Insane Guest

Oh, sorry, I was responding to the thread, I kind of just ignored your conversation...carry on...