The Beatles are still mainstream, and Pink Floyd didn't even get all that recognized until Dark Side of the Moon was released and played a lot on the radio. Also, Hendrix was never mainstream, but he was never underground either. If you look at his record sales then you'll see that he stayed somewhere in the middle. But your statement is definitely right.

Do I think I was born in the wrong generation? No. I don't think there's a right or wrong one in my view. I think I would be just as annoyed with the hippie culture as I am with this culture. Not to mention we have so much more music now. We can listen to both old AND new. Not to mention MP3 players and the internet are very helpful in maintaining a broad and knowledgeable taste in music. I wouldn't know about the majority of the bands I do now without the internet.

oh I'm pretty sure some people hate the mainstream for being sellouts and playing for the dollar as well. I agree with you about not favor one over the other. I'm heavily into listening to so much music that sometimes yes I will listen to crappy/bad music that just in turn happens to be mainstream as well. I just really hate how people go from "oh it's mainstream." to meaning that "well if it's popular and mainstream that automatically means that it is terribad". That type of elitism that I find here on the forums is just straight up stupid imo. You claim to be open minded to music but then you turn around and shut out all artists that are mainstream.

Most people don't like mainstream because it's played a lot on the radio. When certain music receives as much air time as mainstream artists do, then it gets boring after a while. So, people dive deeper down into music to find musicians who aren't quite as recognized as mainstream ones are. Is mainstream bad? No, that's just idiotic and nonsensical to to label a vast set of music as horrible (or "terribad" in your case - great word). Do I like it? Not really. I like old mainstream stuff, but very little new. I remember finding "Viva la Vida" to be a good song and then the radio play it over and over again to the point where I now hate it.

yeah that's understandable. The easiest solution for that though is to not listen to the radio. I know that's not possible for some people because their jobs like to have the radio tuned into top 40 stations but if you can avoid listening to the radio like it's the plague. That's the way I do it and i'm fine listening to mainstream artists because of that. A majority of the time anyways, they never take the good songs from the album of mainstream artists to make as a single to play on the radio.

I basically never listen to the radio as well. The end result for me is I generally have no clue how popular various bands are. Sometimes I'm shock by how popular or not popular certain bands I like are.

NPR is the only station I listen to. Although, when looking up music on the internet, I sometimes get an idea of how popular certain music is judging by the amount of views, comments, etc found on youtube or last.fm. That or I see what people say about the music on this site.

the only way I can tolerate radio is switching from a station with mainly classic rock, one with hits from recent years and one with current hits

otherwise I can't tolerate any one station for a prolonged period of time

which is to say even older popular songs in the classic rock era grates on me after a while

lived thru it
 

hi folks - i lived through the sixties and seventies. For me they were the along with the fifties probably the most awesome and innovative musical period considering all the different kinds of music that was coming out - but who knows whats to come. I don't think it was just the talent but also the political and social situation. They say that America really matured and lost the kind civility of the early 1800's after the Civil war. I think the Vietnam war also changed and hardened us all. At any rate I lean towards southern rock but enjoy almost anything I hear. If you get a chance check out this local band They play out of Rochester NY so probably of little interest to anyone here but still one of the best I've ever heard. They've opened for the likes of Marshal Tucker, Molly Hatchet, the Outlaws and 38 Special Take a peek if you're so inclined google kid kurry band Take care and enjoy

Its never smart to say "all" or "none" when make generalizations. So lets say "a lot."

Do you think the idea that a lot of teenagers have a phase where they really love classic rock and wish they were born in the 1960's says all that needs to be said about the decade?

Namely that it was an overbearing Neverneverland for College Kids who didn't want to work at the insurance companies with their fathers? Just a question.

i think people in the 60s would wish they were in the 40s with all that jazz