Does the amount a person contributes to their album determine how good they are?

AKing · 01-03-2015, 03:07 PM

Does the amount of contribution an artist has to their album determine how good of an artist they are?

Using Taylor Swift as an example, being one of at least seven writers for her best-selling album 1989, she also credits 28 people in their contribution to the album in the liner notes.. That's a lot of people, can it be compared to Queen, who's songs where all written by the 4 members..

Oriphiel · 01-03-2015, 03:19 PM

What's more important than doing everything yourself is to play to your strengths. If you meet a few great songwriters, and you yourself don't particularly fancy writing songs, why wouldn't you let them create material for you?

RoxyRollah · 01-03-2015, 03:23 PM

How do you know this?

I mean I don't listen to Taylor Swift, but I am just going with maybe she wrote a catchy tune once in her life, all by herself and it went somewhere, then maybe she hired the team after that one hit, because well, if it aint broke don't fix it. Why bomb with yer sophomore single. Seems to me if my theory is correct, (mind you I am totally throwing darts at the wall on this one. Cause I know dick about Swift, and really don't want to, but I am bored and this has entertained me.) seems like we should give her props. Smart.

AKing · 01-03-2015, 04:03 PM

She is defiantly smart, but can she really call herself an artist anymore if there are so many people involved in making her songs? Surely does this just make her a singer? She does write the lyrics to start off but then they are changed and after passing through so many people's hands how close is it likely to be to what she contributed? Does being a popular act these days mean that you really have to be more of a business man or woman and have a whole team behind you to create 'your' music?

Oriphiel · 01-03-2015, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKing

She is defiantly smart, but can she really call herself an artist anymore if there are so many people involved in making her songs? Surely does this just make her a singer? She does write the lyrics to start off but then they are changed and after passing through so many people's hands how close is it likely to be to what she contributed? Does being a popular act these days mean that you really have to be more of a business man or woman and have a whole team behind you to create 'your' music?

A person may not fine-tune their own car, but that doesn't mean that they can't be a fantastic racer. If they are great at what they do, then respect them as a racer, and if they also happen to know their vehicle inside and out then more power to them.

grindy · 01-03-2015, 04:38 PM

Elvis Presley didn't write any songs, as far as I know, and seems to be almost universally acclaimed.

AKing · 01-03-2015, 07:57 PM

But do people like Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) not deserve more credit as musicians when he wrote the whole album For Emma, Forever Ago by himself in a cabin in the woods? Like I'm not sayin Swift is bad but how can she even call herself a musician.. same way as a girl singing covers of songs in a pub with backing tracks couldn't call herself one..

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-03-2015, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKing

But do people like Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) not deserve more credit as musicians when he wrote the whole album For Emma, Forever Ago by himself in a cabin in the woods?

But then his music is really nothing more than your usual typical singer songwriter fare that can easily be done by someone on their own.

Compare that to a band like Primal Scream who regularly cross genres and have a cast of thousands of guest musicians come in and play on their albums.

AKing · 01-04-2015, 11:02 PM

But having guest artists isn't the same as having 30 odd people help you write an album..? I don't dislike Taylor Swift but I've lost a lot of respect for her as an artist after finding this out.. It's like pop music isn't manufactured enough without having a factory of people writing it..

RoxyRollah · 01-05-2015, 05:00 AM

^grow out of top 40 pop, then.

01-03-2015, 03:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
AKing Groupie Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 8	Does the amount a person contributes to their album determine how good they are? Does the amount of contribution an artist has to their album determine how good of an artist they are? Using Taylor Swift as an example, being one of at least seven writers for her best-selling album 1989, she also credits 28 people in their contribution to the album in the liner notes.. That's a lot of people, can it be compared to Queen, who's songs where all written by the 4 members..

01-03-2015, 04:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	Elvis Presley didn't write any songs, as far as I know, and seems to be almost universally acclaimed. __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

01-03-2015, 03:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,354	What's more important than doing everything yourself is to play to your strengths. If you meet a few great songwriters, and you yourself don't particularly fancy writing songs, why wouldn't you let them create material for you?

01-03-2015, 04:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
AKing Groupie Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 8	She is defiantly smart, but can she really call herself an artist anymore if there are so many people involved in making her songs? Surely does this just make her a singer? She does write the lyrics to start off but then they are changed and after passing through so many people's hands how close is it likely to be to what she contributed? Does being a popular act these days mean that you really have to be more of a business man or woman and have a whole team behind you to create 'your' music?

01-03-2015, 07:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
AKing Groupie Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 8	But do people like Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) not deserve more credit as musicians when he wrote the whole album For Emma, Forever Ago by himself in a cabin in the woods? Like I'm not sayin Swift is bad but how can she even call herself a musician.. same way as a girl singing covers of songs in a pub with backing tracks couldn't call herself one..

01-04-2015, 11:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
AKing Groupie Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 8	But having guest artists isn't the same as having 30 odd people help you write an album..? I don't dislike Taylor Swift but I've lost a lot of respect for her as an artist after finding this out.. It's like pop music isn't manufactured enough without having a factory of people writing it..