Sales DO NOT equal talent!!!

[ihavenofish]

 

But, if you wish to proclaim some kind of "victory", go ahead. After all you seem to pe a popster, who's defending the faith. You know what a popster is - "all pop music is "awesome. After all if it wasn't awesome music, made by people with awesome talent, it wouldn't have been hit music." I used to have a boyfriend in college who was a popster. If I told him that a song playing on his favorite hit radio station in his car, was vapid, no talent crap, he would give me a sermon, that was a variation on what I said above. If you insist upon listening to the awesome, bland songs of Justin Beiber, or Des'ree, and religiously listen to the American Top 40, go ahead. It sure isn't for me.

 

 

ahh, theres your big mistake. i cant stand most pop music. i dont listen to top 40, and i think the newest cd in my colection is form the 90's.

 

see, i can defend the talents of other musicians while having no interest in listening to their music.

 

thats what i keep trying to point out - that what you like or dislike has nothing to do with the artists talent. just your own tastes.

[EllenGtrGrl]

 

ahh, theres your big mistake. i cant stand most pop music. i dont listen to top 40, and i think the newest cd in my colection is form the 90's. see, i can defend the talents of other musicians while having no interest in listening to their music. thats what i keep trying to point out - that what you like or dislike has nothing to do with the artists talent. just your own tastes.

 

 

OK, l still disagree. Let's just leave it at that. If you want to split hairs (the Milli Vanilli arguments about how everybody else that worked with them was Milli Vanilli also Milli Vanilli, just as for all I know, you may think that Jennifer Batten was also in a band called Michael Jackson since she worked with him - NOT!), fine. It sounds like you're just looking to debate. I don't have time for it. I've been playing for 31 years (with a significant chunk of that time as a lead guitarist, and singer in bands). I'd like to think I'm not clueless when it comes to music. I'm beginning to think I should spend more time over at the 7-string guitar forum, where these types of arguments seem to be few and far between. Please continue with your trolling.

[FearTheVoices]

I am not going to read this thread, but from the title alone i will post my opinion..Hopefully it deals with what the thread is actually talking about

 

I could careless about how "talented" a band is...If you write catchy riffs that appeal to the mainstream then you have a talent in that regard. Who cares if you don't know scales/modes or can not shred above 100bpm. If you write riff after riff the public loves and sell millions of albums then you are a success. Anything else would be uncivilized

[guitarcapo]

My brother had this argument with me once over Budweiser beer.

He knows I like good imports and once told me: "Budweiser is obviously the best beer in the world because it's the most sold. No argument there."

 

I just said:

 

"With that logic, I guess McDonald's is the height of the culinary arts because there's been.... what?...like 20 billion served? Yep...all those cooking schools in France just need to close up and just crack that secret recipe to everything on the Mcdonald's menu! Yum, Yum. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised tha McDonalds doesn't charge more for their food...basic ecomonics of supply and demand."

[DaveAronow]

OK, l still disagree. Let's just leave it at that. If you want to split hairs (the Milli Vanilli arguments about how everybody else that worked with them was Milli Vanilli also Milli Vanilli, just as for all I know, you may think that Jennifer Batten was also in a band called Michael Jackson since she worked with him - NOT!), fine. It sounds like you're just looking to debate. I don't have time for it. I've been playing for 31 years (with a significant chunk of that time as a lead guitarist, and singer in bands). I'd like to think I'm not clueless when it comes to music. I'm beginning to think I should spend more time over at the 7-string guitar forum, where these types of arguments seem to be few and far between. Please continue with your trolling.

 

Funny. you seem to have PLENTY of time arguing to get your point across. Just no time to read the opposing points I guess.

[ihavenofish]

 

My brother had this argument with me once over Budweiser beer. He knows I like good imports and once told me: "Budweiser is obviously the best beer in the world because it's the most sold. No argument there." I just said: "With that logic, I guess McDonald's is the height of the culinary arts because there's been.... what?...like 20 billion served? Yep...all those cooking schools in France just need to close up and just crack that secret recipe to everything on the Mcdonald's menu! Yum, Yum. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised tha McDonalds doesn't charge more for their food...basic ecomonics of supply and demand."

 

 

argument isnt quite the same.

 

pop music isnt "the best music has to offer". it just must be acknowledged that pop hits take considerable musical talent to create.

 

bud is a different type of product, as is mcd's. they are operating within price parameters, and to that end, it could be said that mcdonads HQ definitely has some food prep skills in being able to make a hamburger that doesnt taste like sawdust, is made by grubby high school kids, and sells for $1.

 

or whatever it sells for these days. i dont eat beef so my excursions to mcdonalds ar efew and far between.

 

same goes for bud. it tastes like watered down piss, but its cheap and gets you drunk! (or something, im alergic to alcohol so i dont drink beer).

[robertkoa]

It takes a certain talent to play an instrument to a high level of acceptable standards in a genre.

 

It also takes talent to be "marketable " and usually a team of people to achieve widespread success. And generally a "complete package" of qualities and very strong musical material and stage presence and presentation, packaging,marketing , mastering etc etc etc.

 

The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, often the "best" man DOES win.

 

Hendrix was one of the highest paid performers in the world, and there are many other examples.

 

If all it took was less talent then REALLY TRULY TALENTED PEOPLE could just "dumb down", lower their quality for an album or two and sell a million CDs or downloads, right?

 

Like a really really fast runner slowing down to lose a race.

 

Or a really talented , incredible Boxer throwing a fight.

 

Or a great artist like Van Gogh doing Marvel Comic Books and getting Millions in Royalties from the Movie Spinoffs.

 

Only one( or 3) problem- it doesn't work that way, it's not that easy, and Van Gogh didn't dream up all those characters.

 

 

OK next post " Why Do The Dumbest People Make the Most Money?"