Here's what pisses me off about groups/performers such as 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Aguilera, etc. They didn't have to work to be recognized. They didn't get there on their own, they were chosen. And why were they chosen? Because they wrote extraordinary songs? No. Because they had pretty faces. Some agent went around and picked a couple guys/girls that would atract a young crowd and made pop stars out of them.

The Beatles, Stones, Who...they had to work to get to the top. They started on their own and put enough work in to "make it." Now of course, 'N Sync and 98 Degrees didn't immediately go from regular kids to pop stars overnight, obviously they had to put in a little effort to become famous.

For example, after the songs were written for them and handed to them on the silver platter, they had to be instructed on the harmonies. Then a choreographer had to come in and show them how to do all the crap dance moves. After all, they need to keep their bodies moving since their hands aren't occupied with guitars and drum sticks. They'd just be standing there like idiots.

As to the person who said 'N Sync writes their own songs. Do you want to know what they write? The lyrics and basic main melody of SOME songs. They don't write the actual music, they're not talented enough. Who can't write lyrics? My 4 year old nephew can write lyrics, and at that point he could have some professional musicians come in to finish it up for him. If he has a name, he has a hit. No talent involved.

The whole concept of "music" promoted by MTV is a sham. MTV isn't about music, it hasn't been for a long time. MTV is entirely visual. The choreography, the make up, the good looks. That's what is needed today to sell an album.

And I know someone is going to say "Well the girls of the 60's loved the Beatles and the Stones the same way today's age group loves 'N Sync". And you're right, they did. But why? Because that's all that was offered. They made it to the top on their own. Honestly look at Mick Jagger, even in his youth, and tell me he was attractive. However, Mick Jagger wasn't up against a bunch of teens chosen simply because they looked good.

Overall, I feel the music industry has gone completely downhill. It's about the money, as it always has been, but it has become too engineered. Everything about it is fake. I'm a classic rock fan. I prefer lyrics that actually mean something. Compare the Don Maclean's "American Pie" to Spear's "Oops I did it again." Sure she's hot as hell, but I can't even respect such crap.

And that's what pisses me off even more. Seeing a special on the Beatles where an 'N Sync member (Chris may have been his name) was speaking of how much they influenced 'N Sync's work. The Beatles ripped on The Monkees for not playing their own instruments. You think he would respect your work, Chris? And the other day I was reading about the winners of the "John Lennon Songwriting Contest." There were two winning songs, one of them being 'Not Lookin for a playa' with the most inane lyrics i've ever seen in my life. That whole contest is an insult to Lennon.

If you're wondering, I do like some of today's music. STP, Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, 311, Pumpkins, and Goldfinger to name a few. But these bands don't hold a candle to the icons such as Clapton, the Beatles, Stones, Who, Hendrix, Billy Joel, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Ozzy, and the many others that I don't want to go on listing since this post is long enough already. I wasn't alive to see these bands that I speak so highly about, as I'm only 19, but I wish I had been. I'm a child of the 80's made for the 60's. But hey, to each his own...

It's not their fault that they look good and have singing talent. And, they just didn't make it. Nsync and the Backstreet Boys were popular overseas and no one over here even knew who they were. Several record companies passed on Britney (Mercury, Sony, and Epic something like that). It even took Britney's song Baby One More Time a long time to gain popularity. The video use to be on the Box and not even on MTV.

Actually two of the Nsync people do produce music. Timberlake and JC something. JC has done stuff for Blaque and Wild Orchid and some others.

However, I still stand on the ground that who cares if they do not write and compose the songs? People are allowed to be just singers. I like how someone else compared it to actors in movies do not write the script.

You can't compare American Pie to Oops I did It Again. I would rather listen to Oops myself because American Pie sounds like hick-town music to me and I don't care for it. Everyone has their own music tastes. Never did Britney come out and say that she thinks that Oops I did it Again was a way better song than somethign by say the Beatles or something. And remember, she didn't write the song, Max Martin did. However, it was a good choice because it put her album at a #1 debut. You are always going to have fun pop songs. We had them in the 80s (can you say Tiffany) and will continue to on the way. The music scene is dominated by teens. Everyone was a teen once. It was the same thing. It is not the artist's fault that say millions went out to get Britney and not as many older fans went out on the first day Paul McCartney's album hit shelves.

Why can't Chris say that the Beatles influenced him? Hmm? He has a right to say that. He didn't say he thought that Nsync was better than the Beatles or something. Even if the Beatles would comment that they think that Nsync is Nsuck, he can still say that the Beatles influenced them.

Every decade has had boy bands.
The 70's from what I can remember had The Osmonds, Jackson 5.
80's had New Kids On The Block, Menudo,
90's had you know.
50's & 60's had more solo boy artists.
So I just educated you on the Boy Bands, it's always been around.

I didn't say it was there fault. I said that that is what sells their records. Image has always been a major aspect of the record industry. But nowadays, it is taken to the extreme. For THAT reason, I have no respect for these groups as musicians.

Regarding the "acting vs. singing" argument...there is a very big difference between being an actor and being a musician. If all these boy band icons were actors, I would have more respect for them. Even if they were the worst actors in the world, I'd have more respect for them.

Filmmaking hasn't changed much over the years. A screenplay writer or director plots out the movie and creates the script. Actors are chosen for the parts. They perform the script. Music hasn't always been that way. The musicians wrote the music, edited the music, and performed the music. But that has changed. Why? Because groups like Spears, 'N Sync, and Backstreet Boys can't do that by themselves. They are simply the marketing aspect. The pretty faces that sell the albums.

Yes, people are allowed to be just singers. But what kind of talent is that when they can't even sing their own songs at concerts? They're just singers...yet they lip synch when they need to perform live.

Yes you can, simply in terms of quality. Just read the lyrics and tell me which song has thought, effort and emotion put into it and which song was thrown together in 5 minutes.


You are absolutely correct.

Point taken.

Yet, another very intelligent poster who I agree with 100 percent. Great job, Gregger840 and keep up the good work.

All the pop music industry cares about is nothing more than charisma and potential which is pretty saddening.

Yes, the Beatles, The Stones, The Who, etc. all started off small and worked their way to the top just like Gregger said. With rock and metal industry, they don't care about potential and charisma at all. All they care about is how talented you write the music. Real talent is what counts in music.

Did part of this thread get deleted? I thought i remembered it being longer
__________
It was longer & part was deleted. [Benedict]

It looks like on trl, there are no boy bands currently on the countdown. . now we have on the countdown
pop punk
nu rock
girls on instraments pop
r&b
rap

The Boy bands of today are just so disposable it is sickening

Look at Duran Duran, the boyband equivalent of the early 80s. Their music is way more sophisticated than anything the boy bands do today.

I think teenage girls get way too much pocket money these days

Ummmmm.........they are not forced on you. You can change the radio station or tv channel. At least that's what I do when I hear or see something I don't like.

Are you the Mark in Jag Panzer? Now that's real music!
You still go on Perpetual Motion?

This has already been covered. Of course they are forced
on us. When they are used to endorse products, or played
in places I have no control over (music stores, malls, theatres),
I'd pretty much say that's being forced.

I just don't pay attention to the music when I hear it because I don't care. I mentally block it out. I don't focus too much attention on something I don't like or care for.

Well then you're very lucky. It's hard for me (and apparently
others) to block something out that's constantly beaten
over my head.

As long as there are teenage girls, and gay men, there will be boy bands, and guess what, there always will be.

and as long as we have teenage boys and girls, we will still have rap/metal music.

Exactly Rypro...every musical 'genre' has a target audience, and as long as there are people, there will be people in each of those target audiences.

Teens, gays, seniors, punks, aliented youth, disenchanted teenage boys, drooling teenage girls, housewives, truck drivers, cowboys, whatever....every musical style has SOME demographic that it appeals to more than others. It justy happens that the fans of boy bands tend to be more into 'pop' culture, disposable music, have more cash to spend, and are more numerous.

Ask yourself..how many of those that play Backstreet Boys or NSync or whatever, will still be playing their albums when they turn 30, 40 etc???? Very few, but they will have kids who will wet their knickers over boy bands whose members aren't even born yet. It's just the way it is.

I hate boy bands too, and the whole teenage music thing, but who cares? They are easy to avoid.

Terry

Why do people keep saying stuff like this (they are easy to avoid). That is SO not true. Every music store I've gone into in the last few years either has this music blaring on the overhead speakers or everywhere I turn there is a display with their CD's or life size posters. I go to the movie theatre and there's one of these "bands" or "singers" endorsing some product before the movie. Or WORSE, in a movie preview. I turn on any music video channel or radio, there they are. Magazines? Ads everywhere. Sorry, but as much as I would like to avoid these pop stars, they are unavoidable. And to make matters worse, Fox is now airing a show to encourage more them to come. GREAT!

and now so is six flags america in dc. we have sugar ray and some teen pop singer named willa ford singing for roller coasters at this park.

Willa Ford is hot. I saw her live (not lip syncing) at one of the local radio station's Christmas Jam. Her video was nice if you know what I mean. "I Wanna Be Bad" was her "hit" song.

just listening to the song on the commercial (i think it was 'i wanna be bad') just made it too annoying.

Lol! Yes, it's me. Yea, I'm still a regular at Perpetual Motion.

Mark

But they ARE easy to avoid - sort of.....don't shop in those bland CD shops....go somewhere they play decent music. Forget the posters hanging up....don't look at them. Video your favourite shows and skip the crap acts...that'll wipe out 85% of the show.
Don;t watch that show Fox are promoting. Ads in magazines?? For farck's sake...turn the page!!!!!!!!

OK...you can't avoid them 100% but you CAN tune out. I have no idea what the top 10 looks like, I have no idea whether NSync, Backtreet etc are still together or split. I have no idea how many CDs Brittney has or what her latest hit is called or what it sounds like.

These crap acts are never going to go away, and people WILL keep buying it by the truckload, but it doesn't mean we have to be a part of it. Boy bands, Brittney et al SUCK majorly and I would be happy never to hear the names again, but the bottom line is they are here to stay. I don't like it, I don't listen to it, and I CERTAINLY don't patronise it by buying their **** or watching those crap video shows!!!

Terry

Wow! Some of you people really have a big problem when even just a picture on a magazine or a cd display bothers you and not just hearing the actual music.

I don't watch crappy music channels and the radio stations I listen to would never play this type of music.

The only time I actually would hear them are in stores or restaurants, but I'm not in those places to hear the background music.
I usually just tune it out.

This is off topic, but to you guys.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so forgive me if I'm repeating anything here.

Boy bands are probably here to stay. If it isn't N'Sync or Boyz II Men, it will be someone else.

In the 60s we had The Monkees, none of whom could play an instrument or write their own music, at first. The Pre-Fab four were created simply to make money off the zillions of teens out there who eat this stuff up like candy. Eventually, the Monkees did learn to compose songs and play their own instruments. But through it all, they were able to sing pretty well. And they looked good on camera, which is all their management cared about at the time.

Sorry, but I don't consider The Beatles a boy band. Sure, they started out as four cute little mop-haired boys from Liverpool, but once they hit America, they were writing their own songs, playing their own instruments (they always did that), and had a ton of talent. Just because a zillion teeny boppers loved them doesn't make them a boy band. They were simply very popular with the young people in the 60s.

In the 80s we had Menudo, New Kids on the Block, and possibly one or two others. Those boy bands disappeared into relative obscurity within five years.

I expect the current crop of boy bands to do the same unless, by some freak of fortune, they are smart enough to figure out how to grow with their audience.

In Britney Spears' case, unless she is successful as an actress, people are going to figure out she really can't sing, and will desert her. Looks don't last forever. I give her another four years.