The Tool Page: Opinion - View Single Post - A collection of Letters pertaining to the music industry.

Something I wrote a while back concerning the music industry's view of all-glitter + no talent = success.

Quote:

The music industry is in a sad state: boy bands reign supreme, and the only people who share the spotlight are the pop princesses, divas, whatever.

This has been brought on by a number of things, the biggest of which being pop music. Since its rise in the 60's and 70's with the Beatles, pop music has been a conquering force, slaughtering all other types of music that get in its way.

Pop music plays on the emotions of the public, using catchy hooks and phat beats to catch the attention of the audience, then wowing them with beautiful people, exotic locales, and Britney Spears' big breasts. This is a far cry from other types of music, in which the members have long hair, bathe infrequently, and generally use naughty words in their lyrics.

For 99% of pop stars, their role in the writing/recording process is minimal: sing the songs and leave. Very few of these artists actually write their own music, and even less write their own lyrics. Credit must be given to Janet Jackson for trying, however, as she tells her writers what the song should be about and they convert her words in lyrics.

Why does the spotlight not shine on real musicians instead? Bands like TOOL, who do not crave the spotlight, the media, or the public in general, have the most talent and are appreciated the least. The industry must run on some type of sliding scale: at one end, the pop end, the least talented performers being popular and made millionaires instantly, while at the other end, the real end, bands like Nine Inch Nails are left with a much more treacherous path to traverse. One hit song at the pop end instantly launches the pop artist into a world of fame, fortune, and glamour, where he or she will stay until finally being spit out the bottom of the porn industry, leaving nothing but some once-popular songs and a risque video series. At the real end, however, most bands silently fade away, leaving a lasting legacy on the world.

Maybe it will start off some of you on your own threads...