Posted on 05/22/2017 11:28:23 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
Elton John told an audience at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday that the MTV generation had promoted many musicians who didn’t deserve the attention, but he also paid tribute to the positive role that music videos have played in the music business.
John, who was on-stage with his long-term song-writing partner Bernie Taupin, said: “We were before the MTV generation and I’m glad we were because we were real artists. The MTV generation brought along a lot of people who were great but a lot of people who just made videos. So a lot of the artistry went out of the music.”
The singer, who was answering questions from Spike Lee at the winners’ presentation for a new music-video competition, added: “Visuals — whether it is a painting, a drawing, a piece of film, a video — enhance music. You get to use your imagination; you get into it.”
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
Other than CMT are there many music vids still out there? And are the ones still shown ,new? Quite a few new performers have gone to the internet reach their public, and have abandoned the mainstream industry altogether, exept as to acquiring copyrights.
Yes, but he had joy, he had fun...
Looks became a heck of a lot more important during the video era.
I don’t think musicians like Billy Joel or Elton John for that matter would have a prayer at superstardom these days. These recording companies learned that it is much easier to sell sex appeal w/o musical talent than it is the other way around (for the most part).
I meant to write, people who act like IDIOTS.
Did he name names? Almost anything in the gangsta rap genre would fit the bill. I do not recall MTV doing much promotion of that European crap known as “industrial” or “death” metal.
I am the entertainer
And I know just where I stand
Another serenader
And another long haired band
Today I am your champion
I may have won your hearts
But I know the game, you'll forget my name
I won't be here in another year
If I don't stay on the charts
Absolutely agree with him. MTV started around 1981, I was around 16 and I noticed it right away. The music just took an epic nose dive. I think the reason is before MTV, records were sold on how good they were. When MTV came along, the music industry discovered they would also sell if it was advertised in a video that was played in heavy rotation. Basically sight took over sound to sell music and they realized “Hey, why invest in a band when all we have to do is invest in a single video”. So all these manufactured puppets started popping up, like Madonna and they hired pro musicians who would write and record music for her and she would merely lip synch to it on video and it was played constantly on Empty-V. And it really never stopped, even when MTV went down the tubes. Sure you had some good bands that squeezed through, but it was never the same when the industry switched over to pure promo over sound quality to sell. I would say it’s even worse now.
Surely h must have been thinking of the early 80s song “The Order of Death”.
Here is the song, and you tell me? It is so bad, and why I like it. Lots of keyboard. Haha!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Ne9sRcSrM
He’s put on a ‘little’ weight since then...........................so have I...............
Surely he must have been thinking of the early 80s song “The Order of Death”.
Here is the song, and you tell me? It is so bad, and why I like it. Lots of keyboard. Haha!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Ne9sRcSrM
I think Rap Music did far greater damage to professionalism in defining what was expected and acceptable in popular music. At least two generations have been raised on such base mediocrities. That is not to paint all with the same brush. There still are many truly talented young performers, in all forms of popular music. The British girl Adele is just one of them. She has her own style, one worth listening to if you like blues ballads.
Somebody once made available the actual sound Britney Spears was making into a microphone during a performance. It was pathetic to hear. And I’ll never understand the whole Michael Jackson cult. Stevie Wonder had (has) more talent in his little finger than Jackson had in his drug soaked and surgically mutilated body. Then there are the unfunny “comedians” who somehow seem to be making a nice living with no discernable talent. The descent into glorified mediocrity isn’t limited to music.
Rock of the Westies was the last EJ album I bought.....................
There’s no music on Music Television..............
Yeah, he was starting to lose it there.
MTV remained on music just long enough to force Rap down the nation’s throat.
Thirty years later, it’s still a festering boil on the nation’s ass.
Nothing did more in public to denigrate Blacks than rap music.
It’s disgusting treatment of Black women, and the glorification of gang activity, were it’s two most endearing qualities.
counter culture ping
"Thriller" was a Quincy Jones album, with Michael providing the vocals.
Sung for the Queen of England at the White House, no less!
A low point in the musical history of the USA.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.