Is it just me or the really passionate artists gets little credit or none at all?
Of course music (oh music) is extremely subjective, but my study shows that there are some genres which are being enjoyed globally. But what really stands behind the stars' popularity?
Take Adele as an example. I don't have anything personal against her, but I must say I've listened to much more elaborate and uplifting compositions than her songs. Yet apparently 432,319,142 people think otherwise.

Now take this piece by Austin Wintory as an example. Sure it has 419,445 views, however it's 1000 times less than Adele. How is it possible?
Wintory's Apotheosis sound to me much more elaborate, properly orchestrated and well harmonized piece. Hear for yourself:

Not to mention some pieces made by users on A.Sex. Even though I'm not into electronic music and 'synthetic genres', there are noteworthy artists, like frito. .
Does popularity really depend on notes and coins even in today's internet era?
What do you think...

Provided I'm not comparing apples and oranges here

 

Last edited: Sep 19, 2015

I listen to all kinds of music, tons of stuff that most people will never even hear. How did that happen? Well I took an interest in something more than just the equivalent of something shiny, I wanted substance too. There was a great response that someone once made to Why Does America Like Skrillex and it applies here too you just have to change a few words here and there:

If you like frito you should hear his new song Starve To Death, it took me throughout the whole range of human emotions. I want him to share some more of his music because it's really great and I think he should enter it for AudioSexed.

 

De gustibus non est disputandum.

Why do so many people eat that shit which is sold by McDonalds? Because obviously they like it. ;)

If Adele would be a 50 year old ugly chick, no one would care about her I guess..

 

Well, you are wrong mate. She is ugly, and is 50 years old by now.

If someone have really good voice then age has not matter. But as you said, de gustibus non est disputandum.

BTW she is in sony label.

@ Andrew

Mate you gave a bad example. You can not compare the human voice with classical music. There is nothing to refer and compare in these two cases. By the way classical music is not for the crowds is written and created by intelligent people for intelligent listeners (thats why has less hits at YT than Adele), is not opium for mass like gangnam style or skrillex To the fans of skrillex, please do not be offended

After I wrote this I read SAiNT answer, and came to the conclusion that we think similarly *yes*

 

I guess I should not answer but I do like Adele and let's be real she's not such a beauty with that tons of make-up and body fats and the reason of her success is probably due to her unique voice and rare timbre not just marketing. There is something good in each genre of music.

 

The music industry is ruled by teenage girls now a days.
Adele
Taylor Swift
Justin Bieber
Cody whatever

Who remembers Drake before teen girls started listening to him? Thank god after Thank Me Later he got his priorities back in line.

 

Hoffnung hört sich anders an- omg

 

Well, I guess it's basically because it requires a certain level of education in order to learn how to appreciate art. As we know, unfortunately, most people are just too ignorant to know any better.

 

Yes. Art, in this aspect, is not different from science. The more complex it gets, the more knowledge is required to comprehend it.

Empty minded people can't understand real music. That's why pop music is designed to be simplistic enough in a way that even a three years old kid can immediately assimilate it.

 

People are easily satisfied and lazy.When i say lazy i mean they have zero adventurer and explorer in them,its like they are content with the 2 dimensional world and dont have the need to explore any further.
Average music for average people and most of the world is average.

 

Well define good music and what is "good" to you may probably not be for others

@RMorgan, if you think pop music is simple, listen to Taylor Swift's last album, you'll find odd meters, polyrhythms and very interesting other use of unsual music techniques.

 

David Sylvian, Joni Mitchell, Robert Fripp (and more)... thanks god they exists. I don't care if the audio-crowd prefer Justin Bieber & co. The music industry will never change my music taste.

 

... one more thing: mass effect!
I have troubles with my daughter and music. She is six class of elementary school and all of her friends listening (currently) Taylor Swift so in that chain reaction - she also.
I'm have many many conversations with her about that, about self choices, etc.. but that's very hard. She is still young.
When I was young, it was a year of 80's disco etc... I listened Pink Floyd, Klaus Schulze, Rare Earth etc... I was some kind of freak those days
Same thing is with clothes and honestly I don't know where the world goes today. I'm a bit afraid of those new generations. Some of them will be a doctors and should work in medicine

 

I have absolutely no problem with simple. Art can be simple and great at the same time. Eric Satie is simple. Bob Dylan is simple. The Blues is simple.

I have a problem with the simplistic, the mediocre, though. The simplistic can be technically challenging and still be artistically poor. Is there any artistic value in Taylor Swift's work? In my opinion, there isn't. It contains artistic elements, of course, but it's not art. It's applied art.

This is pretty much the fundamental difference between design and art. The first's got applied artistic elements, but it's designed with the primary purpose of being commercial; Its only reason to exist is to sell, to make money. The second exists primarily as a faithful manifestation of the artist's consciousness.

In Taylor's Swift case, her music only's got some artistic touch thankfully to her producers, which certainly are the best money can afford. It doesn't make her a good artist, though; On the contrary: Her music is like a piece of shit decorated with diamonds.

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2016

When i find some time I will read the whole thread...but just wanted to chip in:

It's simple. Adele = dancing ....Wintory = not really :P People wants to groove guys simple as that. Why is Rolling Stones the biggest band ever? Because of Charlie Watts and his irresistible dance groove

And although I am a full time video game composer, I tend to love and respect both...just choose to listen to Wintory way more

Cheers!

p.s. - oh yea, people like to sing also

 

There is a difference between art and mainstream. I'm pretty sure many people here would buy a print of something they see as art. But then see something in an art gallery, thinking "Man I could do this shit" or "That's art?".

I don't like this kind of discussions, they want make our music better or your experimental tuned bongo beats with 12 chord Harpsichord arrangement a hit on the radio. It's the same as standing in an art gallery and see fake pigions shitting on the floor, most people want like it or see it as art, but it is. I bet if we could go back in time and play some modern music, that people here see as superior to Pop or whatever, to classical musicians, they would tell you that this isn't music or anywhere near good.

Eventually "X music is so much better then Y music" is the same shitty discussion like "EDM is shit [insert you favorite genre] is so much better" or
"Music in the past was so much better". Kids today will tell this shit to their kids "Adele, that was good music your XYZ artist is bullshit."

It easy to understand. Most people like simple music for "simple" emotions. They don't want to discuss Beethovens 9th, they like to cry over their latest heartbreak and don't think about some crazy creative chord progression,they just like to hear the good old I-V-vi-IV again. Because they don't know anything about it, because they don't care and it sounds familiar. Like most here want care how Leonardo made up his own technics of painting for the Mona Lisa or what strokes he used, but see it as a great work of art.