Some artists hold down their popularity quite well and don't sway into popular opinion. Like Johnny Cash. So I wouldn't count every single artist into my anti pop view because I've looked up to many mainstream artists or bands myself. I'm just saying other than exception most pop follows each other tails like they don't know it smells like ass yet they keep doing. Original artists who get success are boss for reaching their own brand instead of copying someone elses. There are creators and there are imitators. Most pop acts are imitators.
@BEAT16, you give a lot of useful info on the forum but this time I'm not convinced at all. I know you only shared this, still.. .. it says Pamela Dörhöfer on the orig text(?) Anyway IMO there is A LOT of BS in that article. They just sound like the beginning of Sting's Every Breath You Take, not only chord- but vibe-wise (then sadly the song goes nowhere). And because of that it's familiarity (btw I remember I thought it should take the 1st place). Short: "Satellite" only has two cyclic progressions of three chords (one for verse and one for chorus), thus it can not fall under the umbrella of four chord songs. Moreover the second chord of the verse comes out diminished, which gives a song a chromatic descending feel (although it is a part of the V7 chord) I wonder who writes this sort of scientific stuff using A min, F maj.. instead of like i-VI-III-VII, that could be then applied to Lena's and other's billion songs - Satellite has the root on Bb (B for Germans) and cycles Bb min, A diminished (part of F7), Ab Maj and then back to Bb. In the chorus the progression goes Bb min, Eb min, Ab Maj - back to Bb. It's a "three chord song".. Even Despacito, that indeed is a "four chord song" with a i-VI-III-VII structure, doesn't have the root on A, e.g. Well, this one is really hard to swallow.. I'm not a Jazz guy, but I'll leave this one to Beato where he claims out of 27 Beatles' #1 hits only Let it Be has a (hard) "four chord song" structure. And I checked on him a bit.. Come Together, Drive my Car, Ticket To Ride, Penny Lane (???), Paperback Writer,.... WTF, are we talking about the same band? In this video he also talks about Max Martin (feels like playing Devil's advocate), that made everything from Britney to The Weeknd and in between. Again, not a heavy user of "the formula". Here is the catch and some info for OP - yes there is a ton of songs that use the same structure, but "hits" are not really all the same. The Weeknd - 80s, Dua Lipa - disco, Ariana - RnB,.. now I see a lot of wannabe- producers (and a shitload of sample packs) around.. let's say Synthwave. Well that ship has sailed. You are late to the party.. So there is some truth to everything is the same and there is a formula thing BUT (note to myself too) - do it, if it is really that simple. And then you have The Product, which is roughly 1% of what's needed. Just add that 99% of marketing, PR, networking etc etc ..and you're done. There has to be The Product though in the first place.
My position is that I am myself, I don't need to be pro nor anti pop to feel that I exist. Dichotomy, is the worst thing in art. I listen to music with my soul, my heart and my body if it makes me feel something I like it, no matter how innovative or not it is.
With enough money for promotion you can make anything "popular" (considering it has at least some musical qualities). Imo, for every pop hit out there exist probably tons of similar sounding songs that never got popular.
2 worlds. "One world before the Internet (WorldWideWeb) and another world after the invention of the Internet 1st world = Before the internet it was something like this: Where did you publish your music before the internet? You had to have very good song material to market a single or long-playing record. Say demo tape to different labels. When you achieved something special, you went on tour. With the money from the tickets you first paid off your loans. Most worked in a profession and made music in their free time. The tour on vacation. 2nd world = Since the Internet with YouTube - Spotify - Bandcamp and thousands of others, the world looks like this: There is no quality control, the competition is huge, all data is analyzed. A lot of music is based on samples and presets. Many musicians court and struggle for user attention. Tip: Burn your stuff on CD and give it away for free. You can download or listen to many songs for free. OHowever, ideas and songs are also copied and monetized. Many millionaires and billionaires are looking for returns and investment opportunities for their money. 3rd world =? Here a look into the crystal ball is required to see what the future of the Internet will look like. If you have ideas, please write them here.
