Commercial successful vs. Accessible

ExittheLemming wrote: Contrary to conventional wisdom, people are not the supine malleable puppets they are routinely portrayed as on this website i.e. they buy what they like whether that is based upon 20 seconds of a track they stumble upon while stuck in traffic on their way to work or while eating lunch in a bistro/bar with a colleague etc. Inferior artists do try to 'cater to the public's taste', but consumers seldom do.

I think it's actually something in the middle. Yes, people buy what they like, but if they never hear what they like, they will never know they like it and will never buy it, so radio play, or whichever public play they may get helps the artists to be found. Besides, many people do like, or force themselves to like, what is considered cool within their circle, otherwise they may fear to be ridiculed... while others search for music that is considered controversial in order to stand out and call attention... yet, prog will not often be the choice for controversial music... that might be metal, and perhaps not so much anymore.

^ What's really impressive is when someone really and genuinely likes is sh*t, God bless 'em.  At least they're honest when they say Brittany Spears is their favorite artist.

Tbh, it's a bit difficult for me to compare commercial and accessible in the age of piracy and Spotify.

ExittheLemming wrote: Dellinger wrote: ExittheLemming wrote: Contrary to conventional wisdom, people are not the supine malleable puppets they are routinely portrayed as on this website i.e. they buy what they like whether that is based upon 20 seconds of a track they stumble upon while stuck in traffic on their way to work or while eating lunch in a bistro/bar with a colleague etc. Inferior artists do try to 'cater to the public's taste', but consumers seldom do. I think it's actually something in the middle. Yes, people buy what they like, but if they never hear what they like, they will never know they like it and will never buy it, so radio play, or whichever public play they may get helps the artists to be found. Besides, many people do like, or force themselves to like, what is considered cool within their circle, otherwise they may fear to be ridiculed... while others search for music that is considered controversial in order to stand out and call attention... yet, prog will not often be the choice for controversial music... that might be metal, and perhaps not so much anymore. You're probably correct insofar as people who don't hear new music that they like, will just buy more of the older music that they do like. I agree that's clearly not a healthy environment in which innovative music can thrive and prosper. However, anyone being disingenuous about what they really like is deserving of ridicule in my book.

I guess it also sort of depends on what each person is looking for in music. I would think someone who wants to listen and enjoy the music will be more selective. Those who want to spend the time with other people while listening to music, as a backsound... or want to go dancing and having fun, will want the more pop oriented stuff. There's people who don't actually care much for the music, they just want something on.

When dealing with people some relationships are free and some are forced. The first one occurs when you help someone or vice versa, or when you engage in an exchange of sorts. The second one well, it's just coercion, agression and domination.
Now, a sane free commercial relationship is as follows: you want something another guy has, and some other guy wants something you have...so you decide to engage and exchange goods/services.
You might go to a record store in order to buy an ELP vinyl. Some other guy might want to buy a Shakira album. What's the difference? Do tell me.
Is your music not commercial as well? Of course it is. Artists want to sell records, every single one does.

"Commercial music" is a stupid concept, since all music is commercial in a free environment. If I don't want to listen to Shakira, I don't. If the other guy doesn't want to listen to ELP, he doesn't.

People buy pop music, not because they are stupid, but because for them music is something to listen to while driving, at a party, etc. The majority of people when it comes to almost every field you can think of, is happy with the basics. It's all they need.
If you are a music connoisseur and you can tell the difference between a hammond and a moog, good for you. If you can digest 50 min. songs, keep at it man.
Some people just don't give a rat's tail about going beyond in this particular field, and that's A-OK.

Everyone is the lowest common denominator when it comes to x topic. I'm a noob when it comes to wine even though I love it. It's just that I don't care about going beyond...I just buy mass produced ethanol to drink with my meals. I don't care about your fine trained palate. Don't force me to spend time and money in something I don't care about. This is exactly the same.

People who intend to force their personal tastes on others...well, they might like socialism, they might like slavery. But remember that if everyone were a carbon copy of your delusional ego, life would be hell and an absolute bore.
Everyone is a noob and the lowest common denominator when it comes to 90% of things and 90% of the products you request in your daily life are basic as hell. And that's cool.



Edited by Upbeat Tango Monday - July 13 2017 at 00:19

I didn't make that argument. I don't think "Shakira is on an equal artisting footing to ELP", what I was saying is the opposite. I'm a connoisseur when it comes to music and I can tell the difference.

My dad enjoys ABBA and Gloria Estefan and he's NOT into today's fashion. It's just that he doesn't care about music that much. He DOES know more than me about wine, though =P

Fashion is another beast altogether and it has to do with the fear of being an outcast.
Most people feel safer standing with the majority. That happens with religion and politics as well.
There was a time your neighbors gossiped and inquired about the reasons you didn't attend church last sunday...
Some have a tendency to blacklist and attack those who are not part of the pack. When you are a kid/teen "fashion" is your first foray into the world of outside influence vs self.

Back when the world was young Daryll Hall wrote "Ya gotta have something in 4/4 time, ya gotta have something that rhymes". A few years later he would prove himself right. The bottom line is , if you want to make it big you have to do what sells at the time, which can mean different things in different ages. Of course, there are the exceptions, but they are a small minority, you can´t use them as a rule. So, get a hip producer, big label support (indispensable), and with a bit of luck people will buy it (or stream it, these days). Even if they won´t really listen to it, but that´s OK because as has been stated before most people are not music lovers. But they`ll be happy to go to your concerts with their Iphones so they can post it in the social media