Why do some people have such a beef with manufactured pop music?

Question

As if writing your own songs means it's any better. There's plenty of crap out there written by so called talented artists and bands.

Pretentious bastards. It's like people who read artsy fartsy books because they think it makes them look clever.

ndmac - real taste, eh?

Q - named after Q magazine perhaps? Full of classic all time greats like Paul Weller and The Police, yawn.

@ run to the hills - let me guess, you're an Iron Maiden fan who supports West Ham because Iron Maiden support West Ham? Good for you.

Fassa Albrecht, thanks for offering to play your bass guitar, but I'd rather not have to endure the boredom, thanks.

Answer 1

couldn't agree more - there's a reason it's called POP music, because its POPULAR and people like it, so who cares how it was produced?! Someone had to write it - does it really matter if it was the same person who sings it?

It's just pure snobbery - people trying to be "different" by not doing what everyone else does - trouble is, there's so many people trying to be different that they end up not being different at all

Answer 2

First of all, like what you like. I am a very into the fact that you should just enjoy what you enjoy and finding something you like is a good thing. Since you asked the question though: I've said and I stand by the fact that I do have less respect for someone who will put their name in huge bold lettering across the top of the record when they are a glorified studio musician (there is nothing wrong with being a studio musician, but when was the last time you saw a record and went oooooooh, Lenny Castro played percussion or Larry Knechtal played on this, I'm so excited, when was the last time you even knew). Why isn't the producer's name anywhere except in the liner notes? They did all the work. I'm in no way denying the fact that there is talent there. It's tough to sing really well. I can't do it. As far as the music itself goes, it is a coincidence that I think most of it is crap and it is a coincidence that most of the stuff I listen to is written by bands that were formed on their own and write their own music. I like old Mo-Town stuff though which was largely not written by the performing artists. I like the Monkees. I appreciate a tune as a tune. I just appreciate an artist more as a complete artist. Why wouldn't I? Who do you respect more the person who paints the painting or the person who replicates it? Even if there is slight improvement in the replica.

I have a problem with manufactured pop music because in this era the music isn't good. The hit machine hasn't been good in my opinion in a long time. I don't like the music, but like I said before that is coincidental. I'm not saying there is any problem with you liking it either. To each his own. I DO dislike the system. The way I see it why don't the people who write these songs in the first place just do them? It's usually because they aren't attractive enough to sell records and I think that's crap. "Pretentious bastards," get off your high horse. I'm sorry if my not agreeing with you is so offensive.


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And understand it is a mistake to assume that all of these singers are incredibly talented. I worked on a record where the singer sounded wonderful on the record. On the other hand she should have. She punched the lines one by one (often breath to breath) about 20 times on average per line for most of the record, and that was all about making it so auto-tune could take over without affecting the vocal enough to make it sound too processed. In the end you never would have guessed it, but we would schedule sometimes 2 full sessions in the studio to tackle one song, and that was factoring in things that could just be flown (repeated throughout the song). That was definately a case where it should have been the producer's name on the record. He wrote the tunes, could've done it himself (he had a very good voice), was patient enough to coach her through her incredibly erratic performances, but she was practically a model (may have actually been one) and that sells more records.

Answer 3

To be perfectly honest, I never bought the whole manufactured pop thing.
As a bassist, I'd rather perform knowing people see the real thing and not some choreographed puppet show.
Plus, to get music you need to encourage the musicians. The rise of indie has meant that instrumentalists like me are in demand more and more. It means I can afford to gig and show my own personal talents to the world. My own.
Also, where a person writes their own songs, they generally put some feeling and emotion into it, and some thought. These songs last because people connect with them on a psychological level, not just a 'this is a catchy tune' mentality.

Personally I hate all the plastic rubbish the record companies churn out. Its demise can only be a good thing for real musicians like me.
I might sound arrogant, but you'd understand if you heard me perform.

Would you like me to do a little performance for you on my bass?

Answer 4

I do enjoy some manufactured pop, I don't feel ashamed of it (it's not what I listen to predominantly, mind). The people who hate it are the sort of people who spent their teenage years sprawled across their bed, guitar around them, watching MTV and sobbing at the 'injustice' that their band couldn't make it. Others include dad rockers who yearn for it to be the 70s again and would probably hate whatever came out. So what is what I think. It might lack substance but it's aesthetically good and positive about life; some even put out entire albums of quality (Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera).

Answer 5

There is no soul in manufactured music. It is written purely to make a quick buck. There's no real talent involved. It has it's uses, kids love it, but us grown-ups like real music which comes from the heart and has been created by an artist. Not some regurgitated love song which has been re-written countless times, and then given to some talentless bimbo/pretty-boy to sing, with heavy production over the top of it to cover up the fact that they can't actually sing!

Answer 6

It just isn't that good and has that sameness about it. Look what they did to rap. It's all fake and made for the white kids that buy 80% of the rap.

Pop music is also has been music, working off trends that were done 10 years before. They also get singers that look good, but might sound horrible.

Answer 7

It depends on who you consider manufactured pop music, but there are a few reasons:

-It's frustrating to see people like Rihanna making so much money for being a "singer" when she isn't that great at it, especially when there are so many people out there with better voices and more talent being ignored.
-There is no escaping it. If you like another type of music it's likely to annoy you when you hear Britney all the time.
-There is no feeling in it.
-It's inspiring young kids to try to be "sexy" at very early ages due to the images it often displays.

Answer 8

Because a lot of those singers/groups are their record company and producers just want to make some fast money. I prefer singer/songwriters, but I do feel that you don't necessarily have to write your own music to be taken seriously. Many classic rock and country acts never did, but they have stood the test of time.

Answer 9

It's not the songwriting that's the problem it's the total control that music producers have over the charts that sucks, it seems they decide what we listen to and whats number 1 these days and they make millions in the process, it's all packaged and served up just like that beef you mentioned.

Answer 10

to say a song that was written by someone is good or not good is purely subjective depending on the listeners taste in music.
to even try to compare it to something that was put together by cutting and splicing together bits and pieces of other peoples music is like comparing the original Mona lisa to a paint by numbers copy. one took talent the other did not you do the math

Answer 11

Probably because the "manufactured" music was made only for the money and not for any really artistic reason. And people can be pretentious bastards about anything, really.
IMO, people can listen to whatever they want that makes them happy, as long as they don't try to force me to listen to it.