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Martian · 02-01-2010, 09:53 AM

Those two are probably the biggest examples in terms of pop music. There are others who've shaped the music industry by their presence alone -- Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, Buddy Holly and so on, but in terms of sheer face (recognition) value, the Beatles and Elvis are head and shoulders above them all. Michael Jackson is arguably close to them, and recent enough that I imagine many here remember the late-eighties mania that he inspired, but I don't know if he'll have the same lasting impact.

What strikes me is the consequences of it. Jackson and Elvis both ended up (for lack of a better term) rather crazy. A bit detached from reality, if you will. The Beatles, as a whole, fared better -- although I suspect that their withdrawal from the spotlight had a lot to do with that.

The media machine that produced mega-stars is falling apart at the seams. The music landscape today is much broader and more varied than ever before, and as a consequence this kind of phenomenon is largely behind us, I think.

On the flip side, if we consider musicians solely in the context of how they've changed the face of the music business, there's a much broader pool. Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Black Sabbath, Les Paul, Iggy Pop and so on and so on. These acts may not have inspired mania on quite the same scale, but their fingerprints are all over modern music.

02-01-2010, 09:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	Those two are probably the biggest examples in terms of pop music. There are others who've shaped the music industry by their presence alone -- Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, Buddy Holly and so on, but in terms of sheer face (recognition) value, the Beatles and Elvis are head and shoulders above them all. Michael Jackson is arguably close to them, and recent enough that I imagine many here remember the late-eighties mania that he inspired, but I don't know if he'll have the same lasting impact. What strikes me is the consequences of it. Jackson and Elvis both ended up (for lack of a better term) rather crazy. A bit detached from reality, if you will. The Beatles, as a whole, fared better -- although I suspect that their withdrawal from the spotlight had a lot to do with that. The media machine that produced mega-stars is falling apart at the seams. The music landscape today is much broader and more varied than ever before, and as a consequence this kind of phenomenon is largely behind us, I think. On the flip side, if we consider musicians solely in the context of how they've changed the face of the music business, there's a much broader pool. Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Black Sabbath, Les Paul, Iggy Pop and so on and so on. These acts may not have inspired mania on quite the same scale, but their fingerprints are all over modern music. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame Last edited by Martian; 02-01-2010 at 09:55 AM..