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Old 05-05-2019, 04:12 PM
FuzzyPlum FuzzyPlum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnthonyMI View Post
honestly, not surprised. American Idol is an institution designed and run by the record industry.



American Idol and the PreFab Boy Group/ Girl Solo act/AMerican Idol was the end of the Music Industry, NOT Napster or iTunes.

Wellllllll. Ummmmm. Sorry, but being technical that's not really true. American Idol wasn't really created by the record industry per se. It has a long drawn out history...

TV talent shows go back a long way.

But in modern times...
  • In the late 90's a TV show called 'Popstars' launched in New Zealand.
  • Popstars was later brought to the UK; TV crews follow a group of judges as they whittle down auditionees for a new manufactured pop group (which, in the UK ends in the band Hearsay).
  • The following year Popstars: The Rivals- the judges, headed by 'Nasty' Nigel Lithgoe (pre-cursor to Simon Cowell) select a girl band and a boy band to compete for the Christmas number one. Girl band 'Girls Aloud' beat the boy band 'One True Voice' to the Christmas number one spot (and go on to become one of the best selling girl groups ever in the UK).
  • Simon Fuller (a manager in the music industry) copies the format and develops 'Pop Idol'. The first UK series is won by Will Young.
  • One of the judges for the series- Simon Cowell launches his own format in the UK; The X Factor. This proves even more popular in the UK than Pop Idol.
  • Simon Fuller then sells his show to international territories. However, due to a legal dispute with the New Zealand owners of the 'Popstars' franchise, he is unable to use the word 'Pop' within his international brand. Thus, international TV companies (Such as Fox) use the term '....Idol' such as 'American Idol'.
  • American Idol (led by UK judge, Simon Cowell) becomes popular with US audiences.
  • Simon Cowell tries to sell his brand 'X Factor' overseas, but this is met with a mixed response.
  • X Factor USA runs for a few series but isn't as popular as American Idol.

Musical talent shows have gone back years and years (I remember a show in the UK when I was a kid in the 80's called 'New Faces'). I think they have their place. I think people nowadays know they its just throwaway TV. It got a bit annoying when the Christmas number one in the UK was always a manufactured TV artist. However (though I don't know what its like overseas), that fad seems to have passed in the UK. TV talent shows occasionally turn up a genuine talent, but more often than not those singers tend to end up singing in musicals after one or two decent songs. Thus, I'm not sure true talent and graft have really been compromised. Those who do well in the industry continue to be artists or bands with genuine talent who have worked their way up from the bottom.


Is it really the end of the music industry?....I'd personally say...no.
It has its place but doesn't replace true creativity which will always find its way to the top.
Genuinely good singers put themselves in the shop window and end up with a decent career in musical theatre.


PS: though playing 'old' songs will generate some income for those holding the publishing rights, this will mean relatively peanuts for the record labels themselves.
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Last edited by FuzzyPlum; 05-05-2019 at 04:21 PM..
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