Lack of Productivity Makes Fleetwood Mac Irrelevent.

[GoldDustOrphan]

Thank you.

I only added my two cents to this thread - not to agree that GaGa is some kind of inheritor to Stevie's crown or she's somehow more "relevant," etc. - because I disagree with the initial poster's argument. However, I found it unfair for some to declare GaGa untalented or without merit just because the poster used her in his argument. And it's always a slippery slope to give someone's career an expiration date or to predict longevity based on one's personal likes and dislikes. I've read too many flippant reviews assuring readers that Pop Star X or Y is not just solely responsible for the sorry state of pop music and will most definitely be working as counter help in two years time. I'm still waiting for either Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Christina Aquilera, or Mandy Moore to super-size my fries.

If I were a Vegas odds-maker, the cards are in GaGa's favor that she'll maintain some level of success. Performers who write their own hit songs usually stick around longer, or with more consistency than the vast majority of "artists" who rely on the efforts of pricey hit songwriter/producer/production teams. She didn't require Max Martin, Timbaland, etc. to supply her with hits. She was originally hired by Akon to write songs for others. Her recent tour sold out in minutes. Touring and music publishing are where the money's at and she's got both. (The show I attended was 18+ at the House of Blues (capacity: 2,5000).

Her CD has sold 2.4 million physical copies worldwide during its 8 months in release. (To compare: Taylor Swift's Fearless is 2009's top-seller with 1,173,000 units sold since Jan. 1, 2009. Only one other album has move more than a million copies this year and that's Miley Cyrus. GaGa's The Fame has moved just over 900,000 units during that same period, putting it in this year's top five U.S. best-sellers. Collectively, her single sales are astronomical: nearly 8 million paid digital downloads. Her songs have hit number one in over 20 countries.

I'm sure many on this board are only familiar with GaGa's three dance-oriented hit singles, so I can understand why it's easy to dismiss her as another weightless pop star.

Below is download link for a brand new song she recorded with Midway State. It's a cover of the Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush duet "Don't Give Up." It's a better representation of her vocal capability than "Just Dance," "Poker Face" and "Love Game."

Midway State ft. Lady GaGa - Don't Give Up.mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?43em1gmnggi

and about the wigs and wild costumes: Prior to her first CD, GaGa (who is 23 years old) had three record deals fall apart. She was told she could be a successful songwriter (having written for Britney, Pussycat Dolls & New Kids), but that she didn't have the look the labels wanted. One told her she wasn't someone men would fantasize about or that girls would want to emulate. When she got aggressive about one label sticking to a contract (they only wanted her songs), she was told - right to her face - that she was homely.
Taking a given nickname that was inspired by the Queen song "Radio Gaga," she created a character - similar to past inventions by David Bowie - that some people have really responded to. She's defied the industry standard or expectation of what women should look like. No ever told Bowie, Elton John or Freddie Mercury they were phony for wearing outrageous outfits. It's just part of the theatrical experience that clearly motivates and inspires her, and that joy translates to her fans.

If Stevie packed up her shawls, boots and moon-medallions in an effort to assure critics she's not a caricature, I would call "shenanigans" and alert the world police that something more valuable than the Hope diamond had been stolen.