Top 40 artists being given un-deserved credit?
Following on from a similar note of previous posts, I have felt it necessary to include a comparison of top 40 style music, and music considered ‘less popular’, in terms of performance and live entertainment.
With top 40 music becoming so popular, there has been less emphasis placed on live music and performance, which in my opinion, is tragic for the world of music. Not only this, but the performances of those artists in the top 40, are often half-assed, lip-synched, highly exploited fiascoes, which show no real credible musical talent of any kind. More often than not, the talent is based on dance, which it is likely was choreographed by someone other than the performing artist. Since when did people start forgetting that music originated because of performance? ‘Real’ bands and ‘real musicians’ who aren’t in the top 40, are being under-appreciated, and un-noticed, whilst people who ‘lap up’ the top 40 music are giving the artists credit which they often do not deserve.
I would like to refer to specific events in order to strengthen my argument. This first video below, is of a popular top 40 artist ‘50 cent’ found lip syncing in one of his live performances.
This video is of another top 40 artists ‘Ashley Simpson’ caught lip syncing on a T.V performance.
How is it that performers such as this can be praised for their ‘talent’. when they won’t even give their fans performances that they have paid for and deserve?
I would like to conclude this post with performances by well known Death Metal bands. The performances are by no means perfect, but they are putting all the energy they have into the performances (obviously) and the fans are not only getting what they want, but the musicians are showing they have the talent that is represented/portrayed on the album.
This first video is of a band called ‘Nile’ performing a song of theirs called ‘Cast Down the Heretic’. Apologies for the quality of the video, it is a bootleg…
This second video is of a band called ‘Decapitated’ performing one of their songs called ‘Day 69′. Take note the incredible drum solo in this song. The drummer was 23 and he was unfortunately killed in a bus crash…RIP.
This final video is of a band called ‘Necrophagist’ performing one of their songs ‘Only Ash Remains’. Take note the double guitar harmony in the intro of the song, and the solos going back and forth between the two guitar players. This song also changes time signatures a few times, which is incredibly difficult for a drummer to perform live, they they still manage, which is more than can be said for other top 40 artists.
I hope this is an eye opener to the talent that is required to play music of this style, and the fact that the bands pride themselves on being able to perform it live this well.
2 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
First of all I would like to say…how the vocalist for Necrophagist does that is beyond me!
I thought I’d pass by and leave a comment because it is very interesting to the contrast between the various clips on the post - despite both of them being live performances. Today it seems that the pop industry has taken a different path in the quality of their live performance - there is a greater emphasis on the “show” rather than the music being played onstage. This is where alternative styles and pop music clash. In metal for example, an artist is judged on their ability to perform live - it is almost evidence of the musician’s authenticity. While some bands, such as Iron Maiden, employ show tactics with their performance, the greatest emphasis is placed on musicianship and compatability.
Pop has those connotations of being false and overly produced, so it is no wonder the shows have become the essence of the pop show. How does a show with 50 half-naked dancers represent an artists originality or authenticity?
You make some good visual comparisons and some great song choices!
CAST DOWN THE HERETIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!!!!!
Lilen
\m/(-_-)\m/
I am pleased with your comment ‘lilen23′. I very much agree with what you are saying. It is very rare that you will see a metal band with a ’show’ that is more than just the band memebers playing there music, with a few pyro-technics and other things of that nature. As you said, this is because the emphasis is obviously placed on their talent, whereas pop-music is about dancing, lights and the artist being a heavily marketed product, rather than a great performer.
Obviously there are some exceptions, and there are great performers in top 40 style music, and singers come to mind like John Farnham, Tom Jones, Muse, etc.
Some metal bands however, as you also stated, do incorporate other elements into their shows, and you cited Iron Maiden as a reference. I found this particularly interesting (and awesome) because their props and ’stage show’ actually have to do with their album covers and their music, rather than just having 20 skinny blonde women dancing something that has been choreographed by someone not involved directly with the music.
Sometimes the degree of ‘extra show elements’ can depend on the technicality of the band. As you can see, the 3 death metal bands I posted have not much more going on than some lighting effects, which is due to the fact that concentrating on playing their music is so hard, that a big show would almost make the performance ‘too much’, whereas a band like ‘Rammstein’ for example, play very simple and catchy heavy metal, and as a result, their stage show is enormous, including fireworks, fire, and many other things.
This comment is largely for the people who would read my initial blog and the comment of ‘lilen23′ and assume that metal bands don’t go to great lengths to put on a large stage show, and therefore fault metal because of it. Many metal bands do consider the intensity of their own music and musicianship to be a ‘no bullsh*t performance’ and pride themselves on going out on stage, playing their music to the best of their ability, and that being the only stage show they need, which is fair enough, considering they are still playing their music and giving the fans everything they’ve got. I would still like to provide a few links to videos of rammstein performing live, just so people can see that some metal bands do go to similar lengths of top 40 artists (and even beyond considering the band is playing the music and it isn’t a sampled recording being sung over or lip-synced over).
Behold…Rammstein live!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz4sgmmeFfA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We-d4kzGhUU&feature=related
I think the stage show of rammstein does bridge a gap between the stage shows of top 40 music and metal bands who don’t go to similar lengths.