h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I really want to know how people like the Spice Girls and Human Nature sell so many CD's. How?

Do people really buy that kind of stuff. Acts that don't write thier own music and have such a high level of production that It doesn't really matter what they sound like in reality, the sound engineer and producers make it sound like they want it to sound.

Really, who is buying this plastic crap music.......???

Impressionable teenagers who eventually grow out of it (hopefully) and go on to buy proper records. However, they then get replaced by a load more impressionable teenagers and so the cycle continues. The only question is 'how to break it??'

Luckily I grew up listening to Hendrix, The Doors and stuff like that. So did most of my friends.... So I can say with total honesty, that as a teenager I was extremely lucky to miss the whole eighties and early ninties mass produced pop illusion, my head was stuck in the 60's and 70's......

As to help the next genaration..... It is a tough social question!

It's all very well growing up lisening to Hendrix, THe Doors , Clapton etc. etc., like myself, but then you waste the next decade or so attempting to learn guitar.....and failing. God I wish I had learned to love Bros.....actually no I don't.

There's the granny brigade too, responsible for buying crap like Michael Ball, that appalling thing by Sarah Brightman and some italian bloke with designer stubble, anything sung by a nice young man with a lovely smile and all the rest of the chart stuff that can't be attributed entirely to teenagers. Celine Dion. McCutcheon. The Corrs. Sting, since he's started premièring new records on Radio 2, of all places.

I know exactly how you feel about playing the guitar.......
Listen to some of my old band Mehelium, if you like....
http://www.h2g2.com/A181720

I listen to music while I sleep and in the waking hours I either play guitar or try to be creative on the internet (now most of my time in H2G2, I imagine...)

DO NOT EVER TRY TO LIKE BROS - PLEASE
for your own safety!

Some of those names I don't know, but we have Aussie's like John Farnham, among others (I don't even know the names!) Thank goodness! That are selling huge amount of CD's to the Rocking Chair Generation.

John Farnham of "You're the Voice" fame? Does he still exist?

Not in my headspace......!!!

Simple. People are stupid. (Remember: PEOPLE are stupid, a PERSON can be smart). Everybody else has bought it so I'd better buy it, or otherwise people might think that I'm a freak, because I listen to diffrent music than the others. It's just a simple question of a need to belong to a group. We humans are strange and stupid beings: we think that if you're not with us, you're against us. And that is true with most of the cases, including this "crappy music"-thing.

But: If so many people like that kind of music, is it really crappy? Or is it just that we have a wrong attitude?

On the other hand, do those people really like "crappy music" or do they just go along with the others, because they are afraid of rejection?

So, stupid people buy these albums because they don't want to stray from the flock..... Yes that could make sense....

But what about the people who buy it and don't own up to it..... You must know the type! Your having a look at a friend of a friends CD collection and suddenly out of nowhere you notice a Kylie Monogue CD and also a Human nature CD. You approach the apparent owner of the CD's and ask how he bought these and If he is in a right state of mind! They then go about denying the very existence of the CD or tell you how it was a present from thier uncool parents!

I'm am certain that there is a conspiracy going on in the music industry!

The Music Industry, Conspiracy, Manipulation. All interchangeable words, really. As to 'Bad' musicians, most of what is sold in this country - as far as i'm concerned - can't really class itself as music in the first place. Secondly, music is an entirely subjective experience.

One interesting note here. According to on-line sales figures of a popular consumer-orientated concept, the most popular CD ordered was by Des O'Connor. However, when compared to sales figures in-store, this was one of the least popular purchases. Now, what does that tell you about the UK public?

"And we all shine on"

That Mehelium stuff was great! I hope more musicians are researching for the H2G2 here. There's nothing like writing and reading entries, while listening to music composed and played by other researchers.

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Generally people will deny having deliberately bought a CD if the person who is asking shows disapproval of the purchase (this applies to other purchases as well, of course.) But if you tell them you like it, then they won't deny having bought it.

Yes that must be true!

The same goes for all the people who voted for the Liberal Party here in Australia...... No one admits to it, but some of them must have! They must only admit it to each other!!! I bet they all have horrible music collections too!!!

Aha! We've discovered the connection! All the buyers of bad music are Liberals and must therefore be stopped.

Problem is, I'm a liberal. Although I don't know if my views are compatible with those of the _Australian_ liberal party.

SO!! All lousy music is bought by Australian Liberals, and Australians like to think of thmesleves AS Liberal, and caring, and sharing ( they shared Rolf Harris didn't they!?...and Kylie...and Jason...and Men at Work...and INXS........) Q.E.D.!!!!! To stop the proliferation of truly appalling 'music', the only thing that needs to be to be done is..... NUKE AUSTRALIA!!!! And that way we get rid of surf boards, the Olympics ( too damn late!! ) and the flamin' didgeridoo...
and wobble boards...and piss-poor 'beer'...and Paul Hogan...and Barry Humphries...and 'Neighbours'...and 'Home and Away'...and 'Prisoner;Cell Block 'H''...and Michael Hutchence (DAMN! Too late! )...and Neil Finn...and his brother...and that annoying little bugger with the tan...and wombats... HEY!!!!
I've just solved the entire world's problems!!! Think on Bill and Tony....mind you, if we nuked the USA and the UK as well, just think what else we'd get rid of...!
Annoying, self-opinionated bastards like me, for a start!!!
TheOkapi ( with tongue planted FIRMLY in his cheek!!!)

Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! I forgot Rupert!!!*
And if ANYONE maligns the bear in checked trousers, the boys'll be round to nail the coffee table to yer head!
*Murdoch, y'drongo**!
(** Do Australians REALLY use words like that in everyday speech?)
Ofcourse, Brits use words like 'loo' and 'crickey' and think that they can play cricket...and Yanks rule the world, don't they?

This has been a broadcast on behalf of the 'Let's Give It A Bloody Good Stir' Association, with the support of the 'Romper Stomper*
League of Goodwill'.
(* And the films........!!!!)
TheOkapi ( This is NOT a Great White!)

How about the new true-stepers "song" This not very good peice of music has been constanly refered to as the first solo work of Victora Beckam???

Excuse me, did i miss somthing??? Did she write it? Did she play any of the music?? Perhaps she produced it??

No!!

She sang on it, with so much effect used on her voice that it was next to imposable to tell it was her, and on top of that it was a duet any way :0 how can it ever be called her solo work???

Well, u've said the answer n ur Q. It's all a matter of Production and Publicity. Fake Plastic artists sell mosty becoz they are well Produced and easy 2 relate to, with crappy phony songs reaching the lower level common 2 all ppl. If the record is produced well, and publicity keeps the "Artist" looking good in front of the camers, believe me - There are ZILLIONS of stupid girls buying Britney and BackStreet Boys cd's, thinking to be like them.