Will There Ever Be Another Elvis or The Beatles?

[EliSnow]

Today on the Ron & Fez show, Ron asked whether we'll ever have a musical artist/band/group that would dominate pop culture, etc. like Elvis, the Beatles or some other bands/artists since?

An artist that everyone knows or has heard of, whether they like them or not?

I don't think we will. With things such as satellite radio and the internet, I think musical tasts are much more dispersed, and with the vast variety of media and avenues out there, you won't have all radios playing the same music, so that you can't escape what's happening.

I mean today we have those artists that are only popular with tweens/young teens, the hip hop artists popular with the mainstream, etc.

[GregoryJoseph]

Great thread Eli!

I agree; it'll never happen again. Not only is media so much more dispersed, but the 1950's and early 60's were a far simpler and more innocent time.

The raw sexuality and aggressiveness of early rock 'n roll signaled the end of an era for America and the world.

[IMSlacker]

Eh, forever is a long time. I think that, eventually, someone will come along and really change popular music again. I hope I'm around to see it.

[RoseBlood]

No matter how great the next up and coming band/artists will be, NO there will never be another Elvis or Beatles. Not taking anything away from their talents, but much of the success and later legendary status of the aforementioned were simply a result of the times. Much like Nirvana, they both surfaced at a time the nation wanted/needed them. Yes, the 50's/60's were more simple and prior to both, there was limited availabilty to diverse music.

[MacVittie]

It really can't happen again. That's like there being another Michael Jordan. There may be players as good as Jordan, but the sport has already been elevated to such a level that it would have to fall back into obscurity to be brought back. So, maybe it Rock 'n' Roll died (or just went to sleep for a long long time), then someone could bring it back and be the "Elvis" of the second coming. It's highly doubtful, IMO.

[NewYorkDragons80]

There are way too many diverse sources of entertainment for one guy/group to dominate the way those figures did. They did so at a very unique point in history when technology made it possible for them to be international phenoms, but early enough in that technology's development that it wasn't completely saturated. Never say never, but it's highly unlikely.

[EliSnow]

Never say never.

Never.




Never, never, never, never, never.



NEVER.

[JerseyRich]

No.

[drjoek]

nay

[donnie_darko]

um, justin timberlake anyone?
from kids to soccermoms to vroom vroomers

as soon as internet distribution is the norm things will normalize, i think the only issue now is distribution.

[EliSnow]

um, justin timberlake anyone?
from kids to soccermoms to vroom vroomers

as soon as internet distribution is the norm things will normalize, i think the only issue now is distribution.

Justin Timberlake is nowhere near as popular, famous or as "present" as Elvis or the Beatles was.

As Ronnie explained when someone mentioned other more recent popular people, with Elvis and the Beatles, everyone know who they were. The parents and grandparents heard about them because he was on shows they watched (Ed Sullivan), and they were representative of a movement they didn't like. They hated them but they knew who they were.

Plus, both changed the music industry a shit load.

Justin's famous certainly, but he doesn't have the presence that the others did.

[GreatAmericanZero]

we can say "never" but i think something will happen

I would've said that disenfranchised youths will never be inspired and respect a politician and treat one with nothing but cyncism and jadedness but Obama proved that wrong. So its possible it could happen..i just don't see where. But true genius comes from a place you wouldn't think of (thats what makes them genius)

[Aggie]

Sorry, but I think Michael Jackson is up there with them. He is our generation's Elvis. Everyone in the world knows him, love him or hate him.

And someone else will come along eventually. We'll just be bitter old geezers who will deny they are as good as our beloved Elvis and Beatles.

[djjd]

Crazed







fo shizzle

[paulisded]

There are way too many diverse sources of entertainment for one guy/group to dominate the way those figures did. They did so at a very unique point in history when technology made it possible for them to be international phenoms, but early enough in that technology's development that it wasn't completely saturated. Never say never, but it's highly unlikely.

I completely agree with this. When the Beatles hit, there was one kind of pop/rock radio format, and three TV stations. The Ed Sullivan shows were witnessed by virtually everybody. Now there's a million radio and TV stations, and dozens and dozens of genres and formats.

More importantly, there is absolutely no crossover these days. The leaders of one genre or format is virtually unknown outside of their niche. This is unlikely to ever change.

[patsopinion]

why would you want another one?

[zildjian361]

Sorry, but I think Michael Jackson is up there with them. He is our generation's Elvis. Everyone in the world knows him, love him or hate him.

And someone else will come along eventually. We'll just be bitter old geezers who will deny they are as good as our beloved Elvis and Beatles.

michael jackson:wallbash:

[TheMojoPin]

michael jackson:wallbash:

When he was great, he was great. Haters who act like Michael Jackson never brought the goods before he went off the deep end are just deluding themselves.

[patsopinion]

When he was great, he was great. Haters who act like Michael Jackson never brought the goods before he went off the deep end are just deluding themselves.

or just werent born yet

[TheMojoPin]

or just werent born yet

I suppose, but they can still hear his stuff with the Jackson 5 or his first few solo albums.

[MacVittie]

Michael Jackson has to be considered great, my parents had the Thriller album, and my mom spent basically the entire 1980's being pregnant and giving birth to children. At a time when she was almost completely removed from popular culture, Michael Jackson was still able to break through. And everyone knows who he is.

[patsopinion]

I suppose, but they can still hear his stuff with the Jackson 5 or his first few solo albums.

but its all been miserably tainted


you wouldn't go back and read mine caumph and not put it in perspective of the greater narrative

or watch naked gun movies and not help realizing that oj went on to be a murderer

[Devo37]

Crazed

fo shizzle

on the 1's and the 3's?

[EliSnow]

Sorry, but I think Michael Jackson is up there with them. He is our generation's Elvis. Everyone in the world knows him, love him or hate him.

And someone else will come along eventually. We'll just be bitter old geezers who will deny they are as good as our beloved Elvis and Beatles.

He was mentioned on the show as being on the same level as Elvis, etc. I was just too lazy to include him.

[Devo37]

maybe in the distant future:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Devo37/RubyRhod.jpg

[GreatAmericanZero]

http://www.lyberty.com/blog/2006/DethKlok_1.jpg

[NewYorkDragons80]

maybe in the distant future:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Devo37/RubyRhod.jpg



I was 100% sure Chris Tucker was gay after seeing that movie

[patsopinion]

I was 100% sure Chris Tucker was gay after seeing that movie

you were 100% correct

what else explains rush hour 3

[EliSnow]

I was 100% sure Chris Tucker was gay after seeing that movie

What?!!!

He licked a stewardess's pussy on the trip to the stellar cruise ship.

His character was a Prince heterosexual. You would swear he's gay, but gets a lot of pussy.

[angry gary]

yes

[gymshoes]

Gay Chris Tucker may be the next Elvis. But the difference between the Elvis/Beatles era and now is choices. People have a lot of choices now. So much access to so many different things, thanks to the web.

Elvis and the Beatles were talents that were pushed on the only media platforms that were available to the public.

The other thing to consider is the fact that people are so much more aware of "celebrity" then they were forty years ago. Popularity seems to be the end goal now, instead of a solid body of work.

[donnie_darko]

i dont know about that, i was in cvs and someones grandmother had a "taking sexy back" ringtone.

and michael jackson is undeniably as big as the beatles and elvis. And I think I remember some really impressive crowds world wide for the backstreet boys?

Just because you don't like an artist doesn't mean you can deny their popularity.

And also how will you judge an artists popularity? if you go by record sales alone i'm sure celine dion/shania twain, hell mariah carey are all comparative.

I feel i should say i don't listen to any of these bands, nor am i defending them, but we need some guidelines here..

[skyscraper]

i dont know about that, i was in cvs and someones grandmother had a "taking sexy back" ringtone.

and michael jackson is undeniably as big as the beatles and elvis. And I think I remember some really impressive crowds world wide for the backstreet boys?

Just because you don't like an artist doesn't mean you can deny their popularity.

And also how will you judge an artists popularity? if you go by record sales alone i'm sure celine dion/shania twain, hell mariah carey are all comparative.

I feel i should say i don't listen to any of these bands, nor am i defending them, but we need some guidelines here..

it's more than just popularity at the moment, it's their staying power. how many people still love the beatles 38 years after their breakup? millions. how many people will be listening to the backstreet boys 38 years from now and still think they're great? not many.

[EliSnow]

it's more than just popularity at the moment, it's their staying power. how many people still love the beatles 38 years after their breakup? millions. how many people will be listening to the backstreet boys 38 years from now and still think they're great? not many.

Exactly. And one grandmother having sexyback on her phone doesn't mean that Justin Timberlake has the same cultural penetration or presence that Elvis, the Beatles or Michael Jackson at his prime did.

Back in the '60's, practically anyone who had a tv watched the Ed Sullivan show, young and old alike. Sullivan would have acts that pleased the older generation, acts that pleased the younger generation and acts that appealed to both often on the same show together. And having Elvis come on the show and only shown from the waste up was huge.

The closest thing Justin got was singing a song at the Super Bowl halftime with Janet Jackson. And for many he would only be on their radar because he was exposed Janet's tit.

[A.J.]

When he was great, he was great. Haters who act like Michael Jackson never brought the goods before he went off the deep end are just deluding themselves.

I suppose, but they can still hear his stuff with the Jackson 5 or his first few solo albums.

"Michael Jackson still was black..."

http://download.lardlad.com/framegrabs/3G02/062.jpg

[No1Throwdown]

If Jackson died before he turned powder white and touched kids this thread wouldn't exist

hell, if Madonna got shot

If someone decapatates Miley Cyrus

If they butt rape and murder the Jonas Bros on camera