American Idol's Impact

[markydefad]

I was watching MSNBC Friday night and they had a piece on Keith Olbermann's Countdown about "American Idol's" impact.

It reminded me of something I noted here at the end of the first season: Whatever happens to the careers of these people...the most significant thing about "AI" is that GREAT MUSIC is being exposed to the youth of America. (I said something like that!!! Honest!!!)

Imagine my surprise when Olbermann intros a segment that starts with "We all know the last year for great music was 1990--before NOISE took over and every song had to have the word "gangsta" in it". Quelle surprise!!! Where have I heard that before????!!!

The gist of the piece was how the kids in America were discovering these songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's and how they were embracing it as "wonderful music from another planet"--their parent's planet. They could understand the words; there were melodies they could sing & catchy choruses!!!

Then they talked to record store types who said that the vintage soul music performed on "AI" has spiked sales of that material. In fact, sales of certain performer's material have skyrocketed after being performed on "AI". Lionel Richies' "Definitive Collection" jumped 73% and sales of The Bee Gees "Greatest Hits" CD tripled after songs were performed on "AI". The record store owners said -"it's the opposite of what the marketplace is telling us is supposed to be popular"--BUT it's selling!!! The music of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Motown, etc. is suddenly of interest to the KIDZ!!!!

The report ended with the reporter saying "You know this is really your parent's music" and the tween girl says "It's OUR music now". :lol:

Now maybe I'm a tad NAIVE ( :roll: ) that the traditional POP SONG is a comin' back...BUT, maybe some writers will be inspired to dig a little deeper and actually craft some songs with melody and depth. There are rewards if they do. Maybe some of us old fogies will spend some hard cash on their output. Who knows???? It could happen...Yeah, and monkeys could fly outta my..... (fill in that blank). :P

[HustleBaby]

Originally Posted by markydefad

the most significant thing about "AI" is that GREAT MUSIC is being exposed to the youth of America. (I said something like that!!! Honest!!!)

The gist of the piece was how the kids in America were discovering these songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's and how they were embracing it as "wonderful music from another planet"--their parent's planet. They could understand the words; there were melodies they could sing & catchy choruses!!!

Then they talked to record store types who said that the vintage soul music performed on "AI" has spiked sales of that material. In fact, sales of certain performer's material have skyrocketed after being performed on "AI". Lionel Richies' "Definitive Collection" jumped 73% and sales of The Bee Gees "Greatest Hits" CD tripled after songs were performed on "AI". The record store owners said -"it's the opposite of what the marketplace is telling us is supposed to be popular"--BUT it's selling!!! The music of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Motown, etc. is suddenly of interest to the KIDZ!!!!

Hi Marky :P

All week there have been commercials advertising the hits of American Idol 2 which I'm not interested. The only people who would buy these cds are the kidz because "our music" is all of a sudden new and interesting.

When I was in school, I was the senior citizen of the class so you know what was coming out of my speakers. At first I heard things like "Oh my mother listens to that", "That's my uncle's song" and "Isn't that Charlie's Angels music?" :lol: Then one day the UNTHINKABLE happens, they had REQUESTS!!!!!!! :o They caught the fever and had to admit it that they liked the music. So I guess it would take a show that they watch consistently like AI for disco and music pre 1985 to have a positive effect.

*DISCO DELIGHT*