Controversial Opinions (For Everything Other Than DC Comics)

[Abe]

Not a boy band at all during the Hamburg and Liverpool years. Marketed as one maybe during the Beatlemania and the British Invasion maybe - but isn't it the beginning of pop culture ? And incredible songwriters and experimenters since let's say Revolver or Rubber Soul.

I wish boy bands could have the idea for this kind of cover...



In fact I suspect that they are underrated...

[Cold Water]

Not a boy band at all during the Hamburg and Liverpool years. Marketed as one maybe during the Beatlemania and the British Invasion maybe - but isn't it the beginning of pop culture ? And incredible songwriters and experimenters since let's say Revolver or Rubber Soul.

I wish boy bands could have the idea for this kind of cover...



In fact I suspect that they are underrated...

They never acted as a boy band. They were treated as one, though, by a lot of early fans.

[Kirby101]

They never acted as a boy band. They were treated as one, though, by a lot of early fans.

A certain segment of their fans. Who have acted that way throughout popular culture. Ever hear of the bobbysoxers screaming at Sinatra?

So this particular criticism is unwarranted.

I still wonder how a group that changed music and the culture in general and are the biggest selling group of all time ( and still a best seller) is over rated?

As with all statements like this, I ask JediMindTrick who is a non-overrated rock group?

[The Darknight Detective]

The Monkees were closer to a manufactured boy band than the Beatles ever were, yet I wouldn't classify them in the same category as modern boy bands.

[Kirby101]

The Monkees were closer to a manufactured boy band than the Beatles ever were, yet I wouldn't classify them in the same category as modern boy bands.

True, and for those of us who watched them at the time, we were well aware they were actors in a show, even if we liked the music.

[Abe]

They never acted as a boy band. They were treated as one, though, by a lot of early fans.

I fully agree, Cold Water! (And love your current avatar btw.)

And even the meaning of treating them as a boy band should be considered in the context of the early 60's. The same teenagers will live the sexual revolution a few years later. And it's not a small detail !

[The Darknight Detective]

True, and for those of us who watched them at the time, we were well aware they were actors in a show, even if we liked the music.

Right. In fact, as a preschooler who learned about them from Saturday morning reruns, I didn't realize they were a chart-topping group until years later. Come to think of it, the same could be said for the Beatles for me - I discovered them by watching their cartoon weekday mornings before going to my first-grade classroom.

[Brigonos Chomhgaill]

Speaking of old timey music types, I like Elvis - there, I've said it - but he was a pop star just like Justin Beiber is, not a towering musical demigod as some seem to think.
One of his most misunderstood songs is the surprisingly liberal In The Ghetto, often denounced with "HOW DARE A RICH WHITE GUY SING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!" which conveniently ignores the fact that race or colour are never mentioned in the song as it's not about being black, it's about being poor, which Elvis knew all about as his family remained ****-poor even when his career was taking off.

There is also something delightful about his being dismissed by the Beatles as "square."

[Kirby101]

Speaking of old timey music types, I like Elvis - there, I've said it - but he was a pop star just like Justin Beiber is, not a towering musical demigod as some seem to think.
One of his most misunderstood songs is the surprisingly liberal In The Ghetto, often denounced with "HOW DARE A RICH WHITE GUY SING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!" which conveniently ignores the fact that race or colour are never mentioned in the song as it's not about being black, it's about being poor, which Elvis knew all about as his family remained ****-poor even when his career was taking off.

There is also something delightful about his being dismissed by the Beatles as "square."

I agree and disagree, he was THE Pop Star. And he made what was considered "black music" or "negro music" then acceptable to a white audience. it's hard to say if Rock would become the dominate popular music it was without Elvis.
This is separate from evaluation his music. We also should not confuse the early Elvis with the later drugged out Vegas Elvis.

Beiber is a spit in the ocean compared to Elvis.

[The Darknight Detective]

I agree and disagree, he was THE Pop Star. And he made what was considered "black music" or "negro music" then acceptable to a white audience. it's hard to say if Rock would become the dominate popular music it was without Elvis.
This is separate from evaluation his music. We also should not confuse the early Elvis with the later drugged out Vegas Elvis.

One thing that a lot of people don't know is that Elvis had a big African-American following during the '50s. He was a major force on the R&B charts as much as he was on the Pop and Country ones. He also got young black girls crazy almost as much as the white ones, which was considered the scariest part of Elvis' appeal to many white people back then.

Elvis fan 43 years and counting.

Beiber is a spit in the ocean compared to Elvis.

Well, of course.

[ed2962]

Speaking of old timey music types, I like Elvis - there, I've said it - but he was a pop star just like Justin Beiber is, not a towering musical demigod as some seem to think.
One of his most misunderstood songs is the surprisingly liberal In The Ghetto, often denounced with "HOW DARE A RICH WHITE GUY SING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!" which conveniently ignores the fact that race or colour are never mentioned in the song as it's not about being black, it's about being poor, which Elvis knew all about as his family remained ****-poor even when his career was taking off.

There is also something delightful about his being dismissed by the Beatles as "square."

I think the song was written by Mac Davis who was a kinda popular country western song writer. I think the criticism at the time was less "how dare he" and more the song was well meaning but trite...

[Brigonos Chomhgaill]

I don't know about "trite", but the sentiment was certainly uncomplicated, as most pop songs usually are.

[Kirby101]

I don't like Oprah. Never did.
Thought she just ripped off Phil Donohue's gig.
And Dr. Phil is insufferable.

[DDD]

Night of the Living Bore! Zombies bore the hell out of me. Zombie books, comics, movies, and shows--ONE COLOSSAL BORE. And folks who are fanatical about/obsessed with zombies are a walking/talking freaking bore too. Ha.

NOTLD 1 and 2 were really good and that's it. It's kind of amusing abusing zombies in that mall game from Capcom and it was fun giving kicks on the butt of zombies in resident evil online. The rest is garbage.

[t hedge coke]

I don't know about "trite", but the sentiment was certainly uncomplicated, as most pop songs usually are.

It was very Tom T Hall country. Where trite makes right and God bless the little children.