Artists that don't seem to have fanbases

[installLSC]

I was flipping through the radio dials today, running through several Nickelback songs. I thought, "you know what, I've never known anybody who actually likes Nickelback". The people I know run the gamut from punk to jazz fans, so it can't be that I don't hang around with a diverse set of music fans. Yet their last album sold six million copies. Have you ever noticed popular artists or entertainers that seem to have invisible fanbases, and why do you think this is so?

[Alice The Goon]

Ashley Simpson. She is still in the public eye and just came out with a new CD. Who, exactly, is enabling this?

[Alessan]

In a way, Billy Joel. Critics seem to despise him, and as far as popular culture is concerned, his name is basically a punchline.

And yet, millions of us love him and his music. I guess we just keep quiet about it.

[Max the Immortal]

Henry Rollins once explained that people who say "Oh, I like all kinds of music" actually for the most part like terrible music; they just don't realize it.

[BlackKnight]

David Blaine, that performance douche-bag. Every now and then you read headlines about some stunt he's going to perform, and I can't help but wonder why he isn't starving in the streets. (I mean for real, not as a stunt.) Who pays this guy? I've never encountered anybody who actually thought he was interesting.

[neutron star]

The people who like Nickelback are those people you don't really think of as liking music because they discuss it so little. And they discuss it so little because they don't really listen to anything outside of what Top 40 radio stations throw at them.

I was at a bonfire last night and somebody there had a radio on. One guy said "All right! Nickelback!" and got all excited when one of their songs came on. That same guy was so drunk that he couldn't stand up for more than thirty consecutive seconds, and he kept pulling down his pants to show everyone his hairy ass, and then he'd trip and fall over the pants that were now around his ankles.

See, you don't really notice someone doing something stupid like enjoying Nickelback when they're also doing five other, stupider things at the same time. Nickelback fans have employed this strategy to fly under the radar for over ten years now. It's quite effective.

[freekalette]

I think it's because it's become a cliche to hate Nickelback, so those of us (yes, me too!) who like them usually don't admit to it.

FWIW my musical tastes are pretty diverse, and actually include very few top 40 acts.

[bubastis]

Avril Lavigne... For what purpose?

[shy guy]

Avril Lavigne... For what purpose?
See, she actually did have a pretty identifiable fanbase though - lots of 14-year-old girls who shopped at Hot Topic. My sister was in high school when Avril was popular, and she definitely had fans who preferred her to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, etc.. She shared a fanbase with bands like Good Charlotte and - appropriately enough - Sum 41.

I like that Henry Rollins line, Max the Immortal.

[elfkin477]

I very much liked Nickelback's first cd. They apparently did too, because they went on to remake it a few times after that...

Belle and Sebastian. I've never met anyone who admitted like them, or even heard the name uttered outside of a tv show or John Cusack movie. Someone must be listening to them, though. Not me, given "Your Cover's Blown" is the only song of theirs I can stand.

[lissener]

Henry Rollins once explained that people who say "Oh, I like all kinds of music" actually for the most part like terrible music; they just don't realize it.
Henry Rollins is an idiot. FYI.

[Derleth]

Pretty much the entirety of 1970s-era disco (as opposed to modern dance music played at clubs now).
Tiny Tim. ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips")
Champagne music (what Lawrence Welk played).
Elevator music (now only played by the Weather Channel, so far as I can tell). (Yes, this is cheating.)

[Leiko]

I very much liked Nickelback's first cd. They apparently did too, because they went on to remake it a few times after that...

Belle and Sebastian. I've never met anyone who admitted like them, or even heard the name uttered outside of a tv show or John Cusack movie. Someone must be listening to them, though. Not me, given "Your Cover's Blown" is the only song of theirs I can stand.

I have a single online friend that I didn't meet from my mother's group of friends
that loves them to pieces, and she says her friends do as well. I like their two songs on the Juno soundtrack, but I haven't gone to the trouble yet of looking for their CDs.

[Lisa-go-Blind]

Belle and Sebastian. I've never met anyone who admitted like them, or even heard the name uttered outside of a tv show or John Cusack movie. Someone must be listening to them, though. Not me, given "Your Cover's Blown" is the only song of theirs I can stand.
I like them! Actually, they're one of the indie artists that have a sort of obsessive fanbase. They even have a name: "Bowlie kids." Back when I used to be more into them, I would read online communities about Belle & Sebastian. Those kids would be pretty defensive about them as well - "I was a fan before anyone else heard of them, and now people who listen to (gasp!) pop music will start liking B&S, and they can't possibly understand Belle & Sebastian the way I do!!!" Seriously. I, on the other hand, am happy for the artists who can manage to earn a living from the music they produce. Which is why I make the distinction that I like Belle & Sebastian, but I'm not A Belle & Sebastian Fan. But yes, even among sane people I'd say they're one of the more popular indie groups, especially among shy teenagers. I don't know if the fanbase has shrunk in the last few years or if I've just become less interested, though.

[calm kiwi]

The people who like Nickelback are those people you don't really think of as liking music because they discuss it so little. And they discuss it so little because they don't really listen to anything outside of what Top 40 radio stations throw at them.


Maybe some people actually think that top 40 music whilst driving is just the right amount of music. The only time I listen to music is in the car (and it is top 40 crap). I enjoy a sing-a-long while driving. That said I pay more attention to music then I do to sport.

Some people take music as seriously as others take sport...both baffle me. Top 40 is music is not there for the rabid fan, it exists to keep the masses happy while driving or for one of those "hey everyone knows the words!" moments.

I realise for many people music is some kind of high worship thing for me it is just an entertaining noise in the car.

[Kid_A]

I also like Belle and Sebastian, as do a few of my friends.

My girlfriend's best friend and her husband love Nickelback. I wasn't at the wedding but supposedly their first song was by Nickelback. Her other musical tastes consist of Linkin Park and techno.

Yeah...I don't know either.

[freekalette]

Henry Rollins is an idiot. FYI.
Cite?

I've always thought he seemed pretty intelligent, but I'm open to having my ignorance fought.

[Ludovic]

for one of those "hey everyone knows the words!" moments.I hate the "hey everyone knows the words!" moments because outside of the rare occasion where it's a good enough song that it will stand several thousand listens, I get upset that no one knows the lyrics to my favorite songs to sing along. Even fairly popular stuff.

So I wouldn't resent popular music if it were less popular and the stuff I like more popular. I'd even start to get tired of hearing all the stuff I like all the time (although the only time I recall being truly sick of a song I once enjoyed being played into the ground on the radio is Battleflag by lo-fi allstars, which enjoyed several rounds of heavy airplay over a couple years. most of the time I get tired of hearing a song on the radio, I either didn't like it too much anyone, or I like it enough to buy the CD and could hear it any time I wanted.)

[WarmNPrickly]

Belle and Sebastian. I've never met anyone who admitted like them, or even heard the name uttered outside of a tv show or John Cusack movie.

B&S have a very dedicated fanbase. I am one of them as well. I haven't heard them recently though. They put on a good show if your lucky enough to see them, but they never tour the US.

[NicePete]

Tiny Tim. ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips")



Actually, the more I learn about Tiny Tim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Tim_%28musician%29), the better I like him. He was a pretty serious musician and scholar of early 20th century music.

[gaffa]

Pretty much the entirety of 1970s-era disco (as opposed to modern dance music played at clubs now).

Sounds like you've never looked through a 50 year old gay friends iPod like I have.

I was a sound and lighting tech in the 70s and still love some of the better tracks from that era. Yes, Sturgeon's Law applies, and the ratio got worse as the trend burned it's self out (Ethel Merman's disco album), but the best disco was damn good pop music first...which I can't say applies to current dance music or even dance remixes.

[Evil Captor]

Bobby Goldsboro. "Honey." Bet no one will confess to liking that schmaltz. Be surprised if anyone even knows anyone above the age of 16 who did.

[WarmNPrickly]

I like them!

I could never have guessed.

[Idlewild]

I have a lot of Belle and Sebastian on my iPod, but it's all from my husband's collection, not that I bought myself. Still, I'd say I like them pretty well. It's hard to dislike a band that seems to have a dedication to chronicling the plight of pasty nerds everywhere. And their latest album is downright catchy.

I make a terrible indie music snob...

[Scissorjack]

Cite?

I've always thought he seemed pretty intelligent, but I'm open to having my ignorance fought.

Naw, Rollins is just the Anti-Bono.

[DaveRaver]

In a way, Billy Joel. Critics seem to despise him, and as far as popular culture is concerned, his name is basically a punchline.

And yet, millions of us love him and his music. I guess we just keep quiet about it.


You're obviously not from Long Island!

[Equipoise]

In a way, Billy Joel. Critics seem to despise him, and as far as popular culture is concerned, his name is basically a punchline.

And yet, millions of us love him and his music. I guess we just keep quiet about it.Hey, are you this guy (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39019)? :p I realise for many people music is some kind of high worship thing for me it is just an entertaining noise in the car.That's so sad. It's almost like a Catch-22 situation: you haven't found that piece of music/genre/artist that would make you distinguish noise from artistry and make you become passionate, but since you only listen to mainstream stations as background, you probably never will. There's someone out there for you, but you'll likely never discover them. That's what's sad to me, not your attitude.Naw, Rollins is just the Anti-Bono.You think lissener likes Bono??? That's hilarious! I don't know what he meant either (regarding Rollins) but believe me, it's NOT because he's a Bono fan, or anyone even remotely Bonoesque/Bonoish. He's into people who would bite Rollins's head off for a light snack then save the rest of the body for tomorrow's lunch (like Diamanda Galas).

[Scissorjack]

You think lissener likes Bono??? That's hilarious! I don't know what he meant either (regarding Rollins) but believe me, it's NOT because he's a Bono fan, or anyone even remotely Bonoesque/Bonoish. He's into people who would bite Rollins's head off for a light snack then save the rest of the body for tomorrow's lunch (like Diamanda Galas).

Rollins just strikes me as being like Bono in that they're both somewhat dim but smugly self-righteous: Bono is into saving the whole damn planet, and Rollins is into getting tattooed, shouting and then working out until his neck is bigger than his head, but they both give off that half-smart vibe of a 15 year old kid who has read a few books slightly beyond his intelligence, and wants to tell you all about it.

[Lord Ashtar]

Rollins is into getting tattooed, shouting and then working out until his neck is bigger than his head, but they both give off that half-smart vibe of a 15 year old kid who has read a few books slightly beyond his intelligence, and wants to tell you all about it.
I admit I'm not exactly a huge Rollins fan, but from what I've seen of his work he seems fairly intelligent. He writes some decent poetry, performs some better than average stand-up comedy, and Black Flag put on some seriously kick ass live shows. What is it about him that gives you the impression he's a pseudo-intellectual?

[Sleeps With Butterflies]

David Blaine, that performance douche-bag. Every now and then you read headlines about some stunt he's going to perform, and I can't help but wonder why he isn't starving in the streets. (I mean for real, not as a stunt.) Who pays this guy? I've never encountered anybody who actually thought he was interesting.


I like him. Some of the stuff he does is interesting, and he's sort of cute. That goes a long way with me ;)

Cite?

I've always thought he seemed pretty intelligent, but I'm open to having my ignorance fought.


He seems really intelligent, that's true. He was in the VIP area I was cocktail waitressing in Vegas and I can tell you he's a pompous jackass. Good tipper, but honestly in my top 10 rudest celebrity customers. He thinks really highly of himself.

[Derleth]

Actually, the more I learn about Tiny Tim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Tim_%28musician%29), the better I like him. He was a pretty serious musician and scholar of early 20th century music.I know that. I'm talking about him as a singer of bizarre imitations of bad wax cylinder recordings. He's like a YouTube 'celebrity' with more brains but the same kind of ironic anti-fan following. In other words, I'm talking about Tiny Tim, not Herbert Khaury.

(Alt text: August Derleth is asking Peter Cropes whether anyone really likes "Santa Claus Has Got the AIDS This Year".)Sounds like you've never looked through a 50 year old gay friends iPod like I have.No, can't say that I have. Stereotypes can be real, huh?I was a sound and lighting tech in the 70s and still love some of the better tracks from that era.I like some of that stuff too, in fact. ("I Feel Love" is on my dirt-cheap gum pack of an MP3 player. That's all I'm copping to.) I was focusing more on the notion nobody admits to liking it these days, and I was apparently wrong even there.

[shy guy]

[list]
Pretty much the entirety of 1970s-era disco (as opposed to modern dance music played at clubs now).
My mom and other women like her. She was born in 1960 and to this day can't get enough of 70's disco, yet completely dislikes almost all modern dance music.

[dalej42]

How about the Dave Matthews band? I've never met anyone who claims they like them.

I guess their fan base consisted of frat boys who have grown out of that phase.

[shy guy]

How about the Dave Matthews band? I've never met anyone who claims they like them.
You clearly didn't go to my high school.

[Drunky Smurf]

I'll nominate The Crash test Dummies.

I love them to pieces and have been a fan since I first saw the "MMMMM MMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM" video on MTV and have bought every album they put out and Brads solo album too but I do not know of anyone else who likes them. Even when they were "big" with the MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMM MJMKKKKKKLKKLLM<MMMM video I was the only one I knew who liked them and people used to make fun of me for it.

[Eliahna]

This is a little Australia-centric, but until recently I was mystified about who actually buys Human Nature's (http://www.last.fm/music/Human+Nature) music. I mean, they always seem to guest star on TV shows where the host acts like they're a big-deal, popular musical act, but I thought I didn't know anyone who owned one of their albums. I was becoming convinced that they were a trick played on the Australian population by television networks when, to my horror and shame, I discovered MY MOTHER has several Human Nature tracks amongst the scant few she's purchased on iTunes. So now I blame her personally for their entire career.

The people who like Nickelback are those people you don't really think of as liking music because they discuss it so little. And they discuss it so little because they don't really listen to anything outside of what Top 40 radio stations throw at them.
I don't think this describes me at all. I listen to Nickelback enough that they are ranked 31st on my "Most Played Artists" list at Last.FM (http://www.last.fm/user/tarzybug/charts/?charttype=overall&subtype=artist). Alphabetically, they are between Nat King Cole and Nirvana in my MP3 collection. I like to think I have reasonably diverse music taste, but I can't listen to Top 40 radio because it makes me want to claw my face off.

[WarmNPrickly]

You clearly didn't go to my high school.

That's just it though. There fanbase is very generic. Usually they are wannabe hippies that will go along with whatever they think they learn is cool. They never look around to find what they like, they just take what is fed to them. The fans aren't genuinely passionate about their music.

I remember when I was in college there was a band called The Samples. Every freeking wannabe frat boy thought they were the coolest thing. They sucked like mad. I think of the Dave Mathews Band as a large scale version of that. They may not be forgotten, but they will only ever be a footnote.

[astorian]

Remember the old joke going around after the election of 1972? Somebody (the name of film critic Pauline Kael is often inserted here) is supposed to have said "How could Nixon have won? I don't know ANYBODY who voted for him!"

The point, of course, was that liberal intellectuals of the time were out to lunch, so self-segregated that they had no idea what a minority they were.

Well, MOST of us can fall prey to the same delusions. MOST of us tend to hang out with people very much like ourselves, and that can lead us to the erroneous belief that we're normal and typical. I'm willing to bet that InstallSLC, the original poster, does NOT have anywhere near as diverse a group of friends as he/she thinks.

Guess what? You probably AREN'T normal or typical (I know I'M not!). The people who like the mainstream stuff you look down on are. And there are tens of millions of people who'd scoff at YOUR favorite eclectic artists and authors... if they had any idea who those artists were!

Nickelback (a band I have no strong opinion of) has had enough success and received enough airplay that people who DON'T like them have heard enough to say "This sucks- and I'm really sick of them." Leonard Cohen and Jane Siberry (to pick two quirky artists with small, loyal cult audiences), on the other hand, have gotten so little airplay and so little mainstream exposure that the tens of millions of people who surely WOULD loathe their music have never, ever heard it.

The people who like Cohen and SIberry associate mostly with each other, and wonder, "Who the hell is buying all those Nickelback albums?" And the millions of people who like Nickelback wonder "Who the &*^* is Jane Siberry?"

[Cat Fight]

The people who like Nickelback are those people you don't really think of as liking music because they discuss it so little.

The first time "Rockstar" played on XFM, I assumed it was a joke. The eight time that week... not so much. Don't get it.

[installLSC]

Not to get in an argument, but it's not like all my friends like only obscure music. I have plenty of friends and coworkers who like pop-country like Kenny Chesney, which I consider an abomination unto man. I also know fans of everything from Britney Spears to Barry Manilow. I also like a lot of mainstream acts, albeit from the 70's and 90's. After all, had acts like Nirvana or Yes launched in the 80's or today people would probably say "only hipsters like this stuff". Yet in their era they were very popular artists.

[WarmNPrickly]

Did Dave Mathews Band have a top 40's hit?

Britney and Barry Manilow are fine. I love Britney in a psuedo retro 80's way. Now that she is a complete fuck up she is cooler than ever in my book. If Nirvana or Yes were launched five years later than they were they would be imitators rather than innovators. It's the immitators that I don't like. I like all grunge up to and including Nirvana. Actually, I knew the Smashing Pumpkins first but they were useless beyong Gish.

Does anybody remember Hootie and the Blowfish? They were huge for about a year.

[Equipoise]

And the millions of people who like Nickelback wonder "Who the &*^* is Jane Siberry?"Then again, Jane had hit records in Canada and so was very well known up there, and she's had high-profile songs such as "Calling All Angels" played in multiple TV shows and movies. Still, I know what you mean. She is obscure to most people, even if they've heard "Mimi On The Beach" or "Calling All Angels" they might not know the song is by Jane Siberry. It's funny (but cool) that you would use her as an example anyway, because many of the people who were fans of Jane Siberry, knew who she was, are saying "Where the &*^* is Jane Siberry?" "Jane Siberry" doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for a couple of years. She sold everything she owned, changed her name (which was never her real name anyway), and went out on the road with a knapsack and a guitar. She's "Issa" now.

[elmwood]

In a way, Billy Joel. Critics seem to despise him, and as far as popular culture is concerned, his name is basically a punchline.

And yet, millions of us love him and his music. I guess we just keep quiet about it.

Noo Yawkers. Just like those from New Jersey all seem like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen fans, it seems like I've met only a few people from New York City and Long Island that aren't fans of Billy Joel.

[elmwood]

Elevator music (now only played by the Weather Channel, so far as I can tell). (Yes, this is cheating.)


It's smooth jazz. When I lived in Denver, it was quite popular among the upper-middle-class crowd that used it to validate how "upscale" their lifestyle and tastes were. It's supposedly also very popular among upper-middle-class African-Americans.

Speaking of Billy Joel: many bands seem to have regional fanbases. I never heard much about a big following for the Goo Goo Dolls, but it would be considered an act of treason in the Buffalo area to express anything but undying loyalty towards the band. In Canada, Rush has a following that extends beyond the geek/nerd/Linux user crowd that forms its fanbase south of the border.

I wonder who kept the adult contemporary acts of the early-to-mid 1970s at the top of the charts: Captain and Tennile, The Carpenters, Bread, and so on. The forty-something crowd of the era one would think formed their fanbase really weren't that much into contemporary music of any form, at least considering the listening preferences of family members. They were fans of the big band music and the remaining crooners.

[Martian Bigfoot]

Belle and Sebastian.
Hey! I'm a fan. IMO, Belle & Sebastian were sheer unadulterated genius (mostly) from 1996 to 2002. If You're Feeling Sinister and The Boy with the Arab Strap are brilliant albums. They somehow lost their magic after that, though. From Dear Catastrophe Waitress (or just Bloody Catastrophe among friends) onwards, everything they've done have been utter crap. Someone who is just familiar with their recent output can rightly wonder what the heck the fuss is about.

I was quite obsessive about them for a while, and I saw them play live in Copenhagen in 2003. It was great! Just recently I've been picking up their old stuff again... and I still love it!

[NicePete]

(Alt text: August Derleth is asking Peter Cropes whether anyone really likes "Santa Claus Has Got the AIDS This Year".)

/golf claps

[Justin_Bailey]

That's just it though. There fanbase is very generic. Usually they are wannabe hippies that will go along with whatever they think they learn is cool. They never look around to find what they like, they just take what is fed to them. The fans aren't genuinely passionate about their music.

I remember when I was in college there was a band called The Samples. Every freeking wannabe frat boy thought they were the coolest thing. They sucked like mad. I think of the Dave Mathews Band as a large scale version of that. They may not be forgotten, but they will only ever be a footnote.

This quote obviously shows that you were not in high school during the heyday of the Dave Matthews Band (94-99). I was and if there was one band that nearly everybody could agree on, it was the Dave Matthews Band.

You still see this loyalty today, which is why the band still has a huge following.

[cbawlmer]

This quote obviously shows that you were not in high school during the heyday of the Dave Matthews Band (94-99). I was and if there was one band that nearly everybody could agree on, it was the Dave Matthews Band.

You still see this loyalty today, which is why the band still has a huge following.

You couldn't get away from DMB during that time. I knew plenty of people who liked them, but not any superfans.

Belle & Sebastian definitely have superfans -- almost at a Tori Amos-level intensity, but not as many.

I saw a teenager wearing a Nickelback shirt once, but I couldn't tell if he meant it ironically. I'm sure I've heard some of their songs in passing, but I can't name a single one. Maybe Nickelback is one of those bands that isn't anyone's favorite band, but one they find tolerable enough to buy their album.

I like Billy Joel. I saw him in concert when he toured with Elton John back in 1995. That was a great show.

I want to hear about the other rude celebrities Sleeps with Butterflies waited on. I enjoy Henry Rollins' spoken word shows, but I guess I'm not too shocked that he's an abrasive person.

[KneadToKnow]

He writes some decent poetry, performs some better than average stand-up comedy, and Black Flag put on some seriously kick ass live shows. What is it about him that gives you the impression he's a pseudo-intellectual?
I don't have any dog in the Henry Rollins fight, but dude ... you just defined "pseudo-intellectual." :)

[Cisco]

I never meet any other 311 fans outside of shows, except the occasional girl who likes a couple of their radio hits. They have 5 gold records, a platinum record, and a 3x platinum record, so I'm definitely not the only one listening.

[myskepticsight]

I never meet any other 311 fans outside of shows, except the occasional girl who likes a couple of their radio hits. They have 5 gold records, a platinum record, and a 3x platinum record, so I'm definitely not the only one listening.

The board ate my first post, but the main point was that 311's biggest hit* - All Mixed Up - came out in 1995. I was a 311 fan back then. I haven't heard a word about them since that song "Creatures." I just think that their popularity has waned. If this was 1996 I am sure you would meet a lot more 311 fans. They've been making albums for what, like 15 years? Not all bands keep fans beyond the diehard ones for that long.

*I don't know if it's actually their biggest hit, but I think it was, and it is at least the one I remember getting the most airplay

[NDP]

I wonder who kept the adult contemporary acts of the early-to-mid 1970s at the top of the charts: Captain and Tennile, The Carpenters, Bread, and so on. The forty-something crowd of the era one would think formed their fanbase really weren't that much into contemporary music of any form, at least considering the listening preferences of family members. They were fans of the big band music and the remaining crooners.

The audience those Adult Comtemporary/Middle-of-the-Rood acts appealed to during the 70s were generally those younger than the forty-something crowd and older than the 25-and-below crowd. They were generally people not into either elevator muzak or Led Zeppelin who just wanted to hear something mellow, innocuous, tuneful, and non-intrusive.

Since then, incidentally, an fanbase has developed around The Carpenters which is based on equal parts ironic appreciation, worship of Karen Carpenter as a anorexic martyr, respect for Karen's talents as a vocalist, and nostalgia for the times you heard those songs on your parents' car radio as you slouched dreamily in the back seat.

[KneadToKnow]

Middle-of-the-Rood
We hates Christian rock, Preciouss.


:)

[Cisco]

311's biggest hit* - All Mixed Up - came out in 1995. I was a 311 fan back then. I haven't heard a word about them since that song "Creatures." I just think that their popularity has waned. If this was 1996 I am sure you would meet a lot more 311 fans.
Get off my lawn, punk.





;)

[eldowan]

I don't know of many people who like The Decemberists
I especially like the song "The Mariner's Revenge Song"

Of course, they are rather obscure.

[Chimera]

Good tipper, but honestly in my top 10 rudest celebrity customers. He thinks really highly of himself.

Sounds like you have an interesting thread in you. Have we seen that list somewhere?

[Alessan]

Noo Yawkers. Just like those from New Jersey all seem like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen fans, it seems like I've met only a few people from New York City and Long Island that aren't fans of Billy Joel.

Huh. Well, that explains why I like him so much - me being an ethnic New Yorker and all.

[shy guy]

Did Dave Mathews Band have a top 40's hit?
Off the top of my head - Crash Into Me, What Would You Say, Ants Marching, The Space Between, and Where Are You Going. DMB was all over the radio for the last half of the 90's.

I agree completely with everything Justin_Bailey said about them. They were huge in my high school with everyone from girls who listened to N'Sync to the guys who wore hemp necklaces and Birkenstocks. Some of them were quite dedicated, driving around to go see the band play in various states and stuff like that. I like their singles, but I've never really been tempted to buy one of their albums.

[Justin Credible]

I don't know of many people who like The Decemberists
I especially like the song "The Mariner's Revenge Song"

Of course, they are rather obscure.

Well, now you know one more. My favorite song of theirs is probably Yankee Bayonett.

[Kid_A]

One more Decemberists fan here.

My favourite song is 16 Military Wives or July, July! depending on the day.

[Justin_Bailey]

Off the top of my head - Crash Into Me, What Would You Say, Ants Marching, The Space Between, and Where Are You Going. DMB was all over the radio for the last half of the 90's.

A few more big DMB hits off the top of my head: Everyday, Too Much, Crush and Stay (Wasting Time).

Wikipedia also has a few more of their hits: Grey Street, I Did It, Satellite and Tripping Billies (how could I forget Tripping Billies?)

Yeah, DMB is huge.

[Mahna Mahna]

I don't know of many people who like The Decemberists
I especially like the song "The Mariner's Revenge Song"

Of course, they are rather obscure.

Obscure from a mainstream perspective, perhaps, but they're well known in most indie circles (similar to the Belle & Sebastian example provided earlier).

Their last few shows in Toronto have all been packed to the rafters - as they should, considering they're ridiculously fun from an audience perspective (if you like The Mariner's Revenge Song, picture it with an audience singalong complete with moans and groans and wails of despair).

...and now I shall have Sons and Daughters stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Dagnabbit.

[fusoya]

Wow, I guess none of you lived in southwestern Connecticut in the mid-to-late 90s. DMB was undoubtably the #1 most popular band during that region and time. I myself hated them.

I am a huge Decemberists fan, and am still bummed out about their last NYC set of shows getting cancelled at the very last minute last November, and STILL not being rescheduled! I also wouldn't say I'm a HUGE fan of her, but I have enjoyed some of Avril Lavigne's work.

For the longest time, I wanted to know just WHO out there actually LIKES Carrot Top and would give him money. In 1999, I was at a Weird Al concert (there's no denying that HE has a huge fan base) and the venue was announcing upcoming shows, one of which was Carrot Top. I sarcastically said to my friend "ooh we gotta go see THAT" when this guy in his mid 20's sitting in front of us said to HIS friend in a completely unsarcastic voice "ok, this should be the next show that we go to. Are you gonna be free on that date?"

Now honestly, who the fuck actually LIKES Good Charlotte? They are without a doubt the worst band I've ever heard who has managed to actually get a successful career going. Their next album should be called Songs To Hit You Head Against a Wall To.

[Ike Witt]

Now honestly, who the fuck actually LIKES Good Charlotte? They are without a doubt the worst band I've ever heard who has managed to actually get a successful career going.[/i].
No way. A Simple Plan is the worst band to ever get air-play.

FTR, I was just in Vegas and there were lots of things that referred to Carrot Top as the most popular comedian in Las Vegas.

[elmwood]

FTR, I was just in Vegas and there were lots of things that referred to Carrot Top as the most popular comedian in Las Vegas.

AFAIK, Vegas is a whole different world when it comes to the popularity of comedians, musicial acts, and so on. One example: The Scintias were a bar band in Buffalo that was locally famous for their performances on telethons, but in Vegas they're a smash. Outside of Vegas, and those with long memories in Buffalo, they're unknowns.

[neutron star]

I don't think this describes me at all. I listen to Nickelback enough that they are ranked 31st on my "Most Played Artists" list at Last.FM (http://www.last.fm/user/tarzybug/charts/?charttype=overall&subtype=artist). Alphabetically, they are between Nat King Cole and Nirvana in my MP3 collection. I like to think I have reasonably diverse music taste, but I can't listen to Top 40 radio because it makes me want to claw my face off.I didn't say there weren't any exceptions - and your last.fm is fairly Top 40-heavy, too. Well, okay, it's everything heavy. That's an awful lot of bands. :cool:

Also, you're pretty cute!

[Sigmagirl]

Outside of Vegas, and those with long memories in Buffalo, they're unknowns.
And at Tangier in Akron, Ohio, where they make a triumphant sold-out annual appearance.

[paffinity]

More of a genre than an artist, I don't know anybody who doesn't despise the kind of stuff they play in the supermarket.

It's kind of like smooth jazz, but often with stupid new age-y sounding keyboards and some classical guitar.

A friend I have works at Michael's, and everytime I go to visit her at work there's this horrible, bland music. I was wondering aloud why they couldn't play equally unoffensive but much less annoying classical or jazz, and she said that she heard that corporate office actually commisions artists to come up with this dreck. Maybe there's a royalty issue or something.

[Cisco]

It became "cool" to make fun of and/or hate Carrot Top somewhere along the way. One obvious reason is because he's ugly and some people might find his voice slightly abrasive. Another major reason, though, is that he's a prop comedian and regular stand ups traditionally HATE prop comedians. Since Carrot Top is the most popular prop comedian, and has been for years, he's got a huge target on his back. Dozens of comedians ripping on him × 10+ years = the meme that Carrot Top sucks.

I'm not a rabid fan or anything but he has made me laugh everytime I've seen him on tv, and I've found that most people who rip on him have never actually seen his act - they've just heard a bunch of other people ripping on him.

[Really Not All That Bright]

God, I hate Dave Matthews. I was in college from 99-04, and pretty much every girl that wasn't into hip hop was into DMB. I have a bunch of friends that take a couple weeks off every year to follow them around the Southeast.

It wasn't frat-boy music, though. Frat boys listened to pop punk and O.A.R.

[Pork Rind]

I don't know of many people who like The Decemberists
I especially like the song "The Mariner's Revenge Song"

Of course, they are rather obscure.

I dunno, they just drew a crowd of 75,000 to their last show in Portland. Of course, there was this other dude (http://orate.decemberists.com/download/file.php?id=1410) on the bill...

[neutron star]

I'm not a rabid fan or anything but he has made me laugh everytime I've seen him on tv, and I've found that most people who rip on him have never actually seen his act - they've just heard a bunch of other people ripping on him.For whatever it's worth, I thought the guy was hilarious when I was ten or twelve. When I watched him again in my 20s, I totally understood why everyone ragged on him. His act was painfully unfunny, IMHO. Of course, I don't know how representative I am, since I tend to have ridiculously high standards for stand-up comedians.

[shy guy]

Now honestly, who the fuck actually LIKES Good Charlotte? They are without a doubt the worst band I've ever heard who has managed to actually get a successful career going. Their next album should be called Songs To Hit You Head Against a Wall To.
That's easy: fourteen-year-old girls. Seriously; my sister was 14/15 when Good Charlotte was popular (they're not so much anymore; their last album didn't do very well, as I recall), and she was totally a part of that shop at Hot Topic, listen to Good Charlotte demographic. For Christmas 2002, I got her a Good Charlotte DVD wrapped in skull-and-crossbones wrapping paper I got from Hot Topic and she absolutely loved it.

It makes sense. Their music isn't that bad by any means. Yeah, it's full of super generic angst and incredibly silly, but their tunes are catchy and fun to hear on the radio once in a while. It helps that their front man - Joel Madden - is super cute, and they've got that whole faux-rebellious aesthetic about them.

For pop-punk bands, you can definitely do worse. Sum41 and the afformentioned Simple Plan come to mind.

[Marley23]

Noo Yawkers. Just like those from New Jersey all seem like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen fans, it seems like I've met only a few people from New York City and Long Island that aren't fans of Billy Joel.
Hi there, I'm from the area and I think his jaded schtick is really overrated. But I agree that on Long Island, everybody seems to be at least a middling fan.

I actually got stuck on a long car trip with a smooth jazz fan last summer, and it was really a mind-boggling experience: the music was really boring (the driver wasn't any better), but he was a very enthusiastic fan. I'd never imagined somebody being that interested in this kind of stuff, which seems intentionally dull to me. I would have jumped out of the car if I hadn't found a Woody Allen standup CD in the car. Of course he tried to talk over that too, but anyway...

[Cisco]

For whatever it's worth, I thought the guy was hilarious when I was ten or twelve. When I watched him again in my 20s, I totally understood why everyone ragged on him. His act was painfully unfunny, IMHO. Of course, I don't know how representative I am, since I tend to have ridiculously high standards for stand-up comedians.
He gave Shaquille O'Neal a basketball with a scope on it on live tv. As far as I'm concerned, anyone with the balls to do that is ok with me.

(And come on - the phoneless cord - how can you not laugh?!)

[Sleeps With Butterflies]

Sounds like you have an interesting thread in you. Have we seen that list somewhere?

I've never started a thread here on the ol' Dope, so it hasn't been up yet ;)

[elmwood]

A friend I have works at Michael's, and everytime I go to visit her at work there's this horrible, bland music. I was wondering aloud why they couldn't play equally unoffensive but much less annoying classical or jazz, and she said that she heard that corporate office actually commisions artists to come up with this dreck. Maybe there's a royalty issue or something.

Ever shop at DSW? They play ONE SONG over and over again; some electronic instrumental with a kind of Manhattan-ish urbanesque Sex and the City lounge like beat. Goes something like:

da daa DA, da da,
da daa DA, da da,
da daa DA, da da,
da daa DA, da da,
da daa DA, da da ...

I feel really sorry for the people that have to work there.

[eldowan]

Obscure from a mainstream perspective, perhaps, but they're well known in most indie circles (similar to the Belle & Sebastian example provided earlier).

Their last few shows in Toronto have all been packed to the rafters - as they should, considering they're ridiculously fun from an audience perspective (if you like The Mariner's Revenge Song, picture it with an audience singalong complete with moans and groans and wails of despair).

...and now I shall have Sons and Daughters stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Dagnabbit.

Wow, I never figured they had such a devoted following. It would be freaking awesome to be at one of their concerts and have a full sing-along like that though.


On another note, I think they are local to Austin, but the White Ghost Shivers is a pretty cool band, and they put on a great show at a 20's themed show we went to. There was even a guy going around with an old polaroid taking black and white pictures. :D

[WarmNPrickly]

Clearly DMB was a lot more popular than I remembered. I just remember one guy who would alway tell me how great they were. He would take out my Pavement CD and tell me how much I was going to love this. He wasn't exactly the sort that was really into what I considered to be the music scene, which is probably why he didn't know that DMB wasn't going to appeal to me. I'd say in the late 90's I didn't listen to much radio. I don't think I would recognize a DMB song if it were played.

One day I might like the DMB. I had great disdain for the glam rock that dominated my high school years. Now I can't get enough of it.

[gaffa]

It became "cool" to make fun of and/or hate Carrot Top somewhere along the way. One obvious reason is because he's ugly and some people might find his voice slightly abrasive. Another major reason, though, is that he's a prop comedian and regular stand ups traditionally HATE prop comedians. Since Carrot Top is the most popular prop comedian, and has been for years, he's got a huge target on his back. Dozens of comedians ripping on him × 10+ years = the meme that Carrot Top sucks.
Actually, other prop comics hate Carrot Top as well. Joel Hodgson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 would rip on Carrot Top every chance he got ("Funny or not funny floating - Carrot Top." "Extremely unfunny!"). It dated back to an incident when Joel, working then as a brilliant prop comic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EQI9xS2ltI) discovered Carrot Top back stage at an event where they were both on the bill, rummaging through Joel's prop trunk.