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.
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. [/microhijack]
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
