People Who Became Famous BECAUSE The Music Was SO

[Saint_Cad]

To add fuel to the fire of Rebecca Black, anyone trashing her or saying she posted “her” video may want to read up on her producer Patrice Wilson and his company ARK Music Factory first. There’s a lot more to the story than you think.

[MrDibble]

@MrAtoz

But I’ve always wondered what was the ratio of audience members who actually enjoyed Freddie and the Dreamers, versus those who just came to stare in dumbfounded horror at the goofy dance they did during every performance.

But…it’s the thing to do! And kids will envy you! What do you have against “The Freddie”?

[MrAtoz]

@salinqmind

We were 14 or so when the ‘British Invasion’ came along and we thought they were an absolute hoot. We were young unsophisticated kids just into puberty. Those were giddy times! (yes, we thought Freddy was goofy, but even we knew the silly dance was to make themselves stand out in a crowded field.)

Yeah, “horror” may have been a bit strong on my part. I’ll admit, I have some fondness for Freddie himself. He was clearly more than a bit of a nerd, which is kind of nice to see in the frontman of a rock group. Although some of his antics come off as trying too hard, especially that insane cackling laugh. What really made it look weird was the band doing those ridiculous synchronized kicks in the background!

[salinqmind]

@MrAtoz

Yeah, “horror” may have been a bit strong on my part. I’ll admit, I have some fondness for Freddie himself. He was clearly more than a bit of a nerd, which is kind of nice to see in the frontman of a rock group. Although some of his antics come off as trying too hard, especially that insane cackling laugh. What really made it look weird was the band doing those ridiculous synchronized kicks in the background!

I have seen countless bands over the years that certainly would have been improved by members doing ridiculous synchronized kicks. All part of the magic of show biz!

[Dale_Sams]

@Inner_Stickler

It is incredibly disappointing to me that you think that makes a difference.

Thor: Is it though?

[furryman]

I personally will never understand why Kiss was popular.

[Ike_Witt]

@Saint_Cad

You win.

I guess entertainment meters were calibrated differently in the 1960s.

Either they are awful or so avant garde the rest of us haven’t caught up.

[Darren_Garrison]

I think it should be pointed out that Rebecca Black has released a number of other horrible songs since Friday, including Saturday. (Of course, none of them are as bad as Sunday.)

[Sterling_Archer]

@Inner_Stickler

If Sterling Archer wanted to say that the music was bad, then he should have mentioned Ark Music Factory or Patrice Wilson or Clarence Jey who managed the company that produced the video and wrote the song and lyrics.

It answers the question of the OP perfectly. I did not say anything about her character. The question was about bad music, right? Not bad people who produce bad music? Ok then.

How about the Bay City Rollers? Does anyone genuinely enjoy “Saturday Night”?

[Dale_Sams]

@Sterling_Archer

It answers the question of the OP perfectly. I did not say anything about her character. The question was about bad music, right? Not bad people who produce bad music? Ok then.

How about the Bay City Rollers? Does anyone genuinely enjoy “Saturday Night”?

Raises hand.

Even watched their variety show.

[SciFiSam]

Jedward. Jedward - Wikipedia

Famously fucking awful, but also quite fun and weirdly likeable.

[Author_Balk]

Not famout but should be…

Gloria Balsam for Fluffy. - YouTube

[pulykamell]

@Ike_Witt

I guess entertainment meters were calibrated differently in the 1960s.

Either they are awful or so avant garde the rest of us haven’t caught up.

The Shaggs also came to mind as one of the obvious answers to the OP, but they certainly do have their following who enjoys them, so far as I can tell, completely unironically. Both Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain were known to be particularly fond of them. I personally find them interesting and fun.

If you don’t know their backstory, it’s definitely odd.

The conceptual beginning of the Shaggs came from Austin Wiggin’s mother who, when her son was young, had predicted during a palmreading that he would marry a strawberry blonde woman, that he would have two daughters after she had died, and that his daughters would form a popular music group. The first two predictions proved accurate, so Austin set about making the third come true as well.[8] Austin withdrew his daughters from school, bought them instruments, and arranged for them to receive music and vocal lessons. The Wiggin sisters themselves never planned to become a music group, but as Dot later said, “[Austin] was something of a disciplinarian. He was stubborn and he could be temperamental. He directed. We obeyed. Or did our best.”[9]

So, they were basically forced by their father to play music to fulfill some sort of destiny as predicted by a palmreader’s fortune to his mother.

They remained obscure until the early 1970s when Frank Zappa played their stuff on The Dr. Demento show and expressed his admiration for them.

[salinqmind]

@Dale_Sams

Raises hand.

Even watched their variety show.

I do … I hear it on the oldies radio and it makes me drive faster, just like ‘Saturday Nights All Right for Fighting’ by Elton John.

[salinqmind]

The Bay City Rollers - ‘Saturday Night’ I hear frequently.

[Snake_Plissken_1]

Remember when what’s-her-name…Ann Reinking!..butchered Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” nominated song at the '85 Oscars?
The clips of Phil’s reaction in the audience were priceless.

[CalMeacham]

@Snake_Plissken

Remember when what’s-her-name…Ann Reinking!..butchered Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” nominated song at the '85 Oscars?
The clips of Phil’s reaction in the audience were priceless.

Helluva dancer, that Ann Reinking.

didn’t realize that singing wasn’t her forte, but I’ve never heard her sing.

She’s been in LOTS of musicals, according to various pages, and she’s listed as a singer. So did she have a bad night, or something?

[Baron_Greenback]

@SciFiSam

Jedward. Jedward - Wikipedia

Famously fucking awful, but also quite fun and weirdly likeable.

Honestly, I’ve always thought that they are very talented performance artists playing some bonkers identical-twin game for their own amusement.

[Snake_Plissken_1]

@CalMeacham

Helluva dancer, that Ann Reinking.

didn’t realize that singing wasn’t her forte, but I’ve never heard her sing.

She’s been in LOTS of musicals, according to various pages, and she’s listed as a singer. So did she have a bad night, or something?

You tell me.

[Limmin]

Famous because their music was SO awful…

How about Rick “Never gonna give you up…” Astley? (No link provided because it’s a famous trolling technique). His singing is pretty good. I can forgive the silly dancing during the video performance. But the lyrics…

Let me back this up a little, with a funny story. Way back in, was it 1991 or 1992? I was dating a young lady from Japan who thought Rick A. was so dreamy. To my eyes, he was a goofy redhead who took all my worst awkward traits and amplified them 100 times. And, he had constructed this cringy, white-knight song that made me want to go hide every time I heard it. That song sort of became associated with our relationship, like it or not. Months later we broke up, the song was forgotten, amen.

Fast forward 15 or so years, and now the song is an internet meme, a running joke that almost everyone in the modern era understands. Thank you all, I feel vindicated!