Do you love chart pop?

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I've been wondering about this lately. Is loving chartpop a sort of double-reverse switcheroo? I mean, is it that you can be cooler than cool because liking indie music ( and i mean that in the sense of independent and not in the striclty british rock sense) is cool but it is even cooler to turn that around and love chartpop because indie is all cliquey and elitist? Or is it someting else?

― g (graysonlane), Friday, 11 October 2002 18:11 (twenty-three years ago)

:,,,(

― jess lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Friday, 11 October 2002 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

oh for fucks sake

― s trife (simon_tr), Friday, 11 October 2002 18:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I like some chart pop, I like some indie. Not much difference to me, I don't have any 'scene' baggage. I think it's the slow unravelling of my genre brain. It's all becoming music that I either like or I don't like, no common equations of "if you like X you will like Y". Maybe it's just something that happens to everyone.

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 11 October 2002 18:18 (twenty-three years ago)

The coolest would be only liking chart pop and Stockhausen.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 11 October 2002 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

do a search high and low for faux populism and crap like that on ilm.... i think you'll find that the subject's been exhausted.

chart pop can be just as ok as anything. i think maturity can remove the elitism from a person's tastes, but some might shoot me for saying that. and i'm not necessarily saying i'm mature either.

― msp, Friday, 11 October 2002 18:33 (twenty-three years ago)

what this? again? sigh...

check the indie guilt thread (if you really must)

lets look at the implication here. ok, people really don't like chartpop and like Built To Spill and Modest Mouse instead, but are embarrassed about it, right? ok, look outside the window, look at the people on the street, at school, at work, on the bus, the ones buying records and putting them in the charts, what they all secretly like Olivia Tremor Control? right thats a lot of people!!!

oh wait a minute, you mean online people, ilx people, 'college' people? so, the 'clever' people that like chartpop don't really, those proles on the street like it for real, but they're just dumb proles, is that it? so, the clever people are "really" indie fans, and the dumb people like chartpop?

surely you didn't mean this?

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 11 October 2002 19:43 (twenty-three years ago)

anti-ILM elitist statements ahead:
I say avoid all chartopular music, because you're safer that way.
(But that is the wimps way out. It's a difficult (or easy) journey getting into pop music, but it could be worth it.)
They make it to make the charts not art.
Clear Channel is pure evil!
What's so bad about being elitist if what you like *really* is better than what others like?

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 11 October 2002 19:55 (twenty-three years ago)

above that should be:
anti-ILM *and* elitist statements ahead
(it makes a big difference)

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 11 October 2002 19:57 (twenty-three years ago)

This subject has been well-covered. I just judge music on a level playing field. I don't care if something's manufactured, or if a group don't play their instruments or whatever, I just listen to whatever turns me on. All anyone should do is listen to whatever turns them on - be it chart pop, rock, jazz, whatever.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 11 October 2002 20:18 (twenty-three years ago)

i suffer from indie quilt. sorry about the blanket statement.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Friday, 11 October 2002 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

mitch that's a shockingly accurate rendition of my reaction to this thread.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 11 October 2002 21:09 (twenty-three years ago)

since getting the car with the radio, i am liking chart music just fine, thank you.

― N0RM4N PH4Y, Friday, 11 October 2002 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm just asking because i recently encountered someone who seemed to be saying that was why he liked certain music. Any reason for liking something or not is valid when it comes to music i think, although certainly some what disingenuous in this case, and interesting to pretty much admit it. Gareth, you're right, I didn't mean to imply either scenario. Because obviously both smart and dumb people like both chartpop and other stuff too. I should have phrased the question differently so it was more specific rather than sounding like it was a generalization about anyone who likes chartpop. Sorry if this was hashed over before. Elitism is good if everyone can join in.

― g (graysonlane), Friday, 11 October 2002 21:46 (twenty-three years ago)

shows what i know. I actually listen to talk radio when driving around.

― g (graysonlane), Friday, 11 October 2002 21:52 (twenty-three years ago)

If you like chartpop that's fine; if you get passionate about it that's quaint.

― g (graysonlane), Friday, 11 October 2002 22:01 (twenty-three years ago)

I was hoping this would be a thread where we could really give our positions on this, as opposed to another "you do TOO secretly love Modest Mouse" thread...I'd really enjoy knowing exactly what ILM posters see Chartpop as their fav genre, which ones like some of it, and which ones hate all of it....can we please just do that instead?

― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 11 October 2002 22:26 (twenty-three years ago)

"It's worse than you think. I actually believe it." - T.Blair

I love chart pop. I think some of it - more than half, definitely - is shit (obviously). But I think a high proportion of good music gets released on single and I think a reasonable proportion of that gets into the charts somewhere, sometime. Obviously people should keep their ears open for the good stuff that doesnt - the charts simply aren't big enough to accomodate every good piece of music.

One of the reasons I think this is that I think people are often selfish and sometimes misinformed but are not, in general, stupid.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 11 October 2002 22:59 (twenty-three years ago)

So yes Daniel - if we take 'chartpop' as a genre it's my favourite genre.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 11 October 2002 23:02 (twenty-three years ago)

My favorite genre is the exact opposite of chartpop, but chartpop is a close second. Unforunately, most of my record-buying ends up somewhere in-between, and I come off terribly indie.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Saturday, 12 October 2002 00:01 (twenty-three years ago)

(and i sincerely hope that didn't read like a pisstake)

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Saturday, 12 October 2002 00:01 (twenty-three years ago)

the charts are OK. I just don't listen to it because as Tom says there's a lot of rubbish and the good bits have mostly been good. I'm not prepared to believe that ppl are stupid and just fall for things.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 12 October 2002 10:46 (twenty-three years ago)

If I am correct in my understanding of what chart pop is (writing from the U.S.), then I'd say no, it's not something I usually like very much. Possible exception would be the Latin music charts. (At any rate, I *do* usually like the salsa songs that are most hits of some sort in the clubs.)

― Rockist Scientist, Saturday, 12 October 2002 11:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I also love chart music as well as obscure stuff,everything from 60's psychedelia to S Club Juniors,check out Top40-Charts.com,I particularly like French Chart music this year

― Paul R, Saturday, 12 October 2002 11:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I pretty much like most foreign charts of music better than American (even if some of them include the same stuff), but that's more because of interest in other cultures.
For example, a Japanese friend of mine liked Matchbox 20, so I started to respect them more than i did before. (it's strange American music to a foreigner, and if i look at it from thier point of view it's more interesting.)

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 12 October 2002 15:12 (twenty-three years ago)

like "CHARTPOP" & "INDIE" ARE THE ONLY KINDS OF MUSIC? WTF?

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Saturday, 12 October 2002 15:37 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry that wasn't meant to be all in capitals like it was some kind of really big deal, i hit the caps lock by mistake

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Saturday, 12 October 2002 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

CHINDIEARTPOP!

― jel -- (jel), Saturday, 12 October 2002 15:40 (twenty-three years ago)

actually the only modern music i like much is chart pop but it's not like it's my main thing or shit, i mean dude i'm nearly 40

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Saturday, 12 October 2002 15:42 (twenty-three years ago)

if "Complicated" were written and recorded by an non-charting indie band, it wouldn't get any attention here.

so what's the added attraction?

― Aaron A., Saturday, 12 October 2002 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought "chart pop" and "indie" were terms that're supposed to mean stuff that sold a lot of singles and stuff not on a major label, respectively. Whose idea was it to declare them genres? (Blur = chart pop; Master P = indie)

― Nate Patrin, Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Well OK wait Blur was a bad example. The Hives? Eh, hopefully you get the point.

― Nate Patrin, Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:27 (twenty-three years ago)

as ilm schools all the pop disciples, trying to divorce music from its social context is a fule's game

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:28 (twenty-three years ago)

A) "Complicated" could not possibly have been written by anyone but a Canadian major label faux-punker chick. Period.

B) The added attraction, it seems to me, is that "Complicated" was FORCE-FED by THE MAN. Clearly, haha. I remember the first ILM thread on Avril, the consensus was, "This song is nothing special, if a little catchy, and her persona is fake and I see right through it." After hearing it a good twenty more times--and I'm assuming this is what happened to the rest y'all--my opinion changed to "This is very likeable if you ignore large parts of it. Why not listen?"

So, my point is: Avril Lavigne is the sort of genius who reveals herself slowly with each listen, and if all these so-called "non-charting indie bands" are the same, well that's too bad, because I don't have to give them a chance, do I?

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:30 (twenty-three years ago)

mitch you've been dealing some gnomic, yoda-like science lately.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:34 (twenty-three years ago)

no short jokes

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Do indieacts count since they use radio promotion teams like Fanatic and Team Clermont to pimp them to radio and improve their standing on the CMJ charts? Cuz if so then the answers yes. I like "Like I Love You" too (pity about the vocals).

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 12 October 2002 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

tom, i think we can say this: people are average, in general. It's true, you shouldn't underestimate the abilities of the average. In anycase, intelligence is not linear.

― g (graysonlane), Monday, 14 October 2002 14:33 (twenty-three years ago)

The cry for help at the root of this thread: "I actually listen to talk radio when driving around."

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 01:22 (twenty-three years ago)

not a cry for help james, i just find that the radio sucks for the most part. I would play CDs but i don't drive a lot so I am often too lazy to get the CDs, load them in the player, etc. If I'm going far I bring a bunch of CDs but honestly I try not to drive much.

― g (graysonlane), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 19:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Ewing = Blair: classic.

Where is all this Avril Lavigne discussion I haven't seen? I think her 45 is fab and delightful to experience on TotP.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 15 October 2002 20:11 (twenty-three years ago)

When I went to ILM's thread page I saw this:

http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx/path=/Kodanshi/fullsize%5c/Top+40.jpg

― Lek Dukagjin, Tuesday, 15 October 2002 20:45 (twenty-three years ago)

― g (graysonlane), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 20:46 (twenty-three years ago)

are you sure you didnt just highlight that line

― boxcubed (boxcubed), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Rarely. I liked Sonic Youth version of Madonna's Into the Groovethough.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 22:24 (twenty-three years ago)

chartpop = drudgereport
gygax! indie canon = the sound and the fury

@_@

my musical taste is so liek way flawed but at the very least it has a shelf-life of longer than Contadina™... maybe more like soy milk?

― gygax!, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 00:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Don't you get it? FORTY new answers!!! CHART!! QED!?!?@?@?!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

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