It’s a formula, but it takes skill to pull it off. Among the best to set the template for it is the Grateful Dead who made more money as de facto cult leaders than they did as musicians. Madonna, Prince, and Lady Gaga managed to be successful with both album sales and touring (Gaga was the one who finally tipped the Dead in concert sales) as well as establishing a rabid fandom. Several pop artists have worked it in the short term (Bieber, Spice Girls, and even early acts like Elvis and the Beatles). What Swift has done better than most is position herself to be a long term player. In fifty years, Swift will still sell out stadiums, not necessarily because she’s the best at what she does, but because she and her management know how to adapt to changing times and to simultaneously attract different aged audiences.
Personally I find her music utterly forgettable… not bad, but not good either. Some bad music thrives as an earworm. Some bad music thrives because of the character of the performers. Swift music is just innocuous and barely worth criticizing… it is perfect for a dentist’s waiting room or a SuperBowl halftime show, inasmuch as it can exist regardless of whether anyone is paying it any attention. It is nebulous. It is pop personified. On Sun, Jul 16, 2023 at 5:46 PM Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote: > The Taylor Swift phenomenon is something I have never seen. I wonder if > it’s a template for the future, where pop stars can rev up armies of > obsessive fans, or if she is a one-time celebrity and after she passes from > the pop scene record companies and publicists will be pushing each new star > as “The next Taylor Swift” but it will be clear that’s not the case. > > On Sun, Jul 16, 2023 at 7:56 PM 'Bob Jersey' via TVorNotTV < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Herb Alpert and Prince also achieved the feat. She also passed Streisand >> with her twelfth career #1 longplayer... >> >> https://variety.com/2023/music/news/speak-now-chart-taylor-swift-first-woman-four-albums-top-10-1235671562/ >> (link) >> B >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "TVorNotTV" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/3a9c2e15-8ff3-4b26-ba63-eb48cd865aefn%40googlegroups.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/3a9c2e15-8ff3-4b26-ba63-eb48cd865aefn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJE-FiHC%2BQW%3D%3D%3DUECdcPsk-ohyzwv_8pp9vCNWJ5he2_wCRDRg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJE-FiHC%2BQW%3D%3D%3DUECdcPsk-ohyzwv_8pp9vCNWJ5he2_wCRDRg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKgmY4CoAhgKf2ZOgxUAc144Q4rzV%3DO%3DeWMjZDY2bcK0Kh9_DQ%40mail.gmail.com.
