Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Tim McGraw Needs to Apologize

This just in: Tim McGraw is apologizing for releasing a greatest hits CD when there was only one studio album released since his latest greatest hits album. See the story here. Thank you Tim. I myself have always hated when an artist released greatest hits albums within 5 years of putting the last one out. I also hate it when a band that only has 3 albums out decides to release a greatest hits album.

Are we too quick to make musicians into icons. Sure some musicians have conquered album sales (like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Springsteen). But aren't there some people out there who really don't deserve to keep releasing albums. Who do you think is the most over-rated singer/performer out there. With economic times as hard as they are, is there anyone out there that you would pay over $100 to see in concert.

Also, with the advent of ITunes and other legal downloading applications, do you think the "greatest hits" album is a thing of the past? Does the ability to buy single songs instead of whole albums impact the concept of a greatest hits package?

25 comments:

cheriem said...

An artist/group needs to be around for a long time prior to releasing a greatest hits CD. To me that is a sign of being a music legend. (AKA The Who, Pink Floyd etc.)
Tim McGraw has not been around long enough to release a good greatest hits. We are too quick to make musicians into icons. A good example of the most overrated singer to ever be was Billy Ray Cyrus. He was awful!

I think with downloading we won't see as many greatest hits to sell. I think a lot of people like to download certain songs or music that they can make into a CD.
I know I don't like every song even on my favorite CD. I like to mix the genres to keep me interest in the CD.

William said...

For musical acts that were around prior to the advent of downloading via the internet, a greatest hits album could still be a lucrative deal. Most people may not be willing to go through the trouble of locating their songs to download them. Plus loyalty and nostalgia may also motivate fans to purchase a greatest hits album.

For acts that appeared on the scene following the download revolution their fans have been steadily downloading their greatest hits cd. No need to issue one; I already have it. Why should I pay for something I already possess?

As for greatest hits albums most genres issue them to signify the end, or the resurrection, of a career. Country music is the only musical genre that has performers that consistently issue these albums throughout their career. This is mainly because fan loyality supports long musical careers. Plus, the fact is that country performers seldom write their own music and lyrics. This allows them to pick and choose the most marketable songs. Writer's block does not apply to country music. Simply buy the rights to the songs you think will be a hit.

If you ask me most of the performers today are overrated. I can't definitively choose the worse one. Nearly all pop acts such as Hannah Montana are simply homogenized cookie-cutter replicas of all the previous Mickey Mouse Club eras. They rely on marketing- not talent. They're selling an image-not a song.

Sandy Ward said...

It is the same old thing. Every new generation thinks they have developed the greatest pop artist/band but the only ones that really seem to survive for the long run are those that control their own marketing. I think releasing any album, not just greatest hits is about the bottom line, money. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

I think that downloading has really taken away the need for Greatest Hits albums as you can download your favorite songs. If I had to pick an artist that I think is and has always been overrated, it would be Madonna. She has a horrible voice, and only sells an image; not necessarily one I would want my children to idolize.

Shawna Pounds said...

The most over rated singer out there to me is the notorious Brittney Spears. I have always felt that we as a society are too quick to make musicians into icons, especially when the icon is not a good role model for our children. When I ask myself who (in my mind) would be worth paying $100 or over to purchase a ticket to go hear… I can’t think of anyone that is currently alive… Elvis would make that short list but he has left the building folks.

As for the “greatest hits” albums, I think they are a thing of the past. Its’ just so much simpler and cheaper to go to Itunes and buy the single that was my favorite on the album. This ability does have a huge impact on the concept of the “greatest hits” package. I think Tim McGraw must be needing some extra money or something to go down the greatest hits road when it hasn’t been a very long time since he just finished greatest hits.

Unknown said...

We are too quick to make musicians into icons. Take Britney for example... she was made into an icon and we all got to witness her long fall from grace. She may never recover from her downward spiral and being an icon so early in her carrer did not help. The most over-rated singer/performer right now has to be Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. She is quickly reaching icon status and it will be interesting to see how she handles it.

I would pay to see Hinder again. I saw them a few years ago and they were worth it. With ITunes i do think that the Greatest hits albums will become obsolete. It is too easy to go online and download what I want from any album and create my own greatest hits CD from various artists.

Kayla Roberts said...

I think the most overrated singer is Jessica Simpson. I really can't stand her. I think she needs to go away. She has humilated herself with her show, cheated on her husband, and is now trying to be a country music singer. She's just embarrassing herself.

I do think greatest hits albums aren't going to do as well as they used to. Anybody can make their own greatest hits albums now because you can just buy one song. It will still be good for older people though. I didn't see anything wrong with Tim McGraw comig out with a greatest hits album. He's been singing since I've been alive I think. At least since I can remember, I think he's had a few good songs out lately.

Unknown said...

I think that a lot of musicians are made icons before they should be considered in that category. There are a lot of great artists out there that might not get any recognition at all, even if they deserve it. I do not know if there is one artist in particular that I think is the most overrated. I do believe that the teen stars of my generation can be overrated at times or too easily forgiven. I do not think I have ever paid even $100 to see someone in concert. I think that’s a lot of money to sometimes not even get that close. I could not imagine paying that amount today. But, I have not been to a concert in a couple of years so that could be the basic price for today.

In regards, to the greatest hits albums being a thing of the past I think that is a very big possibility; because if someone wants to hear an old song would they not just go download it. I think that impacts the greatest hits album completely. Why buy an entire album if you already have half of the songs. Most people would just purchase them individually. But, I also do not buy any cds anymore; I rely completely on downloading them.

Anonymous said...

In this day and age, there are numerous over-rated artists. I still cannot comprehend the "talent" that is associated with Britney Spears. She still remains popular in the media and just recently won three or so VMA's. Further, I do not understand how she has a greatest hits album before she is thirty. In addition, I do not comprehend how "Britney Spears" and "greatest hits" can be in the same sentence. I will end this rant here.

In this current economic time, I would not pay money to see any artist. In past or future economic times, I would definitely pay money to see The Eagles. I consider myself a hardcore music fan, and I still buy CD's like they are going out of style. Which they already are to an extent... I must admit that I recently crossed over into the realm of downloading, and I am pleased. The reason that I am pleased is because I like the idea of buying only the songs that I really want as opposed to the songs that I am stuck with because I bought a CD based on a couple of songs that I enjoyed. Therefore, I do believe that the "greatest hits" album is a thing of the past. Further, I feel that this applies, in particular, to our generation and future generations. Heaven knows what my parents would do if I bought them an iTunes card...

name said...

The most over-rated performers are any of the modern pop, rap, hip hop, or rock bands that shamelessly self-promote all over MTV and hire PR companies to assault the listening public with their recycled, soulless noise. There are very, very few bands I would pay to see in concert in the first place. Most of the music that I enjoy was created by acts that either don't exist anymore or are so old that the days of dazzling performances they may have once given are far behind them. I'm not going to pay to see someone who once set themselves on fire on stage while singing that now sits around while performing and takes hits from an oxygen bottle between sets.

With Amazon's legal music service, you can buy entire CDs of a band for around $4 if they're an older band. Why go out and buy tracks of a greatest hits album when you already have the entire discography of the band in your iPod? The music industry has a hard time letting go of their outdated methods of revenue. The old business model no longer works in an a la carte music society. Before MP3s, the only way you could get all of your favorite songs by an artist was on a greatest hits album. Now you just make a playlist and drop them in there yourself. It's no longer a sure way to increase profits.

Torie Fowler said...

I think that the most over-rated singer out there would be Madonna. She releases maybe two songs per year but everyone thinks that she is a Goddess. She may have done ok in her younger years but as of now I think she should give up. There is not anyone I would pay over 100 dollars to go see in person, whether the economy was bad or not.

I do not believe that the greatest hit album is a thing of the past because there are still great hits out there. If one artist releases top songs than I believe that people would still pay money to just get those songs on CD. I think that one single song is different than an entire album. If you like an artist's single songs, you will buy their huge album.

Sabrina said...

I think that some musicians are overrated so called icons. But we as fans make them that way. We buy their albums and boost their record sales. So in their eyes when they start selling all these records they feel like they are icons. With the economic times being as hard as they are now people will still go out and buy the cd or even pay $100.00 for a concert. There is not one musical icon that I would pay over $100 to see in concert.

I do not agree with not having greatest hits albums, however I don't think that Tim McGraw has been in the game long enough to release a greatest hit cd. Also with ITunes being the latest trend, I don't think many people are going to buy a whole album, when they can download a single song for little or nothing.

Hearst said...

I do think some musicians are given to much glory early in their careers. Bands should have to wait at least 15 years to release a greatest hits album. I think they should also actually have enough hits to release the album. It seems like some bands release a greatest hits album with a few hits and then some junk that never was really that popular. There aren't many bands I would pay a lot of money to see, but Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin would be on that list. Especially since they don't tour any more.

marc hearst

I do think itunes has hurt the sales of greatest hits albums. I don't think it has hurt the sales of music, just these albums. I usually only buy songs that I want from an artist. Occasionally, I will buy the whole album because of the discount you may get by buying the whole thing.

Anonymous said...

I think the most over-rated singer/performer is Madonna. She has been around for a long time, but what kind of role model does she set? Her music has never been one that I cared to listen to, much less watch her videos, but somehow she keeps hanging around and won't fade away.

Even before the tough economic times, I'm not sure I would have paid $100 or more to see anyone in concert. As much as I love music, there are more things I would rather spend that kind of money on.

I believe that "greatest hits" albums are becoming a thing of the past. With the easy capability of being able to create your own "greatest hits" or at least your favorites, people aren't going to spend the same amount of money purchasing a CD when they can create their own albums immediately. It's going to be quite interesting to see how iTunes changes the music industry all together.

STACIES77 said...

I personally feel that celebrities as a whole are overrated! They make millions of dollars doing what?? looking pretty on camera! It's a sad world when we put more emphasis on musicians, actors/actresses, and ball players than we do on firefighters, policemen, and those in the medical filed saving our lives.

An artist should be around for a long time before they decide to release a greatest hits album for the simple fact that an album of greatest hits should be just that a collection of greatest hits. An artist cannot possibly submit a great selection on that album if he doesn't have years of #1's to put on it!

Downloading is a very convenient, conventional way of compulating music on cd's, but I don't think that all of the world is abreast of this new technology just yet and so the cd's should still sell.

Rani said...

Individuals make their owm icons and it tends to always be a celebrity. I think that Jessica Simpson is one of the most overrated icons. She has to be the dumbest person with no common sense. Jessica simpson drives me insane and thinks that she can do anything because she is a icon. Just because you are preety and play in Dukes does not mean you can sing.

Greatest hit albums will struggle because of the avaliability to download from the internet. For example I do not always like all of the songs so I download what I like and make it a variety cd.

heather b said...

I think an artist needs to be around very long before he/she should have enough confidence to go out and make a greatest hits album. I think it would take away the meaning of greatest hits album if everyone started doing them without having much meaning behind it. I think Tim has been around long enough for one greatest hits album but not two. Also I think Brittney Spears is overrated she sounds good on the radio but she sounds awful live.
I think itunes will and has already taken money away from peolple selling greatest hits albums. People will pick what songs they like and it may be from a few different people instead of just one artist so people are not going to buy a greatest hits album if they do not like all the songs on it and instead make their own cd.

Anonymous said...

The most overrated singer that comes to mind is Jessica Simpson. In my opinion she is one of the most ridiculous people alive. She has gone from being a pop princess to a reality show diva and now she is trying to become a country superstar. It is unfortunate that individuals like Jessica Simpson are the ones that our young children look up to and idolize. She portrays a ditzy blonde that gets what she wants because she is cute and uses her sex appeal.

I believe that greatest hits albums will suffer because of iTunes and other sites like it. When you have songs at your fingertips and with the click of a button, what would entice you buy an album from the store? Nothing. Downloading music is convenient and you can have a combination of songs that you want, instead of a CD full of songs that has only a couple of songs that you really like.

Christen Reeves

Lee said...

I kind of like the idea of having a greatest hits album because it puts all of the best songs all on one album instead of having to buy all the albums and only liking a few of the songs. However, I do agree, I think it is crazy to have another greatest hits album when you've only had one album released in between. I don't think we're too quick to make musicians icons. Iconic status should not be based on just record sales. I think personally, Tim McGraw is close to Madonna and Michael Jackson because of who he is and what he does in and outside of the music world.

Some people out there do not deserve to keep releasong albums. I think Britney Spears is an over rated musician. Sure she is attractive, and sure she makes the headline in the news every other day, but she cannot sing. Anytime I have ever seen her perform she is lip syncing. I would personally never pay $100 to see anyone in concert; hearing them on the radio and watching them on tv is fine with me. With ITunes, it is possible to buy the specific song you like, however there are still those people who appreciate cd's and will continue to support artists in that way.

Lee said...

I kind of like the idea of having a greatest hits album because it puts all of the best songs all on one album instead of having to buy all the albums and only liking a few of the songs. However, I do agree, I think it is crazy to have another greatest hits album when you've only had one album released in between. I don't think we're too quick to make musicians icons. Iconic status should not be based on just record sales. I think personally, Tim McGraw is close to Madonna and Michael Jackson because of who he is and what he does in and outside of the music world.

Some people out there do not deserve to keep releasong albums. I think Britney Spears is an over rated musician. Sure she is attractive, and sure she makes the headline in the news every other day, but she cannot sing. Anytime I have ever seen her perform she is lip syncing. I would personally never pay $100 to see anyone in concert; hearing them on the radio and watching them on tv is fine with me. With ITunes, it is possible to buy the specific song you like, however there are still those people who appreciate cd's and will continue to support artists in that way.

Lee Beard

Matt Middleton said...

The iconic status given to many sub-par musicians over the years is definitely frustrating. Did people actually really like Ricky Martin's music? Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson are two of the most over-rated singers/performers still releasing albums. More people actually buy these albums to look at the cover art rather than actually listen to the music.

Bands I would pay $100 to see in concert would be the Dave Matthews Band, U2, and even Journey (though I know it is not the same without Steve Perry). The aura behind the "greatest hits" album is definitely a thing of the past. Anyone with these applications can make their own album the way they like it. It's hard to beat that.

Paula said...

Sadly, musicians are not the only ones we are too quick to make into icons. Plus, some of the musicians we make into icons is baffling to me, because they don't have any real talent. The list is pretty long as far as who is the most-overrated singer/performer, and those mentioned in other blogs are right at the top of my list, too...Madonna, Jessica, Britney. No one is worth $100 a ticket to see, so far. I've seen many more talented artists for much less.

I think that the "greatest hits" album is becoming a dinosaur because of the ability to pick and choose songs to download on the Internet. Although, the music industry may find a way around this. I mean, if they can take typical pre-teens and turn them into pop icons, they can pretty much figure out a way around losing "greatest hits" sales.

Paula said...

I think that putting out a greatest hits album runs par with the type performers that are in the music industry today. These days greatest hits albums are a marketing tool and not a milestone in a long career. Musicians, along with those in other "careers" are too quick to acquire icon status, but "we the people" put them there, along with a good marketing/promotions team. I'd have to agree that probably Jessica Simpson is the most over-rated, and at this point she is looking pretty desperate in her attempts to "find her niche". Can't think of anyone worth a $100 ticket, especially since I've paid much less to see talented artists with long, long careers.

I can see where the Internet and the ability to download your choice of songs will possibly make the greatest hits album a dinosaur, until the marketing team finds its way around this.

Annie Bolduc said...

The first reponse to this post is definitely that, yes we are way too quick at raising the status of new comers in the music industry to icon or even stars. I keep thinking of those new pop artits such as Miley Cyrus (or Hannah Montana), the Jonas Brothers etc. who are acclaimed by the media for basically playing the same thing over and over. I was extremely insulted when I saw the Jonas Brothers on the cover of Rolling Stones two months ago! I know that Rolling Stones is definitely not what it used to be...but it doesn't mean that they can go as low as talking about a group that has more charisma than talent. I think that Britney Spears is that artis that is the most over-rated. She is releasing a new album very soon (or maybe it has been released recently) but...honestly? Every time she release an album, critics bring her down, talking about lack of talent and we all know that her album is mostly rearranged with the help of a computer. But is it totally her fault? If people stopped caring and would move on, chances are that she would not release a new album. It is a two way street. We need to stop encouraging artits like this by treating them as if they were royalty after hearing one or two hit song written by professionals.

I think the greatest hit syndrom is definitely coming to an end. It is now so easy to simply download (and pay please!) for the songs that we like. I have always complained about how frustrating it was to have to buy an album for only 2 or 3 songs I liked. People can create their own greatest hit packages, and choice is definitely an advantage over having to listen to songs you might or might not be really interested to listen to. But, we can't blame the artist for trying, the music market is a very difficult one right now with all the pirating and I guess they are trying whatever they can to maintain their sales. They definitely need to understand the concept of greatest hits though. You can't really release an album with your greatest hits if you can count the amount you hand on the fingers of one hand...

Jamayel Smith said...

I feel that an artist does need to have prestigeous background to support a greatest hit album. And if there are not enough hit songs that has been acquired to achieve this there is not a need for that particular kind of album. Therefore, I feel that it was to early for Tim McGraw to do this.

On the other hand,I really don't care that he did this so early in his music career. It is definitely an artist choice to do this but it does make the artist appear to be conceited in such a way. Therefore, it is an artist choice to do this but a sense of prestige is lacking with this greatest hit album.

Clara Caffey said...

I guess I've never really paid much attention to this topic. I rarely buy an album anymore, because I have friends who can get me the songs I need for free. It's funny that the question refers to doing away with greatest hits cd's when I have been thinking that cd's period will be extinct soon. Why pay full price for a cd that may have only a couple of songs that you really want, when you can get a free cd full of all of your favorite songs for free or a small price.

I think the race to becoming the greatest or becoming an icon in the music business has just exploded. I feel there are sooo many singer/perfomers out there that it almost seems like just anybody can be a performer. Especially with these shows showing "America's" talent. I'm not real sure what determines the right time for a singer/performer to be considered classic or able to put out a greatest hits album, but it seems that some performers are so desperate to keep their name out in the public's eye, or I guess in this subject ear, that they resort to make a greatest hits album. They don't have anything else to give now or are too busy to actually work on new stuff. I'm not sure how I feel about the subject, but I do feel some of the performers are getting too much credit for their little talent. Honestly I don't think I would EVER pay over $100 to see someone in concert... I'm too cheap. HAHA

Clara Caffey