Is it normal i hate how people pretend popular things aren't popular?

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15 Comments

This is something I see a lot, I'm just going to use the most recent example to piss me off.

So, someone was complaining about Random Access Memories, Daft Punk's album that came out last year. He said that he didn't like how their sound had changed and that he was upset because this album made them mainstream and now their old style is dead.

You can make a point about how their style is changed, that's fine. They're not rehashing the same thing they did on Homework. Versatility is a good thing, I would think people would like for bands to do more than one style instead of making the same album over and over, but we all know how conservative music fans are.

But complaining that RAM made them mainstream? That's fucking stupid. Daft Punk had been extremely popular ever since their first single in 1995 and completely world famous since they released their debut album in 1997. Their music video for "Around the World" from that album quickly became one of the most popular music videos EVER MADE. The only way you can claim to have listened to Daft Punk before they were mainstream is if you were listening to them when they were a live band and didn't have any recorded releases to listen to. Even before RAM, Daft Punk was as mainstream as it gets. They've spent more time being mainstream than most bands spend existing.

Now, I know most people aren't dumb enough to think that Daft Punk was a breakout success last year and their mainstream popularity is newfound. But I see this kind of thing everywhere. A lot of Minecraft players ignore the fact that Minecraft is one of the best selling games of all time and that instead talk like it's their secret club, to the point that "Minecraft is some small indie game you've probably never heard of" is a meme in gaming circles to mock it. In fact, just about any video game that isn't published by Activision or EA will have a group of people convinced that they're underground for playing it, no matter how popular the game actually is.

I could go on, but you get it. You've probably seen it yourself. Is anyone else really bothered by the denial behind this?

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68% Normal
Based on 34 votes (23 yes)
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Comments ( 15 )
  • dom180
    10 years ago

    You need to stop caring so much about popularity and perceptions of popularity and other people's perceptions of culture so much. I don't think it's normal to care as much as you seem to.

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  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    Your friend sounds like a hipster.

    While there is nothing wrong with a group/musician having a unique musical style, versatility is always key! For instance, I used to be a fan of Fall Out Boy and if you've ever listened to them you'd know that they have a certain sound. Well, when their comeback album came out, I was expecting a newer and more mature sound, I wanted them to experiment. Instead, it was pretty much the same as they used to do. I was extremely disappointed.

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    • dom180
      10 years ago

      At the risk of sounding a bit hipster myself, I only really liked Fall Out Boy's first two records. The two things I want from a Fall Out Boy album are energy and fun, and there wasn't enough of either for me on their comeback album. That's not necessarily a bad thing if they just started doing something more sophisticated, but as I see it they went in the direction of moody pop rock which doesn't appeal to me at all.

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      • Avant-Garde
        10 years ago

        I agree. The first song on the comeback album had so much potential if you just focus on the dramatic string music. It would have been better if it were an instrumental album.

        As for the original albums, I thought that From Under The Cork Tree, Infinity on High and the album they released before they went on hiatus, were, dare I say, "masterpieces". There was an album they released, in what I think may have been the early-2000's, I'm not sure if it was their debut album. It had a predominately blue palate and the band was sitting on the ground with their backs against a wall. I got it from the library once and for some reason, the music never stuck with me.

        I think they recently released another album. I remember listening to some of the songs but again, it just didn't stick with me.

        What do you think about their solo/other musical projects?

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        • dom180
          10 years ago

          By the way. If you're interested in a recommendation of something that tries to convey the same sorts of emotions as Fall Out Boy's comeback album but does it in a way that I thought was a lot more forceful with more intelligent lyrics, you might like the album "Future Is Cancelled" by Captain, We're Sinking. It's one of my favourite albums from 2013 :) It feels less eclectic to me so you might not like it as much as I do, but I was listening to it today and it reminded me of this conversation so I thought I'd throw it out there :)

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        • dom180
          10 years ago

          I think that album was called "Take This to Your Grave". It's lying around in my iTunes somewhere. I liked it, but it didn't have a catchy or especially interesting lead single like Sugar We're Going Down and the lyrics might have been a bit less intelligent than on Under Cork Tree too. Or maybe it was that the songs were quite similar sounding on Take This to Your Grave. Whatever the reason, that album was never a huge hit outside the pop punk fan base.

          I've not listened to a huge amount of their other projects. Patrick Stump's solo record didn't do much for me, although he appeared on a song on an album by Transit, I think the album was called "Listen and Forgive", who are a band I really like. I think The Damned Things was a good little project. I've not listened to anything more than that though.

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          • Avant-Garde
            10 years ago

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJWzYidGG0o

            ^^^ This I really liked. I wish it other songs in a similar vein had been on Soul Punk. He is very talented person and I don't really get the huge backlash that he got when he released his album. Out of all the songs on that album, I only liked a few and even with the ones that I did like, it seemed like they really didn't stick with me. Perhaps, they would now since my memory has gotten a lot better.

            Transit's song really isn't that bad. I couldn't make out Stump's vocals into at the very end, though.

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            • dom180
              10 years ago

              Ah, I didn't know Patrick Stump played all those instruments. I really like his vocals with Fall Out Boy; I think that's what did the most to separate them from a lot of bands with a similar sound when they were first making music. I agree, he's a talented guy and I can see why not changing Fall Out Boy would have become limiting for him.

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    • RoseIsabella
      10 years ago

      I was just happy to see Nile Rogers.

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      • Avant-Garde
        10 years ago

        I actually had to look him up. :/ I was wondering who that chocolate dude was so, it is nice to know now. Such glorious hair that man has!

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        • RoseIsabella
          10 years ago

          He does have awesome hair. I'm probably showing my age, I'm 44. I love the story of how he wrote "Le Freak" back when he was in in Chic.

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  • megadriver
    10 years ago

    I am not bothered. I don't care. The stuff you listed for Daft punk for example was something I didn't know. First song I heard was "Get lucky" and sorta liked it. Never bothered to go into their history or other songs and probably never will...

    I just don't care if something is exclusive, mainstream or whatever... If I like something I like it.
    The only brand/ popular item/ stuff I argue about is cars XD
    Mostly with two mates. Audi vs Mercedes vs BMW - the lifelong question

    I think you shouldn't care as much about random stuff's popularity. Just live your life and enjoy yourself.

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    • Avant-Garde
      10 years ago

      Did you happen to hear the Tron: Legacy soundtrack? They composed it and it is a huge step forward from their other work.

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  • Teh4HorsMen
    10 years ago

    Lots of people are also angry Metallica changed thier style after AJFA or Black Album. I think all thier albums (ecxept Lulu) were awesome.

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  • Riddler
    10 years ago

    So you are mad he hates the fact that they changed? Well that is pretty stupid. A lot of bands will be known for their signature sound.

    Its kind of like an artist. An artist has a unique style which comes out in their work. Be it paintings, drawings, novels, poetry, music, dance and so on. This is also not the same as simply copying what other people are doing.

    Everyone has a unique style and that is very important. When bands change suddenly since they feel they wanted to "Update" they lose that style the fans have come to love. Which makes people look at them as though they are sell outs. If you like the new version of this band good for you. It does not mean everyone is going to be happy about it. So get over yourself.

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