I knew a girl who said she hated The Beatles because they are too popular. And I was like — are they popular because they're good or because they're (or at least were) hip? And I think they are popular because they are good.
I simply love such discussions. Although not present at the discussion, to know if she means the Beatles or their songs, either way I think that I get her point. Every major popular artist and his art, tends to occupy so much space in the public sphere that it drowns other artists, commercially (and eventually artistically) that many times are more interesting and more valuable (an early manifestation of the ever conquering global market and companies, that prefer to sell multiple copies of one product, for more profit and less marketing expenses). Nick Drake anybody? (Although he has become very popular as well) Alas even if these artists are discovered further down the history line, the saturation of the public with the prevailing artist is so great and influential, that is almost impossible to understand the value of other artists and the way the world would have taken if their art had prevailed. So the dislike is a logical repulsion of popular, because of the loss of the other unlucky artists, a desperate cry for justice for the ignored art, a sad cry for all lost possibilities.
Or maybe music can not save our immortal soul and merely serves as a distraction from more serious issues, that actually shape the world.
Oh well, after all, for the last 50 years people are baptized in a Beatles world, even if he/she doesn't like them. The point of reference will always be them. All he/she can claim is that s-he is really into ... the Rolling stones. Still I prefer the Kinks.
