Image vs Talent in Music Marketing and Success

1378 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The influence of pop culture

Pop music has long been defined by “idols” and superstars that are subjects of high levels of adoration from severely devoted fans, whose love of these superstars often blurs the line between fandom and obsession. This love is mainly based off of physical looks and charm more often than actual musical talent, as majority of the songs written by these massive superstars are not written by the artists themselves, instead by people hired to write for these artists in a way that will best connect with a crowd willing to spend their money on these manufactured stars. Therefore, it has become evident that in the world of popular music, image has overtaken talent as the determining factor of success in the industry. Instead of skill and songwriting ability, good looks and the ability to draw large crowds of impressionable people have become the main factors of fame in music.
The first main example of physical image becoming a major marketing point in the music industry lies in the career of Elvis Aaron Presley. His image was the building point of his reputation, as he represented the first major example of a sex symbol in music. Presley has been described as a “sex god”, which inspired other artists to emulate him in the future and use sex to sell their music. (Long, “Elvis the Sex God”, Vox Magazine) and various television and music executives described how visually captivating his performances were. Although Presley had undeniable talent, his talent was not the only selling point that his handlers used to market him to the public, which was quite a departure from the classical and jazz eras, where musical skill was the prominent issue in determining the popularity of musicians such as Beethoven, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. L...

... middle of paper ...

...rickson, Steve. "No Ordinary Fad: Making Sense of the Beatles, Whose Music Has Been Digitally Remastered and Featured in a New Video Game." Los Angeles Magazine 1 Sept. 2009: n. pag. Print.

Garber, Marjorie. Vested Interests: Cross Dressing & Cultural Anxiety. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.

"Global Talent Shows There's More than One Direction to US Success." Music Week 13 Apr. 2012: n. pag. EBSCO Music Index. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Herrera, Monica. "Justin Bieber: Young Money." Billboard 27 Mar. 2010: n. pag. EBSCO Music Index. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.

Long, April. "Elvis the Sex God." Vox Aug. 1997: n. pag. EBSCO Music Index. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.

Rodman, Gilbert B. Elvis after Elvis: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend. London: Routledge, 1996. Print.

Smirke, Richard. "Headed For The Top." Billboard 1 Oct. 2011: n. pag. EBSCO Music Index. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Synopsis of The Grateful Dead

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Grateful Dead Biography”, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 2014, web, 16 April 2014

    Read More

  • Album Art Analysis: The Beatles, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Red Hot Chilli Peppers

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    One Hundred and One Albums that Changed Popular Music. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://books.google.com/books?id=G4mP7u6mPdkC&pg=PA172#v=onepage

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Influences

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...sley performed his music in all types of genres. Presley allowed musicians to step out of the box and be their selves. He had hit songs in gospel, rock, pop, and country. Although he lived a short life, he is still famous in some people’s eyes. I met a woman who had attended one of Elvis’s performances and she said it was the best concert she had ever been to. During the concert she said Elvis was dancing and all the girls were going crazy as always. He removed his scarf and threw it into the crowd she was the lucky one who caught it. She still has his scarf in her house, and will never forget the memories of that night. Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977 in his home from heart failure. The King still lives on in many people’s lives and his music career helped many people. Elvis Presley led the way for many musicians, and has impacted the lives of many people.

    Read More

  • The Voice of Michael Jackson: Shattering the Dichotomies of Race

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... Popular Music Studies 23, no. 1 (2011): 19-39. Accessed April 28, 2014. Academic Search Complete.

    Read More

  • Why Is Nineties Alternative Rock the Best Music Ever?

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...he essence of a grief-stricken generation, exhibited an unyielding emphasis on the importance of piercing passion over musical intricacy, and introduced the world to a vast array of gifted musicians who did not deem music as a tool to achieve recognition or financial stability. In turn, the decades that followed the rise of alternative rock have been inundated with so-called musicians whose main goal has been to get their faces plastered on magazine covers and achieve maximum public exposure, rather than devoting themselves to their craft. Consequently, the world has been left with nothing but an endless parade of shocking behavior, skimpy outfits, and mediocre music. Unfortunately, if the current state of affairs is any hint of what the future holds for music audiences, the magic generated by the nineties alternative rock will not be matched in years to come.

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley's Life: Would Elvis Be Alive Today?

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mention the name Elvis Presley and many things come to mind. Most people automatically think of music and the impact he had on the industry. Others think of his upbringing in the South and the years he spent singing Gospel tunes. Wild images of Graceland and Cadillacs are iconic when it comes to discussing Elvis. Through the years, his physical appearance changed drastically. From young and in excellent shape to older, larger, and showing the signs of poor lifestyle choices. Elvis singlehandedly changed the face of American music. He influenced an entire generation to break from long-held traditions. However, for all the incredible talent and charisma the man possessed, he could not break free from the addictions that plagued him in his later years. Moreover, sadly, many remember that as his last legacy.

    Read More

  • Miley Cyrus Analysis

    1863 Words  | 4 Pages

    The star text of a celebrity can help to decipher their image and transitions they may undergo. In order to better understand these transitions, one must know the definition of a star text. A star text is the sum of everything we affiliate with celebrities, which includes their body of work, promotion, publicity, and audience participation (Jackson, 08/09/16). One must note that “celebrity doesn 't happen because someone has extraordinary qualities – it is discursively constructed by the way in which the person is publicised and meanings about them circulate” (O 'Shaughnessy and Stadler 424). Destiny Hope Cyrus, “an American singer and actress, became a sensation in the television series

    Read More

  • Rock n Roll & 20th Century Culture

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through Elvis Presley, rock ‘n’ roll changed the face of American music, and influenced a whole generation’s political philosophy. Composer Leonard Berstein once said, “He introduced the beat to everything and changed everything-music, language, clothes; it’s a whole new social revolution-the 60s come from it” (Wattenberg 6B). To his credit, Elvis embraced rhythm and blues not as a from to be imitated, but as a form to honored and interprete... ...

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Biography

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    It wasn’t easy to get to where he was. Mississippi born and raised, Presley didn’t live in luxury. His wealth and fame was a massive step from his struggling Mississippi life (Stones). This influenced others to pursue their dreams as well. Since he was raised this way, and grew up as a generous and kind person, he would always donate to the needy, which sparked the role model in him (Bergmooser). Only ten years old, Presley finally made his first public performance. He sang “Old Shep” for a contest and received fifth place (Stones). Later in his life, he made his first record working with Sun Records in 1953 (Stones). This eventually led to exposure in the music industry. More and more people listened and bought his albums as the years flew by. Added up, Elvis Presley sold more than a billion records worldwide (RIAA). Throughout his career, he performed many times and at countless different locations. In 1972, he sold out four Madison Square Garden shows (McShane). This is the place many artists only dream of achieving. Step by step, Presley grew his fame and aspired others to strive the same way. Without har...

    Read More

  • CanCon Regulations toward a Better Canada

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Young, D. (2004). The Promotional State and Canada's Juno Awards. Popular Music , 23, 271.

    Read More

  • The Elvis Craze

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    When I began my research on this paper, I had no clue as to why anyone would waste a week of their life to attend "Elvis Week" and to pay homage to the great "King of Rock 'n' Roll." Or why anyone would dedicate all of his or her spare time to create and maintain a website dedicated to a man who has been dead for 20+ years. After all of my research at the library and on the internet, learning about his roots and his family, his rise to stardom, his military career, his film career, his Vegas career, and his personal life with all of its women and drugs, I still have no clue. Neither do the people who create the websites or write the books in honor of him.

    Read More

  • Cultural Impact Of Rock And Roll

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    Elvis Presley was a well-known man and loved by many people. Based on http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/04/11/elvis-presley-teens-consumer-culture/Elvis Just like Muddy Waters, Presley timing was perfect as well. He came into and era (1950s) where the devastations of the great depression and world wars were over. People were now starting to have some freedom and enjoy the thing they loved which was listening to music and living life to the fullest. The social change that the 50s brought reflected music significantly, and Elvis Presley arose.. Kids were now starting to rebel against their parents and they had a lot of extra money to spend on records because of prosperity. During the Wars, money was limited and kids and adults had to work extra hard and save for survival purposes, but once the war-ended money could be used for pleasure reasons rather than just for survival. In addition, in the 50s our country had it’s own war, and I’m not talking about the World Wars, but yet human inequality. The civil rights movement was one of the biggest social changes in history and was a time where a lot of great artist prevailed and made songs on the issue. Elvis Presley showed just how social changes could influence or reflect the history of rock “n” roll. Presley started a culture, his hairstyle, the way he dressed all became part of the youth around the country. As I said our country was fighting its own war with segregation, Elvis music help bring people together. His music not on appealed white crowds, but black crowds listened to him as well. He brought people together through music, and proved to the world that he could be successful. He was one of the artist that mastered crossover, bringing every color to liking his music. Based on Larson fourth edition pg 38, it says that his record sales boomed, and then rock “n”

    Read More

  • Music and Deviant Behavior

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the earliest controversies involving an artist’s actions and songs in in the music world came on June 5, 1956 when rock and roll legend Elvis Presley performed a rendition of his song “Hound Dog” that had the public outraged. He received backlash for his pelvis-shaking intensity his fans screamed for while television critics described it as “appalling ...

    Read More

  • John Lennon's Song Imagine

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sussman, Al. "Lennon's Legacy." Beatlefan Nov. - Dec. 1997: 12-13. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Globalization on Music

    1786 Words  | 4 Pages

    With the music being the highly profitable, capitalist enterprise that it is today, it is no wonder that it is controlled and regulated by a few large conglomerates that exist is today’s world. It is important to make clear that although evidence is being presented of the positive aspects of globalization through music that there is overwhelming evidence that cultural imperialism is more than it seems on the outside. One must keep in mind that cultural imperialism, globalization and the creation of a global village is a business. People are profiting at other people’s loss of cultural identity, they are sold a culture and heritage. With the every growing N’Sync fan clubs and Britney clones, the world is turning into a stage for pop culture and its glamorous unattainable standards.

    Read More

More about Image vs Talent in Music Marketing and Success

Open Document