What is "mainstream music" in 2009?

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Is there a center in music anymore? What makes a band "mainstream" today - a cover story in RS, MTV play, a Perez Hilton post? What the heck?

makeitpop, Monday, 9 March 2009 06:44 (sixteen years ago)

some combination of those things, plus actually selling a good number of cds or downloads or otherwise somehow demonstrating a commercial reach, i'd say. it's a sort of know-it-when-you-see-it metric, but it's not hard to find examples. taylor swift is obviously mainstream music. so's lily allen. beyonce. kanye. this year's grammy broadcast was probably as good a capsule of "mainstream music '09" as you're going to find.

paper plans (tipsy mothra), Monday, 9 March 2009 06:54 (sixteen years ago)

I've recently taken to flipping through radio stations trying to determine this. Once I'm comfortable with what is being played, I'm going to try leaving the house and mingling with the common folk.

(I make a half joke because I really don't know, but it has never seemed so compartmentalized)

random freak and ingrate (james k polk), Monday, 9 March 2009 07:12 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=The+Billboard+Hot+100

wow heaven is cool (J0rdan S.), Monday, 9 March 2009 07:13 (sixteen years ago)

I really did listen to a variety of radio station on Friday, because I am very out of touch.

This is a very conservative radio market here, but for new music, I heard

rock - Nickelback, Papa Roach
MOR - Rob Thomas, Hinder, female songs I didn't google.
rap/modern R&B - (I googled these to find the artist) T.I., Ne-Yo, Lil Wayne, the "I broke your windows" song.
interesting Spanish language stuff, but the language barrier is ultimately too great for me.
a ton of "oldies" from the 70's to early 90's.

I don't have any conclusions, except I like the big ballad big production modern R&B tracks on initial exposure.

random freak and ingrate (james k polk), Monday, 9 March 2009 07:21 (sixteen years ago)

the "I broke your windows" song

this is jazmine sullivan - "bust your windows"

it's okay but her single before it "need u bad" is a classic

wow heaven is cool (J0rdan S.), Monday, 9 March 2009 07:25 (sixteen years ago)

Kings of Leon?

vain_bowers, Monday, 9 March 2009 08:45 (sixteen years ago)

This I broke your windows song?

what happened? I'm confused. (sarahel), Monday, 9 March 2009 09:07 (sixteen years ago)

If a recent song is familiar for an average 10-11 year-old, then it is mainstream. Otherwise, not.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:31 (sixteen years ago)

(which is why indie, or other album oriented genres, cannot possibly be called mainstream)

Geir Hongro, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:32 (sixteen years ago)

The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs single is playing on the most commercial radio station in my city.

The music world is very flat these days.

Popture, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:47 (sixteen years ago)

Maybe in your city. I can't imagine DC101 in Washington playing it.

curmudgeon, Monday, 9 March 2009 14:55 (sixteen years ago)


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