Do you ever wonder?

Dave Matthews Band - voice like 6 cats in a sack. WTF.

The Stones last listenable album was Some Girls, and their previous stuff has been played enough to last a lifetime. Somebody bury the corpse already; it stinks.

U2 - everything post Joshua Tree is market-tested pop schlock that should never be heard outside of an elevator. The Ford Taurus of rock bands.

Come on, you are a smart guy. Does it actually puzzle you that the music buying public is composed of morons?

James Taylor posted on this thread-sacrilege!

To me he is the epitome of the singer/songwriter.

For this thread - Kris Kristofferson

I think it is all a matter of timing. The events and the struggles of the times in past history and the general mood of the people motivated musicians and songwriters to create some of the best and most enduring songs. Some even becoming anthem status. Because everyone has differant tastes and reasons for liking or disliking certain bands or solo artists is subjective. Present day I personaly find that far too many of the artists get noticed for the wrong reasons and talent is not always first and foremost. That said the likes of Michael Bolton or Lady GaGa don,t make me wonder....they make me hit the search button immediately. Cheers

It may also be important to note that many artists can be clearly segregated into early years when they cared about the music and later years when they cared about the money or ran out of material. Early success begets the later album sales because fans always hope to recapture that initial magic of an artist.

Elton John - great up to "Caribou"
Stones - great up until after "Some girls"
Chicago - great until IV
Boston - great until their second album