Would Elvis be a Star today?

[Simon_X]

I have some weird thoughts sometimes. One of them is, would the really big entertainers from the past be just as big and popular today if they were to start out new in our present day or would they even be noticed?

For instance, if Elvis, Sinatra, The Beatles, or any other big star from the past were born later in time instead of their day, would they be as big as they were when they were new acts? I always thought it weird that these guys seemed to come along just at the right time when their music influenced and fit their times.

Any thoughts?

 

[wabrams]

I have some weird thoughts sometimes. One of them is, would the really big entertainers from the past be just as big and popular today if they were to start out new in our present day or would they even be noticed?

For instance, if Elvis, Sinatra, The Beatles, or any other big star from the past were born later in time instead of their day, would they be as big as they were when they were new acts? I always thought it weird that these guys seemed to come along just at the right time when their music influenced and fit their times.

Any thoughts?

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin are the 3 biggest artists that come to mind that would NOT be popular today. These 3 bands recorded great albums. Albums don’t sell very well today, but *singles *do. Yes they had great singles, but many of their most endearing songs were not originally top selling singles.

 

[gmarie21]

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin are the 3 biggest artists that come to mind that would NOT be popular today. These 3 bands recorded great albums. Albums don’t sell very well today, but *singles *do. Yes they had great singles, but many of their most endearing songs were not originally top selling singles.

I tend to disagree regarding the Beatles and Elvis. They still make a ton of money each year. Heck, I know many teens and 20 year olds who LOVE The Beatles and Elvis. Heck, I prefer to listen to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, or Elvis over most of the newer musicians and I just turned 30.

 

[wabrams]

I tend to disagree regarding the Beatles and Elvis. They still make a ton of money each year. Heck, I know many teens and 20 year olds who LOVE The Beatles and Elvis. Heck, I prefer to listen to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, or Elvis over most of the newer musicians and I just turned 30.

They still make all that money b/c there are now 3 to 4 generations of fans listening to them. I would bet money if they started brand new today, they would flop.

 

[jmcrae]

If they were starting out today, they’d be just as good and just as creative, but they’d be making different products - stuff that resonates with today’s generation.

Remember, they all had classical and gospel training, and those things never go out of style. Being able to sing on key, and being able to relate to your generation - that’s what defines talent, and that’s what those people did. If they were around today, they’d still be big. But we wouldn’t be hearing the same kind of music from them. It’d be something totally new and different from anything we’ve heard before, and it would be accessible to modern-day teenagers.

 

[Simon_X]

I agree with both of the above. But, since many of todays musicians were inspired by guys like Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, it’s interesting to try to imagine what it would be like if these guys didn’t come along till today. Would anyone really care about Sinatra? Great since of timing and arranging, but face it, his voice was sort of limited. Elvis would be out there somewhere, but doing what kind of music? The Beatles as a new act today? Hard to say.

 

[Larowyn]

I suspect that Elvis would not have been as famous as he was without three important things: his sex appeal (hip swinging), gospel music, and military service. Without those three things, he would have been just a voice and would not have been as big as he became.

Would he still be a star today? Probably not. He would have gotten old and retired at some point anyway, and the later Xers, the Nexters, and the Y generation would each have considered him more irrelevant than the preceding generations, just like any other star from another generation. Elvis would probably have done some performances on and off if he lived to retirement, but he would have just been an old celebrity fossil that people stopped caring about. Elvis’ death is probably one of the most important things to happen to his career; it was through death that he became immortal in American culture.

 

[Simon_X]

I suspect that Elvis would not have been as famous as he was without three important things: his sex appeal (hip swinging), gospel music, and military service. Without those three things, he would have been just a voice and would not have been as big as he became.

Would he still be a star today? Probably not. He would have gotten old and retired at some point anyway, and the later Xers, the Nexters, and the Y generation would each have considered him more irrelevant than the preceding generations, just like any other star from another generation. Elvis would probably have done some performances on and off if he lived to retirement, but he would have just been an old celebrity fossil that people stopped caring about. Elvis’ death is probably one of the most important things to happen to his career; it was through death that he became immortal in American culture.

Thanks for post, but the question is, would any of these guys be famous if they came on the scene today as young entertainers (being born later than when they were around)? So in the case of Elvis, picture him as 20 or 22 years old now, but with everything else in tact, talent, looks, chrarisma, ect…

What do you think?

 

[Larowyn]

Eh, sorry. It’s late and I forgot part of what I had intended on posting.

Elvis would have been popular in the country music scene, but I don’t think he would have made it with songs that he sang back when he started, or with the exact same style.

The Beatles might have made it in the Indie Rock scene, but what would Indie Rock be like now without The Beatles having been part of the British Invasion in the 60s? They would not have enjoyed the same amount of success now anyway since too many genres comprise mainstream pop music. There’s country, rap, hip hop, bubblegum (which is arguably making a comeback with Hannah Montana), trance, house, industrial, ska, and the metals. Rock and Roll hasn’t been in since the 80s and early 90s, and even then it was divided between New Wave, alternative, soft, and early metal and its roots and fusions.

 

[Maynoothman]

If wlvis were alive today he would be Eminem:

The outrage that some people feel today at Eminem is what Elvis and his ‘rock and roll’ music engendered.
Both from a lower socio - economic background.
both practicising traditionally ‘black’ music.
Both the rotege of a big label etc.

There are a lot of similarities IMO.

And yeah they would still be popular today, but not neccesarily as much so. With the advent of new media the numbers of band are increasing, even if only for a couple of hits. If the old bands had the same type of competition would they have been surrounded by such hysteria.

If you got Ronaldo to play against Best, which would be better, in his time best was te same as his name, but considering the developments in the game, with levels of fitness and practice, there is no competition.

 

[Simon_X]

Eh, sorry. It’s late and I forgot part of what I had intended on posting.

Elvis would have been popular in the country music scene, but I don’t think he would have made it with songs that he sang back when he started, or with the exact same style.

The Beatles might have made it in the Indie Rock scene, but what would Indie Rock be like now without The Beatles having been part of the British Invasion in the 60s? They would not have enjoyed the same amount of success now anyway since too many genres comprise mainstream pop music. There’s country, rap, hip hop, bubblegum (which is arguably making a comeback with Hannah Montana), trance, house, industrial, ska, and the metals. Rock and Roll hasn’t been in since the 80s and early 90s, and even then it was divided between New Wave, alternative, soft, and early metal and its roots and fusions.

Very good, I bet Elvis would have gone more towards country than whatever Rock would have involved into without him. The Beatles, that’s an interesting one, they were mostly great as single musicians, sorry Ringo. So, chances are they would have still been great, but not the Beatlemania type thing of the 60s.

 

[Simon_X]

If wlvis were alive today he would be Eminem:

The outrage that some people feel today at Eminem is what Elvis and his ‘rock and roll’ music engendered.
Both from a lower socio - economic background.
both practicising traditionally ‘black’ music.
Both the rotege of a big label etc.

There are a lot of similarities IMO.

And yeah they would still be popular today, but not neccesarily as much so. With the advent of new media the numbers of band are increasing, even if only for a couple of hits. If the old bands had the same type of competition would they have been surrounded by such hysteria.

Not real familiar with some of the bands you noted (I must be too old), but sounds like you know your stuff. I agree with Elvis going the way of more of an Eminem type though…

Hard to imagine music without the influences of Elvis and The Beatles…

If you got Ronaldo to play against Best, which would be better, in his time best was te same as his name, but considering the developments in the game, with levels of fitness and practice, there is no competition.

 

[MarthaMartha]

Some of my classically-trained singer friends believe that if Elvis had taken formal voice lessons with a top-notch teacher, he could have been a great opera singer.

 

[wabrams]

If wlvis were alive today he would be Eminem:

The outrage that some people feel today at Eminem is what Elvis and his ‘rock and roll’ music engendered.
Both from a lower socio - economic background.
both practicising traditionally ‘black’ music.
Both the rotege of a big label etc.

There are a lot of similarities IMO.

Eminem is a no talent clown who only managed to put out a couple of albums with no enduring appeal or success.