[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1501488802' post='3344893']
Despite pants like Bananarama and Timmy Mallett etc the 80s was a good time for pop. Much more varied than what's on offer today what with most writing and playing their own stuff e.g. Wham, Spandau's, Duran, ABC . Quite a lot of pop acts were on independent labels so weren't at the mercy of avaricious manipulators like Cowell plus there wasn't this TV culture of endless crap singing competitions spawning vanilla chart fodder. No, I'm not a rose tinted bespectacled old fart but Olly Murs isn't in the same class as George Michael.
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Sorry, but I have to disagree with almost every assertion in this post.
Bananarama weren't that bad.
Music is more varied now, and there are tons of artists playing their own stuff.
And Olly Murs might not be as good as George was, but Laura Marling probably is.
I do agree about the TV 'talent' shows but I think that is a very narrow window on the modern 'pop' world. It staggers me how much variety is out there now. Granted, a lot of it is not to my taste at all. I can't get with any of the booty shaking stuff, and grime is another world entirely, but then I'm in my mid 40's so it wouldn't be right if I was into it! Doesn't detract from the fact that variety is out there. Take a look at some of the Mercury nominees over the last few years. Even just some of the artists who have been in discussion on this forum. Thundercat, Royal Blood, Rag n Bone man, Field Music. All current, all pop, all different!