Do you reckon you could write a hit pop song?

[xilddx]

But what we must remember is that in the 'good old days' of 'real' music most of those popular bands we herald as paragons of musical 'quality' and 'honesty' were given loads of pressure to make commercial music and have an album contain at least one song with the potential to be a pop chart hit.

[discreet]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1362665537' post='2003006']But what we must remember is that in the 'good old days' of 'real' music most of those popular bands we herald as paragons of musical 'quality' and 'honesty' were given loads of pressure to make commercial music and have an album contain at least one song with the potential to be a pop chart hit.[/quote]

That's right, and were often contracted to produce three or four such albums [i]per year[/i].

[Skol303]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1362665537' post='2003006']But what we must remember is that in the 'good old days' of 'real' music most of those popular bands we herald as paragons of musical 'quality' and 'honesty' were given loads of pressure to make commercial music and have an album contain at least one song with the potential to be a pop chart hit.[/quote]

...we also have to remember that we view pop music through the tinted lenses of the generation we belong to. We love the music of our youth for its nostalgic value, whereas we tend to dislike the music that young people listen to today because it often challenges our own tastes and reminds us that "the times they are a changing"

PS: not sure if this means anything but thought I'd share it... according to Wikipedia, the artists who have released the [u]most[/u] singles that appear on the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles"]best-selling singles list[/url] are Elvis Presley and Katy Perry with six entries each, and Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Britney Spears, with five each. The cumulative sales for each are 53 million, ~40 million, ~47 million, ~35 million and 33 million, respectively. I guess that just goes to show that single sales haven't been dented too much by the digital age. Maybe.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1362672587' post='2003176']I guess that just goes to show that single sales haven't been dented too much by the digital age. Maybe.[/quote]

Probably because the more recent names will have sold the vast majority by download, which are so cheap for a single track that it can easily be done on impulse.
I don't mean that in any negative connotation, more that it's a result of the "new" digital age, where no effort at all is needed to go out & buy a physical item.