Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

My opinion is that my musical tastes are better than 99% of the people on here and 100% of people who watch the X-Factor......

Aren't people bored of the X Factor by now, and can't see it for what it is...certainly isn't about the music or any x factor, really should be done by trading standards for misleading people.

I concider myself a music lover - I spend a lot of time, money and effort on music.

When it comes to food, I eat cheaply - I go shopping to Tesco's once a week and pretty much buy the same meals every time (things that require minimum preparation). I hardly ever go to restaurants and if I do eat out I it's often fastfood. However I don't concider people who enjoy food and spend more of their time cooking or eating out at exotic restaurants food snobs - It's just more of a interest to them, and that's fine. I also wouldn't go to a food forum online and start a thread about McDonalds vs Burger King or a thread to discuss Pot Noodle favours....

It doesn't matter anyway. I would lay odds that she will be forgotten this time next year.

I'm 15 and I am probably the only person in my year who looked around to find my music/actually goes to record stores as opposed to listening to whatever Capital or Radio 1 put in front of me.

People my age don't really explore anymore... it's gotten to the point where whenever Foals comes onto the radio in class, people refer to it as 'headbanging music' and Laura Marling as 'depressing music' simply because it isn't EDM.

People at the end of the day are sheep, they are so afraid to be different that they just go along with the norm and don't even think to question it. If acts like QOTSA and Drenge were dominating the charts and radio stations, that's what everyone would be listening to.

It is also (major) record labels and radio stations being scared to take risks because EDM is a trusted formula and that is what everyone is aspiring to, it's all about £££.

I for one refuse to take what the mainstream give to me and shall continue to look at Rough Trade and Pitchfork for my music because that's where the quality is.

And about X factor, it has never been about music and never will be, it is about exploiting naive people who can belt a few notes for everything their worth and dumping them once they've dried up.

To be honest, out of the thousands of people I've met in my life, I've never met even one that ONLY listens to chart music.

She was talking commerically. None of the huge, commercially succesful artists out there make albums as body's wof work. It's all about flogging a few singleas and then moving onto the next album.

So was Rage Against The Machine's Xmas #1 a perfect example of people being sheep and just following a trend? There is no way that song would have gotten to #1 without a campaign that relied on people following the trend.

You're lucky.
I was even on a music course at college and some people left me open-mouthed at how limited their tastes or even knowledge was.


The campaign was definitely a gimmick but the song was considered a classic years before the campaign took place. I like to think the powerful meaning behind the song and of the band itself were at least part of the reason this campaign was successful and others weren't.

The band had little to do with the campaign but they did remain true to their word by performing a free concert in honour of people buying the song and getting it to no.1. Which is very much in the spirit of what music should be about I think.
So I guess it is kind of 50/50 between the hype of the facebook campaign and the true power and passion for music.

Oh look, a post-and-run thread from someone who thinks their chosen genre is "real" music and everything else is sh*t .. *yawn*

It was #1 as an FU to Simon Cowell and The X Factor IMO. If people truly wanted to buy that single, they could have done at any point but people saw the campaign, jumped on the bandwagon and downloaded it, more people downloaded it because of the recognition of the campaign rather than it being a classic song.

It only reached #25 upon it's initial release. I doubt there was very little passion for the standard of the track in the majority of people who bought it

The X Factor has an audience of upto 10 million therefore the acts get their record seen by the highest available audience therefore more people will hear it and buy it which is why very few have as successful follow ups.

So I wouldn't say today's buyers are anymore sheep than we were in the 80's and 90's the X Factor act just benefits from a high audience whether good or bad.

The difference today is there is not really a UK/Europe/US split anymore, the record companies now markets their acts in all countries in the 80's/90's the UK and US were very different markets.

Now music is global and travels which sometimes is a shame as it was nice to have different tastes to the rest of the world.

There was certainly that side to it but there must be a reason why this campaign worked and so many others failed. Maybe not exactly to do with the song but because people were wanting something different at the top of the charts to the usual stuff.
Though I don't agree with people who say it would have worked with any song, not just because it hasn't worked with other songs, but also because I think the strong-minded attitude of the track was a part of the excitement to it.

Because most Facebook 'Get XXXX to #1' campaigns don't attract media attention like the RATM one did maybe

Baaa baaaa

Baa baa African American sheep, have you any wool?

I don't like a lot of music from the last five years, whether in the charts or not, so I just don't listen it. Yes, I believe the current music scene is dumbed down, but I also have the choice not to participate in it. I prefer a lot of stuff from before I was born, and current films, tv, literature etc. keeps me in touch with the modern world.

I wouldn't say people are sheep though, I think it's safe to say chart music could be classed as a genre as it is a similar style so there is a chance the large majority of individuals enjoy that music.

I think the main factor is that the majority just can't be bothered to explore and find alternative music. Compare it to the movie industry. There are people who enjoy independent films and then there are those who only go to see the high budget blockbusters, do you see anyone calling them sheep?

The show appeals to people of all ages, so it's perfect Saturday night TV for the family to watch together. It's also a show that is very much enhanced if you watch it while commenting on it either on DS or Twitter. It also gives you something to talk about with your relatives who may not share your interest in current affairs, politics or science. It's either X Factor or I'd have to watch hours of soaps in order to have something in common with my family!

I work with lots of people who have 2-3 degrees to their name, and yet they enjoy relaxing in front of the TV on a Saturday watching a bit of trashy TV. Entertainment doesn't need to be highbrow to be good.

Yes? I hear all the time how Michael Bay makes "stupid movies for stupid people".

hmm... why knock the people who watch txf?... i do, but have never voted nor bought any track. as an enteertainment show its good... as a music show its shite!

... reading the thread though theres nothing new being said.

ive heard people bemoaning the 'chart sheep' for 40 years, and bemoaning the meaningless of having a crimbo #1. many top acts avoided releasing a crimbo track, as it wasnt seen as 'cool'.

I watch the x-factor, I don't vote, don't buy the songs, don't listen to the chart. But I love nothing more than giving my wife my 'Expert' opinion when x factor is on

Precisely. As a light entertainment show for the cold winter weekends when you can't be arsed to go out, it's perfect. AS a series music show to discover the best unsigned talent in the country , it's completely crap.

People just need to accept it for what it is and then carry on listening to their music of choice regardless

I don't follow the charts like I used to. I listen to some chart music but I also love searching the internet for music that isn't so well-known. One of my favourite bands is not well-known and you can't even buy their CDs in the shops. You can only buy their music online. I also tend to listen to a lot of European pop music.