OK so if you were a musical artist what would you prefer to be? Someone who is very popular and sells loads of albums but receives very little ciritical aclaim or credibility, or someone who produces meaningful credible music but only sells enough to survive?

I know they are not necessarily mutually exclusive, although tbh to have both does tend to be rare.

For me it would have to be the former I think - having worked for the NHS for years I have done meaningful credible work for very little reward for long enough.

Quite right, you can try for some credibility after you buy your second plane.

Yes, better to be a poster boy on the cover of Smash Hits and Heat, than strike a pseudo pose on the cover of NME or Observer Music Monthly.

If you are striking a pseudo pose on the cover of NME or Observer Music Monthly, you are probably commercially successful and it's only a question of time before all the credible types go off you.

I think so long as you are doing the music you love, and are enjoying the process that's true credibility, and it doesn't matter what the supposedly trendy magazines say. People that bang on about doing something credible are normally very annoying. If you have a record contract and want to sell your music to the public, you shouldn't be embarassed of trying to do something that the public will like.

I agree Sparkle. I loathe the word 'sellouts' in relation to certain bands who started out with a small 'cult' following and suddenly went mega. I've heard it so many times from 'hardcore' fans who can't stand it when what was their own personal little secret suddenly releases a - horror of horrors - popular album. If everyone else likes THEIR artist they can no longer admit to liking them. Half the time they cannot admit that there is such a thing as artistic progression when an artist wants to explore maybe a new means of expression or experiment or just grow.

Disclaimer:Of course the above does not apply to Phil Collins who is indeed a lousy, lowlife sellout and I'll never forgive him for what he did to Genesis and it's no use him begging either, we're finished!!