David Guetta was a DJ in the 1980s, Wikk I Am began gis career playing in his high school cafeteria, Dr. Luke played with the SNL band.
When a fool like Bob Lefsetz claims Black Eyed Peas and other bands in the business of constructing songs from various parts, are, not only not artists, but non artists with no possiblity of a long term career in the music business, he forgets that they've already had a long term career in the music business.
What bewilders Lefsetz is that a Guetta, an Oakenfeld, a Dr. Luke are producers who create songs by layering sounds. Will I Am will share a drum pattern with Guetta and Guetta will recommend a sample from some obscure 1980s house. They will put it together and recorded the verse with Fergie taking over the lead vocals, maybe re-write the lyric.
Pop music by committee.
And not a million miles from Spector's wall of sound. Before "To Know Him Is To Love Him" was a masterpiece, it was pop pap.
Before Guetta was a superstar producer, he was a DJ in South Of France nightclubs, learning a craft.
It is silly, no more than silly, stupid, for Lefsetz not get that these are pros with DECADES UPON DECADES UPON DECADES of work under the radar before a mainstream audience caught up with them. There are some pop music genuis waiting round the corner: Luca Venezia and Holy Ghost! to name but two.
Does Lefsetz think that because he doesn't know them the way he knows the early Eagles WHO WILL ALWAYS SUCK, artists with Trouble And Bass and DFA Records won't matter. That they are transient and transitional irrelevance. Because Lefsetz can't hear dance does it mean dance is not important. AT the very least dance is the # 1 sound in the States, look at the charts. Those who doubt that the majority can get it right are snobs if not, indeed, musical fascists.
But let's say he is right, and modern pop music is terrible and just a passing fad…. well, so what? The difference between a one night stand and a marriage is longevity not depth.