It’s a well-known fact that the appreciation of music is subjective: One man’s Beatles, for example, is another man’s dog playing the nose harp. Read the full post.
Aug 5
2009
02:04 PM ET
Who's the greatest guilty pleasure act of all time? We intend to find out!
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I would have to say Stray Cats for my vote. I LOVE the greatest hits CD and every time I put it on at work they all roll their eyes at me as if to say “Oh, please, not again”!!
My kids just shudder when I start the Stray Cat Strut!
Fort Minor, because I totally rail against the rap culture, but there songs are to damn good.
Kanye West – I desperately try to hate the over confident (snobby, dumb, ugly, rude, etc) “singer”…but his songs are too dang catchy (musically not lyrically so don’t get all big headed)
I agree with some of the previous posts. ABBA, Barry Manilow, Culture Club. Even Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus. They’re all on my iPod.
#1 has got to be britney spears! im a 26 yr old woman and ive had to hide my love of her since she first came out when i was in high school! she’s still awesome, i only own one of her albums but i would own more if i could. case in point circus, womanizer, oops, piece of me, overprotected, etc etc. i also used to like kylie, spice girls, n sync, backstreet boys, jessica simpson, mandy moore, new kids (even when they came out with their hit last yr). hell i just love the catchy pop stuff!
Britney Spears did not MAKE any music. She does not play instruments, she did not make the beats and she did not write (a few songs, but none of the hits that are responsible for her being mentioned in this article). The best you can say is she is a great dancer/performer….but unlike MJ, she did not do her own choreography. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop giving her ownership of her music/success…she does not deserve it, in fact she has tried very hard to mess it up (see: shaved head and driving with baby on lap)…
i completely agree. the “britney” we know could really have been any other girl w/ a passable voice, dance ability and looks. nothing she does is unique to her; it’s all her producers and choreographers.
I totally disagree that just “any other girl” could just be “Britney” b/c almost every other female in the industry has tried and failed. Alot of acts use the same producers and choreographers as Britney, but have not matched her success. Britney deserves credit. She is the key ingredient in all of her successes. It doesn’t matter who she’s swapped in or out for the song-writing or choreography or production, it almost always works and is good b/c of Britney’s appeal and, yes, talents.
Classy- Can you name these artists? Also, can you name her “talents” that qualify her as a “genre/era defying artist”?
Agreed. Britney Spears doesn’t do ‘concerts’, she does ‘drag shows’. And while that’s fine, it’s an insult to every 3rd/4th grade student who ever sat at a piano or picked up a woodwind instrument for the first time. Call it what it is!
You don’t understand the definition of “guilty pleasure” do you?
You all do seem to be missing the point of the article…
Matt, you must be high. There are a ton of artists that don’t write their own music nor play an instrument. Singing, performing, Dancing, etc…. those are skills and not someone else doing them. Like her or not she earned what she has. I’m not a big fan but can respect. Music industry is difficult and stuff just isnt’ handed to you on a silver platter.
I’d have to say my guilty pleasure is Brad Paisley. I think his lyrics are catchy, riffs are amazing and each album he does is better than the last. This coming from a punk rocker turned country fan because of Mr Paisley.
Rock-Your claim was that there are a lot of artists out there who also don’t write their music or play instruments. This was not my point. Can you name me another artist that does not play any instruments/does not make beats, doesn’t write their own lyrics, can not not sing well and does not do their own choreography WHILE at the same time get credit for the “genre/era defying music” they make?(this article claims SHE makes the music, which was my point) Basically, Britney has ownership of ‘her’ music in 2 ways: singing and performing. 1) her singing is atrocious (this is never disputed) 2) while she might perform well, she does not sing live (see #1) and does not make her own choreo, which means there is nothing different about her and the other 12 back up dancers doing the EXACT same moves…
I am not missing the point of the article, I am merely pointing out that claiming it is “her” music that is the guilty pleasure is doing a disservice to artists out there who actually are responsible for the music they put out and are not just marketable puppets that hit the jackpot and get to ride on the musical talent of others (her producers and writers are excellent at making guilty pleasure music)
and I’m not high..
well said Matt. there are a lot of artists who don’t really make their own music but they compensate by being AMAZING/original singers i.e.: Whitney, Celine, Faith Hill, etc.
agreed. i think you’re all missing the point of the article. besides, face it. britney is an entertainer. i admit to being an avid fan, but i also respect why people dont like her. that rock you are so right that there are tons of artists taht dont write or play an instrument. thats just part of the industry. get over it
That is the whole point of why she’s a guilty pleasure! We love her even though she doesn’t deserve it!
I don’t know what artists you want me to name. The ones that have tried to be “Britney” or reach her plateau? Or, the ones that have used the same producers, songwriters and choreographers? If that’s what you mean, surely several names come to mind. As for her talents she can sing (she’s no belter, but there are plenty of youtube vids showcasing her voice-a capella and all), write songs (“Everytime” was great and she is credited with the writing on that hit), play the piano (she’s no virtuoso on the instrument, but again on “Everytime” she managed to beautifully spotlight this ability), dance (no need for reference I’m sure), choreograph (she choreographed the dance break in “POM” and it won “Best choreography” at the VMAs) and perform (again no reference needed). IMO those are are qualifying attributes of an era-defining recording artist.
The Michael Stanley Band! “All I Ever Wanted”. Hard rocking music for getting you through the thick flat light of the Midwest night. You know, they could have been the next REO Speedwagon, but the didn’t sell out and go all national and stuff.
Come on, they were a very good regional band (based in Ohio, I think). No reason to be ashamed of liking songs like “Calcutta Auction” and “Let’s Get The Show On The Road”.
Oh….and she doesn’t sing live….and can’t sing period. So don’t bring up her singing. I figured that was implicit, but i might as well cover my bases for her hardcore fans…
I have to go with Journey. “Seperate Ways”, “Wheel in the Sky”, they are all on my player, just love his voice…
seriously. Hands down the DEFINITION of guilty pleasure is Celine Dion.
Friends and I have discussed this a few times before so I’ve had my personal short list of guilty pleasures figured out for a while (in no order):
- Journey – no need to explain further
- Styx – While they have many rocking songs (Renegade, Come Sail Away, etc), they have too many lame ones like Mr. Roboto and Lady to proudly crank them up. Yet everyone knows and likes those same lame songs – they just won’t admit it.
- Night Ranger – Sister Christian and the like are clearly lame, but everyone likes them deep down.
- Our Lady Peace – A little more obscure but Superman’s Dead and Clumsy are classic songs. But they are too radio-friendly and “chic-friendly” for any guy to admit that they like.
And that, to me, is what defines most guilty pleasures for men: Songs that they love but they feel like they shouldn’t b/c they are “chic-songs”. (It’s the same reason a guy won’t buy a fruity drink in a bar – even though they like it, they don’t want to admit it.)
FYI: Stone Temple Pilots should not be mentioned in this article. No one should ever be ashamed to admit they like one of the greatest bands of the 90′s (if not all time).
I know several guys who are big fans of OLP and are not at all ashamed to admit it. I don’t consider them a guilty pleasure.
OLP shouldn’t even be in this conversation.
OLP is pure pleasure, no guilt.
Fair enough. I’m a big OLP fan myself. But I’ve seldom ever heard anyone else admit it. So either we are their proud FEW fans, or there are a lot of people out there denying they listen to them. Either way, I’m glad I’m not the only proud fan out there.
Agree, STP definitely should not be mentioned in this article!
oh and simple plan i love simple plan! and Pussycat Dolls! buttons, beep, stick wit u, when i grow up, hushhush, i hate this part, etc.
I adore George Michael…but do not consider him as a guilty pleasure! Everyone who knows me knows my love for him!!
For guilty pleasure I have to say Mika! I can’t help it! It makes me smile!
I too love Mika. But I can’t say that it’s a guilty pleasure for me – I don’t mind other people knowing because I think they should enjoy Mika too.
BRITNEY SPEARS: she has some hard core fans who have been with her through and through (myself included) but you wont find many people who weren’t listening to one of her songs at some point. WE ALL KNOW THE WORDS TO BABY ONE MORE TIME.
I assure you we all most certainly do NOT know all the words to ‘baby one more time’. In fact, some of us have probably never heard ‘baby one more time’ in it’s entirety more than once.
Britney!!! A friend and I drove six hours to see her show in Minneapolis earlier this year. It’s was awesome. Myself from ten years ago would be very disappointed to find out that I’ve become a fan.
Yourself ten years from now will feel even worse about it.
Now that was good!!!