Bardsley I see what you're saying, trust me I do (I've argued the same thing on this board several times). I'm not saying that there aren't bands out there today that sometimes fall under the "mainstream" category that aren't doing anything musically worthwhile. "Isn't it worthwhile that millions of people worldwide get enjoyment out of pop music?", well in what sense do you mean worthwhile? Is "Hit me baby one more time" *musically* worthwhile? Or is it merely a product to be sold, an image to be had. This could be argued both sides I guess, but imop this type of n'sync, spears, backstreet boys is not musically worthwhile. I say this because I can't consider it true music belonging to the respective artists when a) they don't even write the songs or lyrics and b) they don't even actually sing it in concert. Imop britney spears is a beautiful face with an average voice that some agent realized could be extremely profitable. Therefor I don't consider her a musically wortwhile artist, even though she does sell an extremely large amount of records and is probably as rich as most of the rock legends we all revere.

"Isn't it worthwhile that performers and their songwriters are trying to reach a young audience who can't connect with the male dominated phallo centric guitar based rock music?". Personally I don't feel that these performers or songwriters are trying at all to reach an audience's emotions, but only their wallets. And don't get me wrong about new bands, because there are a ton of great bands out there that fall into mainstream category that still make their own music and in every sense that counts are true rockers. I'm talking strictly about the Boy/Girl groups and other pop stars (notice how they're referred to as pop stars and not "musicians" or "artists"). I would certainly never write off a peice of new music just because it doesn't have a screeching guitar solo. Bands like Tea Party, Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, (just off the top of my head) make interesting music without heavy emphasis on guitar, and they turn a nice profit as well as make original music that speaks to them and their audiences.

"Anyway, even if they are doing it just for money and girls, why shouldn't they? Plenty of people do their jobs just for money, so wouldn't you do a job if you got both mnoney, and girls?", to respond to this one... going back to the musically worthwhile thing- how is an artist musically worthwhile when the "music" they churn out isn't treated as music, but as a product that they are selling. Sure they have a right to make music and make lots of money and get the girls, but when this because the focus then they are no longer "musically worthwhile" but instead are just employees of record companies, doing their jobs, as you put it.