The question's been bugging me for a bit, and I feel that the few that frequent this board could add some discussion to the topic so...

Do we judge music due to the band's image, album art, appearance etc?

This works in multiple scenarios (Some of which will get quite stereotypical, so bear with me):
First off, the girls: When I see a girl talk about her favorite music (this mainly implies teens,) it's almost always some pop star that they like more for their "hotness" than the music itself. Justin Bieber etc. This is quite self-explanatory.

On the other end of the spectrum however, we have the guys that aren't satisfied (again, mainly implies teens) that assume anything that doesn't have something to do with depressing emo-faggotry, blood, gore, suicide, and screaming without melody is automatically "gay." If it's not "heavy," then it sucks, right? Examples: Black Veil Brides, Bring Me The Horizon etc. These people are none the better than the girls.

The weeaboos-Do I have to mention this? I like some Japanese music because I like the music. God forbid, if it was in English would it be any better/worse?

The mainstream rock kids: No, Three Days Grace is not the best thing in the world, you'll outgrow them when you hit puberty. (Hopefully) I'm very critical of this group seeing as I was one when I was....9...or something. But now:

Don't think we've escaped the possible scenarios here.
Oh no no. Just the opposite. In fact, I'm actually about to bash myself here. The hipsters. The elitists. The people that think we know so much more than everyone else, though in some cases, we really do not. This group targets anything underground as their immediate favorite. If no one's heard of it, then it must be good!
No.
This isn't quite true either. Most (not all) of the artists that fit into this group are actually something I look for when I look for a band: Normalcy. Yes, they look like normal people. They write songs about normal enough, but intelligent things, that can take some time to like, but when you do, it is so, so rewarding. The people that listen to this are just the same as everyone else. Their tastes differ, but their defense of their music is just as harsh.

tl;dr:
To wrap up the opening post of this, this might come off as a rant, and it slightly is. I'm gonna probably take some shit for this as well, most likely from the 2nd and 3rd groups listed, but I want to know some other people's opinions on this.

What makes you look for an artist, why do you like them, what does their image do to affect your like or dislike for them, and why does this all even matter in the end anyway?

Sincerely, Yata.

HAH, I found myself laughing throughout this thread, especially at the "First off, the girls, Justin Bieber etc."

I have to say, everything you've said here is true to the core. Especially the part about the hipsters. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a Frank Sinatra video and seen comments like, "I'm only 12 and I love this type of music", or "The generation now is listening to trash music instead of this."
I guess they're a bit valid in some ways, but just because you listen to a bit of 80's music doesn't make you better than someone who listens to another genre.

Also, I think I like listening to foreign music more. The way I see it is "If I can't understand the lyrics, I'll pay more attention to the music itself."

Hah, a large part of the music I listen to is pure instrumental anyways. I don't need to hear people singing about their love or rap about "dat ass." No shitting from me, although I guess I don't particularly fit into the 2nd or 3rd group.

You and many other members here are so profound. It makes me so happy to know (not really know) people like you :).

>>2 Much appreciated.

I truly wonder how long this will stay on the music page.

Half the time, I don't even know what band is playing. I just skim through and listen to random songs. If I like the way it sounds (be it in music or lyrics), I'll look up the band and see if it's good. I don't see why so many people have to stereotype themselves, but most of what you said is true.

Well, we have sissy boys at our school. I listen to more rock than them :/ I had TFK on during my talent show routine and the boys were making fun of me and how it was "screamo" (TFK... is not screamo, I'm sorry). Most of the other stereotypes really fit, though ^^'

le bump.

well, I do agree with you on women, the usually go for artists they think are hot, thats a big part of how bvb got big cuz all the women were like "ANDY" and stuff.

As for guys now and days its more for rap and not saying its a good or bad thing anyways, but I think guys are slightly more self conciouse about the music, but guys do similar stuff too just not as much as women. So I would say how the artist looks does have some judgement on how famouse they are.

Cool thread, brah.

I'm jumping straight to your point about hipsters and elitists, and I agree completely. Those people who have the "unknown = good" mentality are almost as bad as the mainstream peeps that only listen to what's currently on the Top 40. I mean, let's be honest here.. there's just as much crap in the underground as there is in the mainstream.

But back to your main point, generally speaking, we shouldn't judge artists for their image, appearance, album art, whatever (though to be completely honest, I'm guilty of this sometimes. *cough* black metal.. *cough*). Music is music. It's for your ears; not your eyes. I'll listen to music if it's good, and I'll avoid it like AIDS if it's crap.

..Anyways, I'm done. I was going to say more, but I've completely lost my train of thought. Oh well. Thanks for your time.

This needs another bump.

I've never really been too keen on overly drooling over any artist on looks, So I agree with you all. You need to know more about the real person off stage or studio. Just like how the band KISS started to loose fans when they took off their make up. I am some what a fan of the GazettE. When I can, I try to find interviews and such. Most of their songs have meaningful lyrics. Some not all, are alot of fanservice. *shrugs* And yes, they do have their looks, but We should look past that.

I just hope I don't get chewed out on here for replying.

Bump.

Well there isn't much I can say without repeating what everyone else has said.
But, I don't particularly look for anything in a band or artist, as far as appearance is concerned. I listen to anything that makes me think, or that relates to people. (not just myself) Making image a part of a band/artist's success is, most likely, why mainstream music went from topics like "Revolution/Poverty/Love and War" to "Girls and Boys/B*tches and Hoes/In Da Club/ect."
I think music has the power to change the world, (at least that's what culture suggests, both then and now) so I tend to listen to music that, in my opinion, could help shape the world in a better way, if heard and applied. Anyways, I'm rambling now... just thought I'd give my two cents.

Great post btw, I hope this stays on the music page for awhile.

Okay, so the thing is, I probably look stereotypical, with my non-colorful clothes and listening to Escape the Fate (old, of course x3), Falling in Reverse, Black Veil Brides, you get the idea, right? I don't care about how they look. If they have good music, then I listen. I tend to steer clear of pop, rap, and country, but not because of their looks, it's because I don't like their music.

If a band is simple and not huge, like Sleeper Agent (listen to Get It Daddy, it's good) I'll listen. They have a simple and clean style, without so much modern day crap to deal with. Their goal is plain and simple; make good music.

Oh, then theirs j-pop. and ROOKiEz iz Punk'd. J-pop all the way x3

Whoot! Yatahaze's thread is gaining some more attention.

Susan Boyle is all I think of when you're all talking about Music - Appearance. One of the biggest surprises ever.

I usually try not to think about a group's reputation or type of fans. Going along with what everyone else said, I listen to music because I enjoy it. There are times when I start to think I might be a hipster, or whatever you would call them. But then I get to thinking that, no matter what other people think of it, What I think is the only thing that actually matters. I've gotten a lot of shit from other people about my preference in music, whether I'm listening to Daft Punk, or someone else that not very many people have heard of. The important thing to remember is that, you shouldn't give a single Fuck what they think.

Well, I seem to have forgotten what this post was going to be about. I type too slow to even remember where this started at.

Bumpitybump

Necrobump.

Or Semi-Necrobump.

i usually rate a band based on several aspects: their lyrical content and abilities, live performances (how well they play and interact with their crowds), their care for fans, and whether they stay true to themselves or sell out, along with what they may or may not stand for. genre is more of a preference thing but doesnt affect how good or bad they may be as artists

Bumping for more discussion!

>>7 so true I'm guilty with that type of stuff to with death new and heavy metal. But it's not like I stick to the one genre when I lists to music I like to sit down close my eyes and get lost see were I'm my mind it takes me....

I like to listen to all sorts of music, from Panic At The Disco! to Eminem to A Day To Remember. PATD! looks pretty cool to me, but really, it's the music that gets me. When it comes to Eminem, I don't really like his new stuff. It sounds generic and overused, but his older songs like "Kill You" and "Without Me" are more unique and "fun" to listen to. I don't like Eminem for what he looks like or what he uses, it's the music. Take ADTR for example: Their lyrics actually mean something if you look at them and think about what they mean. Sure, their album covers look badass as fuck, and they have that punky look to them, but it is, again, all about how they play the music.

Music in my eyes is that feeling when you're out cruising the highway with your best buds and just enjoying every bit of it. That's the feeling it should give. Hell, I've listened to more dubstep than anyone in their right mind would, but I listen because I like how unique it is compared to today's popular pop-shit-hop with that freaky bitch Nikki Minaj and Taio Cruz and LMFAO and other generifags that have taken over the music business these days. Yes, I judge those types of artists by the way they look, but I judge them by their catastrophically half-assed shitfuck music as well, but I keep that to myself.

Even though it has all sorts of different genres and styles, in the end, music is music and all of it's artists should get the same amount of respect from everyone.

me encanta el rock alternativo mi grupo favorito es muse

If I hear a random song, I'll look up the lyrics and the singer and his or her other songs. If I happen to like the other songs then I'll say I officially like the band/singer.

I'm more into the mellow songs and soft rock than screamo or heavy metal, unless the content is good. More after the lyrics than the actual band or the genre. And yeah, >>18 , pop is freaky these days.

Wow, this thread really makes me think. Now, I have to say that unfortunately, I have done some of the things that some of the groups you have mentioned have done:
'Liking' somebody just because of their looks- But quickly realizing that I don't REALLY like them, just their appearance.
Not liking a band because they seemed 'emo'- Now, I've really only done this with one band- Black Veil Brides. The only reason I'd ever looked them up was because of my friends, and when I did, well I saw about 1 or 2 songs that I liked, merely because of the lyrics. I promptly realized that I didn't like the band, I just happened to like 1 or 2 songs.
Thinking that because something is 'old' that it has to be good- Now, before anything, I'd like to say that 'music' of any kind, is ageless. Now that I have, I'd like to say that yes, I have done this, with the band Queen. I did really like their music, but one of my main flaws with any of my music is that I think it's better than other people's mainstream music- Which, is debatable.
What I'm saying here is that being at the age I am at the time it is, I really get to see up close and personal the phases we all go through in our life time. I look back and see how foolish I must have seemed, and learn not to judge others by the music they like, because, hell, it's probably just a phase, and I sure as hell looked stupid when I went through it.

I judge artists by their music. I won't like a band simply because they are badass-looking or hot, etc. Appearance is a plus, but music they produce is what counts.

well, Niki Minaj is one of those "artist" thats hard NOT to judge

This needs a bump.

Bump again

bump for >>21 and the band queen. have you also heard Bon Jovi?

>>26 Yeah, why?

bump

You forgot the Christians. I know I'm going to get flamed for this, and i know it's stereotypical as fuck. I've seen it before though. I've seen it.

They think anything loud, hard, screamo, about sex, about drugs, about drinking etc. is "Devil's music." I've listened to a Christian screamo band on Youtube, and every single comment called it "Devil's music."

I don't care about a band's image. I hate Justin Beiber because the first few times I've heard him I thought it was either Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez. I don't like a lot of screamo because I think it sounds bad, but if it has some it's okay.

I've researched some of the bands I listen to and was surprised to find out that I have everything from Christian bands to bands filled with druggies. I don't care about an image. I care about quality. Do they sound good on CD? Do they sound good live? So I like the beat? Do I like the sound? Are they original? Do I like the meaning? I listen to a song before I figure out who the band is. This prevents bias. I listen to Japanese music, Screamo, Djent, Rock, bands that haven't been heard of before. I hate Pop and country. I like pretty much everything else. Pop kids usually have no talent, and the country accent kills me. I also like Classical.

I can't believe no one has mentioned the dubstep kids.

I love mainly electronic music like house and electro and trance. But I don't limit myself to it. In fact, what I listen to is very varied; if I 'click' with the song and it has a nice beat, I'll listen to it.

The good thing about listening to obscure internet electronic music artists/artists in general is that I don't even know what they look like. They could be 12 years old or 30 year olds; if they make a song I like, I'll listen to it. The majority of the songs I like don't even have lyrics. If someone asks me what I listen to, I'll say electronic music.

Gonna quote Yatahaze, 'why does this all even matter in the end anyway?'

When you think about it, music involves a lot of generalising, and we've been generalising a heap in this thread. It's annoying when a squealy teenage girl says she likes Justin Bieber or One Direction for solely their image, but it's equally as annoying when people hate these bands for no logical reason.

By all means, it's completely fine to dislike a genre, but to hate a band itself and the people involved in the band and hate the people that like the band AND make a whole generalisation that every single band that plays that genre is trash without even knowing their dynamics or listening to their music first is just stupid, and that's usually what we do when we're asked about certain music we don't like.

Gah, I always go around in circles when I try to think deeply about things... My opinion is just neutral, really. What that annoying teenage girl likes to listen to in her spare time will never affect my life.

But TL;DR, people need to stop being so biased and anal about music, bands and the people that listen to this music. Hate the music, but don't hate the person/band behind it or the people that listen to it unless you really have a legitimate reason to.
(my attempt at being mature and adult-like)

>>29
Being a Christian, I can't deny that. And I'll also admit that I get preachy every once in a while, when the song makes no sense.

I would explain to you why the Christians are against that kind of music but it would be largely unimportant to the topic, thus I shall shut up.

>>30 If you're listening to Justin Beiber or One Direction, then it matters. Why? Because you don't know the gender of the singer. I seriously think that they are all girls, but some people still say that they are guys. I have a reason to hate them. When I first heard them, I thought they were girls.

According to this list, you're all probably gay. http://lovegodsway.org/GayBands

Hello,,,

>>32
y u no recognize trolllist?

Silly Leigha.

Everyone thinks that owl city is gay,but he's not.He's a really awesome singer and songwriter and if people would just hear how goddamn beautiful and surreal the lyrics are they could stop being homophobes for 5 minutes and hear the music.The beautiful music.

I just ignore the haters..kinda have to since BVB get a shitload of hate .-.

bumpity boo bop zoopity zoo! I have come to bump you!

well, I don't really judge music using the appearance of the band members. I just know that whatever sexes up my ears, I like very much. hahah!

I do not necessarily believe that a band should be judged by their beliefs or image, but if you have a band/artist that you worship, is it not even better if you do happen to agree with their beliefs and image? I certainly think so. For example, I doubt someone will listen to Black/Death Metal if they do not agree with the image and beliefs at least on some level. That would be like (for example only) liking Adolf Hitler, but disliking the Nazis. I guess it depends entirely on the type of music and the type of imagery.

bump

The only thing that I judge the music of a band on is just that, the music itself. I don't care about their "image", beliefs, or anything of the sort. If the music is good I listen.

OTB

When I take interest in an artist, I try to listen to as many of their songs as I can, watch interviews and, most especially, live performances. Then I decide whether I like them or not. For me it doesn’t matter what they look like, what kind of image they’re trying to portray or what genre they are. As long as I enjoy their music, I’ll stick to them.

For languages I can understand (Filipino and English), I rate artists generally on how intelligently their lyrics are written. And for others (Jmusic/Kmusic), it’s about how their music can reach me (even with the language barrier) and how well they perform.

This is why I really hate it how when people find out that I am a fan of SHINee (a Korean boy group) they’ll immediately think that I like every Korean singing/dancing dude out there. In reality, I only like this particular group not just because they look good, and sing well but also because the way they enjoy their own music (especially during live performances) and music in general and how hard they work to improve themselves makes me want to support them. I even hate most other Korean groups because the way they sing in autotune makes me feel that they do not have respect for people who really have talent (though the artists are not really to blame).

I also like it when artists make music for the sake of music itself, not just for the money. Such is the way of Parokya ni Edgar (a Filipino alternative rock band). They even wrote a song about it entitled Sa’n Man Patungo. Yep, I’m a fan and I’ve been listening to them since I was 6, I think.

Before, I thought I would never like rappers besides Eminem and Francis Magalona because… well… most other rappers (or at least those that I hear) talk about nothing else besides love, sex, drugs, and money as if the world doesn’t already know about them. But now, with frequent releases by Gloc9 and the emergence of fresh Filipino rap talent with their original catchy tunes accompanied by words of social relevance, I think I’m starting to be a fan. (Japanese rap's good too, by the way.)

Rock bands, boygroups, solo artists, rappers… Yup, I don’t really care much about the image. It’s about the sincerity I hear from their songs. :3

I want to thank everyone for their responses so far.
Keep your thoughts coming, guys.

^

bump

ooh discussion, i'm tired from being out all day/playing games at the arcade so my thoughts might not be the most coherent; sorry in advance.

what attracts me to a band/group/singer at first if i've never heard of them/their music is their appearance/band name. like, if i see a group's album and i think the cover or the name or something like that is interesting, i'll probably give them a listen/put them on my to-watch list. conversely, if a group looks like they're boring/they don't stand out to me, i probably won't try them out. it's kind of a shallow point of view, but i'm only human and i'm attracted to things that draw my attention. idk if that makes sense.

but on the other hand, if i'm in the car and i'm just listening to music or something, i don't really care about a group's image/name/wtvr since i can't see and i can only judge their music. like, sometimes a boring looking band that i skipped over might have good music that i like and a band that i listened to bc of their appearance/image might not be my taste so i won't listen to them a lot/like them as much as a band that has music to my taste.

and i also listen to a lot of mixes so obviously it's a p big range of music/songs. i'm attracted to the name/reason for the mix and i'll scan through it for bands that i like/dislike or bands that i've been meaning to listen to and then i'll download the mix. like, the majority of the groups i like (basically most groups/artists lol) i either heard on the radio or i was interested in bc of their image/also happened to like their music.

i'm not sure i replied to the prompt in the way yata was asking for, but basically to me, the 'image' of a group only plays a factor in what i'm looking for. like, i can't name/recognize the members of periphery or smt but i like their stuff /o/

tl;dr: image plays a factor in drawing me in, but i stay if i like the music.

For me, what determines whether I like or dislike a band is 100% to do with
a) their music
b) their ethics as a band
0% is about image

Im into bands that are into DYI and making/playing music because they enjoy it, and not for the money. I think this is where alot of modern 'mainstream' music has gone wrong. Music is now a job (a paid position of regular employment), rather than a profession (a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training (I would call starting a band up from scratch 'training')). Anyone with money can make someone a star nowadays. Out of nowhere with a catchy song (written by a professional of course) one can become a huge success. Of course being flogged by the media helps, but that only takes money these day (Money is better than honesty to the media).

This is what I love about the genre/s(and Im sure any other 'underground' genre is the same) I prefer to listen to. 100% music and message instead of money making. Touring is a way to spread your music and have fun, rather than a way to buy a new car. 15 dollar door charges and self promotion rather than 12 month early bird tickets at prices of $100+.

This whole thing in relation to the original topic.
Would One Direction, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and just about every other modern pop star thats made it big be where they were if they were unattractive? Think long and hard about the last time and ugly pop star made it big. I myself cant even think of one . Again, this is what i love about underground genres because people are listening alot more for the music than the image. Of course everywhere you turn today there are going to be you're fair share of 'posers' and other people uncomfortable with what they're really listening to but at the end o the day these are usually the large minority and are just kids trying to find a place to fit in.

This 'image in relation to a band' topic isnt just something thats been happening in the last 10 - 20 years. Thinking about it I really thought about way way back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Bands and artists like the Beatles, the Smiths, Blondie, Madonna, ABBA and even Queen to a certain extent gained a fanbase not only through music, but image.

You start to think this isnt actually such a bad thing when their is honest music being played and made and when the media isnt flogging the same story abut your new single to death. It isnt such a bad thing if you have a new creative style or the way you dress is different (Im not even going to begin talking about sex appeal (Sex sells man)).

I think sincerity in modern mainstream music is a huge issue and it does tie in with the image debate.

Anyways, thats all Ive got for now

----

bump

Realised this may have been influenced because of the needle drop 'assholes in music' video. Sneaky Yata

bump as well, Ive already said most of what I want to on the matter

>>51
start of thread: December 31st, 2011
Fantano's "Assholes in Music" video: August 26th, 2012

hah no /o/

probably would've been if that had been a thing at the time of this thread's creation though. lol