An Observation

[hideurfeathers]

Today, I was browsing the last.fm website. I stumbled upon a user profile, and the top artists were something like this:

Paramore - Flyleaf - The Donnas - Hey Monday - Katy Perry - Evanescence

and the rest of their top charts were Britney Spears, etc.

If a male had sung "Decode" (and, of course, Twilight wasn't involved), it would not be nearly as popular. The same goes for other songs by Paramore. The odd thing is that all six of those bands sound nothing alike. The only similarity is the female vocalist. Paramore is kind of pop-punk, where Flyleaf is more rock. The Donnas are more hair-metal-meets-punk. Hey Monday is more pop-ish. Katy Perry is a few different styles, with the pop songs and then all the acoustic songs. Evanescence is a little more metal-ish without being actually metal. Then Britneystinadonnaihanna is like whatever that genre is called.

My question is: Do you think that people like (or pretend to like) certain bands just because of the female singer?

It explains Tokio Hotel's popularity, at least.

[TheOtherAndrew]

I'd say Paramore would be about the same level of popularity if they were fronted by a guy. The Donnas would be fucked.

[thesafeword]

All of that for a terrible Tokio Hotel joke?

[AP_Punk]

affirmative action in the music scene!

[TheOtherAndrew]

This thread has more of a point than most.

[hideurfeathers]

No, that was not, in fact, what this was all for. It was for you to answer my poll.

[Chromefox]

Right. If frontwomen are the in thing, then why are there so few of them, particularly in mainstream music?

[hideurfeathers]

Here's another valid point: A lot of the female students at my high school claim to "ZOMG LURVE PARAMORE <3". But they don't like ANY other bands even relatively close to Paramore in genre. Their favorite Paramore songs, when asked, are "Decode", "That's What You Get", and "The Other One", which must be some B-side I haven't heard :/ </sarcasm> But all of the male students refrain from listening to Paramore, because it's "gay". The majority of males do not listen to music with a female singer, or do and are embarrassed to admit it. I don't understand that either. Girls listen to male singers...

[TheOtherAndrew]

http://www.myspace.com/madelinesongs

Female singer. I dig it.

Also, Rilo Kiley.

[AP_Punk]

madeline rocks.

[Chromefox]

See, your observation is only valid and applicable to A) Your age-group and B) Your location. I remember being extremely ignorant in my music tastes well up until 12th grade. Your findings don't hold water outside of your sample, particularly not on a forum of music fans whose deciding factor is simply whether or not they think it's good music.

[hideurfeathers]

Right. If frontwomen are the in thing, then why are there so few of them, particularly in mainstream music?

I don't necessarily mean frontwomen, I just mean female singers.

Seriously, have you ever LOOKED at the Billboard charts?

A quick tally of the current charts shows that 7 of the top 10 singles in the nation are sung by females.

And the others are hip-hop, which, honestly, when was the last time you heard of a female rapper?

Just something to think about, maybe the fact that the singer is female is attracting females and repelling males. Popular bands fronted by males always either have a joke or ironic song (Framing Hanley, anyone?) or someone that girls think is "hawt" (Fall Out Boy, All Time Low). But most of the female population of the US will eat up whatever Paramore puts out. Even "Decode", which sounds absolutely NOTHING like any other Paramore songs. Listen to "Decode" and then "Brighter". Seriously.

[hideurfeathers]

Well, Chromefox, if my thread does not apply to you, then why do you insist on staying in it?

[x togepi x]

this thread is stupid. female musicians most likely have a harder time gaining popularity than male ones. it's called male privilege. look it up. this is just an excuse for some people to be sexist about bands they don't like.

[hideurfeathers]

this thread is stupid. female musicians most likely have a harder time gaining popularity than male ones. it's called male privilege. look it up. this is just an excuse for some people to be sexist about bands they don't like.

It's called Hey Monday. Look it up.

All they had to do was live in a big city and have a female singer, and now they're signed to the same label as bands that have gotten numerous hit singles. (Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, etc.). They had a very small fanbase under the name Blake, and then got picked up by FBR and now their album is selling fairly well for such a new, young band, and they are more popular than several other bands that have been signed to FBR/Decaydance for a few years.

Don't get me wrong, I love Hey Monday, but I believe that they did not have to work very hard to get where they are, touring with possibly THE most popular band in the country (Fall Out Boy), where other bands that have been at it for years are not even close to the mainstream. Some are happy not in the mainstream, and I am happy with some of them not having the mainstream influence, but seriously: Who deserves it more? Hey Monday? or Forgive Durden? or Valencia? You see my point.

[x togepi x]

It's called Hey Monday. Look it up.

All they had to do was live in a big city and have a female singer, and now they're signed to the same label as bands that have gotten numerous hit singles. (Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, etc.). They had a very small fanbase under the name Blake, and then got picked up by FBR and now their album is selling fairly well for such a new, young band, and they are more popular than several other bands that have been signed to FBR/Decaydance for a few years.

Interesting, a band found a way to market themselves fitting into a specific trend which they could have done regardless of the gender of their singer, just like i said.

Don't get me wrong, I love Hey Monday, but I believe that they did not have to work very hard to get where they are, touring with possibly THE most popular band in the country (Fall Out Boy), where other bands that have been at it for years are not even close to the mainstream. Some are happy not in the mainstream, and I am happy with some of them not having the mainstream influence, but seriously: Who deserves it more? Hey Monday? or Forgive Durden? or Valencia? You see my point.

You have no point. The mere existence of female fronted bands does not mean that those bands somehow get their fanbases easier than male fronted ones, especially when you look at how music scenes are decidedly male dominated and women musicians aren't respected as much as male counterparts. Nevermind all the double standards women have to face in the music scene.

I mean, if we're listing examples, could i prove you wrong by just listing basically every band with women in them that i listen to? none of them are mainstream.

[chipdip18]

http://www.myspace.com/madelinesongs

Female singer. I dig it.

Also, Rilo Kiley.


I came in here to say Rilo Kiley really. I don't think they'd have the same appeal with a male vocalist. I mean, Jenny Lewis has got an astounding voice, and it's hard to top that. I'd have to also throw in The Bird and The Bee and Regina Spektor.

[x togepi x]

oh shit, i didn't know this dude was thirteen. well, that would explain a lot, no offense.

[hideurfeathers]

My original point was that SOME people (maybe not you) claim to like bands because of the female singers. I gave support, which was the fact that people listen to Britney Spears pop music, along with Paramore (but no other bands of the genre), Flyleaf (but no other bands of the genre), etc. They only listen to the one or two bands that have the female singer. But don't like the other bands of the same genre that are male-fronted.

Also, the majority of hit #1 singles (not necessarily rock or pop-punk or whatever) are either hip-hip and rap (which, when have you seen a female rapper?) or a female singing. It is not common in today's music world for a male-fronted pop-punk band (which A LOT of this site's users listen to) to have a hit (unless girls think they are "hawt", which I have already talked about), but artists such as Britney Spears and Paramore can make anything and it will be popular. Even if Britney Spears makes a piano-driven ballad, it will be a popular song, trust me. Rihanna is an excellent example, like more than half of the songs on her record hit #1, lol.

[hideurfeathers]

oh shit, i didn't know this dude was thirteen. well, that would explain a lot, no offense.

lol

[x togepi x]

all of your examples are based on marketing though, not what the bands actually sound like. and, even if one were to agree that some people like bands just because they have a female singer, other people will think they suck for the same reason.

[x togepi x]

lol

well i mean i was talking about feminist theory that i read when you were about 8, so....though you do carry yourself well for your age.

[hideurfeathers]

...which is what i was getting at in an earlier post about how males in my age group dismiss bands like Paramore, and even Katy Perry, as "gay girly music" and don't even give it a chance. If I was listening to Lydia, for example, an amazing band, I would say that there will be 1 or 2 males, if that, at my school that wouldn't say something along the lines of, "This is gay music".

[hideurfeathers]

...which is what i was getting at in an earlier post about how males in my age group dismiss bands like Paramore, and even Katy Perry, as "gay girly music" and don't even give it a chance. If I was listening to Lydia, for example, an amazing band, I would say that there will be 1 or 2 males, if that, at my school that wouldn't say something along the lines of, "This is gay music".

Wait, that was all wrong, lol, I meant "Katy Perry, and even Paramore".

[funkel]

My original point was that SOME people (maybe not you) claim to like bands because of the female singers. I gave support, which was the fact that people listen to Britney Spears pop music, along with Paramore (but no other bands of the genre), Flyleaf (but no other bands of the genre), etc. They only listen to the one or two bands that have the female singer. But don't like the other bands of the same genre that are male-fronted.

Also, the majority of hit #1 singles (not necessarily rock or pop-punk or whatever) are either hip-hip and rap (which, when have you seen a female rapper?) or a female singing. It is not common in today's music world for a male-fronted pop-punk band (which A LOT of this site's users listen to) to have a hit (unless girls think they are "hawt", which I have already talked about), but artists such as Britney Spears and Paramore can make anything and it will be popular. Even if Britney Spears makes a piano-driven ballad, it will be a popular song, trust me. Rihanna is an excellent example, like more than half of the songs on her record hit #1, lol.
Where you're coming from (where you base most of your examples off of), which I'm assuming is either the end of middle school or the beginning of high school, people are just starting to actually get into listening to music. They don't really kow exactly what's good, most follow the trend (I know I did).
However, in my experience and observations, it is females who more actively listen to mainstream music and thus are the ones generating these #1 hits, whereas guys start to get into pop-punk and less mainstream music. Now why females would want to listen to rap music that is decidely misogynistic in nature is a topic for another discussion, but it's still there.
Basically, the entire point of this thread seems to be that females like bands with female singers. That's what I'm interpretting and to that I say, well duh, ha.

Also, to the "band needs to be hawt to get popular thing", I'd say that's false. However stupid that concept of hotness may be, it only encourages popularity, but doesn't start it. If Fall Out Boy didn't write catchy songs with big hooks, no one would know them, despite of Pete Wentz' apparent "hotness." This only insured that girls liked them even more once they started to like their music.