As a side-topic of the "music you like" thread, here's something else I've always wondered about.

Why is it that bands can strike gold or platinum successively for several years, then hit nothing? For certain rock bands, there are periods where they can do no wrong, and then, all of a sudden, they can do no right.

For example, take a band like Huey Lewis & The News. For a few years, everything they put out was a hit. Then....nothing. Loverboy: same thing. REO Speedwagon: several great albums in a row, culminating with "Hi Infidelity," then...nothing (mostly).

I'm thinking specifically of bands that don't disappear, they just can't get a hit anymore. In some cases, it's obvious, but in others, it's not. As a fan of the bands mentioned above, I will freely admit that I love the great albums and don't care as much for the others, but I'm hard-pressed to know why in some cases.

Take Loverboy (and I'm sure some wish I would): their sound did not significantly change at all, but what was once popular was shunned after their 3rd album. The music is still good (if you like their music), but it just doesn't hit the same cylinders for me that their first two albums did. Did they lose the ability to write the hooks that catch the public's attention? Did people tire of Mike Reno's voice?

In some cases, lengthy absences are to blame (you get out of the public's eye, and you're quickly forgotten), but some of the bands who could once do no wrong have never stopped recording or touring. But instead of playing arenas, they're lucky to sell out clubs these days.

Some bands (KISS, for example) changed their sound or musical direction and alienated (some) fans. But what about those that don't? Do we just get tired of them after a while? But if that's true, why do we still listen to their hits on Classic Rock radio?

Know what I mean?

Hunter

Hunter:

I once read an article regarding this subject (kind of anyway). The author explained it as a marketing decision. After the huge mega hit albums (yes, they were still albums then) like Peter Frampton's "Live" the powers that be thought that the stuff that was released after that should have the same reaction from the public or it wasn't marketable. So, for instance, when Frampton put out his next album and the first release from it did not shoot to the top immeadiately the thought was that Frampton was on the way out - even though the song did well on the charts, just not number one. That is why you didn't hardly hear anything from Pete after that.

I guess I have no insider information on the subject, but the article did seem to have a logical (to me) explanation.

For my part, I have noticed that with certain groups I have favorite album(s), but little or no interest in anything else they put out, or like with Kiss, only like certain songs on an album and won't listen to the rest.

Hope you find your answer, Hunter.

Jo

One possibility could be that, a band (or artist) has a lifetime to write their first album. If they're lucky, they have enough songs for two albums. But if they hit it big on that first album, chances are they're playing live shows the following year, and either don't time to write songs or the songs that they do write aren't as good.

Another possibility is that after that first album, they've got a budget for the next album, and they "produce" it to death. That might involve having the wrong producer, or just spending too much time in the studio playing around instead of focusing on what got them popular in the first place.

Personnel changes could also have an effect (although that actually helped bands like Pink Floyd and Electric Light Orchestra, who both lost founding members after their first album).

Another possibility you touched on Hunter is that tastes change. If the band doesn't change with the new music tastes (or cause the tastes to change, as would be the case with the Beatles), then they're going to be left behind.

In Frampton's case, I think he's already had several solo albums out before the "Comes Alive" album. That's an odd situation where mediocre studio versions of songs turned into something incredible when performed live. I'm not sure if that's ever happened again...

Glen

Thanks, Jo, but I was referring more to personal reasons that some bands fizzle (though marketing sure makes a huge difference in general popularity).

I suspect Glen probably hit on the biggest reasons for most bands.

Hunter

The winnere of the BIG HIT/ fizzle award has gotta be Boston- biggest debut ever followed by bland copies of same.

Boston's biggest problem was waiting too long between albums... seems like first and second both had several hits and then it was the early 90's before their 3rd album... they started in the 70's for crying out loud. There was an almost Boston (several of the originals but not all) that were in a band called RTZ - which had a decent album but wasn't a smash...

But back to Boston - the 3rd album (I think they only had 3 original albums) was a semi hit early but didn't last like the first two... so although you may be onto it Bennie - I would actually say someone like the Knack would get my vote... they were hailed as the next big thing... but only mustered a one hit wonder. (If we get into one hit wonders - someone start a new thread)

E

Music as a fluid art form. Bands are always in transition so maybe they reach their peak with that big "one hit wonder". Some freak out and over produce their second album and sometimes the fans just move along in their lives and don't care or have more important priorities. Sad but true. I'm just glad that while I was busy bein' a Mom and Wife that WW& the Beatnecks kept on keepin' on and My fellow fans kept me in touch so that I can still keep rockin' in 2008 when they come to KC. Try to imagine all us fans dustin' off the cobWEBBs and journeyin' to KNuckleheads to suck up the energy generated from WW & the BEatnecks to sustain ourselves until the next EXPEDITION OF DISCOVERY beyond the Mississippi. Oh, My!!!!!! Ya' know many bands continue without recording another CD. It's part of that Real music is being played and Real musicians are playin' it thang.

Cheap Trick. I'm a huge fan but I think after a while, especially if you've been around 30+ years, you're probably just not as creative and have tapped yourself. You are still the same person so even though you could write about new topics they still come to you and out of you in the same way. Did that make any sense?

Another thing is society. Today with almost instant gratification no one even listens to one particular artist. They live song to song, so artists have to change which I think messes with their creativity.

What happened to Milli Vanilli? Them boys shore could sang!

I have to disagree on Cheap Trick - Rockford was a great album - but most ppl don't even know about that album because CT has no marketing - which unfortunately brings the music to the masses. Like Webb, they aren't signed to a major label but IMHO they flat out ROCK....

Oh I agree Christina....those in the know...but public view...

Take Boston. I feel some bands, (and indivduals), only have so much in them, and they shoot their wad on the first album. I still think that "More Than a Feeling," and "Long Time" are phenomenal recordings. It should be noted however, that these incredible examples of layering were done long before digital, and, if memory serves me correctly, produced in a basement studio. . .

Thanks for adding that charlie - the amazing recordings they did - back in the day - were ahead of their time.

E

I think the entire "Boston" album is phenomenal---a real classic. Tom Scholz has bitched many times about how the record label forced him to release "Don't Look Back" before it was ready, and he refused to do that again, hence the long delay between albums since then. However, I do think the other Boston albums are, overall, mediocre at best.

I forgot to mention that Cheap Trick will be doing a summer tour in the U.S. with Journey and Heart. I know they're supposed to play Nashville (one of the only big concerts this year since the closing of Starwood Amphitheatre last Spring) on August 7.