This could be an interesting thread. By jumping the shark in this thread, of course I'm talking about when we look back on an artist's glory days. It's all subjective, but for argument's sake, I'd say someone like John Mellencamp, career wise and popularity wise jumped the shark in the early '90s. Maybe Wild Night in 1994 was his last relevant song (and a cover song at that). If MTV was around today they wouldn't play him, and I'm sure he's happy and doesn't care because he's doing his music, but let's face it, who wouldn't like a hit song and to be as popular as they were at their peak?

Maybe they don't want to be chased around like they were then and have their privacy, but it seems after a point, the times have passed them by, or they ran of of ideas.

I'm not talking about artists that get critical acclaim now,that doesn't mean anything in this case. I'm speaking of artists that could once fill arenas and now barely fill a club. That's jumping the shark in this case. They aren't the same anymore.

Often times it's when they go through a change in life. Starting a family, getting married, losing someone. Taking a long break.

Metallica jumped the shark in the mid-90's. Many fans thought they sold out with the so-called
'Black Album', by being less thrashy and more commercial (with a ballad, even), but they even got less heavy on 'Load' from 1996--when they cut their hair and got piercings. That was a definite sellout era.

'Re-Load' from 1998 was even worse.

Christina Aguleira---she went from a generic pop singer with more vocal talent on her first album, then got more raunchy and personal with Stripped, then went retro with the next album. Her "comeback" album, Bionic, bombed and she got accused of being a Lady Gaga wannabe. But to her defense, she took time off to get married and have a baby and pop music changed during that time, so I can't blame her for trying to be relevant when she made her new album. But she used Autotune on some of the songs, and she's one that doesn't need it.

The Beatles--When Yoko Ono began interfering with the band, that was the final nail in the coffin.

David Bowie, when he let us down by releasing the ironically titled Never Let Me Down album.

I'm not talking about artists that get critical acclaim now,that doesn't mean anything in this case. I'm speaking of artists that could once fill arenas and now barely fill a club. That's jumping the shark in this case. They aren't the same anymore.

That's not fair. Artists who used to fill arenas and now play clubs could be putting out their best work ever today, but the problem would be that but nobody cares owing to changing tastes and changing demographics. How can aging guitar rockers compete with hip-hoppers? They can't. They don't.

That's not fair. Artists who used to fill arenas and now play clubs could be putting out their best work ever today, but the problem would be that but nobody cares owing to changing tastes and changing demographics. How can aging guitar rockers compete with hip-hoppers? They can't. They don't.

Great point. I don't think Mellencamp ever "jumped the shark", he's put out some of his best music in this decade, IMO.

The most obvious one to me would be Billy Squier when he made that weird "Rock Me Tonite" video (parading around in a pink shirt) his career was pretty much over at that point.

The most obvious one to me would be Billy Squier when he made that weird "Rock Me Tonite" video (parading around in a pink shirt) his career was pretty much over at that point.

I heard that this is the worst promotional video for a single ever. As I recall, in 1984 Bon Jovi was opening for Billy Squirer, and in 1987 Bily Squier was opening for Bon Jovi!

I heard that this is the worst promotional video for a single ever.

Don't know if it's the worst ever but it would easily make my top 10. The song is fine and it was his biggest hit but that video didn't help matters any.

Metallica jumped the shark in the mid-90's. Many fans thought they sold out with the so-called
'Black Album', by being less thrashy and more commercial (with a ballad, even), but they even got less heavy on 'Load' from 1996--when they cut their hair and got piercings. That was a definite sellout era.

'Re-Load' from 1998 was even worse.
Load and ReLoad are my favorite Metallica albums. They're what got me into the band in the first place. For my tastes, Metallica doesn't get any better than the period from ...And Justice for All through the "I Disappear" single (coincidentally, the Jason Newsted era).

Load and ReLoad are my favorite Metallica albums. They're what got me into the band in the first place. For my tastes, Metallica doesn't get any better than the period from ...And Justice for All through the "I Disappear" single (coincidentally, the Jason Newsted era).

Brad, you obviously haven't listened to Master of Puppets!!:D

Brad, you obviously haven't listened to Master of Puppets!!:D
Exactly, and also Ride The Lightning was classic!!! :rock: Those two albums were the greatest. Master has so much hellacious attitude!!! I get wound up just thinking about Master Of Puppets!!!

I have to side with the others here about Metallica. Their 90's stuff just didnt do it for me. I did like their last one. Sounds like they were trying to get back on track.

Brad, you obviously haven't listened to Master of Puppets!!:D
I've heard all of their albums, with the exception of the two most recent ones. I'm just not a big metalhead.

Adele may have jumped the shark by promising a third album by the end of 2014 and repeatedly postponing it! Now she's saying maybe (Maybe?) early 2016.

Chicago-when Terry Kath killed himself.

Elton John - for singing his classics with a voice that can't possibly compare to the voice he had when he first sang these iconic songs.

http://i.imgur.com/BaeNE8I.jpg (http://lunapic.com)

Elton John - for singing his classics with a voice that can't possibly compare to the voice he had when he first sang these iconic songs.



I hear he uses his voice differently because producer Thom Bell told him he wasn't singing right when he made all those classic records.

To me, Miranda Lambert is getting too repetitive with her in your face rock oriented country songs if country songs are what they are still considered. It seems like that is all that she wants to sing as if that is all that she wants to be known for now.

God bless you and her always!!!

Holly

P.S. I read the other day that she has been having issues with her throat lately. I wonder why. (sarcasm)

To me, Miranda Lambert is getting too repetitive with her in your face rock oriented country songs if country songs are what they are still considered. It seems like that is all that she wants to sing as if that is all that she wants to be known for now.

God bless you and her always!!!

Holly

P.S. I read the other day that she has been having issues with her throat lately. I wonder why. (sarcasm)

The only time that I listen to Miranda Lambert is when I'm forced to against my will at work, but just from that I've observed that she's too repetitive with mentioning cigarettes in her songs. I'm no fan of her by any means and I'm unfamiliar with most of her work, but even with what little that I know about her I can tell that she has at least 4 songs where she says something about cigarettes. After I found out about the 4th one I said "that's it, I'm calling her 'the cigarette girl' from now on." If she's having issues with her throat then smoking might have something to do with it.

I hear he uses his voice differently because producer Thom Bell told him he wasn't singing right when he made all those classic records.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Are you SERIOUS? He's had a dozen No.1 hits in the 70s and 80s when his singing and overall style and music was totally incomparable and original. Back then when he released a song, millions loved it the very first time they heard it and by the 2nd time they knew all the words. His treasure trove of songs from that era went on to become definitive icons in the history of American pop. Back then his songs all had something that singers and songwriters would give their right arm for: Instant Likability and Fantasic hooks. Today, I wouldn't pay a quarter to hear him clear his throat. Which, by the way, is EXACTLY what he does for 2 hours at his concerts as he does a Friday the 13th hatchet job on his old songs that he is no longer fit to HUM, much less SING.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Are you SERIOUS? He's had a dozen No.1 hits in the 70s and 80s when his singing and overall style and music was totally incomparable and original. Back then when he released a song, millions loved it the very first time they heard it and by the 2nd time they knew all the words. His treasure trove of songs from that era went on to become definitive icons in the history of American pop. Back then his songs all had something that singers and songwriters would give their right arm for: Instant Likability and Fantasic hooks. Today, I wouldn't pay a quarter to hear him clear his throat. Which, by the way, is EXACTLY what he does for 2 hours at his concerts as he does a Friday the 13th hatchet job on his old songs that he is no longer fit to HUM, much less SING.

Whatever . . .

The only time that I listen to Miranda Lambert is when I'm forced to against my will at work, but just from that I've observed that she's too repetitive with mentioning cigarettes in her songs. I'm no fan of her by any means and I'm unfamiliar with most of her work, but even with what little that I know about her I can tell that she has at least 4 songs where she says something about cigarettes. After I found out about the 4th one I said "that's it, I'm calling her 'the cigarette girl' from now on." If she's having issues with her throat then smoking might have something to do with it.
According to a couple of her more loyal fans that I have run across, they tell me that she doesn't smoke even though she is shown smoking in her videos for "The Fastest Girl In Town" and "Mama's Broken Heart". They say that the smoke was fake. Well to me, even if it was fake, what she illustrates in them videos by looking like she is smoking is an act that does a person's body absolutely no favors at all whatsoever. She obviously has yet to grasp is the fact that she made herself an example for those who are younger than her by being out there in the celebrity field at all whether she wanted to be an example or not.

God bless you always!!! :) :) :)

Holly

He's had a dozen No.1 hits in the 70s and 80s.

You're half-right, he had 6 # 1 songs in the 70's and none in the 80's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John_singles_discography

When Duran Duran released "Ordinary World," they jumped the shark backwards by making a good record! :lol:

To me, Miranda Lambert is getting too repetitive with her in your face rock oriented country songs if country songs are what they are still considered. It seems like that is all that she wants to sing as if that is all that she wants to be known for now.

God bless you and her always!!!

Holly

P.S. I read the other day that she has been having issues with her throat lately. I wonder why. (sarcasm)

I don't think Miranda has jumped the shark. Almost all of her songs, from the day she started, have been in your face songs, apart from those two ballads she did. It's no different from all those party songs the current crop of male singers are doing. Taylor Swift, OTOH, went full pop. I don't even consider her country now. She dropped the twang in her voice. What hasn't changed is that she still does diss songs about those that supposedly wronged her.

Rod Stewart jumped the shark in the late '70s, but he redeemed himself in the '90s.

To me the singer that went downhill because she was great and she started having great songs was Shakira and when she released her album Laundry Service she was good and had good songs then as soon as Shakira released her second English album she started changing her image and my interest in her went downhill and I think when her second English album debuted Shakira adopted a more mature sound and image and it continued with the release of her album She-Wolf but I think due to her appearence in Disney's Zootopia where she provided the voice of the character Gazelle Shakira will gain a whole new image and a new fanbase
Bestie

Chicago-when Terry Kath killed himself.

Agreed, especially after they hooked up with David Foster.

Is it me, or does it seem like the entire music industry jumped the shark in the past several years??

UMFaninMD just chiming to say I think you're unfairly criticizing Taylor Swift. Yes she does have a pop sound now, and that's by choice and she'd even said she was going pop so she's in no way shape or form still claiming to be a country music artist. So the musical direction of her career has been very intentional on her part and you're just misinformed. I'm not saying I'm a fan of her newer musical style just telling you she's definitely calling herself a pop singer now and that's the way it is.

Ed.

Is it me, or does it seem like the entire music industry jumped the shark in the past several years??

Yes. And when you complain about how artistes used to make music with real instruments and limited studio trickery and complain about how rappers and pop divas keep using computers and autotuners to make sounds, and oh yes, rappers don't even sing, the standard reply you get is . . .

:yousuck:

And:

:racist:

Yes. And when you complain about how artistes used to make music with real instruments and limited studio trickery and complain about how rappers and pop divas keep using computers and autotuners to make sounds, and oh yes, rappers don't even sing, the standard reply you get is . . .

:yousuck:

And:

:racist:

And I HATE autotune!!!!:mad:

There was a debate a while back between Gene Simmons and one of the rappers of N.W.A about whether "Rock And Roll All Nite" by KISS was more rock and roll than "F*** tha Police" by N.W.A.

I'll go with KISS, but I need a second opinion from Psychic Tomato. :D

And I HATE autotune!!!!:mad:

There was a debate a while back between Gene Simmons and one of the rappers of N.W.A about whether "Rock And Roll All Nite" by KISS was more rock and roll than "F*** tha Police" by N.W.A.

I'll go with KISS, but I need a second opinion from Psychic Tomato. :D

Interesting how Gene Simmons said that Jimi Hendrix, the greatest black rock star ever, isn't in the Rap Hall of Fame, and then tried to make the argument against N.W.A. an aesthetic one. But as I wrote on my blog, "Those of us who reject rap as music could make an argument against it purely based on aesthetics and win the debate with little effort. But when rap fans set the aesthetic issue aside and bring up race in response, what can we do?"

UMFaninMD just chiming to say I think you're unfairly criticizing Taylor Swift. Yes she does have a pop sound now, and that's by choice and she'd even said she was going pop so she's in no way shape or form still claiming to be a country music artist. So the musical direction of her career has been very intentional on her part and you're just misinformed. I'm not saying I'm a fan of her newer musical style just telling you she's definitely calling herself a pop singer now and that's the way it is.

Ed.
That's your opinion but I still stand behind my original post. It doesn't make her a bad artist (I may be one of the few who likes I Knew You Were Trouble and the Bad Blood remix), but for me, it was a sudden transition.

I don't think the music industry has entirely jumped the shark. There are great bands like Airbourne and Texas Hippie Coalition!! Rival Sons are great, too.

Metallica jumped the shark in the mid-90's. Many fans thought they sold out with the so-called
'Black Album', by being less thrashy and more commercial (with a ballad, even), but they even got less heavy on 'Load' from 1996--when they cut their hair and got piercings. That was a definite sellout era.

'Re-Load' from 1998 was even worse.

I think what made Metallica jump the shark was NOT so much of their more commercial 1990's direction, but the fact that their attempts to appear more of the "Lollapaloozer" generation and distance themselves from their 80's roots was more indicative of being sellouts. The music was really good, but many felt it was too much of being a concession to being commercial then.

There was a huge thrash fan base that supported them in the 80's and was responsible for much of their early success, but when the band started being part of the avant garde Frisco artsy scene, these fans felt betrayed.

I don't think the music industry has entirely jumped the shark. There are great bands like Airbourne and Texas Hippie Coalition!! Rival Sons are great, too.

I've heard of another band, the Struts, who are said to recall the '70s-era Rolling Stones. :)