What are the most tragic downfalls in music in your opinion?

[TMC]

It can be a creative downfall, a commercial downfall, a personal downfall, or all of the above.

Of course, it depends, specifically on the downfall.

• Are we talking about uber-legendary figures who went into steady, gradual declines and tragic early deaths?
  
• Are we talking about those who are still here but have constantly dealt with more bad press than good press?
  
• Are we talking about artists whose downfalls were affected by major scandals that they had never recovered from?
  
• Are we talking about people whose downfalls were impacted by mental issues?
  
• Are we talking about people who became very famous but then died under tragic circumstances before they became legends in their lifetime?

[JO Sweet Heart]

To me, LeAnn Rimes took an unfair blow to her music career when word got out about why her first marriage ended. She is not the first person to be labeled a cheater, and I am sure that she is not even close to being the last member of such a group.

God bless you and LeAnn and her family always!!!

Holly (a day one fan of her)

P.S. The good thing is that these days, she is still active as both a singer and an actress. She has a lead role in the 911: Nashville show and she just released a Christmas Greatest Hits album.

[ThisLittlePiggy]

Karen Carpenter

Kurt Cobain

[Edward216]

Whitney Houston and her drug addiction that eventually caused her untimely death.

Ed.

[JO Sweet Heart]

Originally Posted by ThisLittlePiggy

Karen Carpenter

I second this. To me, Christmas isn't complete without her beautiful singing.

God bless you and her family always!!!

Holly

[ABlairican Pie]

Winger in 1993. A promising "hair metal" band defying expectations, who could even be progressive at times, to be defeated by: Stewart on 'Beavis And Butthead". In recent years, Winger has made several compelling return-to-form albums, but the hazing from their animated nemeses has yet to be overcome. "Stewart" was an obstacle-- to "like" Winger was the epitome of wimpy-wampiness! But wasn't Kip Winger every girl's dreamboat in 1990? And didn't Reb Beach shred on guitar with the best of them? His tapping technique was top-notch!

[Dude111]

DIGITAL!!!!!!!!

Nothing more has to be said........

[Edward216]

Originally Posted by Dude111

DIGITAL!!!!!!!!

Nothing more has to be said........

No, I think more definitely has to be said. Please elaborate.

Ed.

[jets4life]

The death of Kurt Cobain in 1994. I was in high school when I first heard Nirvana (November 91), and I was finishing high school when he committed suicide. At the time, the music scene was less than idea. Milli Vanilli and C + C Music Factory both used models on their cover that did not even sing on the album. Glam metal was still big, with Motley Crue, Poison, Skid Row, Warrant, Cinderella, Extreme, Faster Pussycat, etc dominating the music channels.

These bands were all image and no substance. How hurting was the industry in when the two biggest acts of 1990-91 were MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice?

Nirvana revolutionised the industry. Kurt Cobain was not only musically talented, but he was so authentic in his music, not wanting to sellout to the mainstream, even to the point where the band signed with Geffen Records for half the amount of other big labels, as Geffen gave them autonomy to choose their own producers, and more input into their music.

By the fall of 1992, not only was music changing- bands like Pearl Jam, Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Alice and Chains, Rage Against the Machine, and Stone temple Pilots were breaking out and becoming massive. It also killed Glam Rock and those God awful musicians with limited talent. Fashion even started to change..plaid and flannel shirts started becoming "chic." Cobain thought this was silly, as the plaid shirts he wore, were usually purchased at discount or second hand stores for $5 or less, wee now selling for $50 at the GAP.

Sadly with Cobain, it was a case of "be careful what you wish for." Cobain as a child was a huge Beatles fan, and always wanted to be a rock star, only to realise how superficial being a star would become. He started to dread being in the spotlight, and as a sensitive person, and like many musicians, began to use drugs to cope with all the pressure of being labelled the spokesman of a generation.

By the end of 1991, Cobain developed a heroin addiction, and was never able to overcome it. Being somewhat of a lonewolf myself, I could completely relate to Nirvana's songs. Especially the album "In Utero." I did not appreciate how great Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was, until the year of his death.

I still have every album the band released. However, Cobain could have conceivably been one of the greatest musicians the World has ever known, if he had kicked his heroin addiction. By 1993, Cobain's lyrical work had improved. His performances also improved as evidenced on the MTV Unplugged special on November 93. Many do not know this, but by the end of 1993, he was in talks with REM lead singer Michael Stipe, who he was a big fan of, and they were seriously discussing doing collaboration projects.

Cobain's death was a huge blow to the Seattle scene, and this would lead to the eventual death of grunge music, and to a lesser extent alternative music.

[stevea]

Immediately the murder of John Lennon in 1980 came to my mind.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Edward216

No, I think more definitely has to be said. Please elaborate.

The disgusting HEAVY BASS sound,etc...........

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

Winger in 1993. A promising "hair metal" band defying expectations, who could even be progressive at times, to be defeated by: Stewart on 'Beavis And Butthead". In recent years, Winger has made several compelling return-to-form albums, but the hazing from their animated nemeses has yet to be overcome. "Stewart" was an obstacle-- to "like" Winger was the epitome of wimpy-wampiness! But wasn't Kip Winger every girl's dreamboat in 1990? And didn't Reb Beach shred on guitar with the best of them? His tapping technique was top-notch!

I guarantee that it had absolutely nothing to do with Beavis and Butthead, and everything to do with the Grunge movement. Winger was just another casualty in a long list of glam metal bands, who died off once Nirvana and Pearl Jam became huge.

Every glam rock band suffered the same fate after 1991. It's just the way the culture shifted in the 90s. Glam was seen as outdated and 80s. The exact same thing has happened before. John Travolta and the Bee Gees careers went into a nosedive after the 70s ended, and Disco became obsolete. Even Jimi Hendrix was booed on a European tour in 1970, due to the counterculture 60s revolution coming to an end.

[stevea]

I've read current music and remastering of older recording uses a technique called brickwalling, which to me means reduction of the dynamic range so that everything pegs a VU meter; i.e. constant loud level. In the old days it was used by Phil Spector--the wll of sound.

It's common in radio broadcasting, but it must be that the method has also become common in mixing/mastering, and remixing/remastering.

As far as the digital comment goes, any technology can be misused. Listen to any recording on Youtube--virtually all of them sound fine. In the early days of CD--the late 80s--virtually nothing sounded good.

On the analog side probably one of the worst playback and recording methods was the audio cassette. Full of hiss without Dolby, and loss of high end with Dolby -- unless the heads are super clean and perfectly aligned. Due to the dual directions, the alignment was almost always off.