As I type, the license fee payer is currently subsidising a glorified commercial, for the most overhyped nonsense in years. i.e. the new Adele release.

Having been subjected to "previously unheard" songs throughout the day, I can only conclude that the "loveable Cockney sparrow" has done what she did for the previous 2 releases, namely bawl her way through "woe is me" break up /you aint having me/looking for love/can we be together forever, songs.

Yes, the gullible British (and the rest of the planet, to be fair) will swallow this "return to genius" offering.
Vincent Van Gogh had the right idea, chopping off his ear. He new what was coming.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "Chasing Pavements". That's even worse than Vienna, by Ultravox

On the subject of over hyped cabaret chanteuses, whatever happened to the 'genius' that was Duffy?

I was subjected to the X Factor this weekend, at the hands of my youngest daughter, whom I can only conclude from her enjoyment of the show has turned out wrong; god have mercy on my soul, I've spawned a monster.

That aside, I'm absolutely staggered at the level of hype that surrounds this festival of mediocrity; the 'performers' are bland and given varying degrees of electronic assistance, based (I assume) on who Simon Cowell has decided will be most marketable as the eventual winner; the judges emote and hold forth on the incredible stoicism and talent of their karaoke stars, as if they were potential nobel prize winners and lives were at stake; and the audience bays and howls like a mob at a gladiatorial contest - whilst I'm told that 3 million people cast votes on their phones, which highlights the unfettered rise of dumb Britain and further degrades my faith in the future of mankind.

Simon Cowell has killed pop music, and destroyed the whole of civilisation. Probably.

Same here and I agree with everything you say although I really don't think the majority of fans care about what is obviously a karaoke competition, even the dullest of dullards must be able to identify that it's all a sham. No, they have a much more sick and twisted interest in the whole celebrity aura which surrounds the show. They are in effect watching the journey of the next face of Iceland, the next front page sex scandal in the Sun, the next contestant on the merry-go-round of celebrity reality TV. Just look at Olly Murs, from contestant to presenter, the ultimate symbol of aspiration for the Heat magazine generation. If you're of any value to Simon Cowell's wallet, anything is possible. The singing is just a means to an end, nobody gives a toss about the music, it's all about the potential of a nobody becoming the next to have their well documented 15 minutes of fame. And if there's a nervous breakdown in there all the better!

I too was left with little faith in the future of mankind and a feeling that very soon we will have 'may contain milk' stickers plastered all over cartons of milk for the dumbest dumb heads of dumb Britain.

She's had so much free advertising from the BBC, it's unreal.

Her record company had 'Mercy' (see what i did there?

) on us and pulled the plug. 'Warwick Avenue' was better than all Adele's output though.

Never heard him called that before. Niice

Very well-put

Honestly, scary how similar

I despise Phil Collins, but I'd also include U2 I'm surprised Bonehead hasn't tried to sort out the Syrian civil war. Also Take That (Williams & Barlow esp), pit bull, Munford & sons, oasis, Elton John, I could go on for ever.

Take That aren't a band.

I would argue that to qualify as a band, people have to be playing instruments; I realise that Barlow tickled the ivories on occasion, but that's not enough to reach the threshold. So I agree - they're not a band.

'Brand' is a more appropriate word when you consider the current obsession with plastering names all over cheap tat to peddle to schoolgirls.

Most guff post 1975

Simply Red, M People, Happy Mondays.

Genesis first two albums post Peter Gabriel pretty good - Trick of the Tail & Wind and Wuthering. Phil Collins does a fine job.

Not as good as Brian Pern though.

Every single british band of the past 10 years. You know the ones, dress like they are a river island mannequin, can play 3 chords on the guitar and every single song sounds the same. Maybe im just getting old but there is just no originality any more

Regards

King James

I've pretty much lost interest in 'current' music, it's far too accessible and there's absolutely no effort required in hunting it out, obtaining it and listening to it, it's all too throw-away now. Long gone are the days when you'd catch the end of a track on the radio at 1am and then spend the next fortnight trying to find out what it was and where you could buy it, only to find out it was available on import only and would cost you double what you'd normally pay. To me though that was part of the experience and having something physical in my hand at the end of it just made the track feel even more special. Having a downloaded MP3 file sat on my computer or listening to a song that is streamed with no physical presence whatsoever means absolutely nothing to me, it makes me feel empty inside.

I used to keep right up to date with bands and artists and enjoyed being one of the first to hear something new but for the last couple of years my playlists are pretty much stuck between 1979 and 1992, except for the odd glimmer of new hope which catches my ear, and even then, any new band/artist who shows the tiniest trace of having something about them is met with all the adulation of the messiah's birth by the masses, so much so that it feels like it's here this morning, legendary by tonight but gone by tomorrow afternoon. Call me old fashioned, stuck in the past, whatever you will, I don't care, modern life really is rubbish.

Coldplay, U2 and Elbow.

Thread has been dormant for 7 months, so here goes;

Sia.

Generic Gaga-a-like songs, hideous voice which is so bad i can barely make out the words, and is ''kooky'', doing interviews facing away from the camera (oooooo, so cool and edgy!!)

Get the f*** lost

Who?

Like an Englishman (woman in this case) abroad.
If they dont understand you just say it (shout) louder !

After suffering an hour of Capital Radio this morning I've got to question if it's the same man and woman singing all commercial pop music or whether Auto-Tune has just taken over?

I had it for 3 hours on friday... i came close to ending my own life.

Incidentally, has there been a bigger corporate c**k-sucker after finding fame than Ed Sheeran? I really do not think so.

I really don't get Ed Sheeran. His music is a dull mixture of all things cliché, I honestly can't get through one song without wanting to put my foot through the radio. I could understand his appeal to the X Factor generation teeny boppers based on image but he doesn't even look the part! Never underestimate the power of social media and an aggressive PR team.