When Artists Become "Too Popular"

I think we've all experienced our favourite bands become too popular.  First, you find a new artist that you start listening to for years and years.  Slowly this artist starts to gain popularity and then soon, everyone is talking about their latest songs. 

Image by Nick Thompson (Flickr)

The band in specific that I am referring to is Metric.  Don't get me wrong, I still Love Metric.  I have since I was 13 years old and I always will.  But I think they have become a victim of their success.  Their latest album Synthetica was decent, but compared to their previous albums, it was the worst one so far.  I did enjoy a few songs from the album, but the lyrics in their newer albums are decreasing in quality.  What I loved about Metric when I first started listening to them was the heart and soul they poured into their lyrics.  Their first album Grow Up And Blow Away continues to be one of favourite albums.  This album wasn't the first they released, but it was the first album they created.  The first album they released was Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? which was also an amazing album.  But as they continue to release albums, I find myself less and less interested in them. 

Once bands become too popular they seem to be forced into following a specific sound.  I think this is what happens to most artists.  If no one knows who you are then you're allowed to create and change your sound as an artists however you want.  As soon as an artist gains too much popularity they start to conform with what the greater public wants.  I think this severely impacts their creative abilities.  The music industry places a restrictive framework on these popular artists to make sure they become famous and stay famous.  When the band is more famous, they're making more money for themselves and their record company.  

One popular duo that wasn't very fond of their sudden fame was MGMT.  When they released their second album Congratulations, they didn't want specific songs to stand out.  Instead they wanted everyone to listen to the album as a whole.  Of course they were hoping that people would love their new album, but they didn't want people to only listen to their singles and disregard the rest of the album.  They took the Congratulations in a new direction that would benefit their fans rather than the mainstream majority.

Several artists have become too popular for their own good though.  It's common knowledge that the more albums an artist releases, the worse they get.  The same thing usually goes for movies too.  That sixth sequel will never be as good as the first two or three. 

There are artists who have disproved this theory though.  Some bands will release several albums where the first one is as good as the last.  They seem to be a rare breed in today's society.

Again, I don't dislike Metric.  In fact, I was happy to see them gain some popularity because I truly think they are an amazing group.  Emily Haines, the lead singer, is an great lyricist and should be well known for that.  I just think that their popularity is making their newer albums suffer.  Emily Haines and the band will always continue to be my favourite group though.

Have you ever had your favourite band become too famous for better or worse? Do you think music producers start to apply too much pressure on artists to stay mainstream?  Do you think artists should give up millions of dollars just to stay true to their fans?  Have your favourite groups "sold out" for fame and money?

Let me know what you think!