This is what's wrong with the music business!

[AR]

It's all of you that watch American Idol. You should ALL be ashamed of yourselves. Read this shit.

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Cowell says he's bigger than Springsteen
'Idol' judge tells '60 Minutes' he's sold over 100 million records in five years

The Associated Press
Originally published March 16, 2007

NEW YORK // Simon Cowell says he's bigger than The Boss. In an interview to air Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes," the "American Idol" judge says he's worth five times more to Sony BMG than Bruce Springsteen.

"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen, sure," Cowell says of the 57-year-old rocker, who signed a contract that was reported to be in the neighborhood of $100 million.

"I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If (Springsteen) got one hundred (million dollars), I should have got five hundred (million dollars)," he says.

Cowell says he sells all those records because he's signed "the biggest artist on the planet" -- Fox network's "American Idol."

"Every single 'Idol' winner is now signed through Sony BMG," says Cowell. "And this applies to ... all the countries ... we sell 'Idol' to, which is over 30 countries."

Albums by "American Idol" winners and runners-up are distributed by labels within the Sony BMG system through a deal between Clive Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller.

Interviewer Anderson Cooper asks Cowell, 47, whether his deal with Sony BMG is in the same neighborhood as Springsteen's.

"A hundred million ... that's a great deal," Cowell says.

Was he referring to himself or Springsteen?

"For him," Cowell says, grinning. "For him it's a good deal."

[TRAGChick]

"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen, sure," Cowell says of the 57-year-old rocker, who signed a contract that was reported to be in the neighborhood of $100 million.

"I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If (Springsteen) got one hundred (million dollars), I should have got five hundred (million dollars)," he says.

"Every single 'Idol' winner is now signed through Sony BMG," says Cowell. "And this applies to ... all the countries ... we sell 'Idol' to, which is over 30 countries."

Yup....that'll happen when you're young, naive, a "greenhorn", hungry for "insta-success", and sell your soul to the Devil...

[Saint John]

I have watched MAYBE 10 minutes of that show in its "X" years of existence. I hate it, hate the people on it and people who watch it. Hopefully, during the next episode, everyone over 17 years old that is watching it, has their eyes fall out......literally.

[KCfla]

My Sister-in-law made me sit through a couple of episodes last season. I hated every minute of it!

Don't watch, won't watch- PERIOD!
( and Simon can kiss my a@@!!!)

[belar]

I don't watch American Idol, and I have no interest in watching. I don't mind listening to a signer if they have talent, but I don't want to have to sit through 500 singers without talent to get there. I just wait to see if the winners are any good when they release new material. I actually kind of like Kelly Clarkson, but I never saw her on AI.

[Moon Beam]

That day Cowell picks up a microphone and decides to take his head
out of his own ass is the day I will consider something he says to
have any meaning.
Never have ever watched a whole show of AI and it's
mainly because of his self spewing arrogance.
I know it gets ratings and keeps him in the buzz light but that
slime sucker gets on my every last nerve.

Sounds like he's having a Lennon moment to me.

[montyollie]

Yeah, I can't watch that crap either. Whatever happend to music that happened organically? Music where you sat around with your homies and jammed and riffed off each other and NAILED it?

I'm not a big fan of processed crap.

That being said, I watch "Dancing with the Stars" pretty religiously. HAHAHA!

Jo

[lowdbrent]

"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen, sure," Cowell says of the 57-year-old rocker, who signed a contract that was reported to be in the neighborhood of $100 million.

"I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If (Springsteen) got one hundred (million dollars), I should have got five hundred (million dollars)," he says.

"Every single 'Idol' winner is now signed through Sony BMG," says Cowell. "And this applies to ... all the countries ... we sell 'Idol' to, which is over 30 countries."

Yup....that'll happen when you're young, naive, a "greenhorn", hungry for "insta-success", and sell your soul to the Devil...

You guys, come on. I see what he is saying, and it is true. He is sitting in the producer's chair, prescreening and developing talent on someone else's (advertiser's) dime, using the largest target market study group in the world, which pays him to give a response. Brilliant! So, he hands over the talent the presold talent to label, and they do their thing to capitalize on it. Believe it or not, and many of you won't, but AI has helped the industry as a whole. Why? It inspires people to chase their dreams. It has caused the labels to think some out of the box, and get back into looking for talent outside of the major music production markets.

I firmly believe that there are just as many Neal Schons, Eddie Van Halens, Steve Perrys, JSSs out in the world, doing their thing, but they have to work a real job, or play in the right places with the right people to get discovered.

People gripe about not having choices. Now they make all of the choices. If they don't buy it when it comes out, then the choices don't matter. This has yet to be proven.

BTE, Cowell is not that young, he is loaded, and was loaded before AI. He is not a greenhorn. He has been developing talent and managing big name acts for a while.

AI = American Idol, as well as Anal Itch, etc

[lowdbrent]

Yeah, I can't watch that crap either. Whatever happend to music that happened organically? Music where you sat around with your homies and jammed and riffed off each other and NAILED it?

I'm not a big fan of processed crap.

That being said, I watch "Dancing with the Stars" pretty religiously. HAHAHA!

Jo

We are not talking music really. AI is selling performers, not songwriters. They are selling people that look good (most of the time), move well, entertain on and off the stage, and interpret someone else's work. If this was a show judging composition, the choices would be way less. Righting a great song is not easy. Finding a great song writer that is young and the next money maker is even harder.

[TRAGChick]

BTE, Cowell is not that young, he is loaded, and was loaded before AI. He is not a greenhorn. He has been developing talent and managing big name acts for a while.

My "greenhorn" comment was aimed at the young people that get on the show. I was saying that this show gets young, naive, new-to-the-business-and-are-not-savvy people in, and they sign themselves over lock, stock, and barrel to the "devil" - Simon.

[montyollie]

Yeah, I can't watch that crap either. Whatever happend to music that happened organically? Music where you sat around with your homies and jammed and riffed off each other and NAILED it?

I'm not a big fan of processed crap.

That being said, I watch "Dancing with the Stars" pretty religiously. HAHAHA!

Jo

We are not talking music really. AI is selling performers, not songwriters. They are selling people that look good (most of the time), move well, entertain on and off the stage, and interpret someone else's work. If this was a show judging composition, the choices would be way less. Righting a great song is not easy. Finding a great song writer that is young and the next money maker is even harder.

Yeah, I hear you. I guess my biggest beef with the whole AI concept is that how you look is half the issue. I have always enjoyed the SOUND of music, not necessarily the presentation of it. I don't care if the singer is fat, ugly, whatever. But AI sells PERFORMERS, you are correct. And image has a lot to do with that. Maybe that's why I can't get into shit like Christina Aguilera, who admittedly has a good voice... I just can't get past the prostitute-chic.

I was watching the video for "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" the other day and laughing my socks off at how "unrefined" 80s rockers were in the image department. The clothes didn't cost an arm and a leg, and the hair was probably done by the guys themselves. The video was just a presentation of the music.

These days, the music is just a secondary vehicle to sell the video.

[SunshineTwilight]

We are not talking music really. AI is selling performers, not songwriters. They are selling people that look good (most of the time), move well, entertain on and off the stage, and interpret someone else's work. If this was a show judging composition, the choices would be way less. Righting a great song is not easy. Finding a great song writer that is young and the next money maker is even harder.

BINGO!!!! If AI was judged on real talent and not just image, than it would be a totally different dynamic. Not to say that some of the contestants on AI aren't talented, it is just they are made into cookie cutter products of the entertainment industry. You can craft anyone into having a certain image, etc. but true talent is a gift that you are born with, not fabricated. It is disheartening to see young gifted musicians having to struggle to make their way in the business, only to be snapped up by money hungry sharks, not interested in the real talent, but rather the end product.....$$$$$$.

[larryfromnextdoor]

i , for one, had never heard of simon before 3 years ago.. and im still not sure what he did before that ,, i thougt paula abdul was supposed to be the boss, and im still not certain how randy got involved,, right place , right time?

[whocares]

It probably is true that he's "helped sell" more records/cd's in the last 5 years than Springsteen. But that statement is as ridiculous as John Lennon stating long ago that the Beatles were bigger than the God. Look what happened when he said that. Sales fell, people boycotted them, burned records, etc. The same people that bought Beatles & Springsteen records are NOT the same people (mostly) buying the AI Records/CDs.

Cowell is about Self promotion, and getting people to talk about him. He's an egomaniac. It's working people are talking about him, love him or hate him. the show gives recognition to many people who are talented, but also gives TOO much recognition to those who don't deserve it.

There's NO reality in Reality TV anymore. IF there ever was. The minute cameras go on, the reality stops.

[Rockindeano]

Another reason and perhaps the best yet, to hate Euros.

If I ever see that Limey I am going to run him over.


Yeah dude, You are more valuable to Sony than America's most popular rock singer ever. Sure dude, and Goerge W Bush is bright.

[SusieP]

Another reason and perhaps the best yet, to hate Euros.

If I ever see that Limey I am going to run him over.

We sent him over to you guys because we are sick of him.

The key is to not encourage him. Don't watch or vote on any of his shows.
Then he'll go away, retire somewhere quiet with his collection of turtle-neck trousers and never annoy any of us again.

[Marc S]

Whats with the hating euros dean? Discuss. On my desk by 9am.

[Slim]

Another reason and perhaps the best yet, to hate Euros.

If I ever see that Limey I am going to run him over.


Yeah dude, You are more valuable to Sony than America's most popular rock singer ever. Sure dude, and Goerge W Bush is bright.

LOL.

While you may well wanna run him over, the fact is you yanks spent so much money buying the crap that AI spews out that they will be running the series for years and years.

[junky]

Another reason and perhaps the best yet, to hate Euros.

If I ever see that Limey I am going to run him over.

We sent him over to you guys because we are sick of him.

The key is to not encourage him. Don't watch or vote on any of his shows.
Then he'll go away, retire somewhere quiet with his collection of turtle-neck trousers and never annoy any of us again.

How long did Pop Idol last?

I remember that show when I was living in London, I came back to the states, and that damn Simon Cowell followed me.

[FormerJrnyFan]

Whats with the hating euros dean? Discuss. On my desk by 9am.

I believe you have opened a can of worms, sir

[SusieP]

[quote="jrnyjunky
How long did Pop Idol last?

I remember that show when I was living in London, I came back to the states, and that damn Simon Cowell followed me.[/quote]



So its YOUR fault!

If nobody encouraged him, he'd go away.

Maybe if we can get close enough and sprinkle salt on him he'll curl up and die?

Didn't watch Pop Idol, so I have no idea how long it ran for - maybe three seasons??? But we now have something vaguely similar to AI - called the X Factor, and I've seen bits of that, but it's appalling, so I avoid it at all costs.

Haven't seen any AI until this year when I saw last week's Ep - I was impressed with two girl singers, and I am curious to see if one of them wins, but I won't watch it.

Simon Cowell has a lot to answer for.

[junky]

[quote="jrnyjunky]
How long did Pop Idol last?

I remember that show when I was living in London, I came back to the states, and that damn Simon Cowell followed me.

So its YOUR fault!

If nobody encouraged him, he'd go away.

Maybe if we can get close enough and sprinkle salt on him he'll curl up and die?

Didn't watch Pop Idol, so I have no idea how long it ran for - maybe three seasons??? But we now have something vaguely similar to AI - called the X Factor, and I've seen bits of that, but it's appalling, so I avoid it at all costs.

Haven't seen any AI until this year when I saw last week's Ep - I was impressed with two girl singers, and I am curious to see if one of them wins, but I won't watch it.

Simon Cowell has a lot to answer for. [/quote]

I never watched it either, but the last two seasons I watched the first few shows when all the freaks are on. It's pretty funny.

Unfortunately, many Americans thrive on people like Simon Cowell.
And our manufactured pop culture is prime for shows like AI.

[SusieP]

X Factor is the same.
When it's on air, it's hard to escape from it.
All the magazines, newspapers, tv shows cover it all the time.

But the 'stars' it finds aren't my cup of tea.
At least you guys got Kelly Clarkson from it and she can actually sing.

I haven't heard the other winners, so I can't comment.
At least AI seems to feature a variety of music styles.
The Brit shows are a bit rubbish, really.

It's time it took a break from our screens IMO.

But as you say - it's a huge ratings hit for the tv network and I daren't even THINK about how much money they are making from phone votes.

[Blueskies]

Simon's a wanker !
by the way, British people......what is a "wanker" ?

[SusieP]

Simon's a wanker !
by the way, British people......what is a "wanker" ?

Wanking is to masturbate.


You use the term 'jerkoff' instead of "wanker" I believe.

We also say that something is "Wank" if it's crap or rubbish.

[Blueskies]

Simon's a wanker !
by the way, British people......what is a "wanker" ?

Wanking is to masturbate.


You use the term 'jerkoff' instead of "wanker" I believe.

We also say that something is "Wank" if it's crap or rubbish.

OPPS! Thanks for the clarification. Didnt know that .Used the wrong term then. Simon is wank? In the states we do call people jerkoffs, though!

[SusieP]

You were right.
He's a wanker.
His show is wank.
His turtle-neck trousers are wank, too.

[Blueskies]

You were right.
He's a wanker.
His show is wank.
His turtle-neck trousers are wank, too.

[SusieP]

Feel free to ask for any more terms you heard but aren't quite sure about.

[Blueskies]

Feel free to ask for any more terms you heard but aren't quite sure about.

Will do, thanks! Think I've got this one...not sure.... A fag is a cigarette?