The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
Welcome back to school everybody, and welcome to spring quarter. I’m writing my column on Mondays this time around, but will still be bringing you the same analysis of music news as in previous quarters.
Recently, Rolling Stone released a feature called “The New Immortals,” in which it listed off a series of artists who it believes will “stand the test of time” and likely end up on ballots for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of the magazine’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” Here’s the list: Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Wilco, Rihanna, Green Day, The White Stripes, The Roots, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and Phish.
The feature’s comment section has been quite busy since it was published. That’s bound to happen any time a publication releases a list-esque feature. There will always be people who comment on the fact that this or that artist isn’t on the list, and what a travesty that is for music.
For the most part, I agree with Rolling Stone’s list. Many of the artists on it have made big strides in their respective genres. That being said, I think that Rolling Stone’s definition of “immortal” is a little generous. Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Beyoncé. Four of the giants of contemporary pop music. Beyoncé belongs on this list, but Swift and Lady Gaga do not. When we think of “immortal” musicians, we think of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Queen and so on. Beyoncé has an amazing voice and has been releasing varied and high-quality music for years – not just chart toppers.
Taylor Swift has also been selling plenty of records, but will they really go down as paragons of excellent music? Her albums are catchy selections of break-up songs that have sold a massive amount of records because they are so commercially friendly. Lady Gaga has also scored a few major headlines – both in the music department and in the costume department (I’m thinking meat dress).
There’s a difference between selling a ton of records and belonging on a “Best of” list. In her heyday, many probably would have put Britney Spears on a list of “New Immortals.” She wouldn’t be there now. Eventually, there will be a new pop musician whose songs take over from Swift and Gaga at the top of the charts, and the formers’ relevance will fade. Part of being one of “The New Immortals” needs to be staying relevant for their entire careers – bands like Green Day, The Strokes and Phish are some examples of this feature.
Several musicians could have been on this list in lieu of the pop queens, in my opinion. Absent from this list are The Black Keys, some of the best rock musicians in the past several years, and Adele, who changed the cookie-cutter definition of who can be a pop music icon. And those are just a couple of examples.
Longevity is too often equated exclusively with numerical success. And to be sure, records sold belongs in the equation for a musician’s success. But so does the quality and originality of an artist’s music. If we start categorizing every radio chart-topping musician as a future member of the Hall of Fame, it’s going to take music in a very alarming direction.
Correction: Andrew Bain is the author of the article.