Elton John: 'No more pop music from me'

[The Straight Story]

Sir Elton John has admitted that he is no longer interested in writing pop music.

The 'Rocket Man' singer said that he is calling time on his career in contemporary rock and pop hits because he cannot compete with many of the current artists in the charts.

He told GQ: "Look, I'm 63. I don't want to be on VH1 or MTV. I'm not going to compete with JLS or Lady GaGa. I'm at that stage where I don't think I can write pop music anymore. I can't sit down and do a proper rock song. It was okay when I was 25 or 26, but not anymore.

"I like to do my little side projects like Scissor Sisters and have fun, but I don't think Elton John will be putting any pop singles out."

John recently claimed that modern-day songwriters are "pretty awful" and that current pop music "isn't very inspiring".

http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a285269/elton-john-no-more-pop-music-from-me.html

[phantom power]

1. and you kids get off my lawn

Hell, I'm only 41 and I frequently feel the same way.

:banghead:

[ixion]

2. modern day 'pop' sucks

in my opinion.

[blondeatlast]

32. That's what my parents said, and their parents... nt

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

36. That's what I said as a teenager

back in the '70's

[ixion]

65. Here's the thing, though:

I can appreciate popular music up until the 80's, which is when it went synthethic and atonal. That is, I can appreciate pop music from my parents and grandparents generations, but have no respect for my own generations pop, and anything thereafter.

[BootinUp]

3. I saw a video where he was on stage with Lady Gaga

you could tell he wasn't into it at all. Frankly I don't blame him, but hopefully he will be inspired again in the future.

[WCGreen]

5. He should go back to writing albums like Tumbleweed Connection...

One of the purest, sweetest albums from the 70's...

[asdjrocky]

58. That is a great album.

That, and Don't Shoot Me are two of my favorite albums of all time. Along with Yellowbrick Road, which I loved.

[Teaser]

4. good

Wish he'd stopped 40 years ago.

[edhopper]

11. Try

"Songs From the West Coast" 2001
Great album.

[CLANG]

44. Best EJ Album EVA!!

[BootinUp]

14. you're forum name and that response

just made me laugh out loud.

[sendero]

66. Yellow Brick Road..

...was the last worthwhile thing he did. Yeah I agree :)

[edhopper]

6. He's had an amazingly

long and prolific career.
Why not do other projects that interest him.
I also agree completely with the last statement.
Today's pop songs are largely producer written and driven.
That way they get the royalties. The only problem is they wouldn't know a melody if it hit them in the face.

[LeFleur1]

17. Few Melodies in Music Today

The only problem is they wouldn't know a melody if it hit them in the face.

That is so totally true. Sometimes I think they'd be better off just to write poetry or stories and read them. Melodies require some knowledge of music.

[Richardo]

7. Who's JLS?

/geezer

[marmar]

British pop-R&B group.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. No geezer

You didn't have to ask who Lady Gaga is, now, did you?

[Richardo]

21. Es usted muy amable

No, I know Lady Gaga by name of course, but I'll bet I've never heard one of her songs all the way through. I know I've never seen her perform an entire song.

I thought JLS was shorthand for someone's name. :shrug:

How're things, CPD? :hi:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. All right, all right, you ARE a geezer.

:hi:

[marmar]

8. The current autotune era in pop is pretty depressing.

nt

[WCGreen]

15. I went up to Guitar Center to buy a chorus effect for my voice and they

asked if I wanted an Auto Tune I replied, no I can sing on tune just fine...

They looked at me like I was crazy or something...

[Codeine]

24. Does any sentence that begins

"I went to Guitar Center. . ." ever have a good ending? :evilgrin:

[LawnLover]

27. It does if it ends with

and sat down and played an amazing Taylor acoustic."

[HughBeaumont]

37. Oh, GOD no.

I hate setting foot in that place. How many playpen Delta blues or covers can one take, especially when the wankers playing them are volume-knob challenged?

[LawnLover]

26. Saw a podcast recently in which a record producer said

(I'm paraphrasing) "A few years back we had to sneak into the studio after the session was done and add autotune to the voices, just to get them the best they could be. Artists were insulted if you autotuned them. Nowadays, however, the artist gets in the booth, does a single take, and when you tell them they went a little flat, they say, 'why don't you just autotune it.' Singers these days have gotten very lazy."

[Zephie]

9. I rarely listen to anything new, aside from some indie artists

Old rock was so much better than this new garbage that they're trying to feed youth.

... I'm 20. I shouldn't be this jaded. =( My friends make me feel old. All the time.

Edit: Mr. Crowley came on my randomize right after I pressed the button to post. Win?

[Pab Sungenis]

10. Check the date on that article.

He hasn't written a pop song since 1991.

[edhopper]

12. It's dated today

again "Songs from the West Coast" 2001
And he has a new album with Leon Russell

[kysrsoze]

31. I heard one of the songs from that Leon Russell album and it was pretty cool.

Very different, and not poppy at all. If he were to do this instead of odes to dead actresses for the rest of his life, that's fine with me.

[dana_b]

69. I saw them together at the Bridge School Benefit a couple of weeks ago

fantastic!! They stole the show and they played with Buffalo SPringfield, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, Jeff Bridges... and amazing concert.

[WCGreen]

13. The problem is he has written nothing put pop songs ever since

Tumbleweed Connections...

[donheld]

49. Wrong

He wrote a bunch for his CD with Leon Russell. He wrote some for the Captain and the Kid CD. If you look it up he's written quite a bit since 1991

[Pab Sungenis]

52. He's written a lot of songs

but no pop songs. He lost it after "The Last Song." Or maybe right before it.

"Reg Strikes Back" was the last real Elton John album.

[donheld]

61. Your opinion

not worth much to me.

[joeybee12]

16. Good news! Now go away completley you worthless old hack! n/t

[bobburgster]

18. Nothing wrong with that opinion.....

wish old Mick would stop his gyrations too.

[donco6]

20. That's OK - Rush likes his old shit anyway.

I couldn't care less if Sir Elton fell off a cliff.

[cbdo2007]

22. He hasn't written a good song in 15 years - so is this an old story???

Really has he even had an album in the past 10 years?? I thought he just wrote for disney movies now.

[donheld]

50. You haven't been paying attention.

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Yet he just released a new CD

:wtf:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

25. I hate it when people speak of themselves in the third person! n/t

[K8-EEE]

29. K8-EEE hates this also. nt

[Heidi]

48. Heidi disapproves of this post. (nt)

[nolabear]

30. Well, there are other genres. His new CD with Leon Russell is terrific.

I've always been a fan, though there for a while he wasn't doing much that inspired me to buy it. But there are times when he's been delightful, and now and then sublime. I'd recommend that new CD. Dark, and he's smart enough to stand back and let Leon take the lead. I've seen him be very, very generous with up-and-comers and old timers alike, so he gets a lot of slack with me.

[MattyGroves]

33. Speaking of awful, Elton's been pretty awful himself for the better part of 3 decades

No loss to today's music landscape (pop, rock, or otherwise)

[Upton]

34. Maybe he can go be Rush's personal musician..

never liked his music..like him even less..

[EnviroBat]

35. Awesome!

The less "pop music" being created, the better...

[vanbean]

38. That's because you have a massive amount ot talent, Elton.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. OK By Me

He's been without a song worth a damn for 25 years, and he's still never been able to play piano.

If he gets serious about his music, he'll only expose himself as the pedestrian hack he's always been.G
GAC

[donheld]

47. The Union

Have you heard his new CD with Leon Russell. Tell me that's worthless. I think a hack's calling someone a hack.

[ProfessorGAC]

59. You've Never Heard Me Play

So, your opinion of my playing is irrelvant. Secondly, yes i have heard some of that album. Yawn!

If that's your cup of tea, fine. But, i'd suggest your standards are too low.
GAC

[donheld]

60. I never said a word about your playing

Didn't know you played.

Maybe your standards are too high. I've found some people only like 3 songs.

[The Gunslinger]

40. He can make a Happy Birthday Rush Limbaugh album.

[closeupready]

41. Only on DU is the most successful male recording artist of all time "worthless".

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-artists-20.shtml

:rofl:

[donco6]

45. Not only on DU.

When he sold his soul to Rush Limbaugh, that pretty much put him in the crapper for anyone with a conscience.

[closeupready]

53. I don't know. Most adults have sufficient experience to see the world more richly than B/W.

But I respect you, and you are entitled to be angry about it. Lord knows I can't stand anything Limbaugh stands for or says, and was as disappointed as anyone else that Elton had done it.

Nonetheless, I stand by my lighthearted snark. Cheers. :hi:

(Today's word is "stand". LOL)

[donco6]

55. I solidly support your right to be wrong.

LOL! OK, fine, I haven't deleted him from my iPod . . . YET!

[closeupready]

56. Well, when I am, I will certainly let you know.

This is not one of those times. :D :rofl: ;) :hi:

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Duh!

His music has been HORRIBLE for years. He's been repetitive and boring and tedious and treacly, for quite some time. That you would suggest that somehow his success with the pedeistrian listeners of the masses makes NO sense at all.

You're just being silly.
GAC

[Morning Dew]

42. He should do another side project

with Bruno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuHMzs2YI9o

that was the most I've enjoyed Elton John in years.

[cleveramerican]

43. He makes a wonderful old fart

Its looks like it'll be a smooth transition for him.

[okieinpain]

51. damn about time someone picked on something other than

rap music. I agree with elton 100 percent.

[KamaAina]

54. Another washed-up musician who's been reduced to playing weddings

:eyes:

[WinkyDink]

67. You haven't been to Broadway lately, have you?

[asdjrocky]

57. You mean he's written pop music since Yellowbrick Road?

Really?

[walldude]

62. Sounds good to me...

Sounds like a man who is not afraid of aging gracefully. And he's right about the current crop of pop music. It's crap. You have to dig deep to find the good stuff these days.

[IDemo]

63. Here's what a co-worker had on the radio today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh8DmKrTRj0

I'll take Elton, or anything else, thank you.

:crazy::puke::freak::wtf:

[Toucano]

64. It's about time. You stopped being very inspiring when you started writing Disney songs. n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

68. Good!

I hope he tries his hand at something a little more cerebral like Classical or Jazz. He's certainly got the chops for it.

[dana_b]

70. Leon Russell and Elton are great together now

and I saw them together a couple of weeks ago. Elton sounded like his old self - no Lion King stuff - real soulful music. It was a great show!

[WinkyDink]

71. Unbelievable. The man is part of a team who wrote GENIUS songs, and now it's "what have you done

lately"?!

Who amongst us wouldn't think our life was COMPLETE had we penned "Your Song," not to mention the entire "Captain Fantastic and the Brown-Dirt Cowboy"??

Creative geniuses do not need to continually create to maintain their bona fides. Michelangelo was never "washed up." Etc.