Musical Jumping the Shark

[csberry]

I was reading recently in Entertainment Weekly about a new phrase: "nuking the fridge." Apparently (since I'm a complete recluse and parent and haven't been to a theater in MONTHS), there is a scene in the new Indiana Jones movie involving a nuke and a fridge. This scene was such a turning point for some fans, that they decreed "nuking the fridge" to be the movie equivalent of "jumping the shark."

Just a little while ago, I went to the Cure's site and was listening to their new single. The band's longevity and this article attached themselves together in my noggin and made me ponder about rock/pop artists and bands. Is there a "Just Called to Say I Love You"(Stevie Wonder's drowning death in sappy pop music) or "Steel Wheels"(Nope, no more memorable singles for the Stones) or "Smile" (Beach Boys' aborted album post-Pet Sounds) for music? What album was the one that made you go,"Okay, I need to stop buying albums from this artist?"

Was it "Out of Time" or "Automatic for the People" with REM?

Did Tears for Fears jump at "The Seeds of Love?"

What about Madonna?

While I primarily listen to "For You" to "1999"-era Prince, I would say he jumped with the "Black Album/Lovesexy." I love "(eye) Wish U Heaven" but my copy of the album has collected a lot of dust through the years.

Who hasn't jumped the musical shark?

Did the Beatles? Was it downhill after "Sgt. Pepper" and the "White Album" merely has a cult following based on the Manson connection and folks that accidentally buy it thinking it is a greatest hits collection?

I don't know about U2. I would have said that Zooropa was the beginning of the end before the band's revival with "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

Comments

R.E.M.

[auronsgirl.livejournal.com]

Out of Time and Automatic for the People are two of my favorite R.E.M. album. Not my all time favorite (Fables of the Reconstruction), but up there on the playlist.

I stopped with them when New Adventures in Hi-Fi came out. Just could not get into that album.

I stopped buying albums from The Church after Gold Afternoon Fix, and hearing some of their stuff post GAF, I'm not entirely sorry for that. I still listen to Starfish and GAF quite often, though.

Haven't had a new Cure album since Disentigration and the remix album whose name eludes me at the moment.

On the other hand, even though I didn't care for Apple Venus 2 as much as Apple Venus 1, I'd never stop buying albums from Andy et al. Same thing for Ben Folds albums. He's got a magic hook into the Barry Manilow section of my brain. I love a man who can rock a piano, especially with panache, which is something Billy Joel lost a while back.

Re: R.E.M.

[csberry.livejournal.com]

While I wasn't into Automatic for the People much at all, New Adventures in Hi-Fi was the last REM album I bought...and sold a year or so later.

Re: R.E.M.

[chris21718.livejournal.com]

The Cure's remix CD was called "Mixed Up" from 1990. (Elektra 60978).