What successful artists never would have made it on American Idol?

[Steely Dan]

I was listening to a Youtube video of Elton John and someone noted in the comments that he probably wouldn't have made it to Hollywood on AI.

I think agree with that. Obviously, this is about pre-AI artists. I know Simon Cowell said that if he had seen a young Bob Dylan he'd have run the other way. Obviously they are looking for pop type singers, with a certain image mostly. So here are some others I thought of:

Neil Young
Steven Tyler
Tom Waits
Donald Fagen
Walter Becker


I'm sure you guys can add a lot more.

 

[Melanie]

I don't think Brittney Spears would have won AI. She sings to backtracks, and I don't think I've ever heard her sing without backup singers.

Just my opinion though --

 

[Steely Dan]

I thought of Billy Joel too, also Jim Croce and Jimi Hendrix probably wouldn't have.

 

[pghbrandi]

I bet Axl Rose from Guns N Roses wouldn't have made it either. I love GNR but he probably wouldn't have made it thirty seconds!!

 

[Elley Mae]

janice joplin

 

[smart blonde]

Stevie Nicks

 

[badhorsie]

David Bowie

 

[Tiger09]

Anyone who doesn't attract soccer moms or teenage girls. That list is too vast. Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Adele- everyone these morons on these shows try to imitate. Yes, I'm not happy with the way the Voice results are going.

 

[ebonydarkness]

Reminds me of a rant by Dave Grohl. http://deltaskymag.delta.com/Sky-Extras/Favorites/Rock--n--Roll-Jedi.aspx

"When I think about kids watching a TV show like American Idol or The Voice, then they think, ‘Oh, OK, that’s how you become a musician, you stand in line for eight f****** hours with 800 people at a convention center and then you sing your heart out for someone and then they tell you it’s not f****** good enough.’ Can you imagine?” he implores. “It’s destroying the next generation of musicians! Musicians should go to a yard sale and buy an old f****** drum set and get in their garage and just suck. And get their friends to come in and they’ll suck, too. And then they’ll f******* start playing and they’ll have the best time they’ve ever had in their lives and then all of a sudden they’ll become Nirvana. Because that’s exactly what happened with Nirvana. Just a bunch of guys that had some s***** old instruments and they got together and started playing some noisy-a** s***, and they became the biggest band in the world. That can happen again!”

So, most of the music that's out there never would have made it on American Idol. TV singing contests are looking for what I'd call a very narrowly-defined type of musician that appeals to the masses.

 

[Elphaba]

Rod Stewart... I can hear Randy, now: "not feeling it dawg"

As it stands in her music career, I have to agree on the Britney Spears one. But here is the thing with Britney: like American Idol, she is a product of the industry... the singing voice of we associate her with is not her natural singing voice.

I have to agree with Damon Albarn's assessment of things like American Idol (and I doubt he would have made it on there, either... his talents lie beyond voice and image... he can write music and play the piano/keyboards/guitar/etc like a freaking god):
http://www.kdge.com/pages/diva.html?article=7801206

 

[CCJD]

The late, great Frank Zappa

 

[Mrs G Norris]

All of them, unless they were of the 'sugar pop' variety IMO.

 

[Laughing]

Joe Cocker, Meatloaf, Stevie Ray Vaughan....

 

[Ausgirl]

Ahahaha - Joe Cocker. I can just imagine their faces.

What Dave Grohl said.

 

[Mariel Van Arkle]

Johnny Cash.

 

[Wagara]

Springsteen. Willie Nelson.

WagaraTapaTalk

 

[Steely Dan]

janice joplin

Stevie Nicks

Excellent choices. :thumb:

 

[LinasK]

Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I can tell you one current star that tried out 2 times and never made it to the judges. And has pure talent.

Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum.

 

[huckleberryhound]

Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler