Artists/Bands that have had a backlash

[NORTHCOAST]

I picked up Hootie & The Blowfish's "Cracked Rear View" at a resale shop for $1. And it reminded me how big this band was a few years back. I distinctly remember this really neat guy at work extolling their virtures one month and dissing them a few months later. They were all over radio, only to have a massive backlash and then crash and burn. It really is a sad, embarrassing episode for this band and their fans. It got me wondering what other bands/artists have had big fan backlashes to this extent. And what caused the backlash? With Hootie, it seemed like it was such an oversaturization and overplay of their singles on radio. And then their quick turn around for a follow up album. Maybe it was the stupid band name. Maybe Darius Rucker wasn't cool. Can you name other bands who have had a similar fate, and why? Any who had a big backlash but then overcame it and continued to be successful?

[Pulse]

Other backlashes I can think of..

Dixie Chicks - For dissing the president
Mariah Carey - For having a breakdown
Ashlee Simpson - For being caught lip synching
Janet Jackson - For showing her boobs at the Super Bowl

[banet2001]

The Beatles had a huge backlash against them after John Lennon claimed that the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus" in 1966. The Beatles were able overcome that backlash and continued to have considerable success.

[jimmy74747]

Creed. They were as big if not bigger than Hootie was during their 1999-2002 heyday. Now, due to a combination of overplay on radio and Scott Stapp's behavior, they are considered somewhat of a joke.

[Trebizond]

Britney Spears, Alanis Morissette...

Just about anyone that attains massive success suffers some backlash just for being so exposed.

[billme]

Kenny G
Ricky Martin

[banet2001]

trebizond said:

Britney Spears, Alanis Morissette...

Just about anyone that attains massive success suffers some backlash just for being so exposed.

I guess you could include New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany from the late 1980's into that category.

Milli Vanilli suffered a huge backlash when they were caught not singing on their album. You can toss C&C Music Factory in that category, when their videos feature an attractive young singer Zelma Davis as the singer (lip syncher), instead of veteran singer Martha Wash, who actually sang the song "Gonna Make You Sweat".

Vanilla Ice suffered a backlash by failing to give Queen credit for his sample of "Under Pressure" on "Ice Ice Baby", as well as falsifying his biography to give him more street cred.

[hidizzyguy]

Alanis, Jewel, Babyface

[tico]

What did Babyface do to get backlash?

Limp Bizkit has taken some because of the backlash against rap-metal. They tried make more inroads with their remake of the Who song "Behind Blue Eyes", but it hasn't translated to any more success. Bon Jovi and Def Leppard have taken some for softening their hard-rock sound, though in the case of Bon Jovi, they have had some success with it, as evidenced with their current hit "Who Says You Can't Go Home".

MC Hammer really got a lot of backlash for being overexposed and got even more when he tried to go for a more "gangsta" approach in the mid-90s.

[🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾]

Madonna
2 times actually. Right after Erotica and the Sex book. Too much exposure, too much sex. Then again after American Life. Just the whole atmosphere at that time was bad especially with the war starting and the album was all anti-war. And the album was not good.

Dixie Chicks
The anti-Bush comments.

[Gorminako]

banet2001 said:

trebizond said:

Britney Spears, Alanis Morissette...

Just about anyone that attains massive success suffers some backlash just for being so exposed.

I guess you could include New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany from the late 1980's into that category.

Milli Vanilli suffered a huge backlash when they were caught not singing on their album. You can toss C&C Music Factory in that category, when their videos feature an attractive young singer Zelma Davis as the singer (lip syncher), instead of veteran singer Martha Wash, who actually sang the song "Gonna Make You Sweat".

Vanilla Ice suffered a backlash by failing to give Queen credit for his sample of "Under Pressure" on "Ice Ice Baby", as well as falsifying his biography to give him more street cred.

Very good examples. Generally, boy bands and other teen idols will, after gaining millions of crazed fans and overexposure, sooner or later get a huge backlash. Stark examples: various '50's teen idols, with Elvis Presley and Rick Nelson lasting the longest, until around 1964 (notwithstanding later comebacks), the Osmonds (and Donny himself); Rick Springfield; NKOTB; Backstreet Boys, Nsync and 98 Degrees. About the only exception I can think of is the Beatles, who kept on developing, and exploring new music as they led the way during the creative music explosion of the mid to late '60's. They also knew enough to quit as a band while they were still on top.

I think a key to longevity is continued creativity and development, while at least occasionally going back in a general way to the sound that won you lots of fans in the first place.

[cnelson575]

I just dont think American Life was a bad album, I think the theme behind American Life the single was just not the way to go at the time, plus the song was one of the weaker songs on the album, so a very bad first single choice.

[Perp]

On the country side of things, Rascal Flatts is way overexposed right now. Their success (over 11 million albums sold) utterly baffles me, but I'm not part of the Soccer Mom demographic they're aiming for. Part of the reason for their success is a VERY large and rabid fan club that snaps up multiple copies of the albums that have bonus tracks, different covers, etc. A backlash is brewing among country purists who hate their general sound, and among others who just find the lead singer's nasaly vocals affecting and annoying. Their current single is just plain bad and I feel it was released to country radio just to show off the power they have over radio, but after their usual fast start it slowed down, and occasionally other songs have passed it along the way. It's still climbing, but not nearly as fast as one of their typical releases. It generates high negatives in song research and finally some stations are taking that into account.

[MikeCheck12]

thepulse said:

Other backlashes I can think of..

Janet Jackson - For showing her boobs at the Super Bowl

She only showed one boob. ;)

[Rumors]

The Strokes...British media hyped them as "the next big thing" several years ago. It just didn't materialize. I think they were a good band with some talent but their lead singer didn't seem to have the "it" factor to get them beyond the hype.

I also think Coldplay has begun to receive some backlash. Their album is 3x platinum which is a hugely successful album but I just have a hunch that the band might have expected more. It'll be interesting to see how their 4th album does. Good band but not great. I own one of their albums but consider some of their stuff to be a little on the boring side.

[johnm1120]

Celine :( After My Heart Will Go On, plus nowadays her label don't care.

Paula Abdul after taking too long between 2nd & 3rd albums not to mention her personal woes and her attempt to change her sound.

Pink.  From consistent top 10s to consistent stiffs.

Sinead O' Connor for ripping up the picture of the Pope on SNL.

If you wanna change genres, Sandy Patti on Christian radio after hersonal life events surfaced (she was cheating on her husband with a married man.)

A lot of artists mainy get backlash cause of age now.

[bigbluenote]

Unfortunately, these great artists were huge at one point and are now nowhere.

Dixie Chicks
Alanis Morissette
Jewel
Britney Spears

[singalong]

Billy Ray Cyrus. Ackey breaky Heart anyone?

[jaxxalude]

trebizond said:

Just about anyone that attains massive success suffers some backlash just for being so exposed.

'Nuff said. Also, backlashes can occur also on a more specific basis. The country ones and The Strokes one talked about here are cases in point. Another example I'm thinking of here is the Black Eyed Peas. Yes, the Black Eyed Peas. Not the mainstream ones, but the ones who had a very different, Golden Age-friendly style. As soon as Elephunk dropped, they had a massive backlash among the hardcore/purist/backpack crowd who followed them religiously until then, especially because after making such a statement as this, they ended up representing so much of the very things they criticized so much.

[lollipopheaven]

bigbluenote said:

Unfortunately, these great artists were huge at one point and are now nowhere.

Dixie Chicks
Alanis Morissette
Jewel
Britney Spears

Ah one of them left for a while to start a family. That's way more important to Britney right now. She'll be back. She of course says this in part of her interview with Bazaar.

Christina Aguilera will always be looked at as raunchy, and vulgar. Even her fans think she looks like she's about to suck a d!ck in the ANOM video. ROFL

[bigbluenote]

I don't think anyone's mentioned Gretchen Wilson yet. She has WAY to much overexposure. That right there caused a backlash. She's not shooting out hits anymore like she seemed to be doing right off the bat.

I think the same exact thing will happen to carrie underwood, or at least that's what I'm hoping.

[Arson]

Jennifer Lopez

[Itz]

Mariah after the breakdown
Britney after all of her stunts
Madonna after AL
3LW after Naturi left
ASHLEE after SNL
Janet after the Superbowl
Whitney after the drugs
Nick Lachey after going solo (he rebounded though)
Brandy after Afrodisiac (which is sad, considering it is an amazing album)

[Filthy Pop]

lollipopheaven said:

bigbluenote said:

Unfortunately, these great artists were huge at one point and are now nowhere.

Dixie Chicks
Alanis Morissette
Jewel
Britney Spears

Ah one of them left for a while to start a family. That's way more important to Britney right now. She'll be back. She of course says this in part of her interview with Bazaar.

Christina Aguilera will always be looked at as raunchy, and vulgar. Even her fans think she looks like she's about to suck a d!ck in the ANOM video. ROFL

Don't generalize all of Christina's fans becasue of your own personal biased opinion, thanks :)

[Myeahhh.]

Ja Rule - After 50 & G-Unit destroyed his career

[Modern Myth]

mariahsonfire said:

Ja Rule - After 50 & G-Unit destroyed his career

Thankfully though? Eh.

[jaxxalude]

Well, how about a genre backlash? Case in point? Hair metal, after Nirvana and grunge and alt.rock took over in late '91/early '92.

[jaxxalude]

jaxxalude said:

Well, how about a genre backlash? Case in point? Hair metal, after Nirvana and grunge and alt.rock took over in late '91/early '92.

And how about the disco backlash in the late 70s/early 80s?

[jaxxalude]

jaxxalude said:

Well, how about a genre backlash? Case in point? Hair metal, after Nirvana and grunge and alt.rock took over in late '91/early '92.

Or even the grunge backlash itself after Kurt Cobain's suicide?

[Trebizond]

Celine :( After My Heart Will Go On, plus nowadays her label don't care.

I think Celine was as much a victim of changing musical taste as backlash. She didn't have much of a place in a teeny-bopper and then hip-hop dominated scene.

Well, how about a genre backlash? Case in point? Hair metal, after Nirvana and grunge and alt.rock took over in late '91/early '92.

Or even the grunge backlash itself after Kurt Cobain's suicide?

Or teen pop after Britney, Christina, and the millions of boybands in the late 90's & early 2000's. Genre backlash happens fairly frquently, happened to disco back in the day too (and I can understand why).