I just learned of this documentary from 2006. It's being aired tomorrow (Sunday February 3rd) on the Independent Film Channel at 12:00 noon (EST.) I don't think any of us will be surprised by anything discussed in the movie, but it sounds interesting none the less.

(Description from Amazon.com) ... With outstanding performances and revealing interviews Before the Music Dies takes a critical look at the homogenization of popular music with commentary by some of the industry's biggest talents like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Erykah Badu, Branford Marsalis, Bonnie Raitt and more. Using historic footage the film looks at the evolution of American music and the artists who created it and pulls back the curtain (in a very creative way) to expose the sad truth behind today's "artificial" music stars. "The reality is that superficiality is in," says Marsalis. "And depth and quality is kind of out." Inspired by the death of his brother, director Andrew Shapter and his crew traveled thousands of miles, visiting dozens of cities, speaking with hundreds of fans, journalists, record executives and musicians while searching for "real" American music. What they found were mega-talents without a major label, including one artist Eric Clapton believes is "the real thing."

More info here even though it doesn't appear to be available on DVD at this time.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KGGP8U/?tag=imwan-20

I'm especially intrigued by the customer review which mentions the fact that the documentary shows an attractive female performer (who sings off-key) being brought in to make a recording.

Some third party dealers still have the DVD in stock at this other listing page:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979369207/?tag=imwan-20



(Moving this thread to the Video board as well ...)

I will watch this when I can, but I don't expect that there will be much in it that people who have loved popular music for a long time don't already know.
I don't readily buy into the notion that the music being made today is more superficial and more disposable than the music of 50, 40 ,30 or whenever years ago.
There have been manufactured pop idols since the dawn of rock n roll, and many of Rocks' great founding fathers received limited airplay during their heyday.

The mid 60's to mid 70's was the golden age of rock and roll radio, a period where one could spin the dial and find all kinds of good stuff, popular or not.Rock radio has sucked for a long time now, but just because most of the best stuff is not being heard by the masses it doesn't mean it's not out there. You guys and gals know that. I knew people 40 years ago that were trying like hell to break into the music business, and I know many today, and it's always been difficult.
All of Chuck's children are still out there, playing the sticks, looking for a break. And, I think, there's still enough of them that get through, enough that a point of view that dismisses the music of today or the last 10-15 years is very limited.

Let me get this straight--all of a sudden the baby boomers want to decry the current state of popular music by pointing back fondly to the days when the charts were populated by such non-homogenous, non-artificial "artists" as Pat Boone, Patty Duke and The Archies?

Yes.

The point is, there was a lot more on the charts at the same time. You'll always have plenty of superficial crap that sells. But in the 60's, for instance, you also had the Beatles, the Byrds, the Stones, and hundreds of other real artists. I don't see that happening now.

To me, it's not really a question of how much crappy music there is.

It's the fact that music is now made by producers much more than it is by the musicians themselves. Even a mediocre player can be made to sound good in the hands of the right producer. Musicians play to a click track more often than not because tempo fluctuations are considered bad for some reason. (To me, perfect tempo creates an overly-mechanical feel to music, but that's just my opinion.) Producers use ProTools to fix every little flaw in a recording. You know, if the bass player is off by a 1/16th of a beat once or twice in a song, who cares? It just reminds us that the music is being made by human beings! And I've seen pitch-correction in action before and was floored by it. Allegedly, EVERY recording being made in Nashville at this time, is being subjected to pitch correction (even in cases where the singer is in tune!)

Whether we like the Pat Boone's and the Patty Dukes (or any of the bubblegum bands,) at least musicians of that era could sing in tune (even if it took a couple takes to capture an in-tune recording.)

As for the recordings that received limited airplay during their heyday... Keep in mind that racism had a lot to do with that. It wasn't always easy to get "race records" played on the radio!

Good points by both Greg and Jon, ones which I can not dispute. My argument is that while there are no acts the equivalent of the Beatles, Dylan, the Stones, and maybe a handful of others, there is enough good real music out there.
For me, bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Hives, the Kaiser Chiefs, Imperial Teen and Starsailor, and to go back a little further, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals and Blur,all would have fit in nicely in any period as far as quality of music. In addition to that, some of my all time favorite bands, such as Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and The Strawbs continue to produce vital new music as well as touring on a regular basis.
If we happen to be going through a period where often producers and tools may be more important than the actual performers, that doesn't negate the fact that away from that there are still a lot of musicians still doing it the old fashioned way.
I'm sure if Charley Patton had been around at the time he would have dismissed the Beatles for using studio trickery instead of just their guitars and voices.

As for the radio airplay, my point, which I expressed badly, was that often the best performers are not heard on the radio, regardless of the reason.
When I read a quote of a line from the movie by Branford Marsails(!) stating that "...superficiality is in..., and depth and quality is kind of out", it angers me just a bit. It's too pat an opinion, too dismissive of a lot of good music and good performers.