Why do record companies try to make things (boy bands, teen pop singers, etc.) work when they don't work?

Think about it for a moment. So many of them have worked for extremely short periods of time. David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Tony Delfranco, Bobby Sherman, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Vee, Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Aaron Carter, Hillary Duff, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, LFO, 98 Degrees, and the list goes on and on. Sure you might know what some of them are doing now (Leif Garrett is on "World's Dumbest..."), and some of them have had a breakout star (N'Sync had Justin Timberlake, but does anyone care about what the others are doing these days?). But these are nothing more than just fads. Fads that will come and go. Kesha's music won't be remembered twenty years from now. Neither will Justin Bieber's, T-Pain's, Lil Wayne's, Rihanna's, Katy Perry's, Miley Cyrus's, Selena Gomez's, Demi Levato's, Big Time Rush's, and (again) the list goes on and on.





If you want an even more recent example, then let me remind you of The Jonas Brothers. For a few years, they had some hit singles, then they're singles charted lower and lower. The last three singles they would put out wouldn't even chart. A Ska Punk band named Reel Big Fish released an album the same year and it actually did better than Jonas Brothers. It doesn't say a whole lot for your band when a band barely anyone cares about anymore charts higher than yours.





Now, some might argue that they do work because they make money. But who cares about the money part of it? Think of bands that have been around for a while that still have a huge following today. That longevity is what makes a band work. AC/DC has been around since 1973, and they're most recent album debuted at #1. If the money aspect is really what we consider what "works," then that means those music producers, "talent" agents, and the like are no better than those Wall Street a$$holes who focus more on short term gain than long-term, stable profit.





And something else I'd like to mention. I appreciate quality pop music (even if it seems that there is much quantity of it lately). Adam Lambert, Adele, Lady GaGa, P!nk, Christian Aguilera, etc. But these shameless attempts at making safe, commercially-friendly, assembly-line music products I cannot appreciate and will refuse to support them.|||Its a business and its all about money. This business in particular will whore anybody out and the little girls love the cute little boys, boy band etc. Justin Beiber doesnt need to be remembered he made like $50 Million dollars last year selling his movie, nail polish, merchandise, a book, etc as long as little girls will gush and spend all their allowance on that ****, the industry will push it.|||The backstreet boys are still around!!!!!!|||because little girls like it and they make money off of it|||very interesting question.





they make a lot of money off of those corporate "MUSICIANS."





celebrities who cave into what their label is forcing them to do are just sellout because then they make nothing but cookie cutter repetitive catchy songs that are sold and make mucho money to the record label corporates.





i know its not like that for ALL labels though, especially indie labels.





most record labels don't care about the "music" as long as it sells and makes them money.





they don't care about the talent, as long as they got a pretty face... actuall you don't even need THAT nowadays.





i definitely agree with you a hundred percent.


at least there IS great music and bands out their that don't sell out. they actually make music... meaningful stuff. you mainstream people probably know it as "alternative music".





its sad because MUSIC and BUSINESS are total opposites but they are forced to be together.|||Record company executives have no imagination or vision whatsoever. They can't recognize real talent and originality when they hear it (The Beatles and Elvis Presley were turned down by several major labels). They sign acts just like the ones that are already selling records. I'm sure they're already looking for "the next Justin Bieber". What a horrible thought!|||It's not that they work for long periods of time. It's the fact that they make lots of money. Think about it, it's not like it's all that hard to find someone to be a pop star, it's essentially free money for the labels, and parents of little children like them because their image is clean and sterile.





You didn't really need a long wall of text to ask the question that you did.



Boybands and Disney style pop groups are popular because they are harmless for children. You won't find a dangerous mind or controversial figure in a Disney pop band.



EDIT: Do you seriously think that greedy record label execs would do something that would ultimately be a waste of money?|||Oh I know what you mean about quality music, but the way I see it is every year or so you keep getting a bunch of new teenagers and preteens, you keep getting new groups coming in and wanting to make some music and some history.. In a way they're both fulfilling each other's needs or demands and there's a dream at both ends.. Like LFO summer time girls really set the theme or a memory for that year back in the 90s%26lt;3 I love all forms of media I think..

So these guys got to make a hit song, thousands of girls got to have a crush on this guy or listen to the song with their girlfriends.. It's all entertainment, memories.. And like if you love music, isn't the point of music for there to be song in any form... Like if you were a writer, and you could not write.. Would you go mad?.. If you have song, should you not sing? lol.. hahah :P

I don't mean to disagree with you in argument, I think some of the original boy bands actually had lasting effect though!! Like, didn't they? Beatles, sort of.. Maybe we have quicker turn out rates nowadays.. Talented people do stick around and some move on to do other things like acting and television appearances, etcetc.. It's just a career I guess, in that aspect..