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Artists that seem to "drop off."

Kelly A said:
That's actually called an 'Autotune'. T-Pain uses Autotune the most these days.
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Yep, and with Cher it was autotune gone crazy -- and it definitely helped sell the record.

In the 2010s I heard tons of autotune being used on pop tracks, giving the singer's voices an almost ethereal, non-human feel. Too perfect to be real
 
TheBigA said:
Exactly. But then you have to wonder when someone does them early in their career, as Meghan Trainor did with John Legend or Tove Lo did with Nick Jonas. What's really bad is when they do those collabs early in their career, and they don't make the Top 10. That may be an indication that the career is over.
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That's definitely a true observation. Though sometimes bring featured on a song by a bigger name before they are known at all (before their singles reach the charts at all) can propel them (like the weekend being featured on Ariana Grande's"love me harder" or sza with maroon 5.)
 
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boombox4 said:
In the 2010s I heard tons of autotune being used on pop tracks, giving the singer's voices an almost ethereal, non-human feel. Too perfect to be real
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You'd be surprised how many well known artists use Auto-Tune to varying degrees. Pop, country, rock, recording, and even touring. In 2006 a well known British band was appearing live at Fisher Plaza on KPLZ. We were getting the technical aspects set up, and was handed an Auto-tune box to make sure it was in the lead singer's mic mix.
 
Kelly A said:
You'd be surprised how many well known artists use Auto-Tune to varying degrees. Pop, country, rock, recording, and even touring. In 2006 a well known British band was appearing live at Fisher Plaza on KPLZ. We were getting the technical aspects set up, and was handed an Auto-tune box to make sure it was in the lead singer's mic mix.
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A well-known British band that was on Hot AC in 2006? Let me guess….Coldplay?
 
Hanson after the 'Mmmbop' phase in the late '90s...thank God.
That Debby Boone song doesn't really fit the definition of classic hits, which leans upbeat pop and rock from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Maybe as an occasional 'lost hit'.
 
Almost everyone uses Auto-Tune these days, even when performing live. For example, the only time we hear Michael Bublé's real voice is when the Auto-Tune box screws up, and they have to switch it off:

 
kevtronics said:
Almost everyone uses Auto-Tune these days, even when performing live. For example, the only time we hear Michael Bublé's real voice is when the Auto-Tune box screws up, and they have to switch it off:
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I've seen a few videos of popular "artists" trying to sing without their beloved auto-tune. It doesn't always go well. Sadly it shows that it doesn't always take much to become a "star" these days. Boob implants, wigs, surgery and heavy makeup can deliver the required looks, and crutches like auto-tune can fix flawed singing.

IMO that does a bit of a disservice to truly gifted artists. There are a few out there who don't even need much in the way of EQ or "help" from the sound guy at concerts and live performances because their voices are so good.
 
kevtronics said:
Almost everyone uses Auto-Tune these days, even when performing live. For example, the only time we hear Michael Bublé's real voice is when the Auto-Tune box screws up, and they have to switch it off:

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Would that also be true for artists who post unreleased songs to YouTube from home? Luke Combs does this almost obsessively and his vocals sound just like they do on his recordings. Here's his latest song sent to radio, first as he posted from home back in August 2020, then the studio recording posted last week:
 
kevtronics said:
Almost everyone uses Auto-Tune these days, even when performing live. For example, the only time we hear Michael Bublé's real voice is when the Auto-Tune box screws up, and they have to switch it off:

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That video made the rounds of musicians I know on FB. Michael Buble is a really good singer. But singing on tour can wreak havoc with vocal cords, hence the auto-tune being handy.
 
CTListener said:
Taylor Swift was similarly "caught in the act" as well, I seem to recall.
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Not an auto-tune video, but there's one on Youtube showing how wrecked Mariah Carey's voice can be as well. A few years ago she was scheduled to sing "All I Want for Christmas is You" at Rockefeller Center in NY. She showed up very late for the rehearsal which angered the techs...Their idea of payback was to create a video of the rehearsal that singled out her voice to show how bad she sounded. Tragic.
 
CTListener said:
I assume it was used on Cher's hit because her natural voice can no longer handle the demands of the song.
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Maybe not now, but this song is like 25 years old. At the time, the technique was pretty revolutionary. I recall her doing the Letterman show and using a second mic that had the effects, and then switched to the main mic for the regular sound. The production was very EDM so I felt it fit with the sound of the song. The NY Times said that the label originally wanted the effect removed, but Cher insisted on it for the final mix.

Putting this in the context of this thread, this song was an example of an artist reinventing themself, with a great song and unique production that instantly made her current, even though she'd been off the charts for years.
 
crainbebo said:
That Debby Boone song doesn't really fit the definition of classic hits, which leans upbeat pop and rock from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Maybe as an occasional 'lost hit'.
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A "classic hit" is just an "oldie" for a different generation.

And both mean "songs that were hits when they were new". What radio stations do today is determine which of the legitimate hits from their selected era in the past are playable today. That is different from having charted back in the day that they were new songs.

Interestingly, many of those songs that research well are not played because they don't fit the style and mood the programming team for the station has decided on.
 
Torgo Johnson said:
Was this band boosted in the US by their song being played on a certain long-running ABC show set in Seattle (in fact one that has filmed scenes at Fisher Plaza)?
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Internationally well known band who debuted and was at their peak in the 80's. British origin.
 
I wonder why stations even try with Katy Perry anymore? Her songs never make it very high on the charts and then fall. She's a complete has-been.
 
crainbebo said:
Hanson after the 'Mmmbop' phase in the late '90s...thank God.
That Debby Boone song doesn't really fit the definition of classic hits, which leans upbeat pop and rock from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Maybe as an occasional 'lost hit'.
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It qualifies as a standard. I don't know who actually plays it but I have heard it in recent years.

The stations I listen to tend to play Pat more than Debby.
 
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