JohnTodd

Where I live, it seem the main radio station in town play about 50 songs over and over for months. It shows you who owns it and who is pushing the stuff.
The song choices are definitely not public opinion. They are the choices of the companies who are running the airways. I'm not saying all these artists being spun aren't talented and deserving, there is only so much room at a time. The sad part is, that this is all about money.

So to your Blog... we will never hear the majority of the greatest songs ever written.

Excellent points.

Too bad for the human race that it is this way.

Answer: Because they take too many drugs.

Better Question: Why do hack writers think that fair to middlin' musicians who dose themselves to death young are "great artists?" Reacting to Morrison's picture. I'll give him Hendrix, but the rest of his examples are just run of the mill solid pros.

Lennon died young but for a good cause, Bonham died young but for a bad reason, Carpenter died young from a bad problem, Cobain died young for a bad reason, Elvis died young for a bad reason.

Some of these are great artists, some are not, but is there more of a problem among the famous that the common folk?

Well, I was kind of being snarky, but the rich and famous (relatively little to do with being a great artist) have access to all the drugs and alcohol they want and have a support staff so they can indulge their habit as much as possible. Bonham, Moon, Hendrix, Elvis would have met more resistance to their habits if they had day jobs. (Not that the same thing doesn't happen to people with day jobs. Just seems to happen less often.) Carpenter and Cobain had problems that occur at about the same rate among people with more normal lifestyles. Maybe fame made things worse. But I've known people with anorexia and suicidal depression. Couldn't sing (or play drums) like Karen or write like Curt. Lennon is an exceptional case. He died because some nut thought he was a great artist. (As much as anyone knows Chapman's thoughts.) I don't understand why you say Lennon died for a good cause.

Seems like we kill the peaceful ones - Jesus, Ghandi, Lennon. No offense intended to anyone's beliefs. Just seems like what Iron Maiden said is true: "Only the good die young, all the evil seems to live forever".

OK, I'm philosophizing, but this blog is sort of philo-psycho-socio anyway. Maybe part of being an artist is pushing things until they break?

My favorite quote from John Lennon was ... "Time Wounds all Heals"
Sometimes I think that so many great artists died young, but then other times I am amazed how so many are still here alive! There are so many stories of recovering from the downfalls of drug abuse. When they pass away in tragic fashions it makes them immortalized into the core of society. Just like Jesus. Imagine if Jesus had never been crucified... Or imagine John Lennon had never been crucified . It seems to me that we pay extra close attention to these people since their tales are so tragic and emotional. One had the bible the other had Sgt. Pepper. Both were peaceful and were great philosophers. It just makes them immortalized as what they were.

So true! Let's hope bin Laden's death doesn't have the same effect.