Defining An Artist In The Music World

Hello readers, it's been awhile.

I would like to talk about something tonight that just "grinds my gears". First I will pose a question- What is an artist [from a music standpoint]?

I define an artist as someone, or band [meaning group of musicians who collaborate], who creates every aspect of a song [lyrics, chord progressions, riffs, percussion, bass lines, etc.] and performs their creation, to some degree, playing an instrument, whether guitar, bass, drums, piano, etc.

The mass media keeps pounding it in the heads of people that no talent pop musicians are, and should be considered, artists. Every time I see something like this in the newspaper or on TV, I become stricken with rage. THEY ARE NOT ARTISTS!!!!

I have never heard a famous musicians speak out about this topic until tonight when I happened to be channel surfing. Dave Grohl, one of my personal favorites, talked about how people like Britney Spears should not be considered artists. My day was complete until directly after, there was a segment that followed about the very question I posed up top as well as on Dave's comments. The one guy on the program said that Dave was wrong and should re-think it. I say- you sir, are an idiot. Furious, I decided to talk about this here.

Leave a comment about your definition as per the question.

ROCK ON!