Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Believe the hype
Robert Johnson
Mississippi bluesman whose legend continues to this day, based on the story that he “sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads” in return for good tunes.
The devil is unavailable for comment, but the tunes still sound good.
Elvis Presley
Although the Memphis Flash’s first track, That’s All Right Mama, caused a radio station’s switchboard to light up, the music industry soon realised the potential of a “white man who sings like a black man’’, didn’t write songs, and was prettier than Carl Perkins. Presley became the first pop superstar.
The Spice Girls
Hugely pushed as a phenomenon of “girl power’’. Marketing tools ranged from everything from sponsored cameras to knickers, but what they really, really wanted were massive pop hits like Wannabe. They got them.
Eminem
Pushed as the first great white rapper. He was.
Richard Clayderman
Ghastly classical pianist and early example of the power of mass TV marketing. Much loved by late 1970s and early 1980s grannies, his first single sold 22m copies in 38 countries. Ugh!
Don’t believe the hype
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Early 1970s art rock weirdo beloved at the time by David Bowie. Hyped as “the new music’’, one of his records prompted a reviewer to throw it out of the window. This didn’t stop Bowie later incorporating the Cowboy’s image into his actually legendary Ziggy Stardust.
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
The kings of the mid-1980s publicity stunt, the Sputs “sold advertising space”on their debut and reportedly signed to EMI for millions. Their 1986 debut Flaunt It flaunted only failure.
Vanilla Ice
Pushed as the first great white rapper.
He wasn’t.
Orlando
Early 1990s second wave New Romantic arrivistes. Alas, the public decided their tunes were no better than their make-up.
Gareth Gates
Actually won Pop Idol, relegating Will Young to second position. Last heard of being dropped by his record company.
