1.  MTV "killed" rock music. Before MTV came along, bands / artists relied on live performance and radio air play to gain notoriety. "The music did the talking". Good songs, hard work and extensive touring resulted in a growing fan base and increased record sells.  The only way to see a band was to go to a concert or club. Not switch on your TV set. There was a mystique. They were larger than life. I admit, even then hype and image sometimes pushed a non talent into the public view. But they didn't last long.

But MTV with their initial well intentions exposed the artist like never before. Providing a platform for the artist to project alter egos, fantasy scenaios, mini dramas or comedic routines. In other words, removed the mystique. You didn't interpret the meaning of songs for yourself anymore. You were shown how the songs were meant to be interpreted. Sometimes the videos didn't reflect the artist at all. But was some director's idea of what the song was about. Sometimes the band and / or song was secondary to the directors vision or ambition as an artist himself. Of course, there was live performance footage. Which initially was cool. But it also stripped away that live in concert - had to be there excitement. Resulting in "Oh, that's what they're like live now".

Then MTV decided to take it upon themselves to dictate what they think is cool.  The clever / intriquing video superceeded the artist / song. Resulting in image / imagery over artist or talent. The record labels jumped all over this. Signing similar artists to ones with popular videos. In the 1970s if a band sounded like (say) Led Zeppelin, the labels would tell tell them "It's been done" or "You're not original enough, No thanks". But in the early 1980s, suddenly every label signed a L.A. "Bad Boy" glam band because of Motley Crue. Later on, it was scruffy - cowboy boot wearers because of Guns And Roses. Basically turning Hard Rock into a joke by force feeding copycat / dressed up wannabes to the general public.  Sadly, also forcing respected / credible musicians to have to hire fashion consultants and get hair stylists simply to now contend with "the run of the mill". It wasn't pretty. No wonder Nirvana and the alternative scene was welcomed as a breath of fresh air. Everything we a rock fans loved had turned into a bad parody. MTV then cast cast Rock aside like an ageing groupie. MTV had used and abused it until it was of no use to them anymore.

They then decided that to stay on the cutting edge and to maintain a current / growing veiwership, they hired fresh out of college media graduates to choose what they thought was cool. These poeple were / are clueless and have no knowlege of music whatsoever. Resulting in Rap, boy bands and ridulous fashions being accepted and embraced by the mindless / impressionable youth.  

Talent has very little to do with the music (image) industry these days.

This song fits the rants page quite well. Contains Ian Hunter's prophetic lines:

" I feel neglected, I feel rejected - Living in the wrong time"

"For those of you who always laugh - let this be your epitaph"

"We're not bleeding you, we're feeding you - but you're too f*cking slow".

Well put Ian.