Answer If you check on wiki, you find out that more than half of their songs were co-written by someone out of the...I hesitate to call them even band, they can't play omg.
Well, I dunno whether they were raised by Disney, but one thing is for sure - it's not their
music that made them famous.
If a band is made famous by their music it means that they began in small clubs in their hometown and gradually got chance to play on bigger events. Such bands are able to have sold-out stadiums around the world after 40 years since the band was founded. Jonas Brothers aren't one of them. Examples of such bands: Queen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Who, The Beatles, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest...etc...all of them really earned their fame. Most of them, except one, were never much loved by female kids aged 12-14...only Beatles...they definitely had much more female fans that JB do, and they had it much harder since there were no music TV stations in 60s..but do you girls know why they stopped touring? This is what a Beatles show looked like: the four entered the stage...the girls started to screeeeeeeeeeeam and shed tears so happy were they...OK nothing bad about this, but if they carry on thoughout the WHOLE show, well it's pretty annoying and since the Beatles were true band, they weren't interested in little wet pussies under the stage, but in people enjoying their music, not their looks...no one seemed to be interested in their music, so they quit...
Their aim was to express themselves musically and grow as musicians and composers...and they really did. If you look at their 1950s work in Hamburg's clubs, they were just above the level of JB in the beginning, but got much better there. When they returned they already had much experience, could play better and write better. And throughout the 1960s they were getting better in writing, wrote more complex harmonies and incorporated more chromatic into them. George was also fond of the Indian classical music (which is said to be the most complex music ever written) and they also moved to India. They changed from power-chord proto-punkers/rockers into some of the greatest rock composers to THIS DAY. What progress have JB made??
Gradually, the fact that they stopped touring weakened the bond between them and this was the main cause why they disbanded. JB clearly aren't moved by this. Well in fact there is nothing to appreciate about their music, but I'll elaborate this later.
Another strange fact:
They cheapest JB ticket (if we don't count parking tickets when you hear and see nothing) I was able to find costs around 80USD, but the prices go up higher to about 400USD and even higher for a front view at some shows that cost more that 1000USD...WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??? HOW DARE THEY EVEN??
For the bands I went to see (Judas Priest+Kreyson, Helloween + Gamma Ray , Deep Purple, Uriah Heep+Sweet, Black Sabbath), all of which were legendary rock bands who defined the genres of rock music, the cheapest was Uriah Heep+Sweet gig (7USD-10USD) and the most expensive was Deep Purple or Judas Priest show (both about 40-60USD).
Are you sure that Jonas Brothers care about their fans?? The truth is they don't. If somebody's music comes from his heart, them the one wants people to hear it. JB clearly aren't much enthusiastic about letting people hear their music. Or why are the prices so high then? If they ever cared about you girls, they wouldn't be that high.
OK so now their music:
I've listened to bands which had some of the greatest rock lyricists (like Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury...), but when I read a few by JB I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
Great singers yeah?? Have you ever heard anyone from these guys: Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Ian Gillan, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Placido Domingo, Roy Khan, James Brown, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Kenny Rogers, Paul Rodgers, Bruce Dickinson, Matt Barlow, Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate, Andrea Bocelli, Roger Daltrey, Michael Bolton, Michael Jackson, Howlin' Wolf, Jeff Buckley, Mark Boals, Rod Stewart and countless others...you've got a huge variety of genres, check some of them out and then compare to JB. You won't be able since it's impossible.
Guitar playing weeeell...I'm not sure whether the guy (his name?) can even be called a guitarist. I could teach any of their songs any of you girls in a matter of hours, maybe some even minutes. It takes weeks till you're able to play something by Queen or Led Zeppelin.
And it's always those 4-6 powerchords over and over and over again...so that you understand, it's the simpliest, very simpliest one can play on guitar, or one can use to write a song. Calling it a beginner exercise rather than a song would be more appropriate. Definitely. I know pretty well myself, since I'm a guitarists and can play more than 5 chords (maybe because my goal isn't fame & money?? Who knows...maybe it's caused by 'from the heart'-thing some girl mentioned in context to JB...could be that). But seriously, music 'from the heart' always progresses...if it doesn't, it can't be from the heart. That's a simple, albeit undeniable fact.
Let me ask you a question: Would you listen to them if they looked like these??
http://www.popmusicology.com/images/led-zeppelin-in-1968-robert-plant1.jpg
http://www.rockstar.it/img/ian_gillan.jpg
http://www.lavozperdida.com.es/picture_library/Blackmore.jpg
http://blog.ugo.com/images/uploads/Bruce-Dickinson.jpg
All of these guys, whatever is their occupation (vocals, bass, drums, guitars) are masters in what they do and influenced next generations of musicians around the globe. JB will never gain such a respect cuz you know, like I said, they can't play...that's a fact, not a matter of taste. A matter of taste would be their songs and lyrics. Like it - Y/N?? THat's a matter of taste...all I can say is that they're songs are laughably simple and dull and so are their lyrics, but you can still like them and I can't object...it's your business. But pleeeze stop these stupid ones like 'they're very talented', 'they're great singers', 'they're great players'...these are not a matter of taste, these require a musical ear and experience to judge...and I think I've got enough of both to clearly state that they're musically impotent.
So what made them famous??
Women's hormones did. Period. Would you still listen to them if...you know what. I guess not.
Led Zeppelin could be perhaps considered pretty ugly (I can't really judge, so you say girls...it's the first of the pictures), but still I know 16yo-20yo girls who love them (musically...I mean love their music). And the strange coincidence is that they're all intelligent....
I don't really have the clue, but if I had to choose between:
1, have earned their fame
2, they are just another band raised from nothing by Disney.
the latter seems much more probable, because of the facts I mentioned here. Yes, you can like them, love them, be obsessed, whatever. But I don't think that's enough to judge their musicianship.
If someone can't deal with simple facts, thanks in advance for all the thumbs-down.
