"Pop music is just that; "popular" music, with no basis in a given known musical root system."
Wha?? Broadway and pop music, if you really wanna get down to it, have the SAME "musical root system" basis."
Delighted that my earlier comments were clearly taken out of context.
Let's see if we can approach this from another direction.
When is the last time you heard a tune from Anything Goes on top forty radio? When is the last time you heard a song from Wicked on Kasey Kasems' countdown? When was the last time that you saw Adam Guettel on Letterman? How many times in the past on the Grammy's have a production number been featured, or at the very least, the cast album award given out live. Not too many and certainly not year after year. Today's popular music is topped off by rap and loud obnoxious rock and roll. Legitimate music in the form of opera, jazz and classical are now not only taking a back seat in the pop music mainstream, but are also being eliminated completely. (Fortunately, Les Mis got some Oscar attention, but I don't expect that to last long).
Yes, back in the day, Broadway WAS the pop song. We didn't have the dissemination of so many styles back then because we simply didn't have that many. Period. Nelson Riddle, Buddy Rich, Big Band, Jazz, Broadway. Andrews Sisters whatever have you. They were pop. I won't argue that.
However...
Today there are plenty of new musical styles born of the past 50 years which don't need to see the light of day on a stage because they already have their own forum. They already have their own stage, i.e. the Billboard charts, the mosh pits, MTV videos and every other way that I have to suffer what people call "legit", music today. I find most of it to be either nonsensical bubble gum meant to be just harmless fun, or annoying loud noise meant to make a buck. The worse part is that they are all temporary, here today, gone in five minute songs. And yes, I know that some of you are probably thinking the same could be said for certain Broadway tunes just now and I am sure you are right.
Perhaps my point is this; do these people really need to come to Broadway when they have enough of a platform of their own? If they have new music, why not just take it on tour? Record a new album and release it and let the entire fanbase be your critic. Besides making a buck, which I have no qualm with, ask yourselves what is the fundamental reason why these shows/ pop tune slingers are coming to the stage. And if you can't figure out the answer, I suggest you listen to the Forbidden Broadway spoof of the Weislers (sp?) who charm you with the idea of ...
...coming to Broadway...Ooooohhhh!!... You'll be on ....BROADWAY....ooohhh!!!
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium!"