Bill I am generalising when I say the public are stupid and gullible...please do not take it personally...I include myself when I say that.
Anyone with half a brain and a decent ear can tell crap from class. That said most of the music in the public eye MTV and TV and radio etc (payola) is just noise to the averasge Joe and they will buy into what ever fashionable noise is put in front of them. They buy noise not music.
I was once working in a club and the acts that were playing (except me of course LOL) were very poor and way below standard. The guy who ran the club, a pretty good musician himself, told me that the audience do not know any better and as long as there is noise aproximating music they will be happy.
Sadly, I hope I am wrong, but that is how I see the business. It does not matter how good or bad a musician you are,it does not really matter how hard you work or the songs you perform. It is all down to playing the game and hoping you get lucky. IMO talent has little to do with getting on in the business.

My daughter just bought a gaga album and we were listening to it last night. My daughter is 26 and has a pretty broad range and taste in music. She is not a bad singer and actress she stars in semi pro theatre productions. She is my worst critic. I asked her what she thought of gaga. "Well she is OK but nothing special" she said. I would rather listen to you.
What do you think of her singing I asked. "Hard to tell with so much melodyne and other effects she could have been singing anything" she said.
Let us just clarify....that is my opinion of gaga also.

I do respect your opinion Bill even if sometimes I disagree. What I did not understand why when you agreed with almost everything I said about gagas talent you got aeriated at me.
Musical taste all depends on location, upbringing, peer pressure and what is actually available. Some people have little or no interest in music whilst others devote their lives to it.
One thing though any lover of music wants to be the best, see the best and hear the best. I am afraid that the powers that be who determine what is going to be punted at the public obviously are not lovers of music. They are just lovers of money.
I think the public deserve better. I also think that the musicans and songwriters deserve better than a lottery. I believe that true talent should be rewarded. That is why I constantly fight our corner.
Interesting to see where you differ from that.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055