First, I do want to say that I do agree with most of the points here. Nowadays, sampling has rendered Pop sterile and formulaic. I'm bored of hearing some tune that was a sleeper hit in the 70's or 80's get sampled & looped, before someone comes along and raps all over it, or starts warbling on about how they're in Ecstacy or Euphoria...
...however, there are also those rare occasions where samples are used creatively.
True, they are in the minority, but when they do crop up, they're very effective.
Case in point: Utah Saints resampled Eurythmics 'There must be an Angel' (on their tune 'What Can you do for me', and Kate Bush's 'Cloudbursting' for 'Something Good'. Busta Rhymes sampled the theme to Psycho for 'Gimme Some More'. The Prodigy sampled an old UK government commercial for kids on their song 'Charly Says'....
It's true, I can't think of too many more, especially recent ones, but they do exist.
As for good pop, that also exists. It's just not as saturated & advertised, so it doesn't reach the audience. - Instead, you end up with Pop Idol and pre-fab boybands/girlbands all carefully manufactured to an already manipulated audience.
And lets face it, pop music is, was & will only be what the mainstram wants it to be. Unfortunately, thanks to the likes of Simon Cowell dictating what the proletariat should & shouldn't like, creativity is stifled and people who are producing good, original & innovative pop music, are pushed out onto the fringes.
My advice to anyone who wants to hear good pop music is to point your internets to sites like soundclick and listent to what other musicians are doing. You might find the next big thing, or at the very least, replenish your faith that there is an abundance of good music out there!
