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Past decades have brought music lovers inspiring and talented pop artists from both the subcultures and the mainstream music scene. It used to be that you could turn on the radio and hear great new pop music by seriously amazing artists such as The Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie, & Prince. Even the ’90s brought us top hits from great artists such as Lisa Loeb & Aerosmith (’80s crossover for Aerosmith) and brought grunge legends Nirvana to mainstream. These are but a few of the overwhelming number of mainstream artists that have inspired and exhilarated the masses. It seems that lately the mainstream music scene has traded in real musicians for a new breed of pop star: A “Disney Pop Star” who is bred to use their celebrity to sell records and peddle merchandise.

The founding mother of “Disney Pop” is none other than Mickey Mouse Club alumni turned tabloid sweetheart, Britney Spears. The now infamous bubble gum pop star burst onto the scene in 1999 with the super-catchy hit and debut album “… Baby One More Time” (which is even more annoyingly catchy than “It’s a Small World”) and has gone steadily downhill ever since then. Her talents are not in the league of many past pop artists; she is not a musician, and is a mediocre singer, but due to her dance skills, personal life, and management team, she has been transformed from a child actor into a hit single-making machine.

Not long after Britney Spears’ rise to fame, the Disney Channel began churning out new stars faster than the Milky Way. Lindsay Lohan began her career as a child star in such Disney Films as The Parent Trap and Get a Clue and soon became a bona fide movie star. Unfortunately, like many other naïve young actresses living in “Fantasy Land” with sudden money and power at her disposal, she decided to record a mediocre album in 2004. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard Charts. By the grace of some higher power, her second album didn’t sell quite as many copies as her first (it only went Gold) and she hasn’t recorded another one since 2005 (keep those fingers crossed).

Next came Hilary Duff, followed closely by Indie Schmarm’s favorite pop star, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, and most recently emerged The Jonas Brothers. They only just became nationally known in 2008 in the Disney Channel original film Camp Rock (do today’s children have NO taste?), and now they have performed (poorly) at the Grammy’s with Stevie Wonder, nabbed a Grammy Nomination, won an American Music Award, and have a Platinum Record. Have you actually heard these guys perform? It’s painful. Check it out if you have a strong stomach, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…you might feel even more nauseous than you do when stepping out of the Mad Tea Party.

-April Kass