It seems to me that music is very much an area where beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I really don't think that there is a true standard by which music can be judged. Even if you are the only one you know that likes a song or a genre, if it appeals in some way, it's a success, IMHO. There's even another measure that goes against "success" that is popular in Straight Edge music. If your band becomes popular enough for you to ask for some real money to play an event, you are starting to sell out. The music can be considered too popular to be really authentic Straight Edge. There are so many fine lines one must follow to be successful in music today. The recoding contract doesn't get you much. The old payola system of pushing a particular record, or group, used to work when you could only hear the music if you bought the record at Tower Records. Now, Youtube provides music from everyone and his brother for free. The money in recording is pretty much gone. Touring still can keep you alive. But, you really have to work hard to get anywhere. The digital age has made music very cheap - and easy to copy.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1wLANw3j4o