Janis Joplin had the voice of the bluest angel ever. All that joy, all that pain, just poured out of her mouth when she sang. But the reason she wouldn't have been popular today? The woman wasn't the prettiest. She looked like she fell out of the ugly tree, and hit a few branches on the way down. But when you HEARD her, she was the most beautiful soul alive.
Now today, if you listen to any popular music, it is all image first, music second. There is no SOUL to the music. Every song is just an advertisement for some product that has nothing to do with music.
When MTV came out in 1981, music videos were rapidly becoming the main medium for you to get your music out there. The videos used to represent the meaning of the song. Or an allegory to promote a message to people with whatever you wanted to say. Over the course of a few years, companies have been using that medium for advertising their product in music videos, and making the actual substance of the message in the song to disappear. And as the music became worse, the artists have been more "pretty", or "sellable" rather.
I just wish that music could return to being blind. I wish that when you see a new artist, the first thing you say is " oh, he or she has a great voice, it gives me chills." not "oh man, that new singer is hot, I wanna put my dick inside her. "
Stop being so shallow people. Listen to music that makes you feel. Not what makes you want to buy a cellphone.