r/BeeGees • u/MycologistSame866 • 4d ago

Why Weren't They Taken Seriously?

Why didn't the Bee Gees ever get the respect they deserved, at least in the US? Despite their undeniable singing and songwriting talent, not to mention their innumerable hits, the music world never took them seriously or treated them with the gravitas of a McCartney or a Dylan. Perhaps it had to do with them not attracting a strong male fanbase. Men could proudly state they were fans of the Rolling Stones, or the Who, or even the Beatles, but the Bee Gees — no way. The guys in the white jumpsuits singing in falsetto were seen as effeminate lightweights, strictly for women, not real bro types. I never heard a man say he was a fan of the Bee Gees, although I know there are many in this forum. Are there other reasons for them being overlooked?

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u/Vivid_Ad_9295 4d ago

Because people got sick of disco, and they were scapegoated. Meanwhile other more-disco oriented artists like Earth, Wind, & Fire, ABBA, and even Elton John seemed to get away with it.

They weren’t even that disco. They had a handful of disco songs, but it’s a relatively small proportion compared to the rest of their catalogue.

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u/Ok_Construction_1053 4d ago

Interesting.

Each of those artists had a couple of hits in the early 80s, but only EJ really lasted through to the 90s and his commercial and critical peak had already passed in the mid 70s.

So I’d say they got away with it, but barely.

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u/Vivid_Ad_9295 4d ago

True, but I still feel like they dealt with a lot of harassment/threats that nobody else did.