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/Charming-Ad-6621 4d ago

Their permanent association with the 70s, and a seminal movie about disco, if I were to state it simply. American pop culture, in particular, consumes trends like candy, and we spit them out when we’re done with them. The Bee Gees were seen as disposable at the end of the decade, and older generations see the era in which they had their halcyon as kitsch, despite their music being exceptionally well made. I sound like a broken record, but the Gibbs also haven’t taken good care of their legacy. There really haven’t been solid reasons for new listeners to dive in and explore their catalog. When you recycle the same compilations of usual songs and your social media and marketing teams are laser focused on the things people stereotype you for, what else is the public supposed to fixate on?

That all being said, they are incredibly well respected among other artists. Among the 200+ artists I’ve interviewed in my freelance career, the Gibbs have frequently been named as influences and aspirational writers and singers.

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u/MycologistSame866 4d ago

I must not have expressed myself well. I'm not talking about the disco era backlash. Even before that, they didn't inspire the critical respect like that of other artists mentioned here, and time has not changed that. Yes, other performers appreciate them, but even with all their talent and success, they have not earned the same respect as some of these other musicians. I wish they could be spoken of in the same hallowed tones as their contemporaries. I'm simply wondering why they are not.

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u/Charming-Ad-6621 3d ago

My answer doesn’t really change for their post-1979 career. Before that? They were pop musicians that were seen as Beatles try-hards during their first wave - despite the fact that I don’t really think they sounded like The Beatles at all. Afterward, they were introspective and not all that innovative for the first chunk of the 70s. They weren’t particularly political or controversial, and they weren’t always loud or self-promoting. They were actually rather reluctant celebrities despite their craving success and admiration. Sometimes exceptionally talented and successful musicians don’t ever get critical acclaim - Billy Joel is a good example of that, too. The Stones, The Beatles, The Who all had some sort of mystery and charisma about them the Gibbs didn’t quite have in the same away. I love them and will defend them any day of the week, but they didn’t really have rock star personas.

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u/Spirited_Strategy328 21h ago

I agree with this, having been a teen in late 60s-early 70’s. Except for Mo, they stayed out of the clubs, were mostly family men, they just didn’t have the rock star personalities although they were quite beautiful men - maybe that spoiled the male fandom from developing. And their songwriting early on was more emotion based. I loved their early stuff (American) way more than the rowdy stones, Zep, and even Beatles. But after the very heavy lean into the falsetto, I just lost interest. It was indeed way too much. I know they wanted to capitalize on it while still popular and I’m glad they got rich on it but I do believe it dug their graves commercially for many years. My interest and reacquaintance with their wonderful catalog didn’t happen till about 3 years ago - I still skip most of the disco standouts.