if you're "making music" and have some "artistic aspirations" you MUST know this.
Don't be fooled by the "Damn, they're so bad that i could do it better than them and get the same ammount of money" thing. 99.0% of the people that are sucessful at the media SOLD THEIR MUSIC to be there. Period.
Some will get mad at me but what about Kanye? Do you think he will pull another College Dropout-like album in his career again? NEVER. Why do you think Graduation and 808's is so pop oriented?
And let's not be hypocrites, just because someone sold their music, doesn't mean they're not artists. Hollywood movies have lots of money behind it, but you can't say all of these movies are not art.
You're an artist, you choose your way. If you don't make something unique, something that will catch the ears of other people, you will never be recognized without selling your music.
Some people say "Lady Gaga is so talented, she can make 'real music' if she wants to". Yeah, but she sold out too. If she was following the "piano player that plays her own compositions" way, i can bet with you that only one or two people on this forum would know who the fuck Stefani Germanotta is.
That's just how it is folks.