How would define a "has been"?

Would it be someone who can't release a hit if their life depended on it. Could it be someone who released 2 albums and decided to retire?

Someone who had a huge career but sales slowly declined over time?

What's your definition?

Someone who was hot one year or one decade and then everything else flopped.

i think has-beens define themselves.

they're people who try to keep re-hashing their moments of faded glory instead of opting to grow gracefully with age.

just about anyone on a VH-1 "celebrity" reality show is a good example of a has-been.

Someone who had either 15-minutes of fame but are still Z-listing it around Hollywood or were famous, fell off, and "famous" now through a reality show vehicle.

Anxiety said:

Pretty much: Celebrity Rehab, Celeb Fit Club, Breaking Bonaduce, Celeb Weight Loss Challenge, the one that was like Big Brother with Da Brat on one season, the one with Bob Saget, I think talking about over-40 or something, there's so many VH1 shows, I can't really remember the names offhand right now.

someone who was a "Once was"

IAintTheOne said:

but isn't that anyone who was successful in the music industry?

I mean, 80% of the artists who we love on the org can be considered has beens

bboy87 said:

No 80% of people we like are legends. Has-beens are those who after their records or movies or whatever flops find other reasons for success (reality shows, controversial stories, biographies to get money, etc.).

It's more complicated than that.

Timmy84 said:

I agree.

I feel a has been is a person who is in no way, relevant in music. They had maybe 2 hits and then fell off. They didn't bring significance to the history and they can't make a good record if they tried.

I think if you made a great contribution and you're a undisputable legend, the word "has been" is void

I remember before JB passed away, cats were calling him a has been and I was like "what?" That didn't make sense to me

or that incident today in my class that I told you about pissed me the hell off. I'm still mad as hell

bboy87 said:

That's why I stay away from ignorance especially coming out of people's mouths that don't know no better.

^^^ Hey Timmy
So this is where you been hiding out at?

trueiopian said:

Yep!

bboy87 said:

So true!

People like Duran Duran and Boy George may be referred to as has beens.

Who even cares?

The fact that Britney Spears has the #1 album tells me that good music isn't popular anymore.....

Ja Rule = the definition of a has been

Number records and albums for about 5 years then fell of hard. Dude couldn't sell a boat right now.

Nick715 said:

Yeah, I was in my music literature class and my teacher was talking about the 80s:

he didn't mention Prince
he didn't mention new wave
he briefed over dance music
he talked about MJ for about 5 minutes
but would not stop talking about Madonna about how she is the most successful star ever and she's the only one who's been on the cover of a national magazine every year for the past 25 years and who else has done that?
I mentioned Michael and WAS gonna mention Prince and George Michael and a couple of others

but the bastard cut me off mid sentence and said Michael was a basically a has been and has been hiding out in Bahrain for the past 4 years so he doesn't really apply

While I was holding back the urge to slap the shit out of him for interrupting what I was saying , I started thinking "How can someone be a has been when they've already reached legend/icon status?" and how can someone be a has been when they're still successful one way or another.

Look at Duran Duran
A-Ha who only had 1 hit in the US. Does that mean they're has beens? No because America isn't THE WORLD
Prince is just now getting back to the mainstream
George Michael
Stevie Wonder who isn't as successful
the Debarge family who's music is still relevant

I can go on, ya know

bboy87 said:

Exactly. People be tripping. Frankie Beverly & Maze never crossed over but their popularity is still as massive as it was 30 years ago.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

We have a winner here!

hands LBC the nWo belt


Perfect example

LittleBLUECorvette said:

After his song with Ashanti, his career was dead. No "thug rapper" does a bad remake of "Grease".

LittleBLUECorvette said:

That's a great example

You are NOT a has-been if you keep recording and doing work but it just doesnt sell like you did in your "hey day". Look everyone has their time, some get 15 minutes some get a year or two or five. Its what you do with it afterwards that determines who you are. To me there is nothing more important than Longevity in an artist, thats what its all about,keep recording, keep touring, do your thing. And also alot of what people view as Has-beens are just people that dont work/record or get released in the US anymore, trust me there is a world out there and alot of who think are gone are still there, maybe the HAS-BEENS are the public.

bboy87 said:

I can't imagine MJ being a has been neither. His fanbase supersedes Madonna's and I haven't seen men or can I say women passing out in her concerts everytime she gives one.