There's also another way to look at it: Many groups, after getting themselves on the radar, change their music in order to broaden their fan base. I could care less how cool a band is, I listen to a band for, well, their music. If it changes radically in a direction that I dislike, then I no longer like the band. Sometimes the direction change results in mainstream acceptance (per U2, Blink 182, Green Day, et cetera). Sometimes, it works the other way - their evolution actually reduces their mainstream exposure/acceptance (Radiohead is a perfect example of this). Some people may dislike bands they once liked simply because they've become popular. But who cares? Furthermore, I'm not sure how you could have inferred from my messages that I dislike U2 because they've become popular. Simply said that I like their older stuff.