Load of balls.

Have a look at The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, (or the equivalent lists on Wikipedia if you must) and see all the people in the charts many years ago. Include the ones even you, dear reader, with a love of music in order to be on Mudcat, have either never heard of or had forgot they existed.

They were "celebrities" in their time, idolised by teenage fans, and the next generation older pointed the sucky end of their pipe towards the wayward teenager and said "In my day, we had real celebrities."

The difference if there is one is being fascinated and impressionable by what the goggle box in the corner. What it spews out is no longer the reserve of the young. In fact quite the opposite these days. That's why I can't get interested in pub quizzes. Be buggered if I have heard of any of the soap opera and TV talent show fodder. Might be excellent actors and singers for all I know, but thinking on, 90% of what I watch on telly is prerecorded documentaries, 10% football. The only time a "celebrity" crosses my path is when Lord High Jeremy Clarkson is struggling for a guest for star in a reasonably priced car.