So what makes one kind of music/band better than another?

[Mr Pig]

anything put together to make someone else money is repugnant and an insult to music.

But you can't even qualify music that way. A lot of the music we now consider great was created for that reason. The difference these days is that we are not more aware of the process. Kids auditioning to get record deals always went on, it's just shown on TV now.

If the music stands up I don't care why it was made.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The / in the original question is important, because for me what makes great music and what makes a great band are entirely different questions. Shonen Knife are a great band, but they make terrible music when you pay it any more than cursory attention. However if you see them live in Japan, it's a frenzy...

Bands are about image, performance, belonging, not belonging - all those kinds of things.

Music is about connecting with personal emotion, and intellect too. It's about delight and fascination, conjuring feelings and states of mind.

The two sometimes come together. But they don't have to.