The term "astroturfed" is coming to mind here. I wonder if they were ever really popular, or if the people who said they liked this shit, just said so to feel "part of the crowd", that crowd that the media sold them liked all that crap. Because notice that when such fads end, the same people who waved their new albums, and talked incessantly about whatever it was, turn around and say they never really liked it in the first place, OR just kind of slide off and talk about the current new fad being sold. I think I first noticed this phenomenon ... when disco died.