This is a great discussion. If you listen to the media channels with the most money invested in it, the music is all the same. Musicians in these bands may play well, but I don't think it takes any talent to tow the status quo. MOst groups on commercial radio because they get in with major labels and they're plugged into this pre-packaged promotional matrix that lacks any originality.
Anyone can play music. Being an artist requires creativity beyond the music. Your image and promotion has to be as creative as the music. I read in Wired about a group called Parts & Labor that's building an album from samples provided them by fans:
Parts Labor Album Features Hundreds of Fan Samples | Listening Post from Wired.com
This is a great example, because the process is generating media interst before the music comes out. They're also using businesses outside of the music industry (Gotvmail) to get the word out. This is a talented approach to building hype for an album.
The time of the pure musician, who just sits in a room and composes, is over. Artists have to be savvy with thier "brand" as well as with their music to reach a mass audience. I have way more respect for those that can do this for themselves and not just by getting discovered by a major label.