Our taste preferences are formed mostly in our mid adolescents and becomes refined over the next 15 or so years. A lot of it stems from our first rebellion away from our parent's music. I'm quick to say I like something, very slow to say I don't like something, and most things I dislike is because they got overplayed to the point of irritation on the radio 20 years ago.
Most published performers are talented performers of some vein. Some are made and supported by corporations, some are found in the wild and domesticated by corporate music, some are revolutionary and stay so their entire career. One thing you learn in music school, if you don't sell out, you're not making money. If you're not making money, you're not getting heard, if you're not heard why are you making music?
Being the teenage anarchist punk I was, resolving that dissonance is probably my greatest daily confusion. How does one make money without 'selling out' because the truth is that reaching a broader audience than the small niche you errored into is to include, or exclude things that appeal to a less limited audience.
A performer with a fan base of 20 who only caters to their fan base, will always have a fan base of 20.
Mariah gets paid more than I do. she may not fit my personal daily taste profile, but she gets paid and fills rooms. I don't think she was particularly revolutionary but she was a titan diva in the 90's, had a very consistent product and fan base, she is very skilled and has worn many hats in and out of the spotlight in the music industry.
I love making music for me and to my tastes, the reality is my taste is 20 years old and practically an anachronism. If I ever want to get paid more than festival gigs, I have to find the niche that gives me an entrance to evolve a listeners base and sell out to.
Literally had this discussion over the weekend with my musical partner, minus the parts about Mariah of the performers we talked about she didn't come up.