24Dash.com reports:

Simon Cowell and the X-Factor were today revealed as having the worst influence on the UK music industry, in a survey carried out by eMusic, the world’s second largest digital music service.

Over half of people questioned by eMusic about the state of UK music scene cited the ITV show and its opinionated judge as having the most negative effect on the music industry in the last 20 years.

Cowell, who has managed the likes of Sonia and 5ive, and the X-Factor, which has made amateurs like Michelle McManus, Steve Brookstein and Shane Ward famous for five minutes, were blamed for the malaise in modern popular music.

Together they beat Stock, Aitken & Waterman (16%), Steps (6%) and The Spice Girls (6%) to take the title.

In contrast, the eMusic survey acknowledged John Peel, the legendary radio DJ famed for championing independent music for 40 years and bringing to air artists such as Pink Floyd and The White Stripes, as the person who has had the most positive influence on the industry with 61% of the votes.

Peel came in ahead of Alan McGee, founder of Creation records which launched Oasis (3%), musical impresario Jools Holland (7%), and founder of Glastonbury, Micahel Eavis (6%).

Almost half of the music fans questioned by eMusic also thought that the UK’s taste in music is becoming too similar.

The rise of reality TV and manufactured music artists (72%), similarity of radio playlists (72%), and an industry driven by money not creativity (82%) were all seen as major reasons for conformity of choice.

David Pakman, CEO of eMusic, said: “The X-Factor may be entertaining television, but it does not produce important or lasting musicians.

“The moguls throwing cash behind reality-TV artists only create short-term phenomena and make it harder for truly talented acts to break through.

“The results indicate that we could be seeing a backlash against these over-hyped and over-manufactured artists. In the long run, authenticity and integrity will win the race.”