There’s a huge difference in being involved in the process of making music and making hits (i.e. navigating the music industry). These are two distinctively different activities, which depending on your goals, should be approached with varying strategies. While one concerns itself primarily with musical aesthetic, the other plays a game in which success is measured by sales figures and other monetary indicators.
On the surface this may sound like the age old argument of "keeping it real" vs. blowing up, but is it really wise to focus on making hits and generating revenue? I’d be willing to argue that this very focus on becoming a star, succumbing to the latest sheep-like trends, and producing marketable, yet disposable music has significantly contributed to the fundamental problem of widespread consumer dissatisfaction and the resulting decline in music sales that currently plague the industry.