For this years Brits, the theme was "it's all about the music", which makes you wonder what every other Brit Awards ceremony was supposed to be about.
Bad jokes, random sports celebrities, lip-syncing autotuned vocals over pre-recorded backing tracks while aerobicised dancers threw themselves about the stage?
Well, no change there, then. Everything fake, shallow and superficially entertaining about the Brit Awards was present and correct, but there was at least a sense that priorities had shifted.
For one thing, host James Corden made no jokes at the expense of the artists. Indeed, it could be argued he made no jokes at all.
He was like a cross between an over-eager Butlins redcoat and a runner at Radio 2 desperate to impress his bosses.
His dull professionalism made you yearn for the irreverance of Jonathan Ross or even the amateurism of Samantha Fox.
On a musical level, however, the Brits mostly got it right. The stand out performances were pure musical genius, Cee Lo Green singing like a soul giant, Arcade Fire rocking loud and joyous and passionate as the greatest of rock bands, and, particularly, Adele delivering a heart rending ballad armed with nothing but a big voice, a monster melody, a piano and a shower of glitter.
The back-to-the-music focus didn't always work. Mumford & Sons acoustic harmonising got drowned out by the networking chatter of restless guests.
And rather put into the shade by Plan B apparently staging a rock opera featuring riot police and live kettling. Riot police were a bit of a theme.
The Grammys had Lady GaGa hatching from an egg. We had men in uniform threatening to beat us into submission. What does that say about the national psyche?
As a reflection of what is great about pop music the Brits can seem a little cheesy, as if it is trying too hard. But this year, you would have to say that most of the right people won, maverick but adventurous and commercial talents like Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Laura Marling, Mumford and even Take That at their most adventurous.
It's a reminder of what British pop music has to offer, big, colourful eccentric characters with something to say for themselves.
Maybe it takes a music industry in crisis to really get rid of the self congratulation and put the talent back at centre stage.
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