Veteran musician and producer Todd Rundgren has criticised Taylor Swift, saying there is “an argument” that she has “ruined music” and calling her the “apotheosis of mediocrity”. He made the remarks in a Vulture interview while discussing which contemporary artist he might parody, highlighting his longstanding reputation for provocative opinions and his extensive influence as a producer.

Rundgren also argued that female artists came to dominate mainstream pop partly because young men began spending more money on video games than records during the 1990s. He praised Lady Gaga as a “real musician” but claimed Swift was not a particularly strong singer, songwriter or dancer, comments made shortly after Swift released an expanded edition of her latest album, which has received mixed reviews.