The Declining Music Industry
- Thread starter biggsy
- Start date
hibernal_dream
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Any "industry", music or otherwise, exists to produce and promote what is popular and will sell. Given that popular music is largely crap dressed up to be worthwhile (which it isn't) to sell to the masses and has sucked ever since it was spawned in the 50s, I don't see any decline in the music industry in light of its aforementioned purpose. In fact, its probably fulfilling its goals now more than ever - just take a look at MTV or popular radio. I'm sure MixGrafix will be thrilled by this conclusion.
Abhorsen
Long Distance Voyager
The music industry has changed dramatically over the past four decades. There was a time when guys like Ahmet Ertegun were founding labels like Atlantic Records, which was up and running before the birth of rock and roll. These guys were not marketing managers by education and were in business for the music first. Before rock was big $$ business record companies like Atlantic would sign relatively unknown bands like Yes and King Crimson (and Led Zeppelin too, though Page's previous band was well known) and have great success through these bands' respective album sales, regardless of radio-friendly singles. In the early 70's it was far more common for record labels to give artists creative freedom because they were not dependent on the album featuring a hit single in order to sell copies. FM Rock Radio in the 1970's was far more album oriented than anything you will find today, unless the station is an independent and hence not controlled by the likes of Clear Channel. Los Angeles featured a radio station KMET 94.7 FM (this station has been the Wave for the last 19 years, named after Yanni's waving limp wrists) that would regularly play tracks such as Supper's Ready by Genesis (KROQ once played this song too, in its first year on the air), and Siberian Khatru by Yes. These days commercial radio in the US is owned by a two or three companies and most programming is centrally directed at the corporate level. On the other hand, the nature of the record business itself is changing. Thanks to the availability of internet technologies to the masses, independent artists have more opportunities than ever before for getting their music to prospective audiences, at least those who aren't luddites! As such, music fans have more options than ever before in how they can obtain music, which is mostly a good thing. The methods for storing and purchasing music are also evolving. With said advances in digital and internet tech, the cd as the primary medium for how music is distributed is declining and the record companies, just about all of which are owned by 3 big international conglomerates, are changing the way they do business, notably by offering digital downloads of music they own the rights to. Lastly, the way artists do business with record and publishing companies is also changing. These days it is far more common for artists to negotiate deals that allow them to retain far more control over the songs they write than what was common thirty years ago. A good case in point here, and a fairly typical one, is Robert Fripp of King Crimson. His web journal over the past several years has often documented the battles he has fought in an effort to regain control of the publishing rights to music he wrote and recorded with King Crimson.
I love thembiggsy said:I have no idea what/who that/they are...
Anyway, the only station I listen to (if I ever listen to it) is Triple J. That's broadcast all over Australia; you should listen to it sometime. When 10K Days came out, they chose it as a feature album and played all the tracks off it. And last year to celebrate their 30th birthday, they played 36 hours of concerts in Australia from the 70s to newer bands. Of course, with Triple J you have to know when the shows are on that you like; there's a hip-hop show, and Full Metal Racket is the metal show.
wankerness
Member
The music industry as a whole, taking into account all the independent labels, is definitely not inferior to that of the past. If you take popular radio as equating to "the music industry" then sure it's horrible now, but that's largely a result of massive commercialization and the labels having a stranglehold on what's allowed to be played instead of there being any lack of really great music out there that can be purchased. Led Zeppelin is better than Britney Spears, sure, but is "Yummy Yummy Yummy I Got Love in My Tummy"? Quite frankly I think that sucks even harder than "Oops I Did it Again."
belgarath68 said:I love them
Anyway, the only station I listen to (if I ever listen to it) is Triple J. That's broadcast all over Australia; you should listen to it sometime. When 10K Days came out, they chose it as a feature album and played all the tracks off it. And last year to celebrate their 30th birthday, they played 36 hours of concerts in Australia from the 70s to newer bands. Of course, with Triple J you have to know when the shows are on that you like; there's a hip-hop show, and Full Metal Racket is the metal show.
I didn't know they were playing 10K Days as their feature album! I usually don't listen because of all the crap they play like Hilltop Hoods and the like, but I do tune into FMR every week. That's the 4 hours of worthwhile music I was talking about
Good to see some constructive and intelligent replies too
Hubster
...
NineFeetUnderground said:
Elaborate (as I didn't expect you to write that, so I'm surprised by your response).
NFU
I like pie.
The Hubster said:
why is this surprising? maybe it is to someone who still avidly listens to burzum as if its something still relevant in 2006? its the facts. theres more interesting music out there now, then there was 10-15 years ago. period.
Pethical
Tom
is there overall more interesting music/bands or are we only more aware of/exposed to it because of new media, i.e. the internet?
NFU
I like pie.
Pethical said:
I DoNT KnOW, MaYbE yOu ShulD aSk DAvId wilSoN or StEvEn CoVerDale. I hEaR sCotT wAlkerz GeWd 2!!!! BuT heS nAwT tHat nEw tho. He HaS 70s pRog JazZ inFluEnces *erK*
Pethical
Tom
NFU
I like pie.
worldwide_suicide
Member
- Nov 27, 2005
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NFU
I like pie.
worldwide_suicide
Member
- Nov 27, 2005
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well... i doubt it, but probably you're right...
anyway, i can't complain about music industry, i've been able to find enough music out there to keep me happy so far and i have a long list of cd's i will be buying soon that i'm sure will keep me happy for some more time.
if we take music industry on the mainstream side of things, what is popular and what isn't... i can only blame the listeners. i know of cases of persons with the same cultural background... one grows to like some nice stuff... the other one likes shit... i can just blame the latter one for giving in so easy, not the "industry", which by the way offers both alternatives.
anyway, i can't complain about music industry, i've been able to find enough music out there to keep me happy so far and i have a long list of cd's i will be buying soon that i'm sure will keep me happy for some more time.
if we take music industry on the mainstream side of things, what is popular and what isn't... i can only blame the listeners. i know of cases of persons with the same cultural background... one grows to like some nice stuff... the other one likes shit... i can just blame the latter one for giving in so easy, not the "industry", which by the way offers both alternatives.
NFU
I like pie.
i cant complain much about the music industry either. i always have something new and good to get into. anyone who does, has limited/poor taste or no resources to find anything. but to say the music industry hasnt done anything wrong is just....wow.
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