Model: T.Mize Makeup: Dee Photos by: Mike Marano NINE7Three Studio 2010©
By Michael Hacker
For better or worse, Music is an ever evolving entity. Throughout the years since radio has been invented, the world has seen its fair share of one hit wonders and legends alike. What separates the two and makes the later blaze their way into the hearts, minds and ears of millions of listeners and withstand the tests of time?
The Music Industry is in a period of growth that will change everything. This change is happening in the way listeners hear music and the way musicians provide it. It is a scary thought that, not even ten years ago, CD’s were the end all be all. Yet this all changed the day a little site called Napster came along and started showing the world, we want new music and we want it now.
Since that time, Napster has gone through a fundamental change from pirating to legit pay to download site. The shear fact that Napster even existed slaps the record companies in the face with something they could have learned through some market research
1)You charge entirely way to much for a cd.
2) In the majority of highly commercialized albums, especially in Pop and Top 40, only a small amount of the songs are worth a listen. If this is the case, why buy the entire album when you can get the one single you like for free?
I am in no way shape or form advocating Piracy, but this is the shear logic behind why people would download for free. We all know how the story ends for Napster and where digital music has gone from there. But there is a fundamental issue, the big elephant in the room that the record companies do not want to talk about or perhaps even acknowledge. What happened to great music? Where are all the albums you can listen to from beginning to end, every time and never want to skip a song?
In the heat of the money-making movement, the Record Companies put the nails in their own coffins. The term one hit wonder should have never came to fruition. In the old days, you signed with a record company with the knowledge that you were there for the long-term. Artists spent months upon months writing and recording albums and records, perfecting every last guitar strum or vocal line. This made all the difference and created gems and legends.
This isn’t to say that in the “good ole days” there weren’t “musical acts” that came and went out of style. And surely not everyone who ever graced the cover of a record went on to be musical Gods and the things of legends. But Back then, music meant something and record companies triumphed in knowing they created something special.
Today, an artist is lucky if they spend a month writing and recording. Granted times have changed and as a result the turn around time and peoples memories when it comes to artists has greatly diminished. But the lack of effort going into the music is astonishing. I don’t blame most artists but I do blame the system that requires nothing more than a pretty face and a good look to be a star. After all, the real magic today happens in the editing room.
So what is a music legend?
A music legend can test the sands of time by creating music, album after album, that is timeless. Blues artists were known for this, especially since breakups will go on for ever. To this day I dare someone to sit and really listen to an old blues song by any artist, Frank would say Buddy Guy., But choose anyone from Howling Wolf to more modern Clapton; now tell me the music doesn’t speak to your heart. That right there is it;that is the stuff legends are made of.
Beyond the blues there’s Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, any member of the rat pack, Ella Fitzgerald, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Beastie Boys, Pink Floyd, Run DMC, Dr. Dre, Metallica, etc etc, the list goes on and on.
These artists and more created something special that is to this day, few and far between. So can music today compare to music of yester years? Yes. Absolutely. But 9 times out of 10 you will not hear it on a top 40 station. These artists come and go with little impact on the greater picture; to the record companies this is completely ok. As long as your listening, they have the ability to put out song after song and artist after artist until everyone sounds exactly the same, but with a different face’s lips moving.
This is the sad reality of music, and more specifically pop music today. Pop music definitely has its place in the music world, but making it the end all be all only hurts the true artists out there who have something to say. When we start focusing on image rather than quality, we all suffer.
We are a culture of disposable luxuries, and this extends even into our ear drums. Why would we pay $12.00 for an entire album when you can buy the one hit for 99 cents or even worse, maybe download it for free via bit torrent? The music industry essentially destroyed themselves by pushing for highly profitable one hit wonders which in turn, hurt all artists alike and made it necessary for the likes of iTunes to come about.
If the record companies were to listen to the tell-tale signs spelled out by great modern legends like Radiohead, they would see that by producing music people truly loved, you can give your album away for free and still turn a profit on tour. Radiohead’s In Rainbows was downloaded millions of times and in turn provided sold out shows that summer. Yielding some millions of dollars in profit.
It is the smartest thing to do in the world of highly pirated goods. Could be a win win for record companies who drive traffic to their sites, they get ad dollars and get to promote upcoming concerts. This will cause real singers and artists to arise once again as true performers. Auto-tuners will be shunned because who would go to a crumby show. Music can once again arise to a modern renaissance. This should be the ultimate wake up call for the Record Companies. The masses have spoken and they have yet to listen. Until Record Companies catch the hint from modern mega bands like U2 and Radiohead, they will continue to take a hit in the purse and us listeners in our ear drums.
Until that day however, commercial music is spiraling down a path to their own demise and the Record Companies are all to blame.
- Guitar and Crossbones © by Bob Liquori
well written!
I agree 100%. I do have say this though, a band like Radiohead who has a big enough National/International following it is easy for them to give their albums away, and still turn a profit. The average band recording lets say a 6 song album, and a damn good album at that it can cost upwards to an easy $3000 just to record, thats not counting mix, master, artwork, photos, & pressing. Just to make a dam good solid 6 song album it can be easily upwards to $5400 (for recording, mixing & mastering). Artwork (from a person who can create such, remember we are talking a good quality all around album, at a good studio, with a good engineer) can be upwards to $500 (easy). Photo shoot can run you about $250 (to get a a person with an eye who can capture the artist or band), and last pressing, for 100 Cd’s it is $365 with a full color artwork, plus S&H. Now roughly at $6500, to put up on digital download it is 25$ 1 year membership fee along with $25 per song to post, of which for .99$ the artist will get roughly .47$ from. In the economical climate this country has/is in a band would be stupid to record any music unless they had enough personal income to do so. Even when you play live and get a turn out of $100 + you might still only see $200 for a 45min- 1 hour set.
Part of it is the people need to say enough is enough to corporate, support local original bands, forget the songs a DJ plays at a club, you can hear it on your iPod, go see something fresh and creative, you have no idea what you can find out there, and buy their music the actual disc, you might just find that jewel in the rough. Fall in love with buying an album again, granted there are so many bands, and a lot of them might “suck” but they have something inside them they want to play, no matter what their reason for doing so is.
And last, because of $$$ is why a lot of band’s Cd don’t sound great they don’t have the funding to do so. What was mentioned in this article that the labels used to develop a band, because they knew of the long term pay off, not the quick easy, Johanns Brothers or Justin Beaver, buck. But for a artist or band up and coming, a Label when they sign you they get to own 70% of the band’s music, if you think I am kidding go research it. So an artist might look rich and famous, but more than likely he is bankrupt, and not necessarily by his own choice, but nothing more than to play music and pay back the advance from the record company. They become a slavedog, plain and simple.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC, GO SEE LIVE ACTS, not a COVER ACT, BUT AN ORIGINAL. Once everyone starts doing so you will see a change in the music climate again, like in the 60′s. for today on the radio what they are doing is no different from what they did during the 60′s before all the greats came in to play, and the PEOPLE WANTED MUSIC BACK, and the way they wanted to hear it, not the way they were and are forced to hear it.