0SubSeanik0
Tele-Meister
As much as I desperately want to believe this (I really, truly do!), I just noticed that one of several postings on YouTube of "Disco Duck" has 4.5MM views and 19k "likes." Bad music decomposes like plastic nowadays.
Is Old Music Killing New Music?
- Thread starter Aftermath
- Start date
Hmmm. I read the article. It's not the easiest read to comprehend. I think they're talking about major label type of stuff but regardless, here's one way I look at old music vs new. I always find this metric interesting and always surprising.
Spotify Monthly Listeners:
(Old Artists mentioned in the article)
Bob Dylan: 9 million
Paul Simon: 6.7 million
Bruce Springsteen: 13.788 million
David Bowie: 17 million
James Brown: 4.2 million
Now, here's just a sample of new artists who put out new music. How this may relate to this article I do not know but I think these numbers are enlightening. Whether you've heard of these guys before, or don't care for their style of music or anything like that is irrelevant to the numbers. The numbers speak for themselves.
Bruno Mars: 54.653 million
Drak: 53.495 million
Juice Wrld: 34.366 million
Lil Baby: 24.264 million
Lil Uzi Vert: 21.475 million
Post Malone: 49.310 million
Spotify Monthly Listeners:
(Old Artists mentioned in the article)
Bob Dylan: 9 million
Paul Simon: 6.7 million
Bruce Springsteen: 13.788 million
David Bowie: 17 million
James Brown: 4.2 million
Now, here's just a sample of new artists who put out new music. How this may relate to this article I do not know but I think these numbers are enlightening. Whether you've heard of these guys before, or don't care for their style of music or anything like that is irrelevant to the numbers. The numbers speak for themselves.
Bruno Mars: 54.653 million
Drak: 53.495 million
Juice Wrld: 34.366 million
Lil Baby: 24.264 million
Lil Uzi Vert: 21.475 million
Post Malone: 49.310 million
Fiesta Red
Poster Extraordinaire
There’s a lot of good new music out there, but it has to be searched for as opposed to just being there.
Too much of mainstream new music is so laser-focused to a specific audience, and it does not/can not appeal to a large audience. If you listen to “new pop” stations, you’d think that everyone loves Kanye and Cardi B and Lizzo…but truthfully, it is music meant to appeal to a small audience—the general public does not like it, nor are they meant to.
Having said that, good music—just like cream in milk—always rises to the top, even without mainstream support and exposure on the radio. Support that good stuff and the artists that make it by buying their music directly from their websites—don’t just listen to it on Spotify, etc. BUY IT so maybe they can keep making that good music.
Too much of mainstream new music is so laser-focused to a specific audience, and it does not/can not appeal to a large audience. If you listen to “new pop” stations, you’d think that everyone loves Kanye and Cardi B and Lizzo…but truthfully, it is music meant to appeal to a small audience—the general public does not like it, nor are they meant to.
Having said that, good music—just like cream in milk—always rises to the top, even without mainstream support and exposure on the radio. Support that good stuff and the artists that make it by buying their music directly from their websites—don’t just listen to it on Spotify, etc. BUY IT so maybe they can keep making that good music.
Dostradamas
Tele-Holic
Choice and nearly infinite options, yes the music world has changed.
We have been force fed hits for a long time.
We have been force fed hits for a long time.
memorex
Poster Extraordinaire
Even 'Disco Duck' is a more entertaining tune than a lot of the Rap, EDM , and Metal that's out there today. That's the whole point. People know what they like, they like simple tunes they can sing along with. That's why the old music is still so popular.
I like the new Jethro Tull album. I don't think it's killing anything.
buster poser
Poster Extraordinaire
Exactly that.
buster poser
Poster Extraordinaire
LOL no it's not.
loopfinding
Friend of Leo's
the other perspective 30 years ago:
the other perspective 8 years ago:
qz.com
The Problem with Music | Steve Albini
Steve Albini’s iconic music industry takedown explains how record labels use A&R flaks and impenetrable contracts to screw artists while raking in millions
thebaffler.com
the other perspective 8 years ago:
‘The Problem With Music’ has been solved by the internet
It’s now 20 years since Steve Albini, the legendary rock music producer best known for Nirvana’s last studio album In Utero, penned a seminal essay…
Dostradamas
Tele-Holic
This band taught me a valuable lesson.
I love Tull, have since I was in middle school on the 80's.
I had an opportunity to see them and ELP play 20+ years ago.
Both still had it .
I paid $100 a ticket for the last tour.
We waited in the pouring rain for over an hour to get into the soaking Edgefield.
This was the first concert I got to take my kid to.
Ian's voice is gone.
We left after the third song began and sadly can never look at them the same.
I learned that day nostalgic happy memories are better than the disappointment of the real thing after they should have hung it up.
loopfinding
Friend of Leo's
carpenter
Tele-Afflicted
Spotify?
bgmacaw
Poster Extraordinaire
Thats exactly what it means. That would, however, be better than most of the music being made these days.
People are making a lot less money in the industry because of how everything has changed starting with Napster. There are probably just as many people as there were before they just aren’t making much money. Old established labels have attorneys and have forced streaming platforms to pay them more, at the same time independent musicians have to accept whatever is offered.
41144
Friend of Leo's
Old bands and "Money for nothing" ... Or youngster's need to up their game... Or, just too much choice for younger people (ie platforms and genres) versus us old 'uns "that know what we like"?
TokyoPortrait
Friend of Leo's
Hi.
Yeah. In fact, I’m pretty sure there is an example just like this (using music popularity) included on Wikipedia’s page on survivorship bias.
As an aside, it’s basically the same point people here have had to make at times about claims that vintage guitars are ‘better.’
Don’t let that dog out…
Does Spotify show all time streams? If so, what does that show? But also, how long has Spotify existed, how deep is the data? I don’t use Spotify, so no idea.
I think @loopfinding made a good point too. Music is kinda not one thing, but a whole ecosystem. People tend to be only familiar with / only see the immediate niche they inhabit (‘mental isolates’? - might be misusing that, but I like the sound of it). When young, I discovered a ‘scene’ and that permanently changed how I see music, but people literally from next door had no idea it even existed (or, if they did, they saw sonic cockroaches invading their pristine environment). So, I think many of these discussions are fatally limited in scope. Various selection biases to start with, coupled with a lack of ecological awareness. At the minimum. And I include myself here, incidentally.
Pax/
Dean
Yeah. In fact, I’m pretty sure there is an example just like this (using music popularity) included on Wikipedia’s page on survivorship bias.
As an aside, it’s basically the same point people here have had to make at times about claims that vintage guitars are ‘better.’
Don’t let that dog out…
Does Spotify show all time streams? If so, what does that show? But also, how long has Spotify existed, how deep is the data? I don’t use Spotify, so no idea.
I think @loopfinding made a good point too. Music is kinda not one thing, but a whole ecosystem. People tend to be only familiar with / only see the immediate niche they inhabit (‘mental isolates’? - might be misusing that, but I like the sound of it). When young, I discovered a ‘scene’ and that permanently changed how I see music, but people literally from next door had no idea it even existed (or, if they did, they saw sonic cockroaches invading their pristine environment). So, I think many of these discussions are fatally limited in scope. Various selection biases to start with, coupled with a lack of ecological awareness. At the minimum. And I include myself here, incidentally.
Pax/
Dean
TokyoPortrait
Friend of Leo's
Hi.
I’m sure I’ve heard mention more than once that the opposite is true. The new services have forced the trad companies to ‘take it or leave it’ at very low rates / a very high cut. Like Apple and their 30% or whatever it is.
Pretty sure there’s been examples of streaming survices calling company bluffs and they always win.
Tangentially (and to go no further, as the subject matter it’s over is verboten), but Spotify just called Neil Young on his recent ultimatum. He gone.
It also might be that the companies, while not getting what they’d like, still do alright on the shear volume of their catalog that gets streamed, but individual artists (apart from the handful of super streamers) get a pittance out of this system.
That’s what I’ve gleaned anyway. Anyone know?
Pax/
Dean
I’m sure I’ve heard mention more than once that the opposite is true. The new services have forced the trad companies to ‘take it or leave it’ at very low rates / a very high cut. Like Apple and their 30% or whatever it is.
Pretty sure there’s been examples of streaming survices calling company bluffs and they always win.
Tangentially (and to go no further, as the subject matter it’s over is verboten), but Spotify just called Neil Young on his recent ultimatum. He gone.
It also might be that the companies, while not getting what they’d like, still do alright on the shear volume of their catalog that gets streamed, but individual artists (apart from the handful of super streamers) get a pittance out of this system.
That’s what I’ve gleaned anyway. Anyone know?
Pax/
Dean
Likely more a statement of he Spotify user demographic.
mindlobster
Tele-Afflicted
Old music is not inherently better than new music. Otherwise we'd still be listening to Ugg and Ogg banging two rocks together (but they'd still be fighting about tone rocks!).
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