hueseph

When a band isn't famous, I think people like to support it by buying their CD or what not. When the band gets famous, they 'sell out' but the main thing is that YES, people do buy mp3s.

Think of it this way, how many people actually know how to use torrents? Not very many. If you're not a computer nerd then you can't do it.

So in each family, let's assume only little or big brother knows how to use torrents, and is too lazy to get all the music for the rest of their family. That's a lot of people left to buy mp3s, and there's no other way to get it besides paying for it.

But how can the bands not sell out? Hard to put "professional guitarist" on your resume once your band passes its 15 minutes of fame and is swallowed into the void again. So their choices are either go big or go home.

There has always been image included with the music. But that's with ANY sales in ANY field. When image, price, value, and accessibility meet, then you have a Mustang.

But really, in 1966 the Mustang was the most sold car in one year, ever, I'm pretty sure. That's what I've read. It had the sporty, two door look like a corvette. But it had four seats, so it was accessible. The price could be cheap, but the value of it was in the multiple options that were available.

Ok, so maybe a car isn't the best example, but the point is there is never ONE thing that can sell something. The old rock and roller's didn't like being held back by the man, they had this rebellious music. Unconsciously, THAT was their image. Now it seems fake, played out.

Everything is so based on social media, being connected, etc. that it has driven people apart. You're not hearing from a friend how awesome this band is, you're getting a spam email asking you to 'like' his page.

Anyways, it can't last forever. I feel like we're hitting a brick wall in a lot of areas, and the only way to go forwards soon will be to go backwards. Just get your helmet so you can survive the crash!

There was image. There was Alice Cooper, Kiss and the rest of the glam rock crew. I never really appreciated that kind of music. I respect that they had their thing. They had a gimmick but it was not the same. They weren't dressing up because the record companies liked it. That was incidental. The were trying to make a statement. People hated them for their image. As many as the ones that liked them.

Consider so called gangsta rap. Is there really any such thing anymore? It's a facade. The promote a lifestyle that they may or may not have had while they live a luxury life. Not based on their earnings from "gang" related activities but from the sales of shoes and the clothing line that they have set up for themselves.

You don't have to go back far to find some integrity. Look at Metalica's early days. They started the whole shared music thing. That's how they promoted themselves. Free tapes. They didin't rely on a big label to gain their following. By the time they got signed to Elektra they already had a huge following.

Led Zeppelin never had a #1 hit. They didn't even rate with the "rock and roll" community until they had long disbanded. Zeppelin didn't get to where they were by listening to the record companies. They played what they felt was right. Listen to Zep 1 and then listen to In Through the Out Door. There were a ton of people in my school scowling at Zep for "selling out". Now if you listen back you realize how far ahead of their time they were. They added a lot of synth and it was so different than their early music. People hated the change. Then once people got used to it, wow! All of a sudden it's considered one of their best albums ever.

I'm not saying all new music is bad. Consider Jack White. Here's a guy who pushes the limit. The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather. He changes. He grows. Not the greatest musician but a pioneer none the less.

Are there good pop acts? Maybe. Few and far in between.

As far as independents are concerned they just don't make it big. They might get a following but there are no more superstars. Who will remember Sean Paul in a good light ten years from now? There are reasons why people think of Vanilla Ice and cringe. Was he for real? Of course not. He was a corporate puppet.

It used to be that lip syncing was unheard of. Millie Vanillie caused an outrage. They were pioneers! Corporate pioneers. It's not even the singers anymore. People will pay huge money to watch a DJ. What? Yeah. I know people who would call that a concert. They aren't musicians. They don't know any better. But that is worth hundreds of dollars? It's a joke. It's not about talent anymore, it's about gear. When a DJ takes his hands off of the record does the music stop? No, it continues because it was already recorded. When a classical musician takes his hands off of the string, the music stops. He and the music are directly involved. Without him there is no music. However I can slap a piece of vinyl on a turntable and it will continue to play as I do dishes.

The value of years of practice has gone out the window. No one cares anymore. We live in an American Bandstand world. No one wants to hear it unless it's "got a good beat and you can dance to it". As my wife says. "Music is just background noise." . What the hell is wrong with society today when they think that listening to a turntable has as much value as 30 years of practice?

If Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today, he would starve to death because he doesn't know how to use Maya or 3DMax.

If Paganini were around would anyone pay to see him? Maybe. He'd be playing a small club while DJ Suchnsuch Played an arena.