12 Facts About Pop Music

[yg17]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/12-extremely-disappointing-facts-about-popular-mus

This makes me want to go crawl in a hole and die, while listening to an iPod loaded with Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

 

[renewed]

1. There are more people in the world now.

2. Those people have easier access to music (i.e. iTunes, $.99)

3. Your parents/grandparents were complaining about Elvis Presley taking women away from The Ratpack.

4. Yeah, Bieber is a successful dude and we all wish we drove a Lamborghini at age 16 don't kid yourself.

That is all.

 

[Abyssgh0st]

2. Those people have easier access to music (i.e. iTunes, $.99)

This alone (and Apple Corp/EMI's holdout) basically explain that entire list.

 

[cshearer]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/12-extremely-disappointing-facts-about-popular-mus

This makes me want to go crawl in a hole and die, while listening to an iPod loaded with Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

Three of the most popular bands/musicians used to seem "holier than thou" in the music realm. You'll have to do better than that.

This isn't even a very mind blowing "fact sheet". I believe the above posters did an adequate job of shooting the appropriate holes through it.

I just find it silly because the many factors at play here weren't taken into account. Luckily the author clearly didn't intend to be too serious, so there's that.

 

[obeygiant]

The only one thats impressive to me is the "Katy Perry holds the same record as Michael Jackson for most number one singles from an album".

The others are comparing pop and rap to rock and metal aren't they?

 

[Abstract]

The facts that are related to album sales are easily explained by increased international exposure and access in a greater number of foreign markets. Also, internet sales make it easy.

The "facts" related to the number of #1 singles and albums are actually impressive/surprising, though.

 

[Heilage]

With the world being mostly inhabited by idiots, it is not surprising that they control most of the entertainment industry, is it?

Also, Beatles is kinda overrated. Not in their contribution to popular culture and whatnot, and the changes they gave to music, but their songs on their own merits. Kinda meh.

 

[Mousse]

3. Your parents/grandparents were complaining about Elvis Presley taking women away from The Ratpack.

You're witnessing a phenomenon know as the shifting baseline. Bad music has been the norm for several generations now, most of us just don't know it because our baseline norm for good music is what previous generations consider garbage.

Odd as it may sound, I find elevator music superior to the stuff they sell on iTunes nowadays.

 

[cshearer]

Odd as it may sound, I find elevator music superior to the stuff they sell on iTunes nowadays.

You're welcome .

 

[vrDrew]

I'm not surprised by any of those facts.

But more importantly, I'm not depressed either. I've never equated "popularity" or even market success with quality in music any more than in cuisine, cinema, wine, or literature. Danielle Steele sold far more books than Shakespeare ever did. Vincent van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime.

If everyone liked the same things I did, the world would be a very boring place indeed.

And while we might be surprised by some of the results shown, I don't think that Bob Marley, John Lennon, or Art Garfunkel did too badly out of their music careers.

 

[touchmonkey]

Vincent van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime.

While agreeing with your premise, the statement made me Google this, which doesn't detract from the point you made:

How many paintings did Van Gogh sell during his lifetime?

Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime Red Vineyard at Arles. This painting now resides at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. The rest of Van Gogh's more than 900 paintings were not sold or made famous until after his death.
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/faq.html

 

[ejb190]

There was a book a while back called "Bowling Alone" which talked about the changes in social behavior in the last thirty or so years. I think these statistics display some of the same changes.

1) Since the Walkman, music has become a much more personal endeavor - teens don't get together and spin the latest vinyl anymore. Therefore...
2) We are an on-demand society. Radio just doesn't cut it, so we buy what we want, pushing up sales.
3) The digital format makes sharing music more troublesome then trading tapes or vinyl, not to mention the modern enforcement of anti-piracy laws.
4) Internet marketing keeps these people in our face all the time. I couldn't tell you what Justin What's-his-name sings or sounds like, but I know his face thanks to the news outlets I use (Yahoo, CNN, Fox News, etc). It's unlike anything that has come before.

And to Abstract's point about #1 songs/albums, I wonder what you would find if you compared staying power (i.e. weeks on the charts) between then and now?

 

[touchmonkey]

1) Since the Walkman, music has become a much more personal endeavor - teens don't get together and spin the latest vinyl anymore.

Very interesting observation. Unintended consequences.
And thanks for the link, will check out.

 

[maflynn]

This makes me want to go crawl in a hole and die, while listening to an iPod loaded with Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

Doesn't bother me one bit. I listen to the music I enjoy, I don't care if it outsold the beatles or the beatles out it. I pick my music by personal preference not by how many people bought it

 

[Zwhaler]

Guess what, popular doesn't mean better! Mozart and Beethoven didn't have any #1 hits on Billboard bc that crap didn't exist yet...... Pop is all about marketing hence the term popular. That is why Justin Bieber is famous because he signed a contact that gives him tabloid media coverage left and right , not because he is an amazing singer but because he can sell! Doh.

 

[steve2112]

So, we're talking about pop, pop, Pop Muzik? (Children of the 80s will recognize this song )

 

[Iscariot]

13. Iscariot has "accidentally" smashed a radio at work with a dumbbell.

 

[Melrose]

This alone (and Apple Corp/EMI's holdout) basically explain that entire list.

+1.

What is dumb is that they created the standards for Silver/Gold/Platinum/Whatevs based on statistics of the time, which have changed DRAMATICALLY since then; and yet, the standard for Silver/Gold/Platinum/Whatnot haven't changed a bit. It makes no sense. It should change in relation to population or social factors. But then, time spent doing that is better spent on more worthwhile stuff.

Although i will say I agree about the Celine Dion one. Except, well, Springsteen had some great albums.

 

[Apple OC]

It will be a long time before we witness musical talent as big as the Beatles and Michael Jackson ... Coldplay and Bieber are not even close