The effects of corporate music


I'm old enough to remember AOR and being able to listen to music that at the time I thought was just bizzare, and that was on the radio. There were so many stations around with a huge variety of music to hear, including things I had not heard before.

In the last thirty years music radio has changed so much, and for the worse that I no longer listen to music radio. I can't help but think that cumulus and others of their ilk have destroyed radio, but I also wonder how big their influence has been on the quality of music.

There used to be more of an edge to music, and I'm not talking about the trash made up of violence and sex that is todays rap music. People had more to say, and better ways of saying it when I was young. The musicians did not try to substitute shock for substance when making their records.

Are there still musicians around that are great artist, but we never get to know them because they don't fit the formula of corporate radio stations? Is there still a place for small stations that are unwilling to play the drivel that passes for pop music, or the oldies that comprised our youth, but are getting old even to those of us that love those songs???
128x128nrchy

Showing 1 response by goinbroke

Nrchy, you hit the nail on the head this time. Blame Clearchannel for destroying radio and Sony for wiping out the recorded music industry. The good news is that with the latest technological advances (eg internet, etc.) many new artists in the US are choosing to forego the established recording industry. Volume of sales is lower, but the profit to the performer is, in many cases, slightly higher since the record companies don't pay squat to anyone but an established mainstream artist. The only down-side to this is it makes great music hard to find if you don't know exactly where to look. The time is right for some enterprising individual to set up a categorized link site for as many of these artists as possible with links to their sites (maybe it already exists?). Anyway, another point I'd like to make is that harder rock-n-roll didn't die, it moved to Finland. And other countries outside the US. Here, listed by country, are a few bands from outside the US that most people in the US have never heard of. Check them out, you may find a new favorite:

Finland -- Nightwish, Thyrane
Italy -- Lacuna Coil
Sweden -- Freak Kitchen, Passenger, In Flames
Croatia -- Ashes You Leave

On a much softer note, check out Holly McNarland from Canada or if you find yourself in a Sisters of Mercy mood, try out The Cruxshadows from that other foreign country---Florida!!! You get my point. Good music is out there, it's just harder to find. That's why we have to rely on each other to find it. I realize this is predominantly a gear site, but maybe Audiogon should/would consider a way for members to list what types of music they prefer. That would make it alot easier to know who to ask for new music recommendations. Just a thought.