As sales plummet, music thrives
It was a strange 12 months for music. The year brought us
pop-sensation Justin Bieber and made sure we never forgot that
hip-hop star Kanye West interrupted a speech at a nobody-cares MTV
event. And, of course, we were all witnesses to a meat-made
dress.
But most of all the year in music was about the past. Record
sales continued to grow for the third year in a row
– there is even a Record Store Day on every third Saturday of
April – and we were given a reason to believe in the concept of an
album again.
As sales plummet, music thrives
It was a strange 12 months for music. The year brought us pop-sensation Justin Bieber and made sure we never forgot that hip-hop star Kanye West interrupted a speech at a nobody-cares MTV event. And, of course, we were all witnesses to a meat-made dress.
But most of all the year in music was about the past. Record sales continued to grow for the third year in a row – there is even a Record Store Day on every third Saturday of April – and we were given a reason to believe in the concept of an album again.
Since Napster passed around music in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and iTunes began ruling the world of music, albums have become a dying breed. Buyers are more inclined to go after the 99-cent purchase on iTunes than a full album. And for the most popular artists of the day, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, albums are a collection of singles.
But this year, thanks to Arcade Fire, Kanye West, and Janelle Monae, the idea of an ambitious full-length album was back. The artists didn’t necessarily care about just creating a group of singles, but a cohesive whole. The artists worked to create a piece of work where all the pieces completed a puzzle of an idea.
A band like Arcade Fire took a simple idea of suburbs, and created a winding story behind it. Janelle Monae created a world behind her ArchAndroid character. And Kanye West was West, throwing everything he possibly could into 60 minutes.
Every piece of work was ambitious, and fully rewarding. And all of it received recognition by being at the top of the Billboard 100, surpassing the artist’s previous best.
The albums defined the year, because as other artists were creating money hits these artists created something that will stay around for years to come. When we forget Cee-Lo’s “Forget You” in three years, we will remember Arcade Fire’s journey through the suburbs.
And then there is harpist Joanna Newsom, who created an album that was two hours in length.
The nostalgia continued through the year for old favorites and chart toppers that seemed to have disappeared. A rejuvenated Eminem and jazz-infused Christina Aguilera returned to the top of the charts after returning from small leaves.
Both artists returned to their roots, attracting old audiences but influencing a new generation.
Despite the overall disappearance and struggles of the music industry, there was some good. Indie bands continued to grow as Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire and Spoon all found spots among the year’s best sellers. Surf rock, made famous by the Beach Boys, slowly made its return with indie-label bands Surfer Blood and Best Coast.
And artists of all shapes and sizes continued to create and release music in different ways. Labels continue to put an emphasis on making artists readily available online, through sites such as MySpace and Bandcamp. Music is more available today than it ever was. And too much music is never a bad thing.
The music industry may never again be what it was 20 or 30 years ago, but that’s a good thing. Artists today have the freedom and ability to do things like never before.
