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Music and the charts
Posted Oct 7, 2002
Why not write something, after all if I'm going to abuse work internet access might as well do it properly. No, not surf for porn, rather leave my mark and spread some of my useless musings around the place a bit.
My current thoughts are predominantly focused on music, which isn't unusual, and the top 40 singles chart, which is decidedly unusual.
Now, I happen to love a band called the Wildhearts, and they released their first single for about 6 years last week, independent label, no radio airplay, minimal advertising in metal/rock magazines & on satellite music channels - well, one, Kerrang!tv. It managed to get to number 26 in this weeks chart, the same week John Otway got to number 9 due largely to his fans mounting a campaign to buy the single as a 50th birthday present to him.
Also at the moment, a bunch of over-self-important rather clueless 'pop gurus' are choosing which 2 records we the record/cd buying public get to have as our xmas no1 & 2.
Now it's a big discussion topic, but what can we do to stop this kind of injustice - I'm veering towards separate charts for different types of music; not necessarily 'categories', more 'will this band/artist/puppet be ruthlessly promoted and forced down the throats of gullible kids & rednecks' alongside 'bands/artists who aren;t puppets, make music they want and don't really want to rely more on the marketing than the music to sell cds'. I guess this goes hand in hand with the development of separate radio stations for different music styles - already happens with satellite music channels, with radio6 et al popping up, perhaps radio is going the same way already. Fine by me.
Did I have a point?
Maybe.
Music, it's great, always has been, always might be, but only if we cut out, separate and stick in another dimension all the non-music-music that's more about marketing than anything else. If we don't take steps (no pun intended, unless it's funny in which case I'm a genius) then maybe not us, maybe not our kids or their kids, but eventually, we won't get to choose what we listen to, we'll be told what the most popular music is, and have to put up with it. Just like it'll be this xmas...
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Latest reply: Oct 7, 2002
Radish
Researcher U198404
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