[Music] Taylor Swift has the entire Billboard US Top Ten

[BBassic]

Dad?! lol

Charts are weird now - based on streams, downloads, radio airplay and, way down the list, actual sales.

Music isn't consumed as it was. And arguably doesn't mean as much to kids, as it used to.

BUT well-crafted pop music is still well-crafted pop music. See: Taylor Swift's Antihero, the current #1. It's ace.

I read this the other day: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-quitting-spotify-to-save-their-love-of-music

Talks about how we consume rather than experience music these days and the people moving away from streaming services.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

She is a superstar and her reinvention as more than just a popstar is remarkably impressive.

Had the pleasure of being at Bon Iver last Wednesday and he brought her out to perform their duet from Folklore, "Exile". It was brilliant, and the crowd (who wouldn't really be her "normal" audience) went wild. Was a really special moment.

I had never really listened to TS until I watched 'the long pond studio sessions' of Folklore when I had Disney free for 6 months during lockdown. Wow ... superb!! Got me listening to her back catalogue ... some that just isn't for me, but loads I do like and she's probably become my most listened to artist in the last year or so (I'm nearly 61 by the way)!!!

Love the fact she's also reclaiming her music by re-recording her old albums ... which meant that we got the 10 minute version of All to Well on the album Red! I sometimes have it on repeat She always seems to come over well during interviews. Would love to see her if/when she next comes to the UK ... albeit it will be in the kind of venue I try to avoid!!

 

[Gabbafella]

I most definitely would. Unfortunately, she most definitely wouldn't.

 

[Wozza]

I read this the other day: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-quitting-spotify-to-save-their-love-of-music

Talks about how we consume rather than experience music these days and the people moving away from streaming services.

Feels like Apple started the 'consume' thing with iPods - especially the autofill option. "Yeah, just fill it up with random music, please."

I don't believe a significant number of kids are turning away from streaming. Or buying vinyl or tapes. Still a niche thing.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Feels like Apple started the 'consume' thing with iPods - especially the autofill option. "Yeah, just fill it up with random music, please."

I don't believe a significant number of kids are turning away from streaming. Or buying vinyl or tapes. Still a niche thing.

I was an early adopter to Spotify, and MP3 players (pre iPod) before that, but can honestly say I do not "engage" with music they way I used to. Maybe it's age, or having children and other commitments, but the commitment of going out and buying records, and then CDs meant a commitment to really listening to the music, over and over. Today, so many good tunes and artists get a solitary listen (or half listen) as a lack of time/too much choice get in the way.
And I do feel sad about that. I am looking forward to retiring in 5 or 10 years time and getting the chance to truly discover the music of the 21st century in the way I knew about the music of the late 20th century

 

[Beanstalk]

I read this the other day: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-quitting-spotify-to-save-their-love-of-music

Talks about how we consume rather than experience music these days and the people moving away from streaming services.

Easy to dismiss the current experience with nostalgia. People today listen to a wider variety of music more often and engage with it in different ways often more direct ways.

That it’s no longer “physical” is not better (well maybe it is for the environment) or worse than what came before. Vinyl was more convenient than the piano roll, cassette tapes more convenient than vinyl, CDs more convenient than tape and streaming the most convenient yet. That’s all it is. People are still going to gigs, starting bands and recording music, and engaging with new and old artists both live and on record.

 

[BBassic]

Feels like Apple started the 'consume' thing with iPods - especially the autofill option. "Yeah, just fill it up with random music, please."

I don't believe a significant number of kids are turning away from streaming. Or buying vinyl or tapes. Still a niche thing.

Oh yeah for sure, streaming is the easiest way to get most kinds of media now. TV, film, music. I can't see people, especially youngsters, actively moving away from it. For many it'll be all they've ever known as well.

Easy to dismiss the current experience with nostalgia. People today listen to a wider variety of music more often and engage with it in different ways often more direct ways.

That it’s no longer “physical” is not better (well maybe it is for the environment) or worse than what came before. Vinyl was more convenient than the piano roll, cassette tapes more convenient than vinyl, CDs more convenient than tape and streaming the most convenient yet. That’s all it is. People are still going to gigs, starting bands and recording music, and engaging with new and old artists both live and on record.

I wasn't trying to dismiss anything really. I've definitely found bands and artists I would have completely missed were it not for the 'you might also like' button on Spotify.

I do admit to missing the act of popping to the shop, buying a CD and then sitting down to listen to it. Which I can still do today admittedly.

I definitely miss my Sony Walkman. It had a flashy feature that auto-flipped to the other side of the tape so I could listen to the first two System of a Down albums on repeat until the batteries ran out because they both fit perfectly on one side each of a tape.

 

[Official Old Man]

Pretty sure the UK charts adopted a system whereby this cant happen here. Only one track per artist per album is allowed in the charts otherwise Ed Sheran would dominate all the time.
Found this- The Official Singles Chart is getting a structural shake up. Starting from July, artists will be allowed only three of their most popular tracks in the top 100, to prevent music’s heavyweight acts dominating the majority of the charts.
Seems Ed had 16 songs, his entire album, in the top 20 in 2017.

 

[Beanstalk]

Oh yeah for sure, streaming is the easiest way to get most kinds of media now. TV, film, music. I can't see people, especially youngsters, actively moving away from it. For many it'll be all they've ever known as well.


I wasn't trying to dismiss anything really. I've definitely found bands and artists I would have completely missed were it not for the 'you might also like' button on Spotify.

I do admit to missing the act of popping to the shop, buying a CD and then sitting down to listen to it. Which I can still do today admittedly.

I definitely miss my Sony Walkman. It had a flashy feature that auto-flipped to the other side of the tape so I could listen to the first two System of a Down albums on repeat until the batteries ran out because they both fit perfectly on one side each of a tape.

Sorry, I wasn't accusing you of dismissing personally, more about the article itself.

And I guess I'm generationally somewhere in the middle. I have great memories of going up to HMV on Oxford Street and spending hours going through the albums and leaving without any pocket money left. I also was 16 when Spotify came out and it completely revolutionised my listening habits overnight. I would spend hours every day devouring music I'd never heard before and discovered some of my absolute favourites via that method. Far more than I would have going through the bargain bins at HMV.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that music hasn't really changed, it's just more accessible now than it once was and that's a really great thing I think. And for the muso out there, live music is still that remarkably special physical moment that will never change (though feel free to bounce this comment when all that is left of an apocalyptic live music scene is four ABBA holograms on repeat).

 

[keaton]

Easy to dismiss the current experience with nostalgia. People today listen to a wider variety of music more often and engage with it in different ways often more direct ways.

That it’s no longer “physical” is not better (well maybe it is for the environment) or worse than what came before. Vinyl was more convenient than the piano roll, cassette tapes more convenient than vinyl, CDs more convenient than tape and streaming the most convenient yet. That’s all it is. People are still going to gigs, starting bands and recording music, and engaging with new and old artists both live and on record.

Minor point but I don't think streaming is necessarily better for the environment.

 

[Beanstalk]

Minor point but I don't think streaming is necessarily better for the environment.

Well it obviously has its caveats but "On a per-unit basis, streaming has a far lower carbon footprint than any physical format. Estimates put the carbon footprint of an hour of media streaming at around 55 grams of CO2 equivalent, while CDs are over three times that, and vinyl and cassettes release over 2 kilograms of CO2 a unit."

We obviously consume a lot more and this complicates things but with both Apple and Spotify implementing zero carbon policies by 2030 it's clearly (going to be) the least environmentally impactful way we've ever listened to music.

 

[keaton]

Well it obviously has its caveats but "On a per-unit basis, streaming has a far lower carbon footprint than any physical format. Estimates put the carbon footprint of an hour of media streaming at around 55 grams of CO2 equivalent, while CDs are over three times that, and vinyl and cassettes release over 2 kilograms of CO2 a unit."

We obviously consume a lot more and this complicates things but with both Apple and Spotify implementing zero carbon policies by 2030 it's clearly (going to be) the least environmentally impactful way we've ever listened to music.

But the more you stream it the less the difference is and it will get to a certain point where it will be better to have bought the Cd and vinyl. The Cd or record is front loaded with carbon whereas even if no one listens to a song in the cloud it is using carbon and when you listen it will use far more carbon than playing the cd

 

[studio150]

Also causing issues in the Album charts with a few albums now on the charts for over 1000 weeks which was unheard of when the charts were physical copies sold.

 

[Beanstalk]

But the more you stream it the less the difference is and it will get to a certain point where it will be better to have bought the Cd and vinyl. The Cd or record is front loaded with carbon whereas even if no one listens to a song in the cloud it is using carbon and when you listen it will use far more carbon than playing the cd

But only if you don't download the album to your device. If you do that, on a revolving basis (as I and everyone I know does), then you're front loading the minimal carbon footprint that is far lower than buying a physical copy.

EVERYTHING is really complicated when you get down to the minutiae of energy consumption but in terms of waste and use of raw materials that are environmentally damaging, it is obviously better. That is not of course to say that flagging the issues of energy consumption in data farms is not important but there is a path, one that is supposedly being pursued by the companies we're talking about, to creating a greener server-based future, whether that is relying on machine learning or renewable energy sources.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Also causing issues in the Album charts with a few albums now on the charts for over 1000 weeks which was unheard of when the charts were physical copies sold.

Didnt albums like Bat Out of Hell and Rumours also spend years on the charts in the previous world?

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Didnt albums like Bat Out of Hell and Rumours also spend years on the charts in the previous world?

Yep

I can't believe DSOTM didn't make number 1 though!!!