Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site hammer.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!Glacier!oliveb!hplabs!tektronix!orca!hammer!dce From: dce@hammer.UUCP (David Elliott) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: The Classics weren't always... Message-ID: <1595@hammer.UUCP> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 11:48:41 EST Article-I.D.: hammer.1595 Posted: Wed Oct 30 11:48:41 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 15:13:12 EST References: <4047@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <7454@watdaisy.UUCP> <57@birtch.UUCP> Reply-To: dce@hammer.UUCP (David Elliott) Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 49 In article <57@birtch.UUCP> oleg@birtch.UUCP (Oleg Kiselev x268) writes: >In article <7454@watdaisy.UUCP> datanguay@watdaisy.UUCP (David Tanguay) writes: >>I would question whether any art is ever accepted by the masses (of course, >>we haven't defined what 'masses' are). I doubt that classical music, even >>today, appeals to a large percentage of the population (same for any other >>kind of music). > Ever heared of "TOP 40" music? By definition Top 40 is appealing to a wide > sector of population (majority?). Ever heard of "propaganda"? The Top 40 lists of records do not reflect the sales of every record available. They simply reflect the sales of new records that have been picked for tracking. (I used to program for a major retail record outlet chain, so I saw this first hand.) For example, the day after John Lennon died, there was a major run on his records in most stores around the country. Except for "Double Fantasy", which was already on the charts at that time, none of the albums were realistically represented in the Top 40 charts that week. This also happened when Elvis Presley died. What the Top 40 lists reveal is what music marketing people want it to reveal. Remember that not everyone making music can get on the charts. Look at the names of the record labels on the lists and figure out how many of these do not belong to a major company (like Warner Bros.). Small labels do not get big distribution. Sure, you can say "if the artist were really good, a big record company would give them a contract". Wrong. For a big record company to give you a contract, they have to be able to make money off of you. Not only do you have to be talented, you have to be willing to be a puppet (artistic control is very rare). You also have to "look good in videos"! When I heard this (it was on a TNN Headline News thing) coming from a record company marketing rep, I became very angry. My record collection admittedly contains some stuff that was in the Top 40 charts at one time or another, but that's not because I like what everyone else likes. It's because I happened to like the group or the record. I never listen to radio, since that is also driven by marketing people. If I want to hear something, I ask the salesperson at the record store to play it. If they do and I like it, I buy it. If they don't play it (jerks) or I don't like it, I don't buy it. I drive my own buying habits. Buy alternative music! David