Once again reports have been released saying that CD sales are down. This has indeed been a trend over recent years. But while the sales of physical CDs are down the sales for digital downloads have risen – and risen significantly.
The twenty first century has become an age of smaller is better. With digital music players that can hold well over 100 songs and are barely larger than a credit card why wouldn’t people want to make the change from the relatively bulky CD folder and player? Just like in days gone by when the smaller CDs took the place of the larger clumsier turntable and vinyl records, so has the digital age taken over the role of the CD.
Recently, record company executives have been bemoaning the decline of CD sales and the supposed loss of income; all the while they have been ignoring the increase of profit per song along with the increase in downloads from the digital music services. The lower price per song not only increases profit because there is less labour and supplies required; but also, the opportunity to purchase only those songs a fan wishes which also increase the chance of sales. One thing the record companies fail to understand is that for every fan who buys an entire album there is another fan or two who likes only one or two songs on the CD but is not willing to pay $15 or $20 for the CD just for that one song. By allowing fans the chance to purchase only the songs they like increases the overall sales by the artist; thus providing more money for all parties involved.
If the music business and record companies are to survive then enbracing the digital age and enhancing on it is essential. The CD like vinyl has its place. At one time retailers stopped carrying vinyl because they were convinced the CD was the wave of the future – and at the time they were right. Now it is digital that is taking over the age.
But the format used for the release of new music is not the only problem facing the music business. The record executives themselves are also an issue; as is the music itself that is being released. Instead of looking inside the industry it is easier for the executives to blame everything else, especially illegal downloading. Fans have been copying and passing around their favorite songs since the beginning of recorded music. The record executives seem to focus all their attention on a few artists, artists that have better looks than talent. By flaunting these artists on stage with heavy emphasis on electronic manipulations and very little clinching on the artist, the record companies then market said artist flooding the media with advertising trying to convince the public to buy what they are selling just like the snake oil salesmen of old hawking the next great cure all.
While physical CD sales are down and digital sales are up there is still a decline in the overall sale of music; but so has the overall quality of said music itself.
In recent years there has been a trend toward older bands making a resurgence especially among the younger generations. It is not uncommon to see two and three generations of fans – sometimes in the same family – at a concert by bands from the seventies and even the sixties. This is not a case of massive forced listening but merely music fans discovering some good music. Tween and teens think it is cool to be seen at a concert with their parents or even grandparents. Artists like The Stylistcs and the The Ohio Players stand the test of time because they made and continue to perform good music. Quite a number of the artists who are popular today will be gone and forgotten, unknown to the next generation of fans.
Perhaps record companies need to take notice.
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In 1947 James “Alley Pat” Patrick began his career as one of Atlanta’s first black deejays under the name “Pat Alley”. It’s said he got the moniker by inviting his listeners to “go in the alley and drink some beer”.
The sound of Sonny Hopson blasted through the airwaves like a perfect storm. “Make no mistake-ah, Jake-ah,” went The Mighty Burner from 1965 to 1986 on WHAT 1340 AM. Now 63, Hopson was the best friend black music ever had, playing the hottest soul platters and adding his own heaven-sent shouts. When he wasn’t on WHAT, he ran his own clubs, a record label and wrote songs (e.g.: Freedom Now Brothers’ “Sissy Walk,” which was sampled by Fatboy Slim). When he wasn’t crooning, he was making ad-lib ads and sending out political messages about the war in Vietnam and his true feelings toward Nixon. In an attempt to harness Hopson’s lightning in a bottle, Philly Archives’ David Brown has sliced an hour from a 1969 Hopson radio show for the recently released disc The Mighty Burner. The sound is electric and crackling; the just re-released 12-inch of “Sissy Walk” has the same urgency. Now, from his Wynnefield home, Hopson — raspy and ready — is tearing up the Internet with a real-time radio station.
Sitting here going through all the information I have gathered on broadcast history, I am just blown away at how half the story hasn’t been told. There is of course the twisted story about Alan Freed and Rock & Roll. Why isn’t anyone talking about Tommy (Dr. Jive) Smalls, E. Rodney Jones and Herb Kent. They were the on-air personalities whose styles and playlist were copied by Mr. Freed, Dick Clark and so many others and never were credited.
“The path used to be clear — you got a major-label deal, they got you on the radio, you toured and recorded albums. all that has changed, really, and the new path is . . . well, what is it? And where does it go?” – Steven Scott, guitarist/singer from the band Afternoons.This quote appeared in the Los Angeles Times in an article by Geoff Boucher entitled, 
earlier on a few social networking sites that generated some very interesting discussion. Seems like the proverbial elephant is still in the room. So, I have decided to post the quote so we can keep the discussion going.
