NME has published a picture series with 50 massively depressing facts about music.
Entertaining and depressing all at once.
http://www.nme.com/photos/50-massive...sic/267558/1/1
Examples:
"Cliff Richard’s 'Millennium Prayer' has sold 10 times more copies than Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’."
"In the US, the cast of Glee has had more songs in the charts than the Beatles."
"Chris De Burgh’s ‘Lady In Red’ has sold 13 times as many copies as Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart’."
Interesting read, but I'm trying to figure out what is "depressing" about that particular item...Jack Johnson has sold more records (18 million) than The Strokes, Arcade Fire, MGMT and The Smiths combined.
It will only be depressing if in 40 years your grandkids are dancing to the versions of songs from the cast of Glee. Something tells me you need not worry.
It's a Hoosier thing, you wouldn't understand...
Music these days is depressing enough I don't need to read about why.
+1Originally Posted by MoparsRule
If The Strokes, Arcade Fire, MGMT, and The Smiths sold as many records as Jack Johnson, then they wouldn't be the critics darlings but instead would be regarded as commercial sell-outs.
"Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob." - Federalist 55
“My first reaction as a race car driver was to jump out of the car and use the Foyt technique of driver development - grab him and pound some sense into him.”
"Make way. I'm Reaganing."
I'd love to join in on this but I've never heard of ANY of them.
Even mentioning Jack Johnson in the same sentence as The Smiths is depressing in my book.
Insert clever "The Smiths" "depressing" comebacks below
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"More people bought Daniel O’Donnell’s ‘Moon Over Ireland’ album than any record by The Velvet Underground."
Ugh.
This is quite true...+1
If The Strokes, Arcade Fire, MGMT, and The Smiths sold as many records as Jack Johnson, then they wouldn't be the critics darlings but instead would be regarded as commercial sell-outs.
#1 - I barely know any of the people/bands on this other than those from the 60/70s.
#2 - Not depressing at all.
#3 - Pink Floyd never had many hits to begin with - so that and many other points were no surprise at all.
It's a half assed piece all around.
#1 non-depressing fact: 40 years from now the 60's era will still be the measuring stick.
I wish I knew - Dennis "Cutty" Wise
When its game time, it's pain time! - Terrible Terry Tate
Yo!
If you don't know the bands/artists on the left you should generally be very thankful of that fact.
I know them all, plus all the ones from the 60's and 70's (50's, 80's, 90's, 00's etal). Reading is fun! #MusicHistorian
I think 1971 marked a high water mark for the rock era. Look at this list of what was released that year -- http://WWW.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/1971a.htm
Last edited by CARTer; 05-09-2012 at 11:43 AM. Reason: uh
I ain't quiet, everybody else is too loud.
The reality is hardly anyone bought any Velvet Underground record back in the day...their "popularity" and "influence" came much later ("Wow, Pete Buck says this is the best band ever so it must be true...") and I think a lot of it was Monday Morning quarterbacking...
That being said, what's "popular" and sells the "most records" has always been largely different than what seems to be "remembered" in later years...
Need proof? Check out the Billboard charts...I worked on a project a few years back that featured every #1 single from 1958 through 1983...There are a lot of #1's that people don't recall being #1...and a lot of great songs from the (pick your era) that never got within a sniff of the top 10...
Chicago BlackHawks...2010 Stanley Cup Champions...It was fun while it lasted!
I never "got" Lou Reed or the VU, myself. I guess there's no accounting for taste.
But: Yes is still going strong, and Asia will be releasing their latest album next month. Sparks has 22 in the can and is still touring with their production of "The Seduction of Ingemar Bergman", and Kate Bush gave us "50 Words for Snow" last Winter.
And then there is Mew.
So see, life is actually pretty good despite it all.
TrackForum Pick 5 2013 Point Standings
"Dogs flew spaceships! The Aztecs invented the vacation! Men and women are the same sex! Our forefathers took drugs! Your brain is not the boss! Yes! That's right! Everything you know is wrong!"
Brian's Wish * Jason Foundation
Some #1 hits from 1971:
"Knock Three Times" - Dawn - Three weeks at #1
"One Bad Apple" - The Osmonds - Five weeks
"Want Ads" - The Honey Cone - One week
"Go Away Little Girl" - Donny Osmond - Three weeks
"Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" - Cher - Two weeks
"Brand New Key" - Melanie - One week in 1971, two more in 1972
I guess being into Jack Johnson and being out of pot.
"Ride The Barrel & Get Pitted... So Pitted."
I don't know - after looking up the "Corrs" I have to admit that I would not mind giving those gals a shot.If you don't know the bands/artists on the left you should generally be very thankful of that fact.
Wow!
The reality is the numbers are dropping yet you call the deal 'ahead of its time'. The only end result that can be drerived from that is the series will be broke 'ahead of its time'.
Everyone knows the best band of all time is Chumbawamba!
Asia - Family Guy made fun of them a few weeks ago.
Kate Bush - annoying!
now I cannot get that Asia song out of my head!!!
Last edited by doitagain; 05-09-2012 at 03:46 PM.
The dumbest thing in there.......
Number One albums by Mariah Carey - two. Number One albums by Sex Pistols – one.
Sex Pistols only released one real album.
Wow - that is just terrible!
Agree, but I bet there were some good one too. Hardscrabble?
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock has spent more weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 than the Beatles Hey Jude, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and She Loves You put together.
I recall my mother constantly saying she was a hippie when I finally called her out on it.
1. She had no hippie cloths
2. Never even had been to California
3. Never had any drug of any kind
4. Never had any friends who were hippies or remotely close
So it basically then came down to music. She gleefully ran off to her closet and pulled a large box or records... Needless to say it was a top chart hit of the era and none of them could lay claim to the hippie generation IMO.
Lots of Sonny & Cher, Peter Paul and Mary, Neil Diamond and other crap - hell I think I even found some Captain and Tennille in that load of hot mess!
Nothin sounds more Hippie than "Muskrat Love"
Perhaps that's part of the depressing part?
To each his own, I guess. I've never understood the popularity of Seth MacFarlane myself.
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