[Timesink]

Hell, I didn't even know that the single had been given the axe.

There are still some around, just not very many. Right after the American Idol finals, they put out Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken CD singles.

But in any case, this article glosses over - hell, it IGNORES - the elephant in the living room: Most current rock and pop SUCKS. I don't just not want to pay $19 for the CD, I don't want to pay $2 for the single. I don't want the music AT ALL, not even for free. Back in the 80s when I was a teen, I didn't see a lot of kids my age going out of their way to get their hands on music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. (Yes, there were some that, but not a lot.) But today, millions upon millions of teenagers chase after 80s music online like crazy, because corporate pop and rock (and rap/hip-hop) has never been as generic and homogenous as it is today. Everyone in each genre looks the same, sounds the same, acts the same, dresses the same. (Ooh, look, another rap video where chicks are shaking their booties into fisheye lenses while the rappers - all dressed up like pimps - are drinking Courvoisier! Why didn't I think of that?!?) You have to dig deep to find anything that sounds truly fun and original.

I've gone into deep detail in other threads in the past as to why I think this is (one word: SoundScan), but until the record companies decide to start emphasizing originality over the inventory numbers SoundScan spits out every week (hint to record companies: Being #1 doesn't mean all that much when the #1 record is only selling half as many copies as the less-accurately-repored "#1 record" was twenty years ago), they're going to continue losing customers, even if they manage to completely smash all P2P activity, which of course they won't.

People, even teens, will pay for GOOD music. For subpar music, they'll only download it. If it has no value to them, they're not going to give a damn whether a record company tries to claim it does.

[Michael Barnes]

Heard on the radio today that Korn is selling their new "single" online for 99Cents from their website.

I don't particularly like Korn, but it showed me that some ofthe bands of today are starting to shrug the record industry if their big enough..

[Jeff Chandler]

>>Most current rock and pop SUCKS<<

You got that right. Heck, even most older rock and pop sucks, but the good/suck ratio was much higher.

I can't wait for the 99 cent a song system to become available to PC users. Most of my purchases will be classical, though.

[BlessedBeGod]

Right after the American Idol finals, they put out Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken CD singles...I don't want to pay $2 for the single.

Per Amazon, the list price of Clay's and Ruben's singles is $4.49. That's WAY expensive for just 2 songs.

[FastCoyote]

Good analysis. I think the real problem is that there are no garage bands left. That is, they've overproduced the product to the point it's worthless. Plus, they cut out the singles. So, RIAA should get a clue.

[FierceDraka]

...Back in the 80s when I was a teen, I didn't see a lot of kids my age going out of their way to get their hands on music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. (Yes, there were some that, but not a lot.) But today, millions upon millions of teenagers chase after 80s music online like crazy, because corporate pop and rock (and rap/hip-hop) has never been as generic and homogenous as it is today...

Amen to that! As an old 80's metal-head, the only CDs I've been buying lately have been old, hard-to-find stuff by Frank Zappa. Incidentally, I haven't heard any new stuff that would be worth my shelling out any cash, seeing as it's all formulistic crap coming out these days. (Stinkin Park, Gimp Bizkit, etc) Gimme some old, high-talent quality stuff by Iron Maiden or Rush any day.