The music industry was fragmented in the beginning, came together for awhile (when an artist like Elvis was able to top Pop, R&B, and C&W charts at the same time) and has fragmented again.
There are music stores that specialize in dance/techno music, rap, or heavy metal. If a store owner sticks to the Classic Rock he grew up with (he's 59) then his business is stagnent and he's not keeping up with any music trends.
Ironic to see the NY Times talking about greying dinosaurs.
These days I stop by the various used record stores in Boston and often I'm the only one there.
The ending of so many "underground gathering places" is sad.
Danny Fields, the Ramones’ first manager, points out that visiting Bleecker Bob’s on West Third Street in the late 70’s was “like experiencing the New York music scene” in miniature — it was a cultural locus, a trading post for all the latest punk trends. “Dropping into Bleecker Bob’s was like dropping into CBGB’s,” he said. (You can still drop into Bleecker Bob’s.)
Except that the punk records that niche music stores (presumably like this punk store) stocked were imports or small label, small distribution. I doubt that the punk stores stocked much Ted Nuggent, Helen Reddy, James Taylor, ELO, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, or Barry Mannilow reocrds. Think they stocked the Grease or Saturday Night Fever soundtracks?
Only if they were a superstore chain, like Peaches.
Well, this grayhead hasn't bought a CD in ages. About 90% of my "record" collection comes through iTunes.
If they start releasing,in serious quantities,stuff from the 50's and 60's...folk,pop,rock,"standards",etc...in "high definition" then I'll be there with my credit card at the ready.A little bit of that stuff...e.g.,Dylan and the Stones...has been released in "hi def",but there's almost nothing released in the last 15-20 years that I'm at all interested in buying on CD or download.