As usual with Dada Drummer Almanach, so much to unpack here! King Data controls all! (See Jill Lapore, facts vs. numbers. vs. data). But I have a bone to pick: No mention of Napster. Isn't that how this all started? I'm sure it's in Liz's book, which I must read. But that was free music for the people, man! All you had to feel guilty about was that you were ripping off a record company. Screw them anyway! .... Also, so much of this sounded familiar: Coming up with the right mix that would keep people glued to your platform all day. Wasn't that what commercial pop radio was all about? Isn't that what the commercial art is all about? The market-survey-driven "playlist" -- whether it applied to rock and pop songs, movies, or theater. "Home of the hits!" The difference was that there was a human being atop the pyramid making the call -- the program director, the studio exec, the Shubert Organization. But it was the same thing: Repetition. The same songs over and over again. Even college radio had "wheels" and "emphasis tracks," but different emphasis. (See Kalefa Sanneh, "Major Labels : A history of Popular Music in Seven Genres," on WHRB's "Record Hospital.") But, even so, there was a difference in how to read audience "taste" as opposed to audience data. I remember someone from "alternative-rock" radio station WFNX telling me that when a significant amount of listener response to a particular track was over-the-top vehement, via the telephone (!) listener line, he knew it was going to be huge. As in "Fuck you! Take that shit off!" His example was Hole. (When "huge" was defined as record sales.).... And FWIW, a certain kind of pop song DOES make me want to hear it over and over again. I remember being at the beach, of all places, listening to CeeLo's "Crazy" several times in a row. As soon as it was over, I wanted to listen to it again. For further reading: Ben Ratliff's "Run the Song," and about "kids" now listening to the same song HUNDREDS of times in a row. That's just wrong. Maybe Spotify-induced listening sickness.
jon! hi. hope you are doing well. i am reading ben ratliff's book right now, it's so good! that line stuck out to me too.
also yes of course there is mention of file sharing in the book. napster, but also the pirate bay, considering spotify's origins in sweden. that's the whole first chapter. and yes many dots to connect to radio. in some ways the whole history of commercial radio is like a history of lean-back listening predating streaming. interesting anecdote re FNX
As usual with Dada Drummer Almanach, so much to unpack here! King Data controls all! (See Jill Lapore, facts vs. numbers. vs. data). But I have a bone to pick: No mention of Napster. Isn't that how this all started? I'm sure it's in Liz's book, which I must read. But that was free music for the people, man! All you had to feel guilty about was that you were ripping off a record company. Screw them anyway! .... Also, so much of this sounded familiar: Coming up with the right mix that would keep people glued to your platform all day. Wasn't that what commercial pop radio was all about? Isn't that what the commercial art is all about? The market-survey-driven "playlist" -- whether it applied to rock and pop songs, movies, or theater. "Home of the hits!" The difference was that there was a human being atop the pyramid making the call -- the program director, the studio exec, the Shubert Organization. But it was the same thing: Repetition. The same songs over and over again. Even college radio had "wheels" and "emphasis tracks," but different emphasis. (See Kalefa Sanneh, "Major Labels : A history of Popular Music in Seven Genres," on WHRB's "Record Hospital.") But, even so, there was a difference in how to read audience "taste" as opposed to audience data. I remember someone from "alternative-rock" radio station WFNX telling me that when a significant amount of listener response to a particular track was over-the-top vehement, via the telephone (!) listener line, he knew it was going to be huge. As in "Fuck you! Take that shit off!" His example was Hole. (When "huge" was defined as record sales.).... And FWIW, a certain kind of pop song DOES make me want to hear it over and over again. I remember being at the beach, of all places, listening to CeeLo's "Crazy" several times in a row. As soon as it was over, I wanted to listen to it again. For further reading: Ben Ratliff's "Run the Song," and about "kids" now listening to the same song HUNDREDS of times in a row. That's just wrong. Maybe Spotify-induced listening sickness.
jon! hi. hope you are doing well. i am reading ben ratliff's book right now, it's so good! that line stuck out to me too.
also yes of course there is mention of file sharing in the book. napster, but also the pirate bay, considering spotify's origins in sweden. that's the whole first chapter. and yes many dots to connect to radio. in some ways the whole history of commercial radio is like a history of lean-back listening predating streaming. interesting anecdote re FNX
good good good !!
Thanks, Damon. I've meant to read Liz's book, but had forgotten about it. I ordered a copy today. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you so much for this! Lots to think about here -- and lots of work to be done.