Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

qz.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 266 posts

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#61

Post by spiderfarmer »

medymed wrote: post #9
1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #6

"In a seminal 2004 essay in Wired titled "The Long Tail," journalist Chris Anderson argued that digital culture would help niche music, books, and movies thrive. With fewer gatekeepers and more avenues to find likeminded fans, people would be more likely to indulge their true interests, rather than just accept what was offered by the mainstream." Nice idea, there is some truth to it based on what we've seen so far, b…

The long tail of artists that makes the platform more long-tail money with minimal cost is comparatively safe. Especially given that artists/labels do the grunt work of loading everything to the electronic platform and even for them the cost of production and distribution is markedly decreased from several decades ago.

Even users do the grunt work for them, by discovering and listening to new artists, adding them to playlists and giving them extra data for their algorithms.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#62

Post by jariel »

gruez wrote: post #34
29athrowaway wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on the songs being aggresively pushed by record labels, it seems that the ultimate goals of mainstream music industry are: - To glorify violence, substance abuse, disrespect of women, domination behavior, anti-intellectualism. - To reinforce racial stereotypes, including fear of minorities. - To make people superficial. Songs are an effective way to deliver a message to be repeated over and over and over again…

>it seems that the ultimate goals of mainstream music industry are: [...] Songs are an effective way to deliver a message to be repeated over and over and over again until people break and assimilate the message. It sounds like you're saying that the music industry is engaged in a conspiracy to change people's behavior. Is this a correct characterization? If so, is there any evidence for this conspiracy, or some plau…

I wouldn't say the music industry is out to do anything but make money - however - 'shocking' makes more money.

'WAP' - was designed to break through the noise by being crude and shocking - a title that I literally cannot write :), and almost on cue, had a 'GOP Congressman' talking about the 'Godlessness' of it all, playing perfectly into the hands of the labels. Like comedy.

But it's a horrible song, because it's not meant to be one - it's more of a 'audio meme' meant to accompany the visuals media stars who made it. The press was more than happy to glom onto it for social reasons.

This is pretty toxic to music and 'driven' by the labels, though not specifically for any purpose other than making money.

MTV however - has always had a 'social change agenda' as part of their ethos.

Most of the best music is accompanied by something 'new' and possibly a little bit rebellious, but generally not 'shocking'. It seems every big artists curates an image, but usually it did not overshadow the music.

Since social media however, I'm not so sure. LadyGaga, however talented, seems to have always been 'visual first'.

The top 40, while always mostly crap, did have a lot of gems, it was guarded by people with 1/2 decent taste in music and there were always indies.

Now there's much, much more noise.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#63

Post by jariel »

baron816 wrote: post #14

> While blockbuster movies are only growing in importance... Obviously, there have been no real blockbusters released this year. I don’t have evidence, but for me it seems like indie movies are thriving. The Streamers are all pouring money into original movies—I can’t think of a single movie that Netflix, Prime, or Hulu has produced that was a sequel.

A lot more stuff on Netflix, but a complete dirth of creativity in Theaters. No more rom-coms, woody allen type things.

The budgets are now huge, and globally focused, and the 'lowest common denominator' of the world audience is very low. Stories have to be able to work across cultures.

So you get things like 'Transformers' which don't even have a plot. Just big, long, action sequences. Hardly any dialogue. Works well for the plebes in the US - but also Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, China, France, Brazil etc..

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#64

Post by tomcam »

mNovak wrote: post #47
toby wrote: post #10

This article says that the Top 40 has dropped from 35mm to 30mm plays on a Wednesday. Then it says: "The decline is likely partially the result of an overall decrease in streaming after Covid-19 hit the US, due to the absence of people listening to music on commutes and in stores. But it’s not just that. The biggest hits are declining, while the streaming of smaller hits remains about the same." Seems like it could b…

Yeah I agree. I anticipate some amount of people still discover music on the radio (even pop mega hits you have to hear the first time somewhere), then go seek it out on spotify. I haven't much been in a car, thus haven't heard the radio, in 7 months. I have no idea what's on the top 40 right now.

WAP.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#65

Post by laurent92 »

ehnto wrote: post #53

I hope so. Top 40 lists are constructed not observed. They seem to have no relationship to what music is favored by listeners, just what is being pushed on pop radio. A self satisfying loop.

It is astonishing when you realize it. Since the MCM times, we’ve transferred music bands from sound to image, and we noticed the commercial drums (and repetition on radios in particular) produced linear return in investment, and music characteristics hadn’t much to do with it. To the point that today, any music will do. It’s much easier for the labels, since they can pimp anyone among the 1-10% of the population who can sing, and therefore they can choose people on character and ethnicity. Studies on thousands of pieces showed that melodies recouped more and more, the chorus started earlier in the song, songs got shorter, and instrument-based tricks reduced. Meanwhile loudness increased (screams and whisper are at the same volume) to make it fitter for bad-quality players (radio, speakers etc.)

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#66

Post by Apocryphon »

conception wrote: post #49
gre wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With pop music you hear exactly the same track over and over with no variation and it gets predictable and monotonous. With classical, jazz, or live music there are many performances, so any two recordings will not sound identical. This is one reason I can't stand pop music after a few listens.

This is also why people love pop music. It is predictable, safe and unchallenging.

There seems to be a neurological basis for it:

https://www.cracked.com/article_19426_5-things-you-do-every-...

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#68

Post by bawolff »

conception wrote: post #49
gre wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With pop music you hear exactly the same track over and over with no variation and it gets predictable and monotonous. With classical, jazz, or live music there are many performances, so any two recordings will not sound identical. This is one reason I can't stand pop music after a few listens.

This is also why people love pop music. It is predictable, safe and unchallenging.

Is music supposed to challenge you?

To each their own, but if i wanted to be challenged i read a book, learn something new, etc.

I think i listen to music because it has an effect of transfering emotional state/causes me to feel. Being intellectually challenging is not a good thing in that context. (Although i still want it to be unpredictable and not neccesarily safe)

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#70

Post by snvzz »

zaptrem wrote: post #52
conception wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also why people love pop music. It is predictable, safe and unchallenging.

People also like it because it's colorful and multidimensional, but not so multidimensional that you can't decipher it without focusing on it exclusively and retreating to a quiet room.

However, there's high variance in the amount of layering and the overall richness of the songs.

I'm drawn to complexity in music and I can still enjoy pop... jpop specifically, as it tends to have more effort put into it.

reclines seat and listens to some µ's (Love Live) on his HD600.

Post reply on HN