Has there been a double standard made in the music industry?

Psy-Fi · 08-04-2014, 08:38 AM

Not everyone listed here falls into the rock category, but most of them do. With a few exceptions, the majority listed are multimillionaires.

Richest Rock Stars

Vitne Eveille · 08-09-2014, 09:11 PM

Record companies weren't necessarily looking for talent. They had to meet the criteria of what they thought could be a star, or marketable. Also, a super talented person may have zero ambition (aside from being great at their instrument), whereas the less talented person may be extremely ambitious.

Oriphiel · 10-14-2014, 08:36 AM

Bands are a product, and companies invest in products they know will make them money. It's a shame, but that's how things are. Local restaurants can be amazing, but they'll never be able to compete with, say, McDonalds. If you go into the industry looking to make exciting and unique music, go for it and don't look back, just don't be surprised when only a small clique knows your name and buys your songs.

William_the_Bloody · 10-17-2014, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balto91

As a musician myself, it is fair to say I feel a bit miffed over the double standard he industry has created over not just the monetary payout but the rate of success as well. Now, this double standard might be viewed differently depending on how you view music but where I view the double standard created is specifically in the music the industry invests in. Now, as you may or may not know, I am passionate about rock n' roll. You know, punk and all that jazz and I strive to make a living off of it. Country and rock share the same elements. Both have guitars, both have drums, both have bass, but there is a difference. Over the months, I have kept an eagles eye out on the charts and the publicity made. Doesn't it feel a tad wrong when Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and Brad Paisley are getting exceptional praise not to mention the high class living while a hard working, rock band of the same instruments, the same environment, are at the best left in a outfitted bus, touring around the county maybe the world, and merely make a dent in the living and payoff these country moguls do?

Its pretty f'd up if you ask me. Now, when the day is done this is all merely a matter of opinion, but one should consider when many of these rock artists, such as NOFX, Anti Flag, and Rancid, that maybe have been out much longer than the roster of country artists today still fall in the indie category. NOFX is a bit older than The Offspring and way older than Blink 182, you'd think a million would be thrown in Fat Mikes direction. One should also consider the monumental albums that have come out that nowadays merely may raise an eyebrow, like Offspring's Smash or Americana or Green Days Dookie and American Idiot. Come Out and Play wouldn''t reach the same airplay Crash My Party would, let alone the momentum it reached in 94.

In conclusion, there is room for country and booze, but I challenge you to take a gander at the promotion, net worth's, and possessions Miranda Lambert possesses, and compare it to the middle class bands still eating Wendy's for lunch because if like Fox news the industry were fair and balanced, both Fat Mike and Keith Urban would both be in the millionaires club and Rancid could do "We're Never Ever, Ever Getting Back Together" and receive the same treasure and acclaim Taylor Swift did. Until we find that fair and balanced medium my comrades, the double standard the industry has birthed in alive and well. And I'm eager to hear your thoughts and remedies.

My profession doesn't give me the time to get involved in online debates, so two quick points that you can take or leave.

1. The return on your investment

The music industry is about one thing, profit! and country music over the decades has proven to be a safe return on your investment.

Country music has a stable fan base in rural America, which reaches a wide age demographic. This fanbase has also endured for decades, so no matter what the latest musical fad is, country music is guaranteed to sell.

Punk on the other hand is a youth culture genre which has to compete on the market with other youth culture genres (rap, metal ect) It primarily appeals to a younger age demographic and therefore is susceptible to fads. Popular one day, and not the next.

Punks viability as a commercial product peaked in the 90's, and has been on the decline since. It was also a genre born in defiance of the music industry, so its fanbase tends to be outsiders who do not have a lot of $$$. It order for punk to become profitable, it would have to appeal to the wallets of teenage suburbia on a wider scale than rap or metal,....unlikely.

2. Talent

Unfortunately with all the sampling and pro tools out there, talent does not mean as much as it once did to record executives, but slumping sales a few years ago has resulted in a shift in the music industry, with the rise of artists who are talented and can actually play their own instruments!!!

With this in mind country music is far more sophisticated and talented than punk rock. In my opinion Fat Mike doesn't deserve to be a millionaire... if he's not already. The brand of punk your talking about is very simplistic and easy to play, and therefore becomes boring & redundant to teenagers pretty quick, who then move onto the next fad.

So no double standard, just the hard reality, but punk still has a solid underground music following, even if your definition of punk (Anti Flag, The Offspring) translates to pussy punk.

08-09-2014, 09:11 PM	#12 (permalink)
Vitne Eveille Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 64	Record companies weren't necessarily looking for talent. They had to meet the criteria of what they thought could be a star, or marketable. Also, a super talented person may have zero ambition (aside from being great at their instrument), whereas the less talented person may be extremely ambitious.

10-14-2014, 08:36 AM	#13 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,354	Bands are a product, and companies invest in products they know will make them money. It's a shame, but that's how things are. Local restaurants can be amazing, but they'll never be able to compete with, say, McDonalds. If you go into the industry looking to make exciting and unique music, go for it and don't look back, just don't be surprised when only a small clique knows your name and buys your songs.