What happened to BANDS

[Bass4real]

Bands have completely disappeared from the charts in the U.S. and the UK

charts are dominated by Solo performers ,

Duos , collaborations of solo performers etc etc.

IN the first half of the 80s there was 146 wks in which BANDS were # 1  

In the first half of the 90s there were

146 wks that a BAND was # 1

In the first 5 years of this Decade 

Bands had only 3 wks at # 1 

Bands writing their own songs began disappearing 

 In the late 90s / early 2000s Boy bands starting appearing  like BS Boys - N sync 

had co writer/producers and writer/producers who would write their big hits.

It also started happening in Rock music this writer/producer  - co writer/producer 

We started seeing bands like AEROSMITH who had their biggest hit ,& only

# 1 written by someone else.

In the late 90s - early 2000s ROCK BANDS were consistently having a writer/producer write their songs.

People in the know are convinced this is one of the factors that led bands into oblivion.

By 2010 it just wasn't worth signing Band

 If you go to the top 50 chart for the U.S.

It's literally all solo artists.

Out of the top 400 artists in ranking of monthly listeners .

Out of the 400 artists there were only the first group formed in the last 10 years 3 bands were created in the last 10 yrs.

The first band created in the last 10 years is Grupp Frontera all the way down at #135 on the charts.

That's less than 1% that's 3 bands formed in the last 10 years out of 400.

Sooooo 

If you're aim is to be rich and famous 

DON'T JOIN OR BE IN A BAND.

YOUR CHANCES ARE BETTER  SOLO.

enjoy the life always wondering if ya actually have. 1 TRUE friend 

I wonder if thats what  ?

That must suk 

what a shame 

 

By Rick Beato

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 11:43 by Bass4real

[Doctor J]

What's your band up to?

[BigRedX]

Why has the OP been typed as some kind of incomprehensible prose poem?

[12stringbassist]

The OP appears to be a cut and paste that once dropped into the forum has split all of the text up.

 

Rick Beato has a point. The major companies still control the charts and the independents hardly get a look in, unless they are really organised and build up sales in advance that all count in one week when the product becomes available and ships.

 

Too many young people today (certainly not all of them, though) are going down the road of accepting what they are sold, have little sense of music history and are content to listen to the warblings of Beyonce etc.

Where are the bands? They are still hacking away at it with diminishing returns.

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, Bass4real said:

 In the late 90s / early 2000s Boy bands starting appearing  like BS Boys - N sync 

 

It goes a bit further back.  Three words for you - Stock, Aitken Waterman.

 

I'd love to be in a three/four piece band like in my youth.  It just ain't happening for me these days (yet).

 

To me as an aspiring band member, being able to play through a set list and live with the imperfections as long as they sound musical is something to aspire to.  Tech is all very well but in some senses it is taking the bones out of musicianship to replace them with a carbon fibre substitute or something like that.

 

I like Ringo's famous quote - "I am the f*cking click!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 12:56 by SpondonBassed

[Terry M.]

5 minutes ago, 12stringbassist said:

 

 

Too many young people today (certainly not all of them, though) are going down the road of accepting what they are sold, have little sense of music history and are content to listen to the warblings of Beyonce etc.

This applies to society in general I think. Anyway the music industry has no interest at all in selling products with maximum artistic integrity. It's about the "pop star" lifestyle and maximum capital generation. I'm wondering how many major players in the industry can explain the difference between a major and a minor scale 🤔

[SpondonBassed]

42 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Why has the OP been typed as some kind of incomprehensible prose poem?

 

Why not?

 

When you get your eye in it's not difficult to read.  At least it isn't full of extra punctuation that is justified by the poster saying he used to program drum machines.  You know who I mean?  If not, never mind.

[Terry M.]

8 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

It goes a bit further back.  Three words for you - Stock, Aitken Waterman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about Brian Epstein with the Beatles?

[12stringbassist]

It's very much like the rise of reality TV shows where people become famous for standing around and being famous. Lowest common denominator no talent rubbish.

 

What would be useful would be a reality show where a band is put together, consisting of people who have to actually play instruments and actually write and record songs. That would promote live music in some way and possibly create a worthwhile product. I know it was done a few years ago.

Instead, TV sends various boys and girl off to an island to s*** each other's brains out and calls that 'good television'.

[Lozz196]

There will be a revolution - musically of course, happened many times, tastes change. I think of my youth from early 70s to my 30s in the mid nineties, punk, new wave, two tone, New Romantics, hair metal, grunge, Brit pop. Admittedly all bands unlike what’s current but people get fed up of the same stuff after a while.

[SpondonBassed]

3 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

How about Brian Epstein with the Beatles?

 

I wouldn't drag them into it.  They were a tight band without question.

 

Brian Epstein may have been naive but he was a promoter, not so much of a meddler.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

4 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

How about Brian Epstein with the Beatles?

Epstein didn't create The Beatles, he just smartened them up for mass consumption. His musical involvement was minimal.

Let's not forget that was the industry back then, with very rare exceptions. An impresario overseeing their young and naive musical charges.

 

[Terry M.]

3 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

I wouldn't drag them into it.  They were a tight band without question.

 

Brian Epstein may have been naive but he was a promoter, not so much of a meddler.

They still benefited from a certain degree of moulding.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1 minute ago, Terry M. said:

They still benefited from a certain degree of moulding.

Absolutely! But they weren't manufactured.

[Terry M.]

3 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Epstein didn't create The Beatles, he just smartened them up for mass consumption. His musical involvement was minimal.

Let's not forget that was the industry back then, with very rare exceptions. An impresario overseeing their young and naive musical charges.

 

The 90s early 2000s bands pre-existed in some form or other before mass exposure also. I'm aware Epstein didn't create them from scratch. 

[SpondonBassed]

1 minute ago, Terry M. said:

They still benefited from a certain degree of moulding.

 

Of course they did.

 

The term I'd use is "grooming".  I do not use this in an attempt to make it sound sinister however.  So, if that's your assertion you should have aimed your sights squarely at George Martin.

[Terry M.]

2 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Absolutely! But they weren't manufactured.

Not in the same way that Simon Cowell does but they still went through a "grooming" process even down to their clothing and general image. To achieve their chart successes required a certain amount of applied formula. 

[Terry M.]

7 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

Of course they did.

 

The term I'd use is "grooming".  I do not use this in an attempt to make it sound sinister however.  So, if that's your assertion you should have aimed your sights squarely at George Martin.

My point is the Boyband phenomenon predates the 90s as the OP mentioned originally. 

[Dan Dare]

My BAND is called RaNDoM CapITaLS. Weer all old aje pensionerz. We rite are own songz and moan a lot about YOUNG PEOPLE having NO sens of MUSIC hisStory. Know one wonts to sine us up and giv us a lode of munny. Itz SO unFaiR.

[PaulWarning]

the Beatles had great songwriters, that's the difference, if you're going to compare todays successful artists with those of yesterday year  Elvis would be nearer the mark

[diskwave]

Yep including reality TV. Everyone today is told they are great and can do no wrong so opportunity has no restraint and thats why so much of todays 'creative output' is pants. Back in the day if you were naff you were told so...like wise if you were good or great you rose to the top and became something of worth and note (no pun intended)

As for bands today, what does that even mean anymore. Of the few 'guitar' bands Ive seen recently.. wildly strumming your axe with little melodic shape or content does not make for good music.  

[Terry M.]

14 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

the Beatles had great songwriters, that's the difference, if you're going to compare todays successful artists with those of yesterday year  Elvis would be nearer the mark

We're all allowed to pick our favourites which is fine. A boyband is still a boyband regardless. I like the Jackson 5 who completely went through the Motown grooming process so much so that they left the label minus one brother. 

[Burns-bass]

Music moves on. 
 

People lamenting the death of bands as a music and cultural force are those who’d believe music peaked in the 60s and 70s.

 

Theres plenty of good stuff out there. Put down the 483rd Pink Floyd reissue and embrace it!

Edited Saturday at 13:48 by Burns-bass

[Killerfridge]

Just now, Burns-bass said:

Music moves on. 
 

People lamenting the death of bands as a music and cultural force are those who’d believe music peaked in the 60s and 70s.

 

Theres plants of good stuff out there. Put down the 483rd Pink Floyd reissue and embrace it!

Exactly. Stuff designed for lowest-common-denominator listening sells well because that's what it's designed for. Excellent independent music exists and is more varied than ever, and finding it hard never been easier.

[Terry M.]

6 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Music moves on. 
 

People lamenting the death of bands as a music and cultural force are those who’d believe music peaked in the 60s and 70s.

 

Theres plenty of good stuff out there. Put down the 483rd Pink Floyd reissue and embrace it!

Totally agree. There's some killer music being produced to this day.