For an industry existing in the internet age, finding a way to create excitement about a release requires a lot of effort. In addition to surprise releases, as in the case of Beyoncé, automatic uploads (U2), or special countdowns and cryptic messages (Rihanna), artists and their management teams are constantly developing ways to create interest, drive sells and get people… Read more →
At the turn of the century, the music industry faced a cataclysmic downfall at the hands of the World Wide Web. Once an impenetrable vanguard of American innovation and the largest representation of the country’s culture and continued artistic endeavors worldwide, the industry of empires like Motown and Capitol Records was blindsided by the growth of internet downloads via file… Read more →
The NFL Championship Game, better known as the Super Bowl, is an American institution. The event has garnered the highest ratings in TV history multiple times, taking 18 of the top 20 spots for a single program, according to Nielsen. In many ways, its popularity has been bolstered by the appearance of high profile celebrities during the halftime show as… Read more →
America of the 1950s is one of the most nostalgic eras in the history of our young country. The decade is defined by sock hops, diners, drive-ins, and rock and roll music that defined a generation and inspired others. Television had only just become a thing, and services of today like YouTube certainly hadn’t been conceptualized, let alone The Internet.… Read more →
Centuries ago, music was used as an expression of cultural customs or commissioned by the wealthy for the purpose of entertainment. That is still true today, however, at the turn of the last century, thanks to inventions like the phonograph and radio, music became much more than personal art, it became business–a largely successful one, to be sure. By the… Read more →
In the wee hours of aThursday night, December 12, 2013, Beyoncé did the unthinkable by dropping a full length album on iTunes, without warning nor promotion, save simultaneous Facebook and Instagram posts, signaling her arrival once the music was already available. In addition to scarce marketing, something else was noticeably absent: the album was not available on Spotify or other… Read more →
