Bland on Blonde: why the old rock music canon is finished

The 1970s brought about the idea that rock was important – and needed a canon of greatest albums to match. But in a digital age, is definitive musical excellence a ridiculous notion?Rock’s flight into seriousness in the 1970s had many ill effects. There was prog rock, jamming, not releasing singles – and the idea that the couple of decades since Elvis had produced enough music of sufficient worth to produce a canon. In 1974, like a university English department sending out a reading list to undergraduates, NME polled its writers and published its list of the top 100 albums of all time. The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was No 1, Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde was No 2, the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds was No 3 – you could imagine just such a top three being published today.A few period pieces aside – it’s a long time since Spirit, Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter, Joe Cocker or Country Joe and the Fish featured in a generalist greatest albums list – it set a template for the pop canon that has remained largely untouched for more than 40 years, by adhering to certain rules. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #bob dylan

Other news stories related to: "Bland on Blonde: why the old rock music canon is finished"


Bland on Blonde: why the old rock music canon is finished

The 1970s brought about the idea that rock was important – and needed a canon of greatest albums to match. But in a digital age, is definitive musical excellence a ridiculous notion?Rock’s flight into seriousness in the 1970s had many ill effects. There was prog rock, jamming, not releasing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bob dylan


Reading at Full Volume: Seven Books That Feature Rock Music

I’ve been working on a theory about novelists lately: most of us wish we were rock stars. I’m basing this on a few things, like, for example, who wouldn’t want to be a rock star? Also, with all our anonymity, social anxiety disorders, and how we tend to be at our best while wearing sweatpants […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-07 08:52:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #novelists #rock star #rock stars


Record labels sue AI music generators for ‘massive infringement of recorded music’

Major music labels are taking on AI startups that they believe trained on their songs without paying. Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Group sued the music generators Suno and Udio for allegedly infringing on copyrighted works on a “massive scale.” The Recording Industry... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-06-24 17:29:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #copyright law #industry standard #held accountable #copyright owners #snoop dogg #kendrick lamar


Jeremy Denk’s Memoir Features Music, Love and More Music

In “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” the concert pianist recalls his artistic and erotic awakening. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-03-24 15:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir #good boy


Bob Dylan's entire music catalogue bought by Universal Music

Bob Dylan's entire catalogue of songs, one of the great treasures in music history, has been acquired by Universal Music Publishing Group for an undisclosed sum.  Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2020-12-07 16:53:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #music history #entire catalogue #universal music #bob dylan


Peloton told it can't countersue music publishers over high workout music prices

Peloton has failed to convince the court that the National Music Publishers Association violated federal antitrust laws. If you'll recall, the NMPA sued Peloton in early 2019, accusing it of using songs in its workout videos without obtaining the pro... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-01-30 13:20:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers association #ll recall


Facebook Harmonized With Global Music Rights, HFA/Rumblefish, Kobalt Music Publishing

Music continued to fill the air in Menlo Park, Calif., as Facebook announced three new partnerships with music publishers, coming on the heels of its deal with Sony/ATV earlier this week and its pact with Universal Music Group, inked in December. Facebook head of music business development and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2018-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook head #music publishers #facebook announced #menlo park


Book about politics and pop music wins Penderyn Music Book Prize

Daniel Rachel's book about politics and pop music "coming together for the first time in Britain's musical history" has won the 2017 Penderyn Music Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pop music


The Future of Music: U.S. to Review Rules Covering Streaming Music Fees

Lobbyists for the music industry and streaming music services are gearing up to battle one another after the Justice Department said it will review decades-old agreements that govern songwriter royalties.The review, which follows court battles between rights holders and Pandora internet radio,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #playing field


Amazon Music Unlimited Adds Audiobook Benefit to Compete with Spotify

Amazon moves to shore up Audible against Spotify's audiobook success, plus a power ranking of the books of 1994, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-11-20 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #power ranking #amazon moves


Amazon Music Adds Monthly Audible Title Access to Subscription Service

As of today, subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited in the U.S., UK, and Canada can now listen to one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #subscription service


The coffee table book of Apple Music's Best 100 Albums will set you back $450

Apple has a history of eye-popping price tags, but the company is reaching new heights with a product that isn't even a gadget. After Apple Music unveiled a list of the 100 best albums of all time earlier this year, the streaming service is releasing a companion coffee table book. You can grab... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-12 19:30:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hardcover #start shipping #industry professionals #pharrell williams


Amazon Expects a Strong Finish to 2024

Third quarter results exceeded expectations at Amazon, and the company expects a strong fourth quarter, forecasting that total sales will rise between 7% and 11% over last year’s final period, to as much as $188.5 billion. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #total sales #company expects #strong finish


Joshua Mohr on Writing a Genre-Blending Post-Modern Punk Rock Saga

Since 2009, when his first novel Some Things That Meant the World to Me introduced his heart-rending, beat-driven, often surreal voice, Joshua Mohr has published nine books—two raw addiction memoirs (Sirens and Model Citizen) and seven idiosyncratic novels. The New York Times called his 2011... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-10-22 08:55:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #first novel


How Historical Fiction Redefined the Literary Canon

Historical fiction is dominant (?), the Non-Fiction Finalists for the National Book Award, and Salem's Lot is set to scare. All in today's book news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-09-12 21:35:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction #book news #literary canon


NBCUniversal Crosses Upfront Finish Line First With ‘Modest Growth’

NBCUniversal is once again the first major publisher to wrap upfront talks. Today, ADWEEK learned the company "drove modest growth across its portfolio," according to a source familiar with the matter. The growth was fueled by audiences, live programming and streaming.... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-07-19 16:48:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major publisher #source familiar #modest growth


Lin-Manuel Miranda's next musical is based on a New York cult classic

Lin-Manuel Miranda is wrapping up the recording of a concept album for a new musical co-written by playwright Eisa Davis, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The album will be based on the 1979 movie "The Warriors," whose sympathetic depictions of gang members and gritty... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2024-07-09 10:03:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir #release date #executive produced #film adaptation #home turf


Spotify’s new audiobook bundle may reduce music royalties and shortchange authors | Millicent Weber for the Conversation

Music artists say the bundle is ‘cheating’ the royalties system while authors have concerns about how streaming will affect how they’re paid and rights over their workAudio streaming giant Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio platforms, entered the audiobook market last October, offering... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-07-02 03:23:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #free morning #guardian australia #deceiving consumers #increase profits #audiobook market


‘Songwriters deserve a bigger piece of the pie’: the music publishing boss on the threat of AI

Shani Gonzales of Warner Chappell says that although people are ‘having fun’ with creating AI songs, ‘what happens when someone tries to sell it?’Arriving in London in the teeth of the pandemic to take a top music industry job, Shani Gonzales had few opportunities to immerse herself in British... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-06-25 13:00:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing giant #uk arm #downton abbey #bigger piece


Music publishers accuse Spotify of 'bait-and-switch subscription scheme'

Spotify has once again drawn the ire of the music industry. The National Music Publishers' Association has called on the Federal Trade Commission to examine the streaming service's addition of audiobook content into all of its paid subscription plans. According to the group's FTC complaint,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-06-12 23:52:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook #royalty model #early stage #$150 million #paying customers #deceiving consumers