Watching this video one cannot help but compare the present music industry with the past.
If you were to ask me two years ago, “When was the greatest time for music?” Like so many I would have said the 60s and 70s.
One of my earliest music memories is in the car with my father listening to Led Zeppelin IV, screaming the spine tingling opening chorus of Black Dog. As a nine-year-old I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant but I loved it anyway. I initially believed any decade that could give birth to such music, was the greatest.
But what if right now was the most exciting time for music? Could we be so fortunate?
If Lennon or Hendrix were to tune into the most popular radio stations of today, what would they think? Well, unfortunately they would probably be utterly mortified. But what if they were to check out some blogs? Or non-commercial radio stations?
I think they would be most impressed.
Not only are more people making music, it’s become amazingly accessible. Many argue with a greater quantity, comes a serious compromise in quality. In some aspects I totally agree.
40 years ago so much talent would have gone unheard; most unsigned artists would not be able to share their music further than the local pub. Yet right now with Blogs, YouTube, Soundcloud and numerous other online mediums everyone is being heard from the god awful, to the truly unique and amazing. The gap between finding unknown artist’s on the net and hearing them on the radio or on TV is slowly lessening as time goes on. On the forefront is Triple J’s new radio station Unearthed, featuring only unsigned Australian artists.
If things progress at the current rate I predict this could be the beginning of one of the greatest times for music. So whatever you do, don’t allow yourself to become bored by what is around you. Give new music a chance, as Bob Dylan once said, “Do not fear if you hear a foreign sound in your ear.”
☮Peace From Liam
