A few weeks back, I went to a Journey/Toto concert here in Seattle with about 17,000 people. A very mainstream show. And I remarked that night, as I have very often over the last decade, that I can’t think of a single contemporary artist who is likely to sell 17,000 tickets in 2062. And what of The Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John, or U…
A few weeks back, I went to a Journey/Toto concert here in Seattle with about 17,000 people. A very mainstream show. And I remarked that night, as I have very often over the last decade, that I can’t think of a single contemporary artist who is likely to sell 17,000 tickets in 2062. And what of The Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John, or U2 or others who can sell out 60,000 seat stadiums? There are a lot of reasons why this is happening and we’re all going to agree and disagree about reasons and repercussions. But I think of those days in the 70s when I waited for hours (and some friends waited for days) outside ticket offices to get THOSE tickets for THAT concert. I think there was more ceremony then. It was more of a religious experience.
See BTS + A.R.M.Y. for a "religious experience," LOL.
Why do these surveys - and so many commentators - ignore the biggest trend in the world ... KPOP?! Music consumers gobble up KPOP - especially 'digital natives' (Gen Z). BTS sold out 4 nights in LA in 24 hours (50,000+ per night along with thousands at overflow live stream in theatre next door). They sold out 4 more Las Vegas concerts last month the same way. The one night streaming of their Seoul concert in March was estimated to have 1.4 million people attended the live viewings in theaters worldwide (fewer than 1000 theaters - that racked up highest earnings ever for a one-night showing).
BTS are phenomenal performers (see Grammys?! Time magazine story on HYBE?); have been performing for over 10 years; are expected to do another world tour soon; and will be around for a LONG time to come.
Hey, I had a lot of fun in Green Bay! And I’m not doubting the current popularity or talent of contemporary artists. But I very much doubt that Harry Styles or Taylor Swift (both of whom I like) will be selling out 60,000 seat arenas 40 years from now. Who’s a more (relatively) recent act that has a couple decades of longevity? Foo Fighters come to mind. Counting the Nirvana days, Dave Grohl has been going for 30 years. But, yeesh, nowadays, Nirvana is played between The Doors and The Who on classic rock radio!
Coldplay formed in ‘96 and Parachutes—which was everywhere that year—came out in ‘00. I’m satisfied by that. Pretty much beside the point, which was that last generation rock acts are touring and selling out arenas in 2022.
. Parachutes was their first album - that's when they entered the cultural conversation, not when they were formed. 2000's are not nineties. It matters because the music style shifted. The Chilli Peppers are emblematic of the 90's. Coldplay is emblematic of the 00's. Different eras. It may be beside the point of the article, arguably, but it wrankles music fans to lump one era of music into another.
A few weeks back, I went to a Journey/Toto concert here in Seattle with about 17,000 people. A very mainstream show. And I remarked that night, as I have very often over the last decade, that I can’t think of a single contemporary artist who is likely to sell 17,000 tickets in 2062. And what of The Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John, or U2 or others who can sell out 60,000 seat stadiums? There are a lot of reasons why this is happening and we’re all going to agree and disagree about reasons and repercussions. But I think of those days in the 70s when I waited for hours (and some friends waited for days) outside ticket offices to get THOSE tickets for THAT concert. I think there was more ceremony then. It was more of a religious experience.
See BTS + A.R.M.Y. for a "religious experience," LOL.
Why do these surveys - and so many commentators - ignore the biggest trend in the world ... KPOP?! Music consumers gobble up KPOP - especially 'digital natives' (Gen Z). BTS sold out 4 nights in LA in 24 hours (50,000+ per night along with thousands at overflow live stream in theatre next door). They sold out 4 more Las Vegas concerts last month the same way. The one night streaming of their Seoul concert in March was estimated to have 1.4 million people attended the live viewings in theaters worldwide (fewer than 1000 theaters - that racked up highest earnings ever for a one-night showing).
BTS are phenomenal performers (see Grammys?! Time magazine story on HYBE?); have been performing for over 10 years; are expected to do another world tour soon; and will be around for a LONG time to come.
... yet they are still dismissed as "boy band".
https://www.kbcs.fm/2022/04/15/the-power-of-the-bts-army-relationship/?fbclid=IwAR2ocORD8N7KdaWiMTT32v-KU8igklqE6cmilugAYVuoperBsUjnMIOgee0
Hey, I had a lot of fun in Green Bay! And I’m not doubting the current popularity or talent of contemporary artists. But I very much doubt that Harry Styles or Taylor Swift (both of whom I like) will be selling out 60,000 seat arenas 40 years from now. Who’s a more (relatively) recent act that has a couple decades of longevity? Foo Fighters come to mind. Counting the Nirvana days, Dave Grohl has been going for 30 years. But, yeesh, nowadays, Nirvana is played between The Doors and The Who on classic rock radio!
Coldplay is not a nineties band. They came up in the early 2000's.
Coldplay formed in ‘96 and Parachutes—which was everywhere that year—came out in ‘00. I’m satisfied by that. Pretty much beside the point, which was that last generation rock acts are touring and selling out arenas in 2022.
. Parachutes was their first album - that's when they entered the cultural conversation, not when they were formed. 2000's are not nineties. It matters because the music style shifted. The Chilli Peppers are emblematic of the 90's. Coldplay is emblematic of the 00's. Different eras. It may be beside the point of the article, arguably, but it wrankles music fans to lump one era of music into another.
Okay, fine, I formally retract referring to Coldplay as a 90s band.