The Teenagers Who Kill You

[Vauxhall95]

With all the discussion of diminishing CD sales for ROTT, I thought many might find this article interesting and place the discussion in the proper context. Apparently, many of us thirty somethings are "out of touch," as we still still choose to actually purchase (Morrissey) CD's!

"48% of teenagers bought no CDs at all in 2007, up from 38% in 2006. Music downloads continue to grow, though, with iTunes leading the way. For the first time last year, nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs, a dramatic increase from 2006, when 38% of teens shunned such purchases, according to a new report released Tuesday. The illegal sharing of music online continued to soar in 2007, but there was one sign of hope that legal downloading was picking up steam. In the last year, Apple Inc.’s iTunes store, which sells only digital downloads, jumped ahead of Best Buy Co. to become the No. 2 U.S. music seller, trailing Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

That could be hopeful news for the music industry, which has been scrambling in recent years to replace its rapidly disappearing CD sales with music sold online. The number of CDs sold in the U.S. fell 19% in 2007 from the previous year while sales of digital songs jumped 45%, Nielsen SoundScan said. The number of people buying music legally from online music stores jumped 21% to 29 million last year from 24 million in 2006, according to the study by NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y. NPD declined to release figures on individual retailers’ sales or their market shares, so it is impossible to know how close iTunes sales are to Wal-Mart’s. The NPD market ranking of music retailers is based on a study of the music habits of Americans 13 and older over the last week."

Source: LA Times

[Please]

I still buy CDs and don;t intend on getting an MP3 player.

I like to own the physical produyct rather than a download

[Worm]

With all the discussion of diminishing CD sales for ROTT, I thought many might find this article interesting and place the discussion in the proper context. Apparently, many of us thirty somethings are "out of touch," as we still still choose to actually purchase (Morrissey) CD's!

"48% of teenagers bought no CDs at all in 2007, up from 38% in 2006. Music downloads continue to grow, though, with iTunes leading the way. For the first time last year, nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs, a dramatic increase from 2006, when 38% of teens shunned such purchases, according to a new report released Tuesday. The illegal sharing of music online continued to soar in 2007, but there was one sign of hope that legal downloading was picking up steam. In the last year, Apple Inc.’s iTunes store, which sells only digital downloads, jumped ahead of Best Buy Co. to become the No. 2 U.S. music seller, trailing Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

That could be hopeful news for the music industry, which has been scrambling in recent years to replace its rapidly disappearing CD sales with music sold online. The number of CDs sold in the U.S. fell 19% in 2007 from the previous year while sales of digital songs jumped 45%, Nielsen SoundScan said. The number of people buying music legally from online music stores jumped 21% to 29 million last year from 24 million in 2006, according to the study by NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y. NPD declined to release figures on individual retailers’ sales or their market shares, so it is impossible to know how close iTunes sales are to Wal-Mart’s. The NPD market ranking of music retailers is based on a study of the music habits of Americans 13 and older over the last week."

Source: LA Times

I'm not sure what this says about ROTT or GH-- aren't downloads part of the final sales tally?

What's more interesting than the sales are the changes in format (CDs versus downloads): rock music as we have known it will die and a more radicalized form of pop music will dominate. We're already seeing the new era of pop flourish, ushered in by the mega-producers like Timbaland. Gone are the days when fans will get behind bands (or if they do they'll primarily listen to older artists). Instead pop music will be much more disposable and ephemeral than it already is.

This may not be a bad development, as the freedom from the old "band"/"artist" paradigm should make for some amazing music (it already has) even as it cripples the traditional cult of authorship. Just guessing here but I think music will be one large, undifferentiated, kaleidoscopic mix tape. Kids won't say they like such-and-such artist, they'll first name songs or genres, or perhaps even cities-as-genres (Motown, Manchester, Detroit), and then, maybe, talk about certain artists they like as opposed to others. Kind of scary, but then again I can see how it might be liberating (with potentially wider political ramifications).

Whatever it will bring about, the death of the album format is a big change that will have dramatic consequences. It would be analagous to something like, say, the end of the novel as a form of writing and the total pre-eminence of short stories, prose poems, or even barely-linked fragments that merely suggest stories, all written by mysterious or anonymous authors, none of whom produced more than a few works at a time. The long-awaited blurring of reader and author will finally take place.

It's one of those strange cultural shifts the results of which none of us can foresee. But I think we can pretty well see what's not going to be around much longer, as the article you posted clearly shows.

[Vauxhall95]

I'm not sure what this says about ROTT or GH-- aren't downloads part of the final sales tally?

What's more interesting than the sales are the changes in format (CDs versus downloads): rock music as we have known it will die and a more radicalized form of pop music will dominate.

Well, I placed this in "Off Topic" because it doesn't speak to Morrissey specifically. What I find interesting is the idea that even as Moz ages, he may still remain a very viable commodity in the recording industry. His fans are atypical, in that they will purchase his music, whether physically or through downloads. It's fascinating to think that an entire generation is consuming music without ever going to a music store. I suspect of the 48% of teenagers you did not purchase a CD within the past year, a large portion of them consider music to be free. For me, that is the larger story. For teenagers nowadays, music is not something that is paid for. One just downloads it. Morrissey's salad days may well be over; however his ability to generate tangible revenue remains. I think this bodes well for fans eager to hear him continue to record.

[Buzzetta]

I think it goes along with disposable income. When I was in college money was obviously tight and CDs were a luxury item. Once the career was kicked into gear I can say that I legally download more music and purchase more CDs than I did in college. The reason being? I have more money now as an adult to spend.

Part of those findings are similar in relation to the following statements:
Teenagers buy less property than adults
Teenagers buy less expensive cars than adults
Teenagers are spending less in restaurants than adults.

[the judge]

I download for free (this is for a start, but also after ).
I download legally (especially new young bands which release download/vinyl only).
I buy CDs (bands I love).

Buzzetta is right. I'm 20, I have little money, but if I had more I would be buying much more albums than I actually do. Hopefully one day I'll but all Smiths/Moz vinyls.

[sweet and tender hooligan]

I buy CD's still and Records! I have an Mp3 player but i don't know how to download

[5am]

If I don't love it, I don't need to have it

and if I love it, I buy it

so the person or persons who made it will know I love it and make me some more!

I too never download, but do feel like a dinosaur because of it. Or Don Quixote

I still buy CDs and don;t intend on getting an MP3 player.

I used to say I don't need an MP3 player, but from the day my sister gave me one I know I needed it oh so very much! I don't know if you walk around listening to music all day, but if you do- how do you do that? Because MP3 players are so much friendlier than discmans.

[the judge]

I don't know if you walk around listening to music all day, but if you do- how do you do that? Because MP3 players are so much friendlier than discmans.

I love walking around listening to music. I almost feel a different person, I usually have a smile on my face or a big grin.

[Corrissey]

I still buy CDs and don;t intend on getting an MP3 player.

I like to own the physical produyct rather than a download

You're not the only one...

[MunchyBrain]

I'm 13 but I don't buy CDs! I buy records. I'm out of touch...

[oscillate wildly]

I download for free (this is for a start, but also after ).
I download legally (especially new young bands which release download/vinyl only).
I buy CDs (bands I love).

.

same same. with that and the walking around grinning while having headphones in.

and..I adore my red iPod.

[the judge]

same same. with that and the walking around grinning while having headphones in.

and..I adore my red iPod.

I'm smiling.
I love your avatar. Is that from Kill Uncle? (please excuse me I don't have all Moz's CDs yet, only ROTT actually (and it's not even my favourite ))

[Practising Troublemaker]

I'm smiling.
I love your avatar. Is that from Kill Uncle? (please excuse me I don't have all Moz's CDs yet, only ROTT actually (and it's not even my favourite ))

Seems to be from the Kill Uncle photoshoot.

Love PTxx.