Singing a Different Tune

"I would like to ask the music industry to look at itself and ask itself some hard questions. There would be no U2 the way things are right now and that's a fact." -Bono from U2

What does it take to break into the mainstream music industry in the United States? A great voice? Unbelievable talent? If only that were the case. The past decade the mainstream music industry seems to have been on a downward spiral with the amount of horrendous talent that is allowed onto the airwaves and television, talent that is no more than a digitalized voice, a hot body and a pretty face.

It is hard enough for the average person to gain mainstream success in the U.S., so imagine what it must be like for someone from a different country and culture trying to make the crossover. It seems when a new talent breaks onto the scene in the U.S. they also break onto the world scene. So why isn't it the same for other countries? How come when a new artist breaks onto the scene in France, Americans aren't running to buy their CDs? I think the media filters so much of what we see that we have reduced our musical tastes to the same cookie cutter talents.

Don't get me wrong, I know there is a ton of musical talent in the U.S. that a lot of people have tapped into but I think it is harder for them to break into the mainstream if they don't fit a certain image. In 1996 a new law was formed called The Telecommunications Act of 1996.

The goal of this new law was to let anyone enter any communications business and to let any communications business compete in any market against another. So pretty much to form a giant network that is interconnected that would offer both competing and complementary services. While this act may have helped many industries I think it has had a more negative effect on the music industry. Most radio stations no longer have the option to pick and choose what they want to play, instead record labels are able to have more control over what is played.

I think record labels are no longer interested in taking chances but are instead interested in simply selling and it helps that they have developed a formula for what they know will sell. While many people in America will claim that we are culturally diverse our mainstream music industry is singing a different tune.

If you would like to watch the video with the Bono quote from above go to www.areyoulistening.com, click on Why Are You Listening on the left hand side and then click the AYL:Video.