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Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Charts vs. Underground vs. ??
Jul 13, 2004, 16:37
I have to agree -- the separation between "chart music" and (for lack of a better term) "underground music" has been growing for decades.

Generally the "underground" has the cultural mojo (i.e. STYLE) and the "charts" reflect the needs of the media to target advertising to a given demographic (i.e. FASHION).

Back in the 60's it was possible for the underground to creak through on the charts. Believe it or not the first 2 VU LP's and even really weird shit like the Silver Apples made the top 200 album charts.

In the 70's "rock" fragmented into so many sub-genres I don't think you can really summarize the decade any concise way (the Unsung decade!) But it was also the rise of "corporate rock radio." Punk was a reaction to that. It garnered some "chart action" in the UK, but in the US punk pretty much stayed "underground."

Which is why the 80's may be even a more unsung decade than the 70's! However you'd never guess from looking at the charts. The year "Daydream Nation" came out the charts were dominated by Paula Abdul, Johnny Hates Jazz, and just the most forgettable ad-demo-driven shit.

As far as I'm concerned the "grunge thing" in the 90's represented the death of something, not a rebirth. That was the point at which the Industry finally came in and co-opted the underground. (From past conversations, maybe it was different in the UK.) However, even then there weren't very many undergrounders who managed to crossover and actually score a big on the charts.

In the early 90's I stopped wearing flannel shirts (about the same time Urban Outfitters started selling them for $50) and started listening to hiphop and jazz almost exclusively. Hiphop had a "golden age" from about 1986-1994 (equivalent to rock's golden age 1965-1973 or so) . . . though few "stylish" hiphoppers ever got on the singles charts (they sold shitpiles of albums tho.)

Which brings us to today. I think (and fervently hope) that CD burners, mp3's, downloading, etc. is simply going to destroy the "record industry" as we have known it. The chart business will become less and less profitable as the capabilities of the underground grow and grow -- to the point where "underground" may stop being a meaningful phrase.

When I got my first analog four-track back in 1989 I would never have guessed that 15 years later I'd be able to record, mix & master all-digital and burn my own CD's . . . AND IT EVEN COSTS LESS THAN CASSETTES USED TO IN 1989!

There's nothing stopping anyone from doing the same -- anyone with a PC now has MORE capabilities than the indie record labels of the 80's, in terms of production & distribution. The "underground" could be everywhere.

Where will it lead? Who knows. Ramble off!
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