2008 in Review: Music News
First Appeared in The Music Box, February 2009, Volume 15, #2
Written by John Metzger
Fri February 6, 2009, 06:30 AM CST
January
When
the final totals for music sales in 2007 were tallied in early January, the year
proved to be better than many had expected. Even so, the news wasn’t good: Total
album sales declined by 15 percent from the previous year. On the other hand,
overall sales — which includes albums and singles as well as music videos and
digital downloads — increased by 14 percent. In particular, sales of digital
album and track downloads improved, rising 53 percent and 45 percent,
respectively, from their 2006 levels. The improvements in digital sales,
however, were not enough to overcome the sharp decline in the sale of physical
products. Both consumer apathy — which the major labels have fed (at least in
part) by playing into the notion of releasing singles rather than albums — and
online piracy are to blame for the industry’s woes.
EMI planned to eliminate nearly 2,000 jobs, which amounts to one-third of
its staff, as well as to cut loose a large portion of its roster of artists,
many of whom didn’t earn any money for the label. The company also indicated
that it would consolidate its operations in order to redefine and strengthen its
core brands: Parlophone and Capitol.
February
The
Grammy Awards celebrated its 50th anniversary in February with a
surprise winner: Herbie Hancock took home trophies for Album of the Year and
Best Contemporary Jazz Album for River: The Joni Letters. Hancock’s
endeavor joined Joao Gilberto & Stan Getz’s self-titled set from 1964 as the
only jazz albums to win top honors.
Even with Hancock’s victory, the night largely belonged to Amy Winehouse and Kanye West. Winehouse, who performed via satellite from London, won five Grammys, including Best New Artist. Her album Back to Black picked up a trophy for Best Pop Vocal Album, while her hit single Rehab won in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance. Meanwhile, West won four Grammys. His album Graduation was named Best Rap Album, and his songs Stronger, Southside (featuring Common), and Good Life won for Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and Best Rap Song, respectively.
Eric
Clapton and Steve Winwood reunited for a three-night run at New York City’s
Madison Square Garden. It was the first time that they had performed together at
the venue since Blind Faith’s only U.S. tour in 1969.
March
On March 10,
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held its 23rd annual induction
ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Leonard Cohen,
John Mellencamp, Madonna, The Ventures, and the Dave Clark Five were added to the
institution’s roster. In addition, harmonica ace Little Walter was cited for his
influence on rock ’n‘ roll, and Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff were given the Ahmet
Ertegun Award for their pioneering work as songwriters and producers, which came
to define Philly soul.
April
Bob Dylan won
an honorary Pulitzer Prize in February for the tremendous influence he has had
on popular culture in America and around the globe. While Dylan’s win certainly
was deserved, it also came as a surprise, considering that the award typically
has been given to artists working from jazz and classical repertoires.
On
April 12, in a secret wedding ceremony in Colorado, longtime partners Lou Reed
and Laurie Anderson officially tied the knot.
Via a
press conference held on April 24, the Grateful Dead announced that it was
moving its archive of concert memorabilia to the McHenry Library at the
University of California at Santa Cruz. Among the items that are included in the
collection are the life-size skeletons that were featured in the video for
Touch of Grey, the outfit’s first recording contract, assorted stage props,
a number of tour T-shirts, fan correspondence, set lists, back stage passes, and
piles of press clippings. At the time of the transfer, the estimated value of
the collection was several million dollars.
The
career of legendary music business executive Clive Davis changed course, once
again, in April when he resigned as chairman and CEO of BMG North America in
order to assume a new role as the chief creative officer of Sony BMG.
May
On May
7, at a concert that was designed to benefit the Count Basie Theatre in Red
Bank, New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen surprised the audience by performing his
classic albums Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town in
their entirety. The show raised $3 million, and the money will be used to
refurbish the venue.
Feeling
the effects of a shaky economy and an industry in turmoil, Starbucks reduced its
entertainment division by almost 75% in May. The move was designed to refocus
the company’s efforts on providing carefully selected, high-quality products to
its niche audience.
Following in
the footsteps of Radiohead’s gambit with In Rainbows, Nine Inch Nails
issued its new album The Slip for free via download from the band’s
website.
The
one-two punch of Napster and the iPod has had a detrimental impact upon sound
quality. In May, several artists decided to fight back in their own ways in
order to change the direction of the industry. T Bone Burnett developed a new
encoding technology that works in a standard DVD player. Issued in July,
John Mellencamp’s Life, Death, Love and Freedom was the first album to feature
his CODE format. Meanwhile, Neil Young is following a more daring path. He is
preparing to present the first 10 chapters in his long overdue collection of
archival material only on Blu-ray. The collection is slated for release in early
2009.
On May
25, Brian Wilson announced that he was returning to Capitol Records, the label
with which he got his start as a principal member of The Beach Boys.
On May
26, Paul McCartney was given an honorary doctorate degree in music by Yale
University.
June
To
memorialize the 1969 Woodstock Music & Arts Festival, the Museum at Bethel Woods
opened its doors in Bethel, New York on June 2.
Throughout his career, Bob Dylan typically has kept his political
inclinations to himself. In a surprising move, he outwardly endorsed Barack
Obama for President in an interview with the London Times. He is one of
many rock ’n‘ roll stars who professed their support of the Democratic
candidate.
July
On July 10,
the painted drum head that was used on the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s
Lonely Hearts Club Band sold for $1.1 million in an auction at Christie’s.
Pearl Jam,
Foo Fighters, Incubus, and
The Flaming Lips joined together to pay tribute
to The Who as part of VH-1’s Rock Honors program. Roger Daltrey, Pete
Townshend, and their current touring outfit also performed at the event, which
was held on July 12 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.
With
Shea Stadium slated for demolition at the end of the baseball season, Billy Joel celebrated the venue’s history with a pair of concerts in mid-July. Joel not
only paid tribute to The Beatles’ legendary performances at Shea Stadium via a
trio of cover songs (A Hard Day’s Night, Please Please Me, and
She Loves You), but he also brought out several special guests, including
Tony Bennett, John Mellencamp, and John Mayer.
On July
17, a huge cache of James Brown’s personal effects was auctioned at Christie’s,
despite the protests of his children and business managers. The event was held
to raise money to pay his delinquent tax bills. More than 350 items were up for
grabs, including Brown’s Hammond organ, his black cape, and several pink leather
couches. The auction wasn’t nearly as successful as many had hoped. It was
expected to raise $2 million, but instead it brought in only $800,000.
There
was more bad news for record labels in July: Nielsen SoundScan announced that
record sales declined over 16% during the first half of 2008. Although digital
sales continued to increase, the rate was considerably slower than in 2007.
On July
25, the Rolling Stones announced that it had declined an opportunity to renew
its contract with EMI. Instead, the outfit signed with Universal Records in a
deal that includes two new albums as well as the group’s catalog from Sticky
Fingers through A Bigger Bang.
August
On August 7, The Police concluded its 15-month reunion tour with a show
at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The band paid homage to Cream and the
Jimi Hendrix Experience via covers of Sunshine of Your Love and Purple
Haze, respectively. In a weird twist, it also invited the New York City
Police Department’s marching band on stage during Message in a Bottle.
Over the course of the 150-date sojourn, The Police grossed $358 million from
the sale of 3.7 million concert tickets. The performance was dubbed as The
Police’s final show — ever. Fans, however, are skeptical that this is the end of
the road for the trio.
Angered
over the use of his song Running on Empty in a campaign commercial,
singer/songwriter Jackson Browne
filed suit against Senator John McCain and the Republican National Committee in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Browne
claimed that McCain had not asked his permission to use the song and therefore
was guilty of copyright infringement. Browne also called the Lanham Act into
play because the use of his song gave a false impression that he supported the
Republican candidate.
The
Allman Brothers Band announced that it was suing Universal Music Group regarding
the albums it recorded for Capricorn Records. The band believes it was cheated
out of royalties due from the sales of CDs and digital downloads of the music it
made between 1969 and 1980. It is seeking more than $10 million in damages.
Australian rock outfit Wolfmother seemed poised for great things, but the trio
of Chris Ross, Miles Heskett, and Andrew Stockdale announced that they were
going their separate ways because they couldn’t agree creatively or personally
on the future of the band. Stockdale plans to continue recording under the
Wolfmother moniker.
On
August 27, Kevin Cogill, a former employee of Universal Music Group, was
arrested and charged with the unlawful distribution of material from Guns n’
Roses’ Chinese Democracy. An anonymous source sent Cogill an e-mail
containing nine songs, which he proceeded to post on his blog. The FBI promptly
took him into custody. Later in the year, the charges against him were reduced
from felony to misdemeanor.
September
Ann and Nancy Wilson, the founders of Heart, are the latest rock ’n‘ roll artists to be
angry with Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign. The sisters sent his
campaign staff and the Republican party a cease-and-desist letter after their
song Barracuda was used to introduce Alaska Governor Sarah Palin at the
Republican National Convention.
The Rolling
Stones’ tongue insignia is one of the most recognizable logos in rock ’n‘ roll.
The original artwork, which was commissioned for 50 pounds in 1970, fetched
51,000 pounds when it was purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
On
September 30, guitarist Nils Lofgren underwent hip replacement surgery.
October
Phish announced that it would reunite for a string of tour dates in early 2009. The
tour will commence on March 6 with a three-night engagement at the Hampton
Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.
By
posting an official statement on his website, Robert Plant continued to deny
that Led Zeppelin would reunite for a world tour in 2009. John Paul Jones and
Jimmy Page have not ruled out the notion of hitting the road together without
Plant.
On
October 7, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James fell off a stage in Iowa City, forcing
the postponement of the final two dates of the band’s tour.
The
surviving members of the Grateful Dead —
Bob Weir, Phil Lesh,
Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart — set aside their differences to perform a benefit concert to
support the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. The show was held at Penn
State University. The Allman Brothers Band also joined the festivities.
In a
move that will allow it to compete with Live Nation, Ticketmaster purchased
Front Line Management and named Irving Azoff, the Eagles’ longtime manager, as
its CEO.
The
New York Times announced that Bono would be penning columns for its
editorial page in 2009. The U2 front man won’t be paid for his work, but the
position will provide him with a platform for discussing global poverty issues.
November
On
November 7 and 8, Van Morrison performed his classic, 1968 effort Astral
Weeks in its entirety for the first time. Although, for the record, he did
re-sequence its songs. The shows, which were held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los
Angeles, were recorded for a live album.
Michael Jackson’s money
troubles continued in 2009. On November 10, he sold his
Neverland Ranch to a Los Angeles real estate company to avoid foreclosure.
Earlier in the year, Jackson had defaulted on a $24.5 million loan.
Paul McCartney is full of surprises. Fresh after rekindling
his partnership with Youth to record Electric Arguments, the sophomore set from his ambient
side project The Fireman, McCartney confirmed longstanding rumors of a
previously unreleased track from The Beatles on which the group delved into all
kinds of experimental mayhem. Carnival of Light, a 14-minute free-form
song, was played publicly only once for an electronic music festival. McCartney
had wanted to incorporate the cut into The Beatles’ Anthology project,
but his former band-mates vetoed the idea. He once again is pushing for its
release.
After
Robert Plant scuttled plans for the first world tour by
Led Zeppelin in decades,
Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones held auditions with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and
Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy.
Ray and Dave Davies
have settled their differences, once again, and they have begun to
work on what will be the first new album from The Kinks in 15 years.
Rolling Stone announced that contributing writer Robert Greenfield is in
the process of turning his book Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia
into a major motion picture.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ front man Anthony Kiedis
is developing a program for HBO based upon his early days, growing up in Los Angeles. The show is to be titled
Scar Tissue.
The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened a facility in New York City on
November 24. Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten lyrics to Purple Haze and the white suit
that David Byrne wore in Stop Making Sense are among the exhibits that
are housed in the 25,000-square-foot venue in Lower Manhattan.
December
Continuing a year-long trend,
The Who was recognized at the 31st
Annual Kennedy Center Honors on December 7.
Actress
Scarlett Johansson indicated that she might follow
Anywhere I Lay My Head, her attempt at interpreting the works of
Tom Waits, with a collection of songs
penned by Leonard Cohen.
Coldplay was accused of plagiarism
by guitarist Joe Satriani. Satriani, who
filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, believes that Coldplay’s Viva La Vida
bears a striking resemblance to his own composition If I Could Fly. It
probably doesn’t help matters that Coldplay previously admitted that it was
prone to borrowing ideas from other artists.
Jeff Beck,
Bobby Womack, Metallica, Run-DMC, Wanda Jackson,
and Little Anthony and the Imperials will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
The Stooges and War were among the artists who were eligible but did not make
the cut. The 2009
ceremony will be held on April 4, and it marks the first time that the party
will be held in Cleveland.
The
RIAA announced a shift in its strategy to combat the illegal sharing of
copyright-protected works. Instead filing suit against individual users, the
RIAA is planning to address matters through the infringing parties’ Internet
service providers.
Warner
Music Group abruptly announced that it was planning to pull all of its
copyright-protected content, including music videos, from YouTube. The company
had been negotiating with Google, YouTube’s owner, when talks fell apart after
the parties couldn’t agree on the best method of compensating artists and
songwriters as well as record labels and music publishers.
Of Further Interest...
Year in Review: John Metzger's Top Studio Albums of 2008
2007 in Review: Gone But Not Forgotten
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