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A comment on Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?. Parent comment

Re:Is Spotify Killing the Top 40? by jcims on Tuesday September 08, 2020 @05:19AM (#24406649)
Top 40 was born in an era where a large part of the economic equation in music was album sales. The tribal signal helped overcome the activation energy required to shell out the equivalent of a half day’s labor for a teen at the local music store.

Streaming services have killed the album, so the top 40 really has no calling.

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Re:Is Spotify Killing the Top 40? by sjwright on Tuesday September 08, 2020 @05:41AM (#24406771)
It hasn’t killed the album, it’s just changed the rules of the game for marketing “popular” music by reducing the power of radio and increasing interest in the long tail.
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Re:Is Spotify Killing the Top 40? by austhrow743 on Tuesday September 08, 2020 @07:47AM (#24407446)
Streaming didn't kill the album, but something did.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/music-industry-sales/

Looks like piracy did it in.

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Re:Is Spotify Killing the Top 40? by skciva on Tuesday September 08, 2020 @01:12PM (#24410439)
I don't think focusing on album sales paints the full picture on how modern artists find success.

I've heard artists mention how albums don't really make them much money. Things like touring and merch sales account for the bulk of their income. I'd guess with streaming, podcasts, social networks, etc. artists have found ways outside of releasing a traditional album to stay relevant to the listener.

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Re:Is Spotify Killing the Top 40? by jcims on Tuesday September 08, 2020 @02:39PM (#24411460)
That was my point about killing the album. It’s no longer a particularly relevant milestone or attribute. The songs stand or fall in their own merit.
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