Jonathan, a life long music obsessive, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, studied Psychology at Durham University, and used his dissertation on the Marketing of Pop Music to introduce himself to the music industry. He began a long and varied career in music as a PR for EMI Records, going on to run Mercury UK, TVT Records UK, and Red Bull Records for Europe. He has worked with Pink Floyd, Jay Z, David Bowie, Metallica, Roni Size, Iron Maiden, Wu-Tang Clan, Shania Twain, Kaiser Chiefs, Twin Atlantic, James, Texas, Cocteau Twins and Elton John. He runs earMUSIC in the UK , the label of Edel AG based in Hamburg Germany and parent of Optimal, Europe’s largest manufacturer of vinyl.
"This increase of the public for a deeper connection with favourite artists has also inspired some artists to return to making albums after some years away, or to simply make better albums."
As the world celebrates The Beatles “Sergeant Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 50th anniversary, a work seen as a pinnacle in the history of the body of work we know as the album, many in the industry are asking does the idea of the album as the ultimate expression of what an artist can achieve still hold validity in the streaming age and world of playlists, or is it a second half of the 20th Century concept that peaked then along with the physical formats that carried them?
The music business’s welcome return to growth has been largely attributed to the phenomenal growth in streaming. Its ubiquity perfectly suits the modern world’s demands for everything immediately at the touch of a finger. Streaming is perfect for fast moving , time poor short attention span people, without time or inclination to listen to old school albums, preferring instead curated playlists and the latest new releases. The underlying narrative therefore is the album concept is one which worked for an older, generation , one when people had time to listen for 40 minutes plus and surely therefore a fading concept , past its sell by date, one that we can expect to die away as its audience ages, or at least decline into being a backwater period relic for nostalgic fans and older artists.
I believe this incorrect and an oversimplification which in taking this view as an industry we potentially risk one of the great artistic and commercial outlets for music being undervalued as we adapt to the new reality where streaming is the majority way music is heard. Not only is the album it still valid, but it is growing again in part to the ubiquity of streaming. The concept of the album amongst both established and emerging artists and the public is very much alive and well and growing again, but in new ways that are now adapting to the new era of global and immediate availability. Just as the printed page was once forecast by some to have a digital only future, so the concept of the physical book evolved and revived, and evidence suggests the album is also undergoing a similar rebirth as a new generation discovers the joy of listening to them..
A key part of this is the revival of vinyl. From selling around two hundred thousand copies annually 10 years ago in the UK to over 3 million new copies in 2016 there is a global revolution that shows no sign of tailing off. It is a phenomenon that corresponds with the utility of streaming, and reveals something fundamental about consumers and how they react interact with the music they love. With streaming and playlists being an ideal way to introduce new music, how does the individual then feel a more personal connection with a favoured artist? With all of music’s history now available immediately online, how does one get that yearned for deeper connection?
Artists known for making great albums in the past have seen an upsurge in interest, in new ways, and live and merchandise business have surged as a result. There also is a desire for the audience to own something special some of them buying on vinyl, but also deluxe CDs, box sets and limited editions, often available direct to consumer.
This increase of the public for a deeper connection with favourite artists has also inspired some artists to return to making albums after some years away, or to simply make better albums. Personally I have experienced this most recently with Deep Purple whose “Infinite” album on earMUSIC coinciding with a huge tour charted high globally (UK no. 6 , Germany, Number 1)) with their biggest studio album since 1984 with much of the sales coming on physical formats as consumers wish to own a piece of a special moment in rock history.
However the album’s revival is not mere nostalgia. The album concept itself is in rude health thanks to a new generation of artists breaking through with songs via streaming and Youtube and who have the artistic vision to deliver great albums that have an appeal to a music loving audience. The popular triumph at 2016’s Mercury Music Prize Album of the Year award winner Skepta, ”Konnichiwa” represented the coming of age of the grime album for a more mainstream market and is I believe a potent symbol of how new UK artists are renewing the album concept in their own individual ways.
As an art form, I believe we are at risk currently undervaluing the album in our culture, in the way that the book industry has not, with its World Book Day grabbing the attention of consumers from a young age and hopefully sparking a lifelong passion for books.
Perhaps now as an industry now we are back on our feet and we are “full stream ahead” we should think longer term and have a national celebration of the album, by having a National Album Day. A day for all ages and all tastes that will celebrate the incredible vibrant and joyous relationship we have with the album. A day that can bring together artists and public, industry and media to celebrate something special, and whose time once again never felt more necessary to our nation’s cultural lifeblood.
