Music Industry

1) Assess the main advantages of the internet to your three main texts.

2) Explore the marketing strategies used in your selected industry.

3) How successful have your chosen texts been for their industry?

4) Explore the impact of digital technologies on your selected industry.

Types of questions for music

Kurt Cobain

Dave GrohlKrist Novoselic

1989

Nirvana’s first studio album was entitled Bleach and was released by the independent label, Sub Pop.

The album gained good critical reviews but failed to chart in America.

History and Context

By 1991 Nirvana had diluted their alternative, heavier sound with more popular music conventions and signed to Geffen.

Geffen is owned by Universal and has huge marketing budgets.

History and Context

Firstly Released by DGC Records in 1991 with an optimistic expectation of 250 000 sales.

Nevermind has now sold 30 million copies world wide and copies have and are still being sold ever year since

Industry importance

1991 biggest selling artists pre Nirvana

Excess, flamboyant, show offs, escapism

Industry importanceNirvana helped to change the genre and ideology surrounding mainstream, popular music.

Nirvana combined more alternative genres such as Punk with more popular genres at the time such as Metal and Pop to create a genre known later as Grunge.

Industry importance

Punk musical conventions•Singing style (elements of shouting and screaming)•Instruments and effects used•Simple musical structures •Some elements but not as purist as punk on Anti-establishment and disenchanted ideology•Smashing instruments at end of a show•Fairly simply musicianship

Metal conventions•Singing style (elements of shouting and screaming)•Instruments and effects used (distortion/overdrive)•However Nirvana were hugely anti Heavy Metal ideology

Nirvana combined these conventions with pop music conventions

Industry importance

Pop music conventions•A heavy reliance on vocals•2-4 minute song length•Song structure – Verse – Chorus - Verse•Use of rhyming couplets in vocals•Promotion channels

This hybrid of conventions resulted in the post modern genre of Grunge, which attracted a variety of mainstream and more niche audiences and was a huge commercial success.

Industry importance

Nirvana would often promote other alternative music and project them into the mainstream. Remember this is pre-internet.

•Lyrics are typically angst-filled, often addressing themes such as social alienation, apathy, confinement, and a desire for freedom•Many grunge musicians displayed a general disenchantment with the state of society, as well as a discomfort with social prejudices•Live shows are energy filled and crowds are very active/moshing/crowd surfing/stage diving (video Swedish interview)

Grunge ideology and characteristics present in Nirvana

Industry importance

Metal+Punk+Pop = Grunge

•Clothing commonly worn by grunge musicians and fans consisted of clothes that was purchased from or looked like they were from charity shops•Most common was checked/flannel shirts•A look that appeared un-kept (ripped jeans, baggy T-shirts, longish hair, anti superficial)•Grunge fashion was very anti “Flash/show off”•The subculture had an anti inequality and hegemonic ideology.

Grunge Fashion

Industry importance

1.Changing the genre of music that entered into the mainstream charts in 1991.2. Assisting the creation of a subculture.3.Changing the ideology present within mainstream music.

Industry importance

Marketing

Marketing and Promotion1. Use of the music video2. Reliance on record label.3.The use of the rock star/front man4. Reliance on Television performances (Jonathan Ross, MTV own shows, memorable live shows)5.Music Videos, iconography, connotations, mis en scene, all attracts its target audience

Marketing and Promotion4. Reliance on Television performances (Jonathan Ross, MTV own shows, memorable live shows)

Huge lack of anything on demandLive shows had to be memorable and relied on word of mouth to promote bands.

Nirvana release four singles accompanied with music videos to help promote the album.

Smells Like Teen SpiritCome as you are

Lithium

In Bloom

The use of the music video

How has the internet helped Nirvana?1.Fansites (facebook, Instagram, Websites)2. Itunes, Youtube3.Allowing new generations access to older music4. Spotify

Marketing