Guardian article on non-futurist pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2060953,00.html

Bands be borrowin'.

This is under discussion elsewhere on the interwebs but I thought I'd tap the wisdom of the Poptimist crowd.

The Friday Canon: EMINEMINEMINEM

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Billions of albums sold, 9 Grammys won, 1 Oscar-winning film soundtrack penned, prescription drugs taken by the jarful. I doubt anyone on this community can say they've never heard an Eminem song. But which ones (if any) are the pick of the (bleached) crop? You get SIX ticks to denote your Eminemineminem love. I've included collaborations for completeness.

[Poll #970036]

U2: (link)
1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. With Or Without You
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
=4. New Years Day
=4. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
6. The Fly
=7. Mysterious Ways
=7. One
=9. Desire
=9. Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me

Bob Marley: (link)
1. Jamming / Punky Reggae Party
2. Exodus
3. Buffalo Soldier
=4. Could You Be Loved
=4. No Woman No Cry
=6. Iron Lion Zion
=6. Is This Love
8. One Love - People Get Ready
9. Sun Is Shining [vs Funkstar De Luxe]
=10. Three Little Birds
=10. Waiting In Vain

Something I said on ILM yesterday.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Which nobody addressed - the thread was moving fast and this was a tangent.

I can think of two long-term marketing triumphs for the record industry. The former possibly accidental (but probably not), the latter definitely on purpose. First is the promotion of the album as a format and the repackaging of popular music as non-disposable. Second (linked to the first) is the promotion and success of the CD format as a way to buy old music as well as new.

It's the level of accident I'm interested in really. The move to album format, the move away from disposability - when did these happen (I know that in the UK 1969 was the year album sales overtook single sales), and how proactive or reactive were the record labels in this?