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Music Industry

A question I get a lot: Why is my favourite band not as famous as I believe they should be?

[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca – AC]

We’ve all been flummoxed by why certain artists, songs and albums aren’t as popular as we think they should be.

“This song is GREAT! Why isn’t it a hit? What’s stopping this band from becoming huge? There’s gotta be some kind of conspiracy keeping them from being stars.”

Well, no. The history of music is filled with stories of excellent musicians who never achieved the fame and recognition that they perhaps deserve.

Why? The short answer is that the music business is a vicious, vicious game where being a talented musician is just part of the story.

Let’s assume an artist is brilliant and has written a series of great songs. If music were a meritocracy, that would be enough. But there are so many other factors involved before a song can become a hit and an artist can be turned into a star. So many things have to go right and so many things cannot go wrong.

Keep reading.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39691 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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