Ongoing History Daily: A strange iTunes download

In 1952, composer John Cage came up with something he called “4’33″” (read as in four minutes and 33 seconds). Divided into three movements (30 seconds, 2:23, and 1:40), it involves the musician (or musicians) sitting at their instruments for exactly 4:33 and playing nothing. They just sit there.

Cage meant for the experience to get people to hear the sounds of the environment around them. What did a full concert hall sound like when nothing was being played? Avant-garde people looked at the existentialism of it all while everyone thought it was a little bent, if not a little insane. No wonder “4’33″” became Cage’s most controversial, er, composition.

But here’s where it gets really dumb.  You can get “4’33” on iTunes.  And it’s only 99 cents.