Rock hits a hard place at retail

Source: MW

08:07 | Monday September 6, 2010

 

Rock music is rapidly becoming an endangered species on the UK singles chart, with unit sales plummeting 17.7% in the first eight months of this year.

 

While the overall singles market was up year-on-year by 7.4% to the end of August, Official Charts Company figures show 2.15m fewer rock singles were sold in the period.

 

By contrast pop singles sales rose 30.1% and what is termed as contemporary urban was up 32.9%, reflecting a boom year for home-grown urban acts such as Tinie Tempah, Roll Deep and Dizzee Rascal.

 

Although the cyclical rise and fall in sales of different genres is nothing new, the huge drop in the number of rock tracks showing up in the singles chart has been particularly acute this year, with some weeks only one or two showing up in the Top 40. Up to last week, rock accounted for 10.7% of unit singles sales in 2010, compared to 13.9% only a year ago.

 

Just five of the year’s Top 100 singles up to the end of August (chart week 34) are classified rock by the OCC, led by Sony’s Journey oldie Don’t Stop Believin’ at 17. There are two tracks by Florence + The Machine and one apiece deemed rock by fellow Island act Mumford & Sons and Warner Bros’s Pendulum, although a handful of other acts among the 100 could be classified as rock, including Columbia’s Train, Geffen’s Fyfe Dangerfield and 679/Atlantic signing Marina & The Diamonds.

 

The lack of rock in the singles chart has had a particular negative effect on national rock station Absolute Radio, whose head of music James Curran says he is increasingly having to look elsewhere, including the UK albums chart, Spotify and YouTube plays plus overseas markets, to find suitable material to playlist.

 

“The singles chart has become unrecognisable from even two years ago,” he says. “What’s quite frightening is how quickly it has changed. It’s very difficult to get a bona fide rock hit these days, even by some of the biggest bands. The last I recall were Kings Of Leon’s Sex On Fire and Use Somebody. We seem to be mirroring the Hot 100 in the US, which has been pop and R&B dominated for years and our charts seem to be reflecting that.”

 

Rock is holding up better on albums, with the OCC reporting sales dropping by 7.2% in the first eight months of the year, while the total albums market declined 3.3%. This adds up to 20.49m rock albums sold in 2010, compared to 22.09m at the same stage in 2009, with Florence + The Machine’s Lungs leading 34 of the 100 top sellers classified as rock by the OCC.

 

As with singles, the biggest obvious winner on albums is contemporary urban, with RCA’s Alicia Keys set The Element Of Freedom and 679/Atlantic act Plan B’s The Defamation Of Strickland Banks helping urban album sales rise in the year to date by 16.0%. This represents around 1m additional album sales.

 

OCC managing director Martin Talbot believes the contrasting fortunes of rock on singles and albums is partially reflective of the different type of consumers in the two markets. “The singles market is becoming much more pop oriented, which is partly due to cyclical matters, plus also what we’re seeing is a shift between the singles market possibly appealing more to younger consumers who are more interested in tracks whereas the albums market has a greater appeal to older consumers who are into different types of music,” he says.

 

Rock’s presence on the albums chart was set to get a big boost yesterday (Sunday) with new entries from the likes of Reprise/Warner Bros’s Disturbed, Interscope/Polydor’s Pretty Reckless and the debut album from Geffen’s Everything Everything, although Absolute Radio’s Curran suggests the fourth quarter schedules do not offer too much in the way of rock.

 

“Kings Of Leon is the big one for us, but [the schedule for rock releases] is not huge. Elbow, unfortunately, is not until next year, but a lot of the big albums are pop releases, like Take That,” he says.

Rock acts have usually performed better in the album chart though. It's just that album sales have rapidly declined ever since cherry pciking on iTunes became the new way of buying music - hence artists like Arctic Monkeys releasing their most recent album with just 9 tracks (and even then some of those tracks are considered weak compared to their previous material).

 

Shame though as there have been a couple of decent rock tracks released this year that have limped in and faded away really quickly like The Hoosiers 'Choices' and One Night Only 'Say You Don't Want It'.

Rock acts have usually performed better in the album chart though. It's just that album sales have rapidly declined ever since cherry pciking on iTunes became the new way of buying music - hence artists like Arctic Monkeys releasing their most recent album with just 9 tracks (and even then some of those tracks are considered weak compared to their previous material).

 

Shame though as there have been a couple of decent rock tracks released this year that have limped in and faded away really quickly like The Hoosiers 'Choices' and One Night Only 'Say You Don't Want It'.

 

Yeah, a lot of bands that hit the top 10/20 at will with weaker material in 2007/8 (One Night Only, The Hoosiers, The Courteeners etc.) are now really struggling partly because the rock market has been completely divided. Many snooty critics dismiss these bands just because they saw their old stuff as 'landfill indie' and focus their attention on crap like The Drums, who then flop because they haven't got the mainstream potential. It needs a genuinely good, new band that can break into the mainstream to turn the tide, a kind of Strokes where bands like The Libertines and Kings of Leon followed.

Another thing to point out; rock music had all but died back in 2003. The whole of 2003, as far as I can remember, was dominated by US rap, RnB and most especially dancehall with Sean Paul being the most successful artist that year. I don't think any rock tracks were big that particular year either.

 

It wasn't until Arctic Monkeys debut in 2005 that turned the tide for rock music - that alongside new albums from Oasis and Coldplay pushed sales of rock music. However, rock music became really uninspiring in 2006 and continued well into 2007.

 

Orson 'Bright Idea' :manson: (I liked 'No Tomorrow' but it got boring fast)

Razorlight 'I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got' :manson: (I liked 'America' even though everyone on ChC hated it)

The Feeling 'Without You' :manson: (their debut album was brilliant, the second album...no!!!)

Kaiser Chiefs 'Everything Is Average Nowadays' :manson: (how apt!!! :lol: 'Ruby' became an anthem at work. This didn't.)

etc...

 

This is only my opinion but these songs could've put me off rock music for life.

Like the article says, things go in cycles.

 

The music business overall is singles-orientated now..Look at all the new ep's and re-releases stars like Gaga and Usher release just to keep producing new singles to charts.

 

The album charts reflects better what people really listen to: and there are acts like Paolo Nutini, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Michael Buble etc who can never get a no. 1 single (Florence might do that with her next album)

I'm not massively into rock but it would be nice to see a few bands do well just for the sake of variety. Everything is starting to sound the same. I can't BEAR the likes of Taio Cruz. I think I'm getting old.

Another thing to point out; rock music had all but died back in 2003. The whole of 2003, as far as I can remember, was dominated by US rap, RnB and most especially dancehall with Sean Paul being the most successful artist that year. I don't think any rock tracks were big that particular year either.

 

It wasn't until Arctic Monkeys debut in 2005 that turned the tide for rock music - that alongside new albums from Oasis and Coldplay pushed sales of rock music. However, rock music became really uninspiring in 2006 and continued well into 2007.

 

Orson 'Bright Idea' :manson: (I liked 'No Tomorrow' but it got boring fast)

Razorlight 'I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got' :manson: (I liked 'America' even though everyone on ChC hated it)

The Feeling 'Without You' :manson: (their debut album was brilliant, the second album...no!!!)

Kaiser Chiefs 'Everything Is Average Nowadays' :manson: (how apt!!! :lol: 'Ruby' became an anthem at work. This didn't.)

etc...

 

This is only my opinion but these songs could've put me off rock music for life.

 

I like Bright Idea actually, got both Orson's albums and they're pretty decent. Razorlight yeah, the first two singles off that album were great then everything since (except POSSIBLY Wire to Wire) is just drab. The Feeling lost it after I Thought It Was Over and even I thought EIAN was a poor singles choice, should've been The Angry Mob as the second single.

 

Interesting what you say about 2003, the most remarkable thing that happened was Kings of Leon's debut. 2004 was actually pretty good, The Killers made a big impact and Green Day and U2 ate the end of the year. I think back then, although you were guaranteed a fair supply of dull stuff entering low and dropping straight out again thanks to sales being so wretched, there was a feeling there was always sometthing worthwhile around the corner. You don't get that now, I'm even apprehensive about Kings of Leon's new record :unsure:

At one time the same station would play all types of music. With no alternatives available, those interested in pop music had no choice but to listen to the rock singles, some of which were liked and bought. These days there are so many stations around and rock music is played only by dedicated rock stations catering for a niche market. With very few shops selling singles there is no money to be made from releasing a physical single that the majority of rock fans prefer. No TOTP or Saturday morning kids shows anymore, so no platform to promote it either.

 

Most artists are giving away free downloads instead of releasing singles - touring is where the money is to be made.

This is very depressing :cry:

 

a case in point of this week would be Linkin Park's new song struggling to get top 40 on itunes, bands like this just arent singles acts any more, this is a shame as many of the modern day classics that still sell now are Rock- some examples from the 21st century- Welcome To The Black Parade by MCR, a lot of the back catalogue of Muse,The Killers and Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys IBYLGOTD, U2- Beautiful Day, White Stripes- Seven Nation Army and In The End and Numb by Linkin Park and of course, Sex On Fire

 

Its just rock music needs to break through to the mainstream- and when it does it is brilliant, there just needs to be a great rock song by a band- LP havent managed this with their new comeback, Manic street preachers release next week- it would simply be magical if that made number 1

Edited September 6, 201014 yr by chart wizard

I suppose radio and video music channels have really sidelined rock music also.Its a shame but tastes change and people move on to new genres.Rock dominated the charts pretty much up until the nineties when rap, pop and dance music blew up.Personally I dont listen to it much but have recently heard songs from 30 seconds to mars and really enjoyed them.I would not even know what The Wanted, Biffy Clyro, One Night Only and The Courteneers look like yet alone be able to name any of thier songs, the article kind of makes me want to broaden my own limited tastes.

The Hoosiers 'Choices'

 

 

Would we call the Hoosiers "rock?" I'd say they were firmly in popband territory.

Swings and roundabouts in a few years along the line guitar bands will be back in the charts with a vengeance.

Well the 'rock' (I use this term vaguely as it just seems to be a generalisation of indie/indie-pop/rock/mental/punk etc.) genre has really not had any big releases this year. Linkin Park don't seem to be hitting anything alright and Kings of Leon are the only real 'rock' band that have a big release lined up. Unsure how well they'll do. Arcade Fire perhaps as well (although they've already released)

 

But big acts such as blink-182, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Elbow, RHCP, The Killers, Kasabian etc. are all due releases within the next 18 months or so, and all it will take is for one of those acts to have a huge single and the cycle will probably kick off again. Even though 2011 is the year of dubstep.

Most commercial rock music is nothing but pop with loud guitars anyway! So it's understandable. I don't really get the article however, it was only a couple of months ago when AC/DC where #1 in the album charts!

AC/DC and Iron Maiden both got No. 1 albums this year, while Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine and Disturbed last week all achieved Top 10 placings.

 

Rock/metal music has never been particularly strong in the singles chart. The late 80s and early 90s was it's commercial peak, but it's always been mainly a draw in the albums charts and the live circuit. A band like Metallica could play to sold-out arenas literally anywhere in the world; let's see Taio Cruiz get anywhere near that level of success!

AC/DC and Iron Maiden both got No. 1 albums this year

 

Also, last Autumn Paramore's album was #1...

Rock sales will pick up as the itunes generation grows up a bit and wants something different.

 

TBH true rock/metal has never been a strong singles seller. What they are mixing up here is indie which has always sold a lot of singles and is really in the doldrums at the moment.

Anyone who considered pop crap like The Hoosiers or SFG to be indie or rock is an absolute idiot.

Also, last Autumn Paramore's album was #1...

 

Shows the sharp contrast between the albums and singles chart - in the '90s the line was blurred, bands like Oasis and Blur were of course scoring huge #1 albums but also getting #1 singles almost at will and selling out massive venues at the same time.

 

The final confirmation of the gap between the singles and albums chart will come if Linkin Park beat The Script to #1 next week. One single is nowhere yet the fanbase will at least ensure they have sizeable first week sales, the other are riding high on iTunes and it's simply a test of how many fans of the first album they've held onto.

The pop revolution bring it on :)

The pop revolution bring it on :)

 

Lol pop "revolution" :rolleyes:

 

By it's very definition, pop music has always been around. But with very FEW exceptions, it is a singles chart entity and extremely disposable - there are very few pop acts who can transcend decades and trends like all the greatest rock and metal acts. They'll also never make the same impact on the album charts, or on the live circuit.