R&P Post 14: My Target Audience

We have decided that we would like to keep our audience as wide as possible, especially as it is a debut artist that we are creating. However, we have pinned down our main focal audience groups that we will be specifically targeting.

Primary Target Audience:

-Fans of the rock genre (more specifically the alt. rock sub-genre)
-Aged 16-24

NOTE: Our primary target audience is not gender specific. This is because we aim to connote gender equality representations through having a band with two girls and two boys.

Secondary Target Audience:

- Older, nostalgic rock fans, that are still interested and avid followers of the genre.

Tertiary Target Audience:

- Fans of pop music, who are searching for more than just the mainstream.

R&P Post 13: Influences and inspiration from art, fashion and culture

Over the past few weeks I have been doing some research and building up a wide range of influences and inspiration from a variety of different place. Below I have denoted my key influences from art, fashion and culture as well the development I have made as a result.

Wes Anderson Films

 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (top and bottom left), Moonrise Kingdom (middle left), The Grand Budapest Hotel (top right), The Darjeeling Limited (bottom right)

I am very interested in the cinematography of my music video and I feel it is important to create an atmosphere through the way the camera is being used and the footage is being captured. My inspiration for this comes predominately from Wes Anderson's cinematic masterpieces and the way in which he creates mood through the symmetry of his shots. As you can see in the image above, he works hard with the mise-en-scene to create an exact equilibrium in each frame and as a result presents the audience with a slightly distorted and surrealist view of reality.

La Haine - Mathieu Kassovitz

There are three main reasons why this french film has inspired me for my music video project. 

Firstly, as can be seen in the image to the left, Kassovitz experiments with very dynamic and intrusive camerawork in order to help reveal the setting, atmosphere and emotion of each scene through only one shot. This has influenced my ideas quite significantly as it as led to me wanting a very dynamic performance scene in which the actors really exploit their spacial relationship with the camera.

Secondly, I have become extremely interested in the use of black and white through watching this film and I love that by losing color, the director has enhanced and enriched the mood and message of the piece. Overall, I am very keen to adapt this idea of black and white for my music video as I believe, if it is done well, it will give us a very defining U.S.P (unique selling point) to market.

Finally, the last key inspiration is the use of the shots where Said (one of the main characters) opens and closes eyes. These shots connote his various realizations throughout the film and they create very powerful dramatic effect. I would really like to do something similar in my music video, however I do expect it to be challenging to to introduce something with a similar effect in just a 3 minute video.


60's Mods & Rockers

I think that this period of British culture will be the most influential to my project. I have researched in great depth about the relationship between the Mods and The Rockers and how fashion and music completely split the generation. I am really interested in bringing those two groups together, combining their looks and styles and then mix that with modern day culture. I think that this will create quite an interesting and unique band who's image is based on many prior success artists from both sides of the spectrum, but still wants to offer something new.



Skaters

This is the final societal group that I am very keen to incorporate into my artists image. Skate apparel and accessories in very much in fashion and is wore by a lot of young people internationally. In addition to this, for decades, the skater community has represented a marginalized group of youths that skate for a sense of personal identity as well as diversion, especially in places such as Southbank. As a result, I think that it would be quite an interesting audience to target and would help incorporate equality and cultural values into our bands image as well as aiding our edge and quirky representations.

R&P Post 12: Artists/bands that have influenced my ideas

Catfish And The Bottlemen

This band is my primary inspiration for the decisions upon the representations and overall image of our band. I really like the marketing of this band and there are many influences I have drawn from them. Firstly, I think that their alternative-indie genre is connoted very clearly and carried out in synergy across all platforms, through careful manipulation of their style and look. They use a variety of different tools to do so, one of which is their constant black and white colour scheme throughout their logo, album cover and gallery pictures. The idea of a colour stylisation is something I am very keen to adapt for our band as I feel that it strengths the bands synergy as well helping the audiences to differentiate the band from other, less unique indie bands.


Secondly, I will take inspiration from their performance style. The first thing I like is the way Van McCan (Lead Singer) conveys his emotions. As can be seen in the images to the left, he really sings into the mic, he squeezes his eyes shut very often and he is constantly dynamic and moving. Through these subtle techniques he manages to connect to the audience and involve them, making the performance more engaging. I am extremely influenced by this purposefully created dramatic effect and the affect it has audience.

In addition, I have also been inspired by the guitarist's performance. I am very keen to adapt some of his more dynamic and conventional rock dance moves that really aid the anchorage of the genre. As well as this, his own natural gesturing has really inspired me as I had not yet realised that individualised movement could be just as effective when trying to connote character.

Cage The Elephant

This band has mostly inspired me in terms of performance. Brad Shultz (the lead singer) is very clever in the way that he interprets his lyrics and adapts his performance to every line. In the music video for 'In One Ear' he interchanges between 3 different personas throughout different lines in the song.


One side of his character is quite serious and passionate and through his sporadic movement and constant straining he appears to be overtaken by the music. This results in an intensification of the emotion in the video, which helps to engross the audience an gratify the need of diversion.



In addition, he has also created a very sarcastic persona that acts as comic relief throughout the video. As a consequence of these shots, the constant intensity is softened in specific areas and a more dynamic and diverse video is further developed. In my opinion, this personality    characterizes and visualizes the ironic nature of the lyrics "in one ear and straight out the other".


The last stylization of Brad is possibly the most significant and affecting to the viewer. He is depicted dancing around crazily and just letting go. Due to the culture of dancing that surrounds rock music, for fans of this genre, this representation with satisfy personal identity gratifications. In addition, it improves the overall enjoyment of the video. It will encourage the audience to dance along and at best, encourage them to act and buy concert tickets.

This band has greatly influenced my ideas as they show a strong example of how clever acting can be used as an effective tool for more intense storytelling. Furthermore, having seen this music video I would definitely like to create a performance aspect to my video and use detailed acting in order to enhance the meaning of the lyrics.

Haim

The third band that has greatly developed my thought process is Haim. They are an American pop rock girl band that reached fame in 2013. There are many inspirational aspects of this band, however I think that the single most significant influence is the representation of females. All of their marketing, most crucially their sound and style, works in symbiosis to promote the presence of women in rock music, which is typically unconventional.

The music video for 'The Wire' is a clear example of sound and styling converging and being used to twist stereotypical gender roles to create a funny yet meaningful storyline. As can be seen in the video below the melodramatic males in the break-up juxtapose the traditional conventions of the over emotional and obsessive girlfriend.

This is not the only example of irony in gender roles and strong feminist expression, instead it something carried across their whole campaign to offer girls and women, that are fans of rock music, some aspirational figures that portray personal identity gratifications.

Finally, their look and style has been really important to my ideas and I have created the spider diagram below in order to graphically depict they different, more specific nuances that have influenced me.

{SPIDER DIAGRAM}

To conclude, I am really interested in their post-modernist and feminist values and I really like the fact they are not presented as 'one of the guys' nor 'girly girls'; they are just normal women.  These connotations and values that are highlighted most clearly through their sound, their style and look are things that I am very keen to develop and replicate.

Arctic Monkeys

As a big fan of the Arctic Monkey I decided to explore what attracted me to the band and why I like them. I found that this technique has been very effective in bettering my understanding of target audiences and developing my own ideas.

The first area I investigated was their sound and I found that their songs are highly dynamic, exciting and upbeat without being demanding to listen to and too overpowering. In addition they use a range of instruments and tones to create a complex overlay that is appealing to a wide audience. The sound cloud track below is just one of their many songs that follow this same formula.

Through breaking down the effect of the sound, I have been able to greatly develop my ideas surround the translation and emphasis of the music through the visuals in the video.
In addition, Arctic Monkey has inspired the genre I would like to choose and  I am very keen to find a  song that has a similarly strong dynamic range.

Secondly, their look and style have greatly inspired my ideas. Their 'star' image has been constructed to appear quirky and cool, but also slightly cocky. Initially it seemed odd to me that a band would be purposefully represented as a little arrogant. However, I have come to the conclusion that through this persona, Alex Turner excites and entices the audience to enjoy his rebellious and typically rock n roll antics that also offer the audience a sense of nostalgia.

In addition, their edgy characterization is anchored further by the way they dress. As can be seen through the picture on the right, they wear quite stereotypical clothing for the rock genre; leather jackets, aviators, denim shirts and jeans, however due to the nature of the genre and their image, they still appear alternative and counter-culture. In addition, one can see that Alex Turner (lead) has be cleverly styled to mimic and modernize very typical Elvis Presley signifiers, the most evident example being his hair style. This has hugely developed my thinking, as I am beginning to understand that star representations are often re-rendered and
used on many different artists with only slight
alteration being made.

R&P Post 11: Artist websites that have inspired and influenced my ideas.

There were many websites that I found extremely valuable to look at, in order to get a strong idea of the conventions of a artist/ band website. There are a few I find particularly inspirational and below, I will explain the reasons for each one.

Firstly, the most impactful website to me was the 'Arctic Monkeys' page. This is primarily because of its clean and uncomplicated nature that is layered with a predominately black and white theme, in order to create a clear and concise webpage. In addition, I also really like the magnitude of videos and photos that are available to watch. This help sells the simplistic brand identity, as the saturated gallery helps share personality connotations; of friendship and funny moments, that are extremely relatable for the whole audience. Furthermore, all of the critical conventions of an artist website have been adhered to, resulting in easy navigation and a clear structure to the site. 

I also really liked the 'Nine Inch Nails' website for their low-key, gritty color scheme. I am inspired by the vertical layout for this page and its effective and easy navigation. Furthermore, it cleverly promotes the symbiotic relationship with the film 'Gone Girl' in order to boost sales for both parties.

Despite my interest in these pages I also really like the 'MGMT' homepage. Unlike the first two, this page is bright and colorful and very interactive. It uses playful colors and only uses a small side panel for navigation, leaving the background images predominately exposed. I really enjoy this site as I feel that the interactive color background is very reflective of the light-hearted group vibes and the edgy, slightly vintage styling they like to promote

R & P post 10: Album covers that have inspired and influenced my ideas

After having done some research I have realized that generally, album cover can be group together in a number of ways. Firstly, I learnt that covers in the rock genre, tend to be edgier, more layered and more conceptual. There are several examples of this:

Secondly, I also noticed that the main convention of a debut album is that the band is normally depicted on the cover. The most important reason for this is to be able to sell the band as a brand and help the audience identify with the members.

These genre specific covers have inspired me immensely, but I felt that I needed to do some broader research in order to fully understand the conventions and techniques of a good cover. It was for this reason that I made a photo page of my favorite albums from across a range of different genres and eras.

My Photo Page

Through all of this research I feel as though I much better understand the role of a cover and how they can be designed well. Below I have chosen my three most influential album cover and I have explained why they have made such an impact on my ideas.

1 - The Ramones - The Ramones

I love this album cover for its simplicity and the effectiveness of how it represents the band. Every little detail in this cover has been considered, even the order in which they are standing. I like how the cover clearly presents all of the band members and through the use of black and white, manages to create a strong brand and identity for the band.

2 - The White Stripes - Elephant

There are many reasons, for why I like this album cover and they are very different for the reasons I like The Ramones cover. Firstly, I find the magnitude of layers and the complexed nature very inspirational. I am interested in the way they have managed to develop the various different meanings of the image. The image initially seems fairly simple, but as you look closer you see the less obvious, but more impactful,  representations. One example of this is the string attached to the women's foot. At first it is quite hard to notice, but this suggests strong connotations of being trapped or attached. This meaning is then made more significant when you see the skull just behind her. I really like this textured approach to a cover photo and I think the image coding is very unique. It is for these reason that I would like to adapt this approach for my album cover.

3 - Nirvana - Nevermind

Nevermind by Nirvana is arguably the most iconic album cover in the rock genre; for this reason I have decided to decode the connations and use it as inspiration for my own project. The use of a baby is juxtaposed by the greed for money that is suggested, and therefore eludes to a bigger issue in society. By targeting the natural instinct of humans to be greedy, the branding of the band is immediately strengthened and it is for this reason that the band are seen as counter-culture and anti-establishment. I am inspired by the power of this image and its ability to create a strong brand for the band, without using their faces, especially as this was their debut album. 

R&P Post 9: Music videos that have inspired and influenced my ideas.

There are many music videos that have inspired my ideas. I have looked at countless videos from within the rock genre and below are the main few that I have drawn the most inspiration from.

Buddy Holly - Weezer

The Beatles; the look
Weezer are mimicking.

This video uses intertextual references from 'Happy Days' and it depicts Weezer dressed up as a typical American teenage boy band, which is juxtaposed with the rock music they are playing. It is structured as a chronological narrative with slow cuts and still framing, in order to give it an amateur look and more of a  TV show style. It is for this reason that the video is not cut to the music either. The music is made to sound joyful, which is connoted through the theatrical and positive dancing around by the fans, in conjunction with the bopping and cheesy smiles from the band. This representation is made stronger by the constant reactionary shots from the audience, creating a relationship between them and the group; Weezer. The very stereotypical boy band atmosphere is also created through the misc-en-scene. For example, the smart shirts and ties with beige cardigans and the gelled back hair cuts suggest they are satirizing  and Americanizing the look of The Beatles. In my opinion this conceptual performance works very well and helped affirm the branding of the band. The stark contrast of the 90's rock band and the 60's TV programme creates layers of irony within this intertextual reference and as a result creates a very cool and effective satirical tone. Therefore, this video has inspired me to look within stereotypes and try to break them down using irony, instead of avoiding these formulaic connotations altogether.

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

I have been developing my ideas and I think that I would like a heavily conceptual music video that has a key theme running the whole way through. My primary reference for this is The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. The jarring juxtapositions between the carefree cheeky teens and living in a military state is very complex and very interesting and as a result makes the video captivating and layered enough to be able to watch it more than once. I am really keen to reuse these techniques used by Spike Jonze, in order to create my own interesting and textured plot.

100% - Sonic Youth

This music video was also directed by Spike Jonze and is regarded as one of his classics. It was shot in Los Angeles and much of the footage was filmed by Jonze while riding a skateboard, following other skaters around the streets of the city. Furthermore, the song was dedicated to Joe Cole and throughout the video it alludes to his death, however the predominate story line is about a friendship between two skaters. The main reason I chose to closely analyse this song is because of the great camerawork and graphics that work in symbiosis with the juxtaposing black and white and color saturated scenes. This video has influenced my ideas massively as I started to develop my concepts based on colours and their roles in videos. '100%' is a great example of how colour contrasts can work effectively together and that the absence of colour (black and white) can bring out more from  layered concepts.

R&P Post 8: Possible tracks for the single

I have found this task particularly enjoyable as I have a very similar music taste to other members in my group meaning that agreeing on a song shouldn't be very difficult. In addition to this, I have also been trying to pick my possible song choices through my thoughts and the ideas I have when listening the the various different songs and reading through the lyrics.

To start finding tracks, I looked at my own music album, this is because I felt looking at songs I know and like would help me build a strong and realistic target audience. As well as, I have been using sites such as Spotify to look at smaller related artists.

Track no.1: Mountain At My Gates - FOALS

This is the first track I suggested to my other group members. I like this song for its clear genre signifiers and conventional representations of a rock band. My group are also fond of the the guitar based rhythms and like the upbeat tempo of the song.

On the other hand, we all agree that the lyrics are slightly repetitive and ambitious, meaning they do not inspire our creativity, in a practical way.

Track no.2: Be Somebody - Kings Of Leon

This is the second possible track for the single. It was Shayam's choice initially, but I know the song  very well, and was immediately keen to use it. The whole group really liked the meaningful nature of the song and thought that a conceptual video would compliment it well. Having said that, after listening to the lyrics several times, we have decided that it may be too slow, and potentially over repetitive.

Track no.3: Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

The third potential track is this, there are many reasons for why we like it, just one being that the lyrics hold great imagery and ideas are not difficult to create. On the other hand, none of us are satisfied with the constant tempo, as we felt it lacks dynamic or a range of moods we could play with. It was for this reason that we have decided to keep on looking for new tracks.

Track no.4: Trip Switch - Nothing But Thieves

This is the final track that we have chosen as a possibility and I decided to pitch this song to my group for various reason. Firstly, unlike the last few songs, it is very dynamic, exciting and interesting to listen to. Secondly, we all love the lyrics and feel that there are limitless interpretations of the song, therefore there could be limitless layers and concepts within our music video. At the moment we would all like to develop the ideas of power relations in the song; specifically between people and technology. Finally, we think that the singers voice, though quite different, wouldn't be too difficult to find a suitable actor for. It is for this reason that Trip Switch is the most suitable track for our video, and at this moment the most probable.

R&P Post 7: Record labels of interest

The global music industry is a very complicated and has a very intricate design. For this reason, I have decided to research the system of record labels and their layout in the modern industry, as well as a few specific case studies I have done.

First of all, there are the Big Three; which are the major dominating labels since 2012. These are; Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. Since 2007, the Big Three (previously the Big Four) music groups control about 70% of the world music market and about 80% of the US music market. I find this particularly interesting, as there is such a clear dominance unlike any other industry, including film.

I have also done some research in to the history of this formation of the industry. I have learnt that in the 1970's and 1980's there was a period of industry consolidation, which meant that a lot of small independent companies where bought up and these large monopolistic conglomerates were formed. Despite this, in the 1990's there was a resurgence of independent labels due to advances in technology and also because more established artists began to buy their own record labels. Furthermore, at this time, on the punk rock scene, the DIY ethic encouraged bands/artists to self-publish and self-distribute. Later there was a further increase in independent labels, through the rise of digital labels. Now there are over 7,480 businesses in the UK music industry. Furthermore, independent labels, including the three below, are often considered more artist friendly and labels normally offer a 50-50 profit share agreement

Marshall Teller


Founded in 2010 by a single guy, Marshall Teller is a great example of a successful small independent label. They are crucial  to the alt-rock scene and are known for releasing music from local artists and friends, which means the previously unheard underground sound is being widely released for the general public to consume. Another reason as to why I am particularly interested in this label is because it specializes in American youth culture and 90's nostalgia; a concept I would like to explore in my own project.

Young Turks

Young Turks is a British independent record label owned by Beggars Group. It was launch as an imprint of XL Records in 2006. The label's current roster includes The XX, FKA Twigs, SBTRKT, Sampha and Jamie XX. The main reason that I have chosen to research Young Turks is because I am extremely interested in the company set-up. At first I was unsure about what an imprint label was, but after reading a few articles I have discovered that an imprint label is just a branding technique and that legally it is not a subsidiary company. This means that Young Turks is actually just a group of artists that are signed to XL Records in order to create a quirky and unique brand identity that works in symbiosis with the marketing of the individual artists.

Rough Trade

Launched in 1978, Rough Trade became a well established independent record label and has a number of big name signings such as The Smiths and Buzzcocks. They have always specialized in the indie scene as well as some rock and post-punk. Despite closing during the 1990's for financial issues, the label was revived in 2000 and has since re-confirmed their place in the market with recording acts such as Warpaint and Howler and creating a new chain of shops around London. I find this label particularly interesting as they have a similar target audience as I have in mind and they use various more traditional methods, such as listening stations and special edition vinyl, to keep customers coming back. Also, as you can see from the diagram below, Rough Trade sign a variety of artists, however they are predominately based around rock and indie music; the genres I am most interested in.

R&P Post 6: Current trends in popular music

After having done research, I notice some huge changes within trends in popular music, as well as some clear consistencies. I can see major readjustments occurring in terms of the structure of the industry, however genre tastes seem to have remained fairly constant.

The Industry



Firstly, there is a gradual revolution occurring agains the traditional music business model. Artists and publishers alike, are stepping away from record label conglomerates and are taking control themselves, thanks to sites like Kobalt. This independent online publishing company now offered labels, managers and artists user-friendly analysis tools, which makes it easier for them to review and understand all their varied income, and as a result take control of their music. This is now starting to catch on and artists such as Lenny Kravitz are trying it out.

A photo I took of
'The Weeknd' image filter

In addition, companies that have the ability to distribute content are seeking to partner with music owners. One example of this is between Sony Pictures and Snapchat; who are interested in forming coalitions with the online video channel VEVO. Furthermore, Snapchat are also providing a differe

nt route for artists to share their music and music videos (in competition with VEVO). In May 2015, electronic musician Josh Legg, aka Goldroom, premiered four music videos on the app. The experience included a message from Goldroom and then requires Snapchat users to swipe through clips until reaching the music video. In my opinion, this move represents a new, low budget way to connect with fans, as well as an effort to try and reinstate the significance of music videos.

As a Snapchat user and music consumer, myself, I also noticed this symbiosis start to occur. The first example of this is when 'The Weeknd' was playing live at the apple music festival and there was a image filter made available, denoting this.

Streaming is another aspect of the music industry that is beginning to change. In the wake of Taylor Swift pulling out her catalogue from both Spotify and Deezer, the industry has been left divided over whether streaming benefits the artists or not. With some arguing that you just have to get creative with other forms of advertising on these streaming sites, whilst others are certain that paying for the music before the consumer listens is the only lucrative business model. This debate is crucial to current trends in popular music, as it could potentially completely change the ways in which we consume music.

One of the most surprising recent trends has been the vinyl revival. Nearly 8 million old-fashioned vinyl records were sold last year, up 49% from 2013. In November 2014, it was reported that over one million vinyl records had been sold in the UK since the beginning of the year, sales had not reached this level since 1996.  Professionals have been shocked at the revival of this old trend, but as can be seen from the graph below, it shows no sign of stopping.

The Audience

In 2014, there has been some re-adjustments in the way the UK audience consume music.

Firstly, album sales generated £713m last year, compared to £773m in 2013 - a decline of 7.8%. Meanwhile, singles revenue went from £168m in 2013 to £142m in 2014, representing a 15.3% slip. However, the  value of streaming soared in 2014, with revenues of £175m easily surpassing 2013's £106m - a £65.1% increase. Furthermore, the number of audio streams from digital services such as 'Spotify' and 'Deezer' doubled. Through analyzing this data, I have a better understanding of what is selling and what isn't, but it has also taught me that my album would need clever marketing and packaging in order to be successful.

Secondly, in the genre market, Pop music overtook rock as the UK's most popular genre by album sales, holding its biggest market share since the late 90's. It is for this reason that I think creating an alternative-rock band with wide appeal would be a great way to revitalize the rock market whilst also interesting some of the pop fans. In addition, rock music's share of the singles market grew to its largest in four years, to 24.3%, meaning a single from a debut rock band would have the potential to do well.

R&P Post 5: The kind of video I would like to make

After watching a magnitude of music videos I feel certain that I know the style of music video I am after. Below I will reference current music videos in order to clearly denote what I want from my own project.

Firstly, I am interested in making clever conceptual music video that is potentially satirical. 'Money' by Peace is a very good example of this. At first the video appears to be about a man and his venture through a serious business setting, making the audience understand the representations as quite somber and humorless. This is then cleverly juxtaposed with the extravagant hand-shakes. At the surface this concept can be perceived as simple light comedy, however if you look closer it holds deeper meaning that reflects on the working world and the system of promotion. The video uses Freud's theory of humor (that jokes let out our forbidden thoughts and feelings that the conscious mind usually suppresses) to pose subtle questions about society. This video is very inspirational as it uses complex conceptual ideas, without overwhelming the audience. I am very keen to replicate this structure as well as the ambiance and meaning that is created.

In addition, I would also like to incorporate interesting cinematography into my video that would work symbiotically with a highly conceptual narrative. 'Water Me' by FKA Twigs is very strong example of careful artistic design being used as a tool for more intense storytelling.

Lastly, I would also like to create a technologically sound video that incorporated small camera tricks along side clever editing, in order to create an exciting and fun piece; whilst still keeping it interesting and conceptual. 'Fear and Delight' by The Correspondents is one influence for this. It contains flawless camera tricks that create a distorted reality and plays with the imagination of the audience.

R&P Post 4: Audience groups of interest*

There are two primary audience groups that I am very interested in; the UK market and fans of the rock genre. I have decided to follow up my interest by doing some research into facts and statistics as well as talking to different people from these audience groups.

The UK Audience

Firstly, the UK market is the world biggest consumer of music relative to its population with 1.6 album bought per head. This information is extremely surprising, considering that the UK industry is only the third biggest in the world and this information signifies that the UK market is highly lucrative. It also reveals that this market has strong potential to expand further; a good market to invest in. Furthermore, the UK music industry has originated whole music genres from punk to dubstep and grime. To me, this proves that the UK audience has very broad genre tastes, as well as an
adaptive and experimental nature.

For all of the reasons above, I think the British market is very important and will prove to be an essential part of my music video audience.

Fans of the Rock Genre

The second key audience group I am particularly interested in are fans of Rock. The main reason for my initial interest was the huge age range within this group as well as the variety of cultures and backgrounds of each different fan. In order to gain some valuable evidence of this, I have spoken to some people from within this fan base, (as well as some outsiders) to hear their opinions and music habits.

Here are the notes I made throughout the interviews:


In addition, I also did some research into the audience listening and purchasing habits. Firstly, in terms of album sales by genre, rock took up 33.8% of the market in 2013, beating pop music to the top spot by 2.8%. Secondly, in reference to streams by genre, rock beat pop once again (34.6% to 27.7%). In fact, the only time pop beat rock was in singles sales. From this I have learnt a lot about the Rock audience and that they tend to buy by album and use streaming as their alternative method of listening. This information will be crucial to my project when deciding on the marketing strategies.

R+P Post 3: Music genres that interest me

I have one main music genre that interest, which is Rock, with that being said there are also many smaller genres that I enjoy; Pop Punk, Alt. Rock, Indie and Brit Pop. On top of this, I have also been heavily impacted and influenced by Jazz, Blues and Soul music.

Below I have created a timeline of eras with significant genre evolutions and changes in the industry that interests me.

1950's - The creation of the Rock & Roll genre


One of the first rock groups ever to come on the music scene was 'Bill Haley & His Comets'. They were considered revolutionary as this rock n' roll genre had never been heard before; in its entirety.

















In 1954, The King of Rock & Roll; Elvis Presley, broke onto the music scene. His unique voice, style and dance moves were revolutionary and ground-breaking. He change the music industry dramatically and 60 years later, his impact on the industry is still significant.

1960's - The Swinging Sixties


On the 14th January 1965, Bob Dylan released 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'. In addition to the song's influence on music, the song was used in what became one of the first "modern" promotional film clips, the forerunner of what later became known as the music video. Although Rolling Stone ranked it 7th in the magazine's October 1993 list of "100 Top Music Videos", the original clip was actually the opening segment of D. A. Pennebaker's film, Dont Look Back, a documentary on Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England.




The Supremes released 'A Go-Go' in 1966 and were the first all-female group to reach number 1 in the Billboard 200 Album Charts. This had a huge impact on the music industry as it helped prove that women could make successful music  and as a result opened doors for a lot more female artists.

Motown Records Corporation was also created. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned record label which achieved significant crossover success. Motown and its subsidiary labels were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as the Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence. During the 1960s, Motown achieved spectacular success for a small record company: 79 records in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 record chart between 1960 and 1969.

1970's - Dramatic changes in the Rock genre

The 70's were famous for its leap in the rock genre. There were many sub-genres of rock created and the rock industry as a whole was hugely changed and developed.

The hard-rock subgenre was taken to a whole new level by 1973's Kiss. They were one of the first bands to ever experiment with garish make styles (as you can see in the photo). They were considered quite edgy and groundbreaking as a result of this.







Secondly, Rock began to become more associated with younger generations due to the angst and aggression shown by these bands when performing live. One great example of this were The Ramones, who were renounced for their high octane gigs and anti-establishment views.

From 1974 to 1976 the Punk Rock sub-genre was formed. The Sex Pistols were one of the most successful punk bands of this era. They were also favored among the youth.

1980's - The years of diversity

In the summer of 1981, one of the biggest revelations in music to date was broadcast. This was when MTV was created. On the right is the first every broadcast on the channel.











The New Wave genre was formed. This genre was associated with mod subculture and was a key part of the independent part of the industry. The Culture Club (Left) is a great example of the genre.








Hard rock, heavy metal and glam metal also experienced extreme popularity in the 80's. Guns N' Roses has now been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of hard rock music. Their late 80's have been described as the period in which they brought forth a 'hedonistic rebelliousness' (alongside The Ramones and other rock artists). In 2012, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In addition Bon Jovi; an american glam rock/hard rock band. They have released 13 studio ablums and are one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 1 million records worldwide.






The hip-hop scene was also developed massively during these years with groups such as Run-DMC being one of the pioneers in this movement. Then, in 1986, this movement was taken to a new level when Run-DMC covered the famous 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith. This immediately put hip-hop into the mainstream media and this collaboration between genres, opened the market for many sub-genres to be created.

1990's - Explosion of new genres and variety

The success of Grunge music, alongside similar sub-genres peaked with the popularity of bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Nirvana developed a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses. As a result of the band's unexpected success with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' they managed to widely popularize alternative rock and grunge music, as a whole and Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the 'spokesman of a generation'.

There was also the birth of Brit Pop, through bands such as Blur and Oasis that offered a similar escapist nature as the grunge bands of america, but with a British twist. They propelled the UK music industry and as a result paved the way for many sequential British artists.


Furthermore, on the pop scene, female icons 'The Spice Girls' managed to break America. This once again revolutionist the UK music, as it proved that British pop artists could have worldwide success.

Music Genres that interest me now:

I am extremely interested in the whole rock genre, hence why I have researched into the history of this genre in particular. I find the development of this genre extremely fascinating as the success it has achieved, out of the mainstream, is quite surprising and the extensive number of sub-genres gives artists, as well as my artist, a lot of different audience in which they can target.