Myer and Kleck’s ‘From Independent to Corporate’ is an examination of the Billboard music charts and how rap labels have changed as the industry has shifted into a corporate-controlled ‘artists popularity contest’ by UMG, Sony/BMG, EMI, and Warner.
While the study is extensive and covers 15 years of Billboard music charts – I’m surprised that they ended their study at a time when music piracy (and ways of consuming music) was on the uprise.
What I’m curious about is whether pirated music is somehow responsible for increasing artists popularity on the Billboard charts.
If we look at the top ten artists being downloaded on the PirateBay.org:
1. Eminem – Recovery (Label: Aftermath Entertainment – owned by UMG)
2. Lady GaGa – The Fame Monster (Label: Interscope – owned by UMG)
3. Drake – Thank Me Later (Label: Young Money – owned by UMG)
4. Usher – Raymond v. Raymond (Label: LaFace Records – owned by Sony Music Entertainment)
5. Taio Cruz – Dynamite (Label: Island – owned by UMG)
6. Arcade Fire – The Surburbs (Label: Merge Records – Independent)
7. Bruno Mars – Just the Way You Are (Label: Elektra – owned by Warner Music Group)
8. Eminem ft. Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie (Label: Shady Records – owned by UMG)
9. Trey Songz – Passion Pain & Pleasure (Label: Atlantic – owned by Warner Music Group)
10. Lil Wayne – Rebirth (Label: Young Money – owned by UMG)
These artists (except for Arcade Fire) are all owned by one of the Big Four companies, which Myer and Kleck explain are “able to absorb the effects of, and fight with legal powers…and piracy”.
Also interesting is that 7/10 of the artists above fit into the hip-hop & rap genres, and are currently, or were at one time, on the Billboard Top 100.
Does music piracy somehow effect the Billboard Top 100? Or is it the reverse?
Anyways – just some things I was thinking about.