pop culture

Modern, popular, and iconic pop culture moments in music. From current events, to trending topics and more.

Cool Music Facts You Didn't Know
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was reported to have earned over $50 million in royalties. (Wikipedia) There were 431,700,000,000 on-demand music streams in 2016. That’s 120 billion more on-demand streams than in 2015, a 39.2 percent increase. (Nielsen)
By Emily McCay9 years ago in Beat
How Much Is the Music Industry Really Worth?
The net worth of the music industry has become an attractive topic in the modern times. From the onset, it is clear that the music industry is perhaps one of the most innovative business ventures in the society. Artists express themselves in various ways according to their preferred genre. In the current music scene, there are countless genres ranging from hip hop, reggae, and raga to dancehall, classics, and rhythm and blues. The traditional music genres such as reggae and raga are getting phased out by more energetic beats from hip-hop and rhythm and blues. Musicians earn their incomes from the sale of music albums or through royalties awarded from the regulatory agency. In a properly regulated system, the returns accruing to players build them.
By Will Vasquez9 years ago in Beat
Most Awkward Album Covers
Everyone is told to never judge a book by its cover, for the contents inside might surprise you. That rule does not apply to awkward album art. More often than not the album with a gasp-inducing cover will produce gasp-inducing songs. From coming off insincere to just missing the mark completely, bad album artwork will never die and has become something of a fascination with music fans. Horizon lines? Forget those. Coherent theme? Yeah right. Wardrobe that makes you look like a normal human? You’re in the wrong business. After an extensive search and a lot of eye bleach, here is the final “cream of the crop”; please enjoy these awkward album covers.
By Adam Quinn9 years ago in Beat
Rise of Music Streaming
The way that we consume media has changed substantially in the last decade, in particular we have seen the rise of music streaming as one of, if not the most, popular way for people to consume media. While these new technologies and ways of relating to the music around us have made lasting changes in the world, the scope and effect of those changes can still be murky. Music streaming was born out of a radio culture, and it has since shaped the way that radio operates. Therefore it is important to understand the complex relationship between radio and the rise of music streaming to predict what our media consumption will look like in the future.
By Max Jones9 years ago in Beat
Female Pioneers of Pop Music
Pop music has experienced a boom in diversity lately, and we have the female pioneers of pop music to thank for that. Women have not only been a vital force for inclusion in pop music, but have also helped to shape and define the very genre. As a result, we owe a lot to these women for their strength, courage, and talent. Let’s celebrate their accomplishments with this guide to the female pioneers of pop music.
By Gus Welch9 years ago in Beat
Best 90s Music Videos
The best 90s music videos sure portray this decade for what it was. Considered by National Geographic’s in its documentary as the “Last Great Decade,” it sure had great advancements regarding technology and popular culture. In the cinema it had Tarantino, while in TV Simpsons, Seinfeld and Friends were major successes. In music, it wasn’t different.
By Gus Welch9 years ago in Beat
#HowEyeSeeIt with Casey Harris of the X Ambassadors
Casey Harris, the piano player for the X Ambassadors, has been legally blind his entire life. As part of the Foundation Fighting Blindness' recent digital campaign, #HowEyeSeeIt, we traveled to Seattle to meet with Casey and the rest of the X Ambassadors to hear his story. In his own words Casey describes his ability to see as 15% vision in good light and closer to 5-10% in bad light. Technically speaking Casey has 2200 vision with a 10% field in the middle.
By David Karp9 years ago in Beat
Struggles of Being a 20-Something Who Loves Classic Rock
Twenty-somethings who love classic rock face a great number of struggles today. We don’t just feel on the outside of modern music, we literally don’t understand it. It lacks power, force, and the very beats that make rocks roll. In classic rock, songs are intricately structured. Lyrics are deep. The players play guitars and drums, not women and games. Often, our friends may find our music strange. It may be equated to, “That stuff my grandpa listens to” or, worst of all, labeled “Oldies.” Our families may not understand our passion for the music of the 60s and 70s and call us weird. Too often, we are misunderstood, but it’s OK. If Robert Plant and Keith Richards weren’t different, we wouldn’t have the killer licks of the Stones or Led Zeppelin. These are the top 10 struggles of a 20-something who loves classic rock.
By Will Vasquez9 years ago in Beat
Arif Erdem Ocak: Turkey’s Breakout Musician of the Year
Moonlight on tight shorts and bikini tops… A secluded beach lapped by hot Aegean waves… The dark green of woods within which stalk predators hunting furry prey... And then— a rainbow of lights cross each other like sniper beads seeking targets as a boom of unnaturally amplified guitars disrupts the ambient airwaves.
By Matt Cates9 years ago in Beat
New Years Eve Mini Mix
The new year is almost upon us, and thank fuck for that. 2016 has been, in a word: Horrific. Between the turbulent bullshit going on all over the world and the deaths of so many beloved stars (largely Prince and Bowie… those two hit me like a ton of bricks) this year has sped past at an electric rate, dropping hideous stinks as it went. That being said, I have had some amazing moments and thank god for music, which is one of the only things that helps to pull me through dark days and even darker nights.
By Samantha Bentley9 years ago in Beat
'Rock N Roll Is Here to Pay' Book Review
Steve Chapple and Reebee Garofalo's Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Pay, together with Geoffrey Stokes' equally outstanding Star Making Machinery, should be considered required reading for anyone with a serious interest in either popular music or American methods of merchandising culture. It contains an incredible amount of information pertaining to the rise of pop music as the dominant force in the entertainment industry, far too much to even attempt to describe here. But this look back on the origins of marketing in the music industry is a relevant lesson for those interested in navigating a world where Spotify has usurped the power of big labels.
By Arnold Seleskey9 years ago in Beat
Elvis Costello's Classic 'My Aim Is True'
For a while, at the beginning of his journey especially, some thought he was another Elvis Presley rip-off. That was, of course, before they heard him. He had his name long before the King died. Elvis Costello initially broke out in England, and remained a mystery in America for the first few years of his success.
By Frank White9 years ago in Beat