Twilight of the rock gods

Twilight of the rock gods: “As rock ‘n’ roll loses its founding megastars—and sales juggernauts—the music industry faces pressure to revamp,” writes the Wall Street Journal in a piece that’s sure to make you feel old. “Of the 25 artists with the highest record sales in the U.S. since 1991, when reliable data first became available, just one—Britney Spears—is under 40, Nielsen data show. Nineteen of the 25 are over 50 years old.” Average age of a Rolling Stone: 73. Average age of a member of Guns N’ Roses” 53. Bruce Springsteen is 67, and Madonna 58. And yet the oldsters are still pulling in the lion’s share of receipts. On concerts along: “Justin Bieber, 23, brought in USD 163 mn, or 60% less revenue than Bruce Springsteen, even though he played about 40 more shows.” The Wall Street Journal (paywall) dives deep into what’s next for rock, which still account for the lion’s share of revenue in the US music industry. (Read)