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Joe Bonamassa Forum → General Topics → The music America is listening to...
Blues Advocate have published this survey of who likes what kind of music where in the USA. As a European, I have no idea if this fits with the perceptions of US forum members or not, but it appears that blues and rock rule over there...
http://www.movoto.com/blog/novelty-real … cas-music/
My thoughts: There's music in the Clinch Mountains still played for the fun of it. A rudimentary survey at best, so very basic and more than somewhat generalized. Looks like a production "hot spots" of mass produced "mechanicals"* (therefore recording profits recorded in ledgers less about consumers than producers) and major professional (or better semi-professional) performance centers mapped out moreso than demographic taste by genre or other more telling marker for the more fleshed out rural areas where unless one is exceeding ambitious, is not going to be nearly accurately represented as denser, clustered urban areas. Classical isn't even listed. Alternative (sure) AND Folk (Huh?) both with Las Vegas as a hot spot??? Nahhh... Blues not even warm in Chicago, St. Louis, or Memphis but hot in Nashville (Yes they are there I know, but not the others???)??? Country music is MUCH more widespread, prevalent, (and at this point in time even more profitable) not necessarily ruling the roost, but"they" are up there on the perch of purchadise with Pop and Rock. In my opinions of course... But yeah, in a way the Us of A is "Rock" solid, but it and moreso blues apart or together certainly falls short of ruling. Heck, if it did rule I'd be in somebody's low level cabinet position (I'd hope 
). The 2004 Joe Bonamassa for President campaign of the old forum could be resurrected 
Hey, waaaiiit a minute... 
Rock ON & Keep the Faith,
Rocket
ps- I don't represent everybody by any stretch
*-mechanicals old term used to mean actual record discs, tapes, etc. now applied to even "digital cloud" "sales" accounting geodetic datum based reports
"Rocket nailed it.
Yeah, thanks Rocket. you've confirmed my sneaking suspicion that Blues Advocate might be guilty of wishful thinking claiming a pre-eminence for rock and blues, because when you look at the exposure to American music that we get in Europe, you'd be forgiven for thinking that hip hop, R 'n B, country and pop were the dominant genres (Madonna and Lady Gaga were the number one and two global earners last year).
One thing I'm curious about - I too noticed the lack of blues in Chicago's preferences. I always assumed that as the city is a spiritual home of blues music, there would be plenty of fans up there. But now I think about it, does that necessarily follow?? Are the good people of Chicago necessarily influenced by the city's musical heritage? Do large numbers of people choose to live there because they are blues fans?? The town of Canterbury in England is the spiritual home of the Church of England, but I'm not aware that there are more members of the church there than in any other town or city...
Problem Is: 95% of the radio stations are owned by 3 individuals, and they place formats according to "their" specifications. The result? Nobody listens to radio, much if ever. So their guess is no better than yours' or mine. As an occasional radio listener,(only when in places of business that have it on, or in a friends car) my guess is that 'new country' seems to be the fastest growing genre. Classic Rock has it's stronghold, and for the life of me, I'll never understand the need for talk radio at all... One thing is for sure, it's near impossible to tell one act from another these days. There's no "fingerprint" or significance defining any of them to me. New Country especially. It all sounds like commercial jingles or Tampax ads or something, yecch. I think that's why Classic Rock will hold it's place for ever. You know right away if it's Aerosmith, or Led Zepelin or ZZtop from the first 6 notes. Like the old "Name That Tune" show. Can't say the same for any "popular music' made these days. That's why I spend too much time on the internet, searching for music to latch onto. I have to search for it! I feel like I'm screening my calls! ha ha. It's out there. but ya gotta find it. You seem to dig it more, if you've had to work to find it, there's a level of commitment built-in.
i have been trying to figure out how to reply to this topic. the whole radio thing just really gets to me. i have so many comments but just can't get past my angst to put them together.
i do still listen to the radio and so do most of my peers so i have to disagree with that.
i just skimmed the article but it seems to be taking measurements from the live music scene . all i can say is perhaps with those sorts of analyses and success by artists like Joe maybe radio will follow?
most people i know would say they don't listen to Blues, although like i once was, they probably just don't realize alot of what they like is blues or blues-rock. and that i blame the radio for. uggggghhhhhhhh
thanks for posting this though because its giving me some ideas and a little hope for another way.
Commercial radio and TV are just so terrible I can not stand either one. We broke down last year and bought a 60" flat screen. I think we were the last ones in the country to buy a flat screen. Even my 90 year old father had one first. But we just never watch regular TV. We watch college football and music video's. 75% of which are JB Blue-Ray. I have Sirius radio in all 10 of my work and personal vehicles. Once in awhile I listen to sports talk, but thats it. I used to listen to some of the political shows, but it is to depressing and there is nothing I can do about it anyway. I do not know if it's because I an getting older, 62, or what, but what passes as entertainment these days is garbage. Thank God and I mean thank God for Joe.
Yeah, thanks Rocket. you've confirmed my sneaking suspicion that Blues Advocate might be guilty of wishful thinking claiming a pre-eminence for rock and blues, because when you look at the exposure to American music that we get in Europe, you'd be forgiven for thinking that hip hop, R 'n B, country and pop were the dominant genres (Madonna and Lady Gaga were the number one and two global earners last year).
One thing I'm curious about - I too noticed the lack of blues in Chicago's preferences. I always assumed that as the city is a spiritual home of blues music, there would be plenty of fans up there. But now I think about it, does that necessarily follow?? Are the good people of Chicago necessarily influenced by the city's musical heritage? Do large numbers of people choose to live there because they are blues fans?? The town of Canterbury in England is the spiritual home of the Church of England, but I'm not aware that there are more members of the church there than in any other town or city...
Well I have lived in the Chicago area all my life and like most places peoples tastes are all over the board.There still are a handful of Blues Clubs downtown.The Chicago Blues festival is still a huge festival.I think there are still a lot of blues fans but still is a small percentage of people that are really big fans.
What you see are a lot of rock bands.all different sub catagories.In the burbs it is cover band crazy.
But I really don't get the feeling musically that Chivaho is still a blues Mecca.I think the younger generation and even the baby boomers have other music they prefer.
Joe Bonamassa Forum → General Topics → The music America is listening to...
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