Robert Christgau Quotes

Commercial music, for the most part, is popular music and you always have to keep that in mind.

The only thing that exists to me is commercial pop music.

The fact of the matter is that 40 years ago, unless you bought the record, you couldn't hear the music. It was such a narrow track in comparison to today.

With pop music, the format dictates the form to a big degree. Just think of the pop single. It has endured as a form even in the download age because bands conform to a strict format, and work, often very productively, within the parameters.

I think it's a reflection of the music business in general, which to me seems very fragmented.

The history of the music industry is inevitably also the story of the development of technology. From the player piano to the vinyl disc, from reel-to-reel tape to the cassette, from the CD to the digital download, these formats and devices changed not only the way music was consumed, but the very way artists created it.

It's kind of like, who cares about MTV anymore?

Well, rock used to be the only game in town in terms of radio and what the kids listen to. Now I think there was a big hip-hop takeover, and pop music, it became mechanical and computer-y.

There is music out there that is commercially driven, whether you like it or not. That's a peculiarly American innovation. We innovated the commercial music business.

I guess the way people release music and the way people listen to it has changed and is changing constantly. We wanna get the music out as quickly as possible. We're sitting on a lot of stuff and constantly making new stuff as well.

England's a small nation, and the pop music industry is built on fashion.

Piracy doesn't kill music, boy bands do.

Those record companies don't know what's happening at all.

There's more good music being made now than ever before.

Well it's because the record companies are pumping away with their commercial stuff. I think it's a shame.

I grew up in the era of the concept album. What I do now is pick up on singles, and they are their own complete stories; you don't necessarily have to hear the rest of the album because I don't think albums are created like that anymore. They get songs from all over the place.

I don't think piracy is going to kill the music industry. But digital technology and the ability to download will change the packaging from CDs to a single-based business.

Sheet music, recording, radio, television, cassettes, CD burners, and file sharing have all invalidated, to some extent, the old model of making a living making music.

Music, in the past few years... anything singable or understandable is square.

The recording industry has changed; they're enjoying such incredible success in the pop field.

The music industry doesn't exist the way it used to. You'll never have another star like the stars of the '90s.

'Vinyl' is a good look at the music industry. The script was honest.

Rock and roll music - people want records. For me, it's the whole thing - the package. I don't get satisfaction from buying an MP3.

Nowadays people sell millions of records that can't sing.

In the history of pop music, a lot of great records cost an enormous amount of money. There used to be a time where people that had means to experiment would do it, you know?