If you need one person to blame for the scourge of Pop music, it is Gerry Lopez.

[Shirley_Ujest]

Music industry dances to Michigan firm’s tune

Snip:

A little-known company in a nondescript office park hold a big influence over the international music industry.

Few people this suburban Detroit community know what Handleman Co. does, let alone realize the impact it has on retailers, major record companies and musicians ranging from Kid Rock to Toby Keith to Luciano Pavarotti.

Handleman plays a key role in determining what music sellers such as Kmart and Wal-Mart stock on their shelves and which ones are banished to the bargain bin, The Detroit News reported Sunday.

“If you know music at all, you know what Handleman does. Mick Jagger knows what Handleman does,” said Geoff Mayfield, director of charts and a senior analyst for Billboard magazine.

Handleman’s business is deceptively simple. Retailers pay the Troy-based company to manage their music departments, keeping them supplied with best-selling titles.

In all, Handleman services more than 4,000 stores on three continents. With more consumers turning to mass merchants to buy music, Handleman-managed stores sold 11 percent of all music in the United States this year.

So, if you could work for this company, what artist(s) would you like to see promoted.

[Mac_Guffin]

Hmmm. Looks like I need to revise the ol’ “First up aganst the wall when the revolution comes,” list.

It’s turning out to be a pretty long list.

[Eonwe]

Do Wal-Mart and KMart sales have that much of an influence on the music market? I’ve never bought a CD from either of those places, but then again, that’s just anecdotal evidence and doesn’t mean anything.

[665_aka_The_Semi-Christ]

When there is a glaring and obvious grammatical error in the first sentence of the article, I have a really hard time believing anything else in the article.

[Boo_Boo_Foo]

I’m very confused…

When I was growing up, the most famous surfer of all time who could rip up the legendary Bonzai Pipeline in Hawaii… well he was one totally righteous dude by the name of Gerry Lopez.

It’s the only time in all my life I’ve ever heard of a Gerry Lopez, and when I saw this thread title, I thought to myself… “What the friggin hell has the old Pipe Master been up to?”

[tomndebb]

“What the friggin hell has the old Pipe Master been up to?”

I suspect that it might be a different Gerry Lopez. After all, it is a 40 minute drive from Troy, MI to Metropolitan Beach with its 4 inch surf on Lake St. Clair, so surfin’ Gerry is not likely the same person–unless he really sold out.

[Boo_Boo_Foo]

Heh Heh Heh

[TwistofFate]

*Originally posted by 665 aka The Semi-Christ *
**When there is a glaring and obvious grammatical error in the first sentence of the article, I have a really hard time believing anything else in the article. **

I hate this attitude, but let’s pretend you’re not an anal-retentive idiot.
“Middle America” has a huge impact upon the music industry, and when major chain stores like Walmart and Kmart who can bulk buy records, and as such determine which music gets counted on the charts. so when it gets played on the Radio, kids go to their local shop to buy it. and when they can get it cheaper at Walmart or Kmart to buy the music.

and if one firm can claim responsibility for who gets good promotion for 11% of the music industry, thats a pretty big stake to have.

[665_aka_The_Semi-Christ]

*Originally posted by TwistofFate *
I hate this attitude, but let’s pretend you’re not an anal-retentive idiot.

And let’s pretend that you’re not a cunt twaddler who still gets jacked off by their mother.

If the editors at a fairly large newspaper can’t be bothered to catch/correct an obvious grammatical error in the first sentence of an article, why should I believe anything else in the article.

And are you somehow saying that it’s quite alright to have grammatical and spelling errors strewn throughtout newspaper stories?

Christ, you’re a fucking idiot.

[Gjorp]

And let’s pretend that you’re not a cunt twaddler who still gets jacked off by their mother.

[syncrolecyne]

*Originally posted by Eonwe *
**Do Wal-Mart and KMart sales have that much of an influence on the music market? I’ve never bought a CD from either of those places, but then again, that’s just anecdotal evidence and doesn’t mean anything. **

They have a huge influence…this New York Post article (the only online source I could find in a minute) claims Wal Mart alone accounts for 20% of US retail music sales. And of course, the discounts can undersell any chain or independent. I couldn’t find other numbers, but keep in mind discount stores are often the only places to buy new music in a lot of places. Even where I live, a city of half a million people, most of the regular chain record stores and independent places have gone out of business in the last ten years.

Of course there is always the internet, but a lot of folks just aren’t shopping online either. For mainstream country music in particular, discount chains are critical - and a good display deal can make a big difference in the charts.

http://www.nypost.com/business/9969.htm

K-Mart, Best Buy, and Target are probably way behind Wal Mart, but still on a par with chains like Tower in terms of total units sold. Lets say at least 30% of music retail sales are discount stores.

[capacitor]

WalMart is where the cheaper CDs are allegedly at. People are rebelling against the retail price of CDs. Yeah, they are influential.

[TwistofFate]

*Originally posted by 665 aka The Semi-Christ *
**And let’s pretend that you’re not a cunt twaddler who still gets jacked off by their mother.

If the editors at a fairly large newspaper can’t be bothered to catch/correct an obvious grammatical error in the first sentence of an article, why should I believe anything else in the article.

And are you somehow saying that it’s quite alright to have grammatical and spelling errors strewn throughtout newspaper stories?

Christ, you’re a fucking idiot. **

It’s not all right, but I wouldn’t ignore a story just because there is a grammatical error in it. worse still, you assume its completely false because of your anal retentiveness.

It’s only human nature. Mistakes happen.

Just ask your parents.

[Cerri]

*Originally posted by 665 aka The Semi-Christ *
**And let’s pretend that you’re not a cunt twaddler who still gets jacked off by their mother.

If the editors at a fairly large newspaper can’t be bothered to catch/correct an obvious grammatical error in the first sentence of an article, why should I believe anything else in the article.

And are you somehow saying that it’s quite alright to have grammatical and spelling errors strewn throughtout newspaper stories?

Christ, you’re a fucking idiot. **

Did you not get breastfed long enough as a babe, or were you just born an astounding asshole?

[Tir_Tinuviel]

*Originally posted by 665 aka The Semi-Christ *
And let’s pretend that you’re not a cunt twaddler who still gets jacked off by their mother.

nah, I took over that job about a year and a half ago, and trust me, his mother really isn’t the type.

[TwistofFate]

Banned?
Noo!

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!

[Shirley_Ujest]

Y’know, the second I hit ‘enter’ on this little thread, I though either I’d laid a big fat steaming turd of lameness and pretty much figured it would sink to the bottom of oblivion faster than Hoffa.

And then 665 livens things up.

All in all, I thought the entire article was very interesting. Lame by pit standards, but interesting.

[Shirley_Ujest]

Y’know, the second I hit ‘enter’ on this little thread, I though either I’d laid a big fat steaming turd of lameness and pretty much figured it would sink to the bottom of oblivion faster than Hoffa.

• and now the rest of that thought, brought to you by Aluminium Pots * or that I would be banned from the Pit or eeek SDMB due to congenital brainfarts. Meh.

:smack: