Throughout history, music has always been primarily physical. From the availability of Tin Pan Alley sheet music in the early 20th century, to the wide distribution of vinyls, tapes, and CDs, people only had access to limited popular music. Furthermore, of that music, people actually owned even less of it. Enter the age of digital music, where iPods could hold a thousand songs at a time, and could be carried around with ease. Now, at a time where phones provide unlimited access to music wherever and whenever, fewer artists are achieving long-term “number one” status. Pop star royalty aren’t being crowned with the same amplitude or abundance they were decades ago.
What happened to the 20th century pop star? Sure, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and even newer artists like Billie Eilish have gained incredible fame and worldwide recognition, but it seems as though fewer and fewer musicians have truly earned unmatched fame year to year. Instead, artists like Charli XCX with her electro-pop style have had waves of extreme popularity, ultimately settling in a so-called “middle class” of pop fame. Here, artists have large fanbases, but aren’t long term household names.
This is occurring, to put it simply, because the internet has expanded the efficiency, affordability, and convenience of having more diverse or unique music tastes. Forty years ago, when you wanted to discover new music, you were stuck watching MTV, listening to the radio, or physically going into music stores and listening to what they had in stock. If you really liked a song, you had to purchase the whole album. Now, it’s as simple as clicking a few buttons, and there are no obstacles to discovering new music.
One of the most popular ways of discovering new music was by watching Music Television, also known as MTV. Launched in 1981, MTV contributed largely to the success of artists like Madonna and Duran Duran, as well as helping to revive the careers of generational artists such as Tina Turner. For decades, this music video broadcast channel was hugely successful and influential in the music world, building up stars and introducing millions to new music. However, the existence of YouTube and digital streaming platforms took away from MTV’s exclusivity, and the channel slowly started to lose relevance. From 2012 to 2019, viewership decreased from 6.1 million to 1.93 million viewers.
Just as MTV lost the exclusivity of streaming music videos with the introduction of YouTube, record companies were no longer the only way to release music. With the increase of self publishing, now weaker record companies could no longer take risks on new talent that might not prove to be hits. Instead, they shifted towards the promotion of already established artists, which held back emerging stars. Up-and-coming artists who would have been developed by these large companies now have to rely on smaller channels of promotion such as social media.
Social media platforms like TikTok actually cater to rapidly changing interests and niche tastes, and will recommend music that it thinks matches your preferences. In addition to that, there is little predictability to what will become popular, or for how long.
With the constant exposure to many music styles and artists, there has been an increase of diversity in music consumption. In the past decade, 47% of credited artists in the top 900 pop songs have been people of color. While the pop elite may not be growing, “middle class” artists are thriving more than ever, especially with the continual growth of interest in artists who fulfill certain niches. Smaller independent artists can be discovered more easily and promote themselves online.
In the past two decades, we have seen the decline in pop megastars, and the ones who exist now have been established icons for just as long. Although the fame and longevity of the modern pop star is waning, the barriers to having a music career are lower. In the end, this benefits everyone who finds value in discovering their own music taste.