Welcome guest! Please login or create an account.
Oct 11, 2008
COMMENTS
The Payola Factor
March 31, 2008, 5:26 am - rellica
Remember in the days of Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie? The Smashing Pumpkins were all over MTV. Their videos were on a pretty good rotation cycle and in 1995, they were the opening act of the VMA’s. That night, the band took home the most awards, a total of 5. What happened between those days and the year 2000?
Collectively, let’s look back at what was going on in the music marketplace after the big year of the Pumpkins. In the late 90’s and in 2000, music and trends became divided and began going through a transition phase. It was the beginning of the whole teeny bop video music craze. Driving MTV were acts like Britney Spears and NSYNC, and they were beginning to take the spotlight off of indie and alternative bands. Today, looking back at the 2000 MTV music awards, it was quite apparent that the Smashing Pumpkins were not on board with the network for reasons unknown. MTV has made bands as well as broke bands, and in 2000, the Pumpkins received very little air time from MTV with any video release from Machina I. Radio often picked up the pulse of MTV, and that may have played a role in regards to the amount of airplay the band received from radio stations.
What was the role of payola during this time? We all know that payola was and is going on in the music industry, and in 2005-2006 major labels were prosecuted for it in court, and some of the labels settled out of court for large amounts of money. Could this have been the cause of the bitterness and the demise of the Pumpkins and Virgin? Most of us reading the blogs were not privileged to the actual conversations and contracts that took place between the Pumpkins and Virgin.
Having said this, if Billy’s contract with Virgin has been violated, let the courts find in his favor. Again, Corgan will set new president in this new age of music, musicians’ rights, and e-commerce. As fans, we support him and want him to win and as a business person, I personally will be keeping tabs on this case.
Many thanks to Billy for all that he and the band has done for everyone.
Rellica
Sources of info: Wikipedia and MTV.com
Collectively, let’s look back at what was going on in the music marketplace after the big year of the Pumpkins. In the late 90’s and in 2000, music and trends became divided and began going through a transition phase. It was the beginning of the whole teeny bop video music craze. Driving MTV were acts like Britney Spears and NSYNC, and they were beginning to take the spotlight off of indie and alternative bands. Today, looking back at the 2000 MTV music awards, it was quite apparent that the Smashing Pumpkins were not on board with the network for reasons unknown. MTV has made bands as well as broke bands, and in 2000, the Pumpkins received very little air time from MTV with any video release from Machina I. Radio often picked up the pulse of MTV, and that may have played a role in regards to the amount of airplay the band received from radio stations.
What was the role of payola during this time? We all know that payola was and is going on in the music industry, and in 2005-2006 major labels were prosecuted for it in court, and some of the labels settled out of court for large amounts of money. Could this have been the cause of the bitterness and the demise of the Pumpkins and Virgin? Most of us reading the blogs were not privileged to the actual conversations and contracts that took place between the Pumpkins and Virgin.
Having said this, if Billy’s contract with Virgin has been violated, let the courts find in his favor. Again, Corgan will set new president in this new age of music, musicians’ rights, and e-commerce. As fans, we support him and want him to win and as a business person, I personally will be keeping tabs on this case.
Many thanks to Billy for all that he and the band has done for everyone.
Rellica
Sources of info: Wikipedia and MTV.com