Moby is an extremely good one. Play was inescapable for a year or two; Wikipedia says that it sold 12 million copies.

He has released 17 records since then.

I wonder what happens to prominent artists when they pass away or retire from the public eye. Some must have valuable enough catalogs to warrant the kind of promotion and publicity they had in their commercially important periods. I assume others just become lost to time, perhaps hoping some popular TV finale chooses to juxtapose “Snowbird” or “Grandma’s Feather Bed” with their deeply tragic ending and putting their career back in the spotlight. I wonder if in 100 years people will still care about Beyoncé or the Beatles or if it will all be quaint Bicycle Built for Two unrelatable history?

twelvepoint wrote: Tue Aug 13, 2024 11:06 am I wonder what happens to prominent artists when they pass away or retire from the public eye. Some must have valuable enough catalogs to warrant the kind of promotion and publicity they had in their commercially important periods. I assume others just become lost to time, perhaps hoping some popular TV finale chooses to juxtapose “Snowbird” or “Grandma’s Feather Bed” with their deeply tragic ending and putting their career back in the spotlight. I wonder if in 100 years people will still care about Beyoncé or the Beatles or if it will all be quaint Bicycle Built for Two unrelatable history?

I’d assume that the royalties from play in grocery stores and dentists’ offices are probably significant enough to maintain a middle-class lifestyle for the Billy Oceans of the world. (Or for whoever wrote his songs.) It has to be much tougher for all the pop stars who didn’t write their own material, though.

Lately, I’ve been acquiring 78s, and it’s fascinating to see what still excites people 80 to 100 years after its heyday. People still write about Duke Ellington and perform his music, and some of Benny Goodman’s songs (or covers of them) get tens of millions of plays on YouTube. My brother told me about a young person who dropped into his record store and asked about the Ink Spots. The Al Bowlly song used in The Shining is a collector’s item. And if those Paramount blues records are getting any cheaper, it’s not by much.

But have you ever even heard of Paul Whiteman? Because he was one of the most popular performers in the late 1920s/early 1930s.

zircona1 wrote: Tue Aug 13, 2024 8:29 am

enframed wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2024 8:01 pm Liz Phair

I know that Snail Mail has cited Liz Phair as an influence, it wouldn't surprise me if other current indie rock girls said the same.

Liz Phair could never get out from under Exile in Guyville. But I would say that as far as legacy that record came out TWICE as anniversary deluxe box sets including a DVD with an interview with even FM Steve making amends. So I think in Liz Phair's case, the reverse is true. The legacy overshadowed her limited popularity. But yeah, she's not getting played on the radio any longer.

Moby, absolutely....huge and then nothing. Holy moly, he looks like vegan Al Jourgensen now.

As someone who used to be a big fan of Moby, I agree too. The old gospel record + breakbeats trick was neat, but how many times can you do that? (None of you will believe me, but Everything Is Wrong is really good.)

I wonder, if Kanye had sampled one of his songs into a big hit - like he did with Daft Punk - if he'd be any more popular with the younger crowd.

Eminem - “Without Me” in 2002 is what immediately tanked Moby’s career/rep. It made me (an eleven year old at the time) want to not listen to Moby anymore even though I was into “Porcelain”.

twelvepoint wrote: Tue Aug 13, 2024 11:06 am I wonder what happens to prominent artists when they pass away or retire from the public eye.

Reissues by 4 Men With Beards, et. al..

zircona1 wrote: Tue Aug 13, 2024 8:29 am

enframed wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2024 8:01 pm Liz Phair

I know that Snail Mail has cited Liz Phair as an influence, it wouldn't surprise me if other current indie rock girls said the same.

I think she is eternal among indie-rock females in particular for Guyville.

Wood Goblin wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:51 pm I’m on the fence re: REO Speedwagon. They were hugely popular, and their period of fame lasted pretty long by pop music standards. Yet no bands emulated their sound, and you virtually never hear them.

But I also wonder whether they’re still vibrating, just under the surface, just waiting for the next Sox World Series/HBO series finale to bring them back into the zeitgeist.

Hi Infidelity was massive. Not Bryan Adams Reckless massive but really big.

All I know is I hear Bon Jovi, Journey, Boston all the time (at least I do), but I do not hear Kevin Cronin's ludicrously drawn out "r's" and Gary Richrath's endless string scrapes anywhere anymore. Maybe I'm doing a good job of avoiding it.

Bryan Adams isn't ubiquitous by any means but Reckless had six legit hit singles and probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

eephus wrote: Tue Aug 13, 2024 12:43 pm Journey

Still has a lasting legacy for sure.