Staying Power
- Wade
Lately I've gotten back into my running groove. Because I don't want to listen to myself wheeze for 45 minutes straight, I listen to local FM radio via my Walkman. The options are limited and there are too many commercials, but I've been too lazy to make a mixed tape and too cheap to buy a Discman. So local radio is my friend.
While I find much of my "inspirational" music on 93X and KQ, I also spend a lot of time on KS95-- in an attempt to keep my finger on the pulse of new music, as weak as that pulse may be. And I heard a few songs last night from artists/groups that I would consider new. These artists are Evanescence, Maroon 5, and something called a Hoobastank. The songs weren't earth-shattering, and I didn't wait outside Sam Goody this morning for "The Best of Hoobastank." But it was music, good music, featuring guitars and other instruments.
It got me thinking, though... are these groups throw-away? The songs were good, but not timeless in a U2 or Rolling Stones sense. Will there ever be any new bands that have any notion of staying power? Or will bubble-gum singers and rockers be mass-produced by record labels, have their hit or two, then fade into the sunset? In other words, will Maroon 5 be around in five years? Two? I have my doubts, but I've been wrong before. (Really.)
To be a little scientific, let's take a look at the top 10 Billboard singles based on airplay from 1999. See here to play along at home. (And I define staying power as a group/artist who has been fairly consistent for eight years or more.)
True staying power: TLC, Goo Goo Dolls, Sarah McLachlan. A nice run: Backstreet Boys, Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth. One and done: Monica, Eagle-Eye Cherry. Who are these guys: 702
Huh. I wasn't expecting that. While you wouldn't necessarily equate the Goo Goo Dolls with long-term success, they've been putting out popular music for quite a while. Maybe 1999 was an outlier, let's try 2001. (Using Rick Dees' website since Billboard was not available.)
True staying power: Lenny Kravitz, Janet Jackson. A nice run: Nelly, Uncle Kracker, Christina Aguilera. One and done: Shaggy, Train, Eve. Who are these guys: Crazy Town.
Another huh. While I usually change the station when Lenny or Janet come on the radio, they're legitimate. Let's check 2000.
True staying power: Matchbox Twenty. A nice run: 'NSYNC, Creed, Christina Aguilera, 3 Doors Down. One and done: Vertical Horizon, Macy Gray, Savage Garden, Pink. (No, Santana doesn't count. Ever.)
Gosh, I shudder to think that Matchbox Twenty has been around for eight years. Are they the Led Zeppelin of our generation? When we get together in fifteen years, will we put all of our Matchbox Twenty CDs on random and revel in our youth? Are "Push" and "3 a.m." and "Bent" part of the soundtrack of my life? No, no, and yes, respectively.
Maybe, in this era, bands don't really have staying power. And maybe that's not a problem for me. Songs don't have to be timeless to be catchy, or at least good enough to drown out the strange noises I make when I run.
I just can't wait for the day when classic rock stations are playing Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne.
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