Until the 1960s and 1970s, countdowns were almost unheard of. Countdowns did not acquire favour until 45 million Americans watched the successful launch of America’s first manned space trip in 1961. By the 1970s, the countdown expanded beyond space exploration to radio and television. Only in 1979 did the crowd in Times Square first count down the final seconds of the year in unison; by the late 1980s, countdown clocks had been installed in Times Square, firmly establishing the countdown as an intrinsic component of our annual celebrations. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
