The curious case of the Dixie Chicks

I think people who are writers feel more compelled to speak out. And that would include song writers.

 

Yeah ... shoulda read the article first. The whole "stopped making music" part seems more pertinent, given that even with the blacklisting their next album sold 6 million copies.

 

Not that this is necessarily directed at me, but my thought at the time was this: OK, fine. You have every right to say or believe that. And I have every right not to support your belief by declining to buy your albums or listen to you on the radio.

 

Dennis Rodman, of course, speaks for all people everywhere.

 

No. The radio stations do. This has been proven over and over again. Great bands get no airplay. Gotye had the No. 1 song last year and you will never hear another single of his on the radio again. This isn't because the fans don't want it.

 

More a case of people who are writers convincing themselves that people want to hear what they have to say, and they thus have the opportunity to influence others.

Radio is an utter wasteland. People found Gotye's song just fine. Too many other ways to discover and enjoy music now.

 

Yes, but the issue here was that the right-wing blowhards, many of whom didn't listen to the Dixie Chicks, howled and prevented folks who weren't turned off from hearing them on the radio.

 

The album was blacklisted on the radio to a great degree. But, see, people bought it anyway.

Again: Aside from sports talk, radio's up to something generally unrelated to ratings, popularity or even, sometimes, profit. It's a weird business.

 

Agreed.

 

If you don't want any grown-up ideas to creep into your music, stick to boy bands.

 

Michael Jordan just tweeted "See? I told you so. Stupid, stupid, stupid"