the death of the single, Mankie should read this.

[markie]

From the guardian.

[mankie]

Nice one!    I could've wrote that!

[markie]

Its a pretty sad state of affairs. Without singles to showcase a bands talent and hook you in, what are you left with?

[kosmo vinyl]

so if they don't make 7-inch singles how you do explain the coral, supergrass, qosta, etc 7-inch singles i've bought recently...  must be that alternate universe i live in.

[markie]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  so if they don't make 7-inch singles how you do explain the coral, supergrass, qosta, etc 7-inch singles i've bought recently...  must be that alternate universe i live in.

how many copies of those singles were sold? 1000? You highlight the point, you are living in an alternate universe. One of the middle aged rock fan. How many people under say 20 have ever even bought a single?

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by markie:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  so if they don't make 7-inch singles how you do explain the coral, supergrass, qosta, etc 7-inch singles i've bought recently...  must be that alternate universe i live in.

how many copies of those singles were sold? 1000? You highlight the point, you are living in an alternate universe. One of the middle aged rock fan. How many people under say 20 have ever even bought a single? [/b]

do you think i care?  i was only pointing out the fact that 7-inch singles are still released, who buys them is not the point.

[ggw]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  so if they don't make 7-inch singles how you do explain the coral, supergrass, qosta, etc 7-inch singles i've bought recently...  must be that alternate universe i live in.

Do you have to have a special 7-inch CD drive for that?

[markie]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  do you think i care?  i was only pointing out the fact that 7-inch singles are still released, who buys them is not the point.

Sorry if that came out harsh. I would put myself in the same category.
 
 Who buys them is entirely the point.
 
 The point is that singles and therefore songs are not an important part of youth culture and growing up. Music is losing to other mediums.

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by ggw™:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  so if they don't make 7-inch singles how you do explain the coral, supergrass, qosta, etc 7-inch singles i've bought recently...  must be that alternate universe i live in.

Do you have to have a special 7-inch CD drive for that? [/b]

yeah it's called a stanton turntable...

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by markie:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  do you think i care?  i was only pointing out the fact that 7-inch singles are still released, who buys them is not the point.

Sorry if that came out harsh. I would put myself in the same category.
 
 Who buys them is entirely the point.
 
 The point is that singles and therefore songs are not an important part of youth culture and growing up. Music is losing to other mediums. [/b]

i realize the point and if it not for the fact that the sale of the 7-inch vinyl single also contributes to the uk chart position, i'm sure they wouldn't even be bother releasing them.  
 
 your point about bands being able to prove themselves with a single is well taken.  but with cheaper recording technology allowing up and coming bands to put together a full length cd at the same cost as it once to get a single out the cd is the way to go.  of course the cd can be filled with 10 crap tracks with one or two but thats what expected these days.
 
 the single is really a hobbyist format these days.. in the us there a lot of indie & punk kids still releasing them.  there are singles clubs, split singles so they wont be going away just become a secret handshake.

[Yank]

I'll bet Paul Morley used to walk 37 miles to school, everyday, even in blinding snowstorms!  I'm far from being a kid and I still buy a lot of singles...both cd and vinyl.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I don't think I've bought a single since the 1970's. Well, a couple while I was back in a college I guess, but none in 15 years.

[markie]

Originally posted by Yank:
  I'll bet Paul Morley used to walk 37 miles to school, everyday, even in blinding snowstorms!  I'm far from being a kid and I still buy a lot of singles...both cd and vinyl.

Jeez, you old timers are missing the point here. Yes you still buy singles. You are in a small minority, the middle aged rock fan.
 
 The kids dont buy singles anymore. Its a dead medium. Even top of the pops is going. Radio one has its lowest listening figures ever. Music is becoming culturally unimportant, a niche.

[thirsty moore]

It's all the medium, Markie.  Music isn't becoming culturally unimportant.  The single is.
 
 Why is it that there are over 1 million people downloading music on peer to peer?

[mankie]

Originally posted by markie:
 

 The kids dont buy singles anymore. Its a dead medium. Even top of the pops is going. Radio one has its lowest listening figures ever. Music is becoming culturally unimportant, a niche.
 
  [/b]

It has nothing to do with talent anymore, it's all about packaging and marketing...those karaoke competitions that seem to be on TV every night are proof of that...American Idol, Pop Idol and any other "idol" they can dream up.