Pop Music--Is The Tide Turning?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

10 Dec 2006 12:00 PM

Do you remember when the only songs you'd hear when you turned on the radio were either from boy bands or female "teen singing sensations?" 'N Sync, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera posted hit after hit and sold millions and millions of albums. Youth reigned supreme and being an older singer (say, about 30) was looked down on given the domination of teens on the pop charts.

But today it seems the tide is turning. Look at the pop charts these days and you see an entirely different story. Justin Timberlake has graduated from 'N Sync to raunchy (pardon me, "Sexy") adult club tracks; Aguilera is a married and singing mature ballads; and Britney... well, let's recap: she's been married twice, has two kids, and is now making headlines for not wearing underwear. Granted, teen acts still top the charts, including JoJo, Rihanna and Chris Brown, but they don't rule the marketplace like the boy bands once did. Moreover, most of this year's top-selling artists were older (in their 20s or 30s), like Mary J. Blige, James Blunt, Nelly Furtado and Shakira. And don't count out the "legends" like 60-year-old Barry Manilow and 65-year-old Bob Dylan who both had strong sales.

As far as the rumors that there are signs a teen resurgence is on the horizon---it's a possibility. After all, if you have tweens living in your home then you know that this year's top-selling album was the soundtrack to the Disney TV movie "High School Musical." However, even if there was a boom in sales for teen acts, I highly doubt it would mirror the situation that occurred a decade ago when singers like Spears and Aguilera made blockbuster albums that sold millions of copies apiece.

Time marched on and took the likes of Spears, Timberlake, and Aguilera with it. The talent grew older and so did the teen fans that once worshipped them, and the craze began to fade. Statistics prove it. For example, a recent survey from the Recording Industry Association of America showed that from 1996 to 2005, the number of 15-to 19-year-olds purchasing music declined from 17.2 % of music buyers to about 12%. While the percentage of buyers in the age groups between 20 and 44 either declined very slightly or remained steady. The biggest leap was in the over-45 group: They now represent 25.5% of music buyers, up from 15% in 1996. Ah, oldies, but goodies!

Related Articles:

Britney Responds To Critics

Justin Timberlake-Fashion Designer?

ABBA Fans Finally Get A Place To Call Their Own

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger