Twilight of the Rock Gods

Interesting article in the WSJ about the changing nature and demographics of the rock world and how it is changing the business.  Bottom line: fewer artists are going to have the staying power that the acts of our generation have had.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/twilight-of-the-rock-gods-1490439609

In terms of concert-tour revenue, artists over 50 represent half of the $4.5 billion generated by last year’s top 100-grossing tours, excluding non-music acts and comedians, according to a WSJ analysis of data from Pollstar, the trade magazine. Of the top 10, five were over 50, including Bruce Springsteen (67), Guns N’ Roses (average age 53), Paul McCartney (74), Garth Brooks (55) and the Rolling Stones (73), Pollstar data show.

Rock’s demographic crisis has been a concern for some time. But the spate of deaths over the past 18 months highlights the limited time frame the industry has to buttress its future and figure out how to better attract young audiences and develop young stars.

“Every year I watch the Pollstar charts and the guys at the top are always heritage or legacy acts,” says Jeff Jampol, who manages the estates of Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and the Ramones. “There may be a real cliff—but people just aren’t looking at it,” he says.