The Longevity of Music: Who Will be the Next Music Legend?

Graphic by Julia Norkus

By Farah Rincon

On what felt like the first day of a freezing winter season, I had the pleasure of cozying up in Panera and listening to my professor conduct an interview through Zoom with  Vish Khanna, an independent journalist who specializes in all things media—film, music, television, podcasts, and so on. As I delved more into their discussion on the evolution of how we listen to music, Khanna brought up the subject of longevity in music—specifically, if there are long-standing artists that come close in comparison to past generations’ Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Kurt Cobain. This made me question who we would recognize in 30 years time as we turn on our radio (if those even make it) and drive our kids to school—who the next generation would view as music legends, immortal musicians, and artistic blueprints. I want to follow up this question with another: Will there be "music legends" in the future, and if so, how will their longevity differ from the previous generations? 

We all have collective memories, dating back to our parents' teenage years in the ‘70s all the way to our early childhoods in the early ‘00s, of just turning through the radio frequencies until you found your favorite song blasting through the speakers. Before streaming, people collected vinyl records, tape cassettes, and then CDs for a more accessible way of hearing their favorite songs. All of these mediums were costly, considering that single-album cassette tapes ranged from six–to-eight dollars and CDs would’ve set you back about $20 back in the day, excluding the price of the player itself. Essentially, what I took note of from this historical lens on music streaming is that, as my professor and Khanna spoke about, fans were left to simply wait in their cars in the hopes that their beloved songs or artists would magically turn on. This, I believe, is what represents peak longevity in the music industry:the devotedness of loyal fans waiting for that tune to come on for months; the financial commitment of collecting their songs on some sort of music-storage device; and having the opportunity to fully immerse yourself into the music world with the intentions of listening to that said artist or song for as long as you possibly could. Perhaps the dedication of fans was what led up to that legendary, memorable aspect of extremely famous powerhouse artists such as Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston. Whereas now, fans can access any music at any time with a single tap on their phone.

Moving forward to the present day, the longevity of music in its streaming habits has changed dramatically due to the expansion of the internet and the creation of mobile streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Not only that, but social media has become a prominent part of the music industry, with labels constantly pushing artists to promote their work through Instagram and TikTok in the hopes of a viral moment. While these changes are certainly beneficial, I can't help but notice how this process has harmed both the artist and their fanbase. More or less, there is a lack of authenticity in music—with Khanna noting that there are only momentary intervals of meaningful music. The element of virality has turned the media into looking for the next "viral" music moment, the next trending TikTok song, or a shocking music video that sends fans into outrage. And, while I admit that these moments do spark discussions amongst ourselves, it can only last so long before the next label pushes another "viral" moment onto us. Of course, there is a significant financial component to this, as streaming platforms fail to pay artists a livable wage per song, pushing artists to compete online for the next viral moment to propel their careers. With major labels essentially stealing from musicians, there has been a “downward trend of the rewards for our labor," according to musician and advocate Damon Krukowski in the New York Times. All of these modern aspects of the industry make it difficult for us to engage in more valuable and meaningful music in the midst of  the "content overload" and financial setbacks. 

Okay, I'm not sure if these aspects truly answer the question of whether or not we'll have timeless music legends like those of the past, but they do provide us with hints as to how those possible artists will be drastically different than ever before. This evolution of music has also given us reason to feel that we are now lacking that element of longevity and authenticity in music, and that this needs to change. Fortunately, Taylor Swift (potential...and most probable music legend of our time) is bringing attention to the entire streaming and label conflict in the industry by re-releasing her previous albums independently as "Taylor's Version." To add one more beacon of hope: there is currently a surge in streaming music via vinyl and CDs for nostalgic purposes, providing smaller artists with additional funding to support their creative works. From time to time, more of my friends will show off their flawlessly curated collections, which are full of limited-edition CDs and vinyl records from musicians who appeal to this sort of niche. Once more, I reference artists such as Taylor Swift, who releases different vinyl album editions for super fans, and Lana Del Rey, who makes sure her records have aesthetically pleasing designs for display. Not only that, but websites that specialize in giving artists a sizable portion of their profits, like Bandcamp, are becoming more and more popular in the music scene. I can only assume that these actions are the first steps toward restoring the longevity and loyalty in music seen in the past for future generations.