I really enjoy these videos that you reupload!

How about AC's Love it to Death, Killer, Schools out, Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle of Love in 2 years! That would be an incredible 10 year run now.

I saw a documentary on how Zeppelin wrote and recorded the album Houses of the Holy. They actually put together many of the songs while still on tour. Some of the songs from that album not only were not recorded yet, but weren't even named yet, and they played them live to correctly structure them. Huge difference between the talent of then versus now.

Hey Michael, i think the main reasons bands from that era were far better were: 1. They practised the hell out of their instruments. 2. One or more members of the band had REAL talent as songwriters. 3. They knew how to arrange songs properly from the outset. 4. They had a certain "magic" that is missing from most bands these days.

When bands/members begin to reach their 70s, no one is getting the performance from the 70s or 80s, whenever that heyday was. Nostalgia and legacy acts, some like Foreigner playing casino's, man, it's called getting old. Nothing last's forever

Great channel Michael. I'm 66 & have been a working "utility" musican (drums, percussion, harmonica) for a total of 50 years. I can relate to most of what you're saying. Without going into a dissertation as to why, I don't think it's possible to make decent money selling albums like it was before computers took over. Sadly, for people/accomplished musicians in my generation, the business will never be the same as it was before digital programs started doing everything for us.

Michael, I know you know what I'm talking about. I'm 65 years old and I can remember several bands putting out at least 1 album a year, In some cases 2 albums in the same year. It seems back then they worked a lot harder than what bands do now. Us old school fans really appreciated all this great new music coming out at the time. It's much different these days. I always enjoy your channel. Thanks!

Elton John (1969- 1976) : 11 studio albums (two of them double) in 7 years, plus 1 soundtrack, 2 live albums, and 7 non album singles all while touring every year.

Explain "outselling" when most people stream music from spotify or KZfaq. No one is going to sell anything when everything is essentially for free.

Record companies killed the record industry.

that's why i love Bandcamp.

As I hear about today's record industry, it brings me back to Elvis and the work legacy he left behind for us to enjoy. He is still bringing revenues to the industry, that is some six decades since the introduction of 8-track tapes. GOAT.

Rock bands from that era, #1 they played and practiced on their instruments. No autotune. Lots of reasons. I like this video you nail it.

From 1964 to about 1974, most groups put out at least 2 albums per year. Dont get me started on the Beatles 😅

Hopefully this supports your argument, Michael. The Rolling Stones basically had a 3 year plan starting in 1967 and continuing until 1982. It's remarkable how they stuck to it inspite of mayhem, and the revolving door at one of the guitar positions. And 1967-82 not coincidentally is the peak period of the band both as a live group and one who created studio masterpieces. 1967-69: 4 albums, 1 European tour, 1 US tour 1970-72: a single album, a double album, 1 European tour, 1 British tour, 1 US tour 1973-75: 2 albums, 1 European tour, 1 US tour 1976-78: 2 albums, 1 European tour, 1 US tour 1979 was skipped 1980-82: 2 albums, 1 US tour, 1 European tour. That's dedication to the craft and to the fans.

Yes I listen to Motley Crue! But no, I will not see them live today.

"It takes studio's 48 hours to turn on the lights" 😂😂😂

70s & 80s is better music.

You rock, dude, so more success to ya👍

That sounds awesome Michael the young A&R guy going out to the garages and basements scouting. That would be very refreshing yet nostalgic in a great way! Thanks for the video.

Thanks for the reuploads so that new subscribers like myself can delve into your material! Happy Easter Michael!

I'm an older millennial and I haven't bought music in 15 years. I can hear whatever i want free here on KZfaq

This is why I love your Chanel Michael. It's always fresh and to the point...thank you for your research and honesty

I am thankful to my parents for introducing me to the music from the 40's and 50's and my older sisters for introducing me to the music from the 60's and 70's. I was born in 1971 and was already a huge music fan when the 80's came around . Having been well versed in the music from the previous decades my ears were well acquainted to the brilliance of the 80's and 90's music, even the pop music was good. But now most of music is mundane ,pedestrian as well as lacking heart and emotion.

The problem is the streaming of music online. Physical albums are not selling like they used to because of the new generation of fans getting their music online cheap and fast. Artists are just not making money the way they used to. I bet if all the streaming services disappeared and the easy copying available these days was minimised, the music resurgence would skyrocket. Also, the music execs have a lot to answer for in destroying the quality and output of modern music. While things are as they are it will never be anything close to what it once was. The good old days of original and incredible song writing is history. Most of today's music is uninspiring and carbon copies of each other. Yes, there are exceptions but generally music today is lacking real substance. IMHO!

Excellent advice. Always be writing!

Great ideas Michael! 1 or 2 years between albums sounds good as someone's favourite artists can really make the soundtrack of their lives - I know that sounds a bit cheesy but the flip side, a gap of around 5 years, and the person's life and tastes may have moved on and they might not rush out to hear new material by that band. Writing more songs means more material for fans to get stuck into, they'll with wait anticipation for the next release, and the chances of a genuine classic being written are increased!

To tell you the truth I chuckled when you put “classic band” and “Mötley Crüe” in the same sentence

I really enjoy your videos! I’m an independent musician just struggling out here and it’s so disheartening

There is another problem as far as classic/legendary bands go-Aside from the hardcore fanbase, there’s very little interest in new material. It’s unfortunate because some of these bands have more to offer. Uriah Heep recently released an album, and a good one too. Most people either aren’t aware or don’t care. When they go to a live show, they want a Greatest Hits performance. When Iron Maiden toured for their 2006 album, A Matter of Life and Death, they played the album in its entirety and many people were pissed. It’s unfortunate but it seems to be the world we live in now.

Great recommendations, Michael. You laid it out well. Let's see how many take the ball and run with it.

Great advice and solutions. I heard one person say in a music store ? That the record companys prefer, Rap, and solo artists over bands because? The costs of putting on a show and tour skyrocket over rap, who gets their music from a machine or beat box or a solo artist who minimally has a few backing musicians and singers. So could the talent be out there, just the record companys frowning upon signing them cause of this reason? Love your channel and thinking. Hopefully someone is listening. Was hoping some of these older bands instead of touring would create their own ROCK label Even get together and invest back into the Genre that helped make them Classic Rockers in the first place. Even a TV show where bands can compete live in front of some classic Rockers for that contract and let the audiance vote? Just a thought.

Do you remember the agony of having to wait for a new Rolling Stones album? 198$'s Undercover was patchy. We're promised a "new" album in 1984 and got a Greatest Hits package. 1985 comes and a truly new album is promised. So we waited and waited. "Sorry but you'll have to wait until next year. Enjoy Mick's solo album in the meantime." Finally, 1986 comes and so does the new Stones album. The 1st single is a cover. The album is only satisfying. Meanwhile, who's the hottest band? Our 1960's heroes, the Monkees. Don't get me wrong, I loved their TV show and saw them on tour that year. Boston finally makes good on an old promise and comes out with Third Stage. Amanda was a good solid song but only 2 members from the original are left. And to think, this is what you grew to expect from your favorite rockers. Even longer periods between new products. Queen is over in 1991 after a promising new album because we lost Freddie Mercury. U2 finally released somethjng and while.cjange is good, I felt it was too.much change. The kind of change where they forgot where they came from. Genesis releases a successful album. I'd you prefer the Peter Gabriel/ Steve Hackett Genesis, you won't like it. But it's still pretty solid, just a little longer than the other albums. In essence, those 2 years were 2 of the most disappointing years in rock for me. But they also were warnings as to what to expect from your bands. If someone heard me complain and said "Yeah, well, get used to it," naturally, I'd want to deck them. Now I'm the one saying it. You're right, Michael. We need musicians that'll write and perform from the heart. Not for the money.

Paul Davis is underrated. Do right, Cool night, one more time for the lonely, e.t.c.

Michael you’ve been phenomenal.

The Golden Age of Rock died on July 13 1985. It become corporate , self important and lost its way

Happy Easter and hello Michael, I really like how you touched on touring and writing new music. Sure touring can tear a band apart but what I think can tear a band apart is not writing or recording mew material for the fans. Going out and performing the same stuff over and over can be tiring on the band and some fans want to hear and see something new. For example, Coop is gearing up for a big tour and for this tour, he has changed everything. What my sister and I saw does not exist anymore and I cant wait to see what Coop brings to the table Also Coop has finshed recording a couple of new albums and he could possibly realase one while on tour. Meaning he may possibly perform unheard songs during the tour Honestly, im beyond excited to see what he does and I hope other bands and artists can be inspired to spice things for their tours as well.

Hello there my friend! I pray you & yours are well. Lou Gramm has been on a ship in a "Rock & Roll cruise." He sounds pretty good. He was two hours away from me a few months ago & I didn't know it. I ask him to come to Greensburg, PA. I have his book, autographed.... Yay! Check out "The Palace Theatre" in Greensburg, PA. It was joined to another theatre. My best friend lived above the Palace & worked there. I was "The Bouncer!" I weighed like 120lbs! 😂 One chick went into the men's room, like I wouldn't follow her in! 😂 Watching the cartoons in Saturday with the kids! It's from the Civil War time. Beautiful marble stairs! Vaudeville people were even there! Cool place. I wrote a book! Peace bro! 😁🦚✌️

A question, I remember when I saw Rush in Sept of 1983 while touring for Signals and they threw in some songs from Grace Under Pressure and in one of the Pink Floyd box sets I heard them playing some early versions of Animals during their Wish You Were Here tour. The Question I have is were these songs written while touring and if yes, how often was this done during the 70's and 80's?

Look at the out put the Beatles had between 62 -69, for most bands that would be a 30 year plus career, without the high quality the Beatles had for themselves.

The 70's were the Best when most bands put out 1 or 2 LPS a year. 🌟

Sadly a lot of the older bigger bands have slippery sloped themselves into nostalgia acts, but are still able to play stadiums on their names and haven't slid to the county fair (yet). The fans that are there for the bragging rights just want to hear the hits (even if that means done in an hour or less) and "don't have time" for ANY new songs. It's going to take internal integrity (sold off long ago for many) to make the sensible changes you suggest. But I'd love to see it!!

King Gizzard is a band that gets it. They release multiple albums per year, usually spanning different genres, and they're almost always great. Actually, a lot of rock bands outside the mainstream tend to follow the old 1-2 year gap between albums. Bands like Foreigner should change their name and just tour as a greatest hits tribute act.

Michael...You are a musician. You understand that a man in his mid 70's who is way overweight and completely out of shape like Vince Neil is going to find it hard to run around a stage for two hours and not be winded from singing and walking. Motley already carries women background singers so why is it late breaking news that the band uses backing tracks?They all are basically senior citizens in their 70's pretending to be 40 years younger and everyone is beside themselves that they need help with the show? I'd be shocked if they didn't need help with the show! The audience doesn't care. Michael! They are very happy walking down memory lane with their significant other at a Motley Show remembering when they were younger and did not have that 23 year old at home who just went into rehab. Do you really think they care if Vince needed backing vocal support or the band needed backing help? It's like Star Trek. It a show and its all an illusion selling nostalgia. By the way, Herb Alpert is 88 and still plays two hour shows blowing into a trumpet. Sparks have two brothers in their mid 70's who still run around a stage for 2 hours and entertain with no backing track support.

You have some good points... ...mjm...

Sorry it's not the bands it's not the music it's the delivery method. The ability to click next and the inability to focus for more than 45 seconds at a time. This is why Tik-Tok is succeeding and how kids find future and past artist's the a spoon fed it 30 seconds at a time. The Next Beatles could write Sargent Pepper( they may have already) and it wouldn't go gold but attach each song from that record to a Tik-Tok video that goes viral and it will. Yet the band would only get $26.00 for a million streams, You-Tube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spodify, Pandora and any other streaming music is the problem not the product

I've recorded and mixed jazz and Latin albums in as little as 8 hours, high quality too

SPOT ON, MIKE!

Excellent!

You must love King Gizzard. They have 23 studio albums already within 10 years.

Michael, do you have any of your original tunes and/or performances online somewhere?

Not sure if you’ve heard of a band from Northern Ireland called The Answer. The closest thing to an Aerosmith type band. I saw them open for AC/DC in 2009, one of the best opening acts I’ve seen.

Does it seem like everything is broken?

60s - 80s music comes from heart and stomage. Feelings. It was the time of change and rebellions of the youth. I think you need something deep to make something deep.

The problem is that there is no money in making albums in today's market. Endless tours are nothing more than a cash grab as streaming has ruined the recording market. Very few artists even write their own material anymore, songs are written by somewhere between 6 and 10 songwriters per song and the singing and instrumentation is created with a laptop and autotune where as before, every note was created with real voice and instruments. It's no wonder music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s outsells the music of today.

I am really convinced that we actually did move into another dimension in the year 2000. 😁 Music just seemed to drift away about then. I still say autotune is more responsible for most of the crappie music coming out today. Lennon always said music is like a river and you just got to feel it to write it but I think that river dried up in the year 2000.😁

It was easy to walk away from music when they decided I needed a forced injection to see their show and then refused me a refund.

People Are To Busy Today On Their Social Media Pages To Even Listen To Music. Ask 10 Guys in Their 20's If They Have Ever Heard Of Jimi Hendrix, Then Ask Them To Name Just Three Songs From Him And See How Many Of Them Can Name a Single Song He Wrote. All Along The Watch Tower Was Written by Bob Dylan, So that one don't count..

Great insight and you are right just subscribed refreshing music channel getting tired of watching reaction videos.

All good ideas.

You should do an episode on Rush and how they did it their way. Nobody better.

I recommend bands to record as much as possible during their peak. Save some of it for when your creativity wanes.

Although i agree with your sentiments Michael I'm sorry to say i think they are impractical suggestions. The issue stems from various points. The music industry is a corporation competing with numerous social media platforms and to survive it requires quick returns .Bands don't have the luxury of long term investments so the Ist album needs to be fairly successful so they can tour and get on the money spinning bandwagon. There is also the issue of the majority of music lovers seem to indulge their passion for the familiar. New material is usually met with indifference in the concert arena and, coupled with the low returns on record sales, will impact bands / artists to place less importance in producing new material at regular intervals. Originality is also increasingly more difficult. As the rock 'n' roll canvas becomes more populated there is less space for said originality. Even that wonderful new band you citied Crown Lands are, in essence, 70's Rush with a spoonful of Star Wars thrown in. I know i mentioned the world of big bands before but as a contrast the Bob Mintzer band sit around one studio microphone (aside from the rhythm section) and can record a c.d. of top class jazz within no more the 3 days and their sales would never come close to the rock 'n' rollers. So until punters refuse to pay stupid prices for concerts (some of which are suspiciously non- live) i do not see a remedy in the near future but i applaud those who are trying to make it in this incestuous industry.

Get studio time while on tour since some bands got days between. Shows and only a few miles 100 to 500 miles and jam music happens when you jam

Mike have you ever been in a famous band I thought maybe you might have been somebody that I knew when I was a kid but I don't think so now and I'm just wondering where you in a band that made it?

I thought that bands had this yearly formula: 5 months of touring, 5 months of making an album (including everything, songwriting, recording, mixing, etc.) and two months of all out partying.

Then there's Guided By Voices. Just how many GBV and Robert Pollard solo albums have been released since the early 90's? Unbelievable.

I'm afraid the consumer has gotten so used to low quality formula music they wouldn't recognize good music if they heard it.

Lies, laziness and greed. No wonder most people love the music of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Today's so-called artist only care about the money and doing as little as possible. I'll keep living in the past with music thank you very much.

Hmm yes 5 years it is too long! Not everyone is Paul Mccartney, Roger Waters or Bob Dylan. Not sure if there even is a recording industry anymore.i don't envy rocknAs roll music people. It's a terrible biz IMO! Creativity is so important, I focus on that aspect more than anything. As always a fascinating video, Michael.

Damn skippy! The fast turn albums are all flash in the pan. Creating a niche, and expanding on that is paramount. That niche can be created each time an artist CREATES a new album.

And let's not forget, when it is all new, it's easier to be new. It's harder now, to be original.

Another big problem is the number of bands that don’t write their own stuff. Country these days is notorious for having a group of writers in Nashville cranking out songs by recipes. That’s why the sound is so generic. It’s like pop sung with a twang. Then once in awhile a real singer songwriter comes along and he/she is held on high, like sliced Bread. Bands should be writing all the time. Touring or not. Life is where you get song ideas. I reference BTO, “Let it Ride” Work on songs at sound check so the baby has a chance to walk. Come off the tour as we say, “Road Hot” take a couple weeks to catch up on laundry and mail and sleep. Get in studio and lay the tracks down. Once you get stuff in the can you can mix down in between outings and have product in 12-16 months. Bands use to do that when every was rolling tape. With digital editing and mixing is even easier and quicker

Sales is one thing, streaming is another.

Well, now we know why we haven’t seen Mick Jones with Foreigner these days: it was just announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Syndrome.

you overlooked the fact that there are still almost 80 million babyboomers alive in the US, and that generation has the most money (as they inherited their WW2 era parents wealth). They are living longer than prior generations. And they spend money on 60s and 70s music and related products.

Team Mick.

Also, the majority of newer artists - especially the really good ones - don't bother with record labels at all. They just record and release their own material because they don't want to get fucked over the way virtually all of the classic-era's artists got fucked over. Given the stranglehold I Heart Media (formerly Clear Channel) has had on the airwaves since the late 1990s, they know they're not gonna get airplay unless they follow a rigid formula. Why, then, should they bother with the infamously predatory music industry at all when they can record their own material, promote it themselves, and keep the publishing rights and income for themselves?

Start by getting rid of auto tune...it requires hard work & dedication to be good. And along the way you might actually break some new ground.

By the way happy Easter Im walking my dog in the rain listening

Release an album every 1 to 2 years! I guess Tool never got that memo! 😂😂😂

Older rock music, in general, is better but my money in the past few years has gone to a newer band: Band Maid. Great hard rock, with hints of metal, that’s technical, yet accessible. And they are great songwriters. For my money (and I’ve put my money on it) the best new rock band in decades. The Warning is another great young group… can’t forget them.

I agree with everything you said. However, it is my understanding that artists, especially the 70s, 80s, & 90s retro acts simply can't make money by writing, producing, recording, & selling new music. The industry is that effed up. So, these bands would tell you, "We're not touring out of sheer greed, we're touring to make a living." (This excludes Paul Stanley & Gene Simmons; they're driven solely by greed.)

Most of these artists are owned by BlackRock or Blackstone and are controlled by people like Merck Mecuriadis, Irving Azoff, and Tommy Mottola. The artists signed their rights away for big checks (which were only loans to begin with) and sold their souls to become debt puppets. If you don't play the game, you're worth more to them dead than alive. This is why so many of them die at 27 -- it's a power number to the cabal. Sometimes they'll coordinate with the artist's wife and arrange a mutually-beneficial incident/accident in a hotel owned by BlackRock, usually brought about by a bodyguard in their employ... and the wife sells all of their dead husband's music for a chunk of change.

One of the major reasons artist could record and tour as much as they did in "the glory days" is drugs. Lots and Lots and LOTS of drugs. Tons of cocaine and speed, in particular. David Bowie recorded the bulk of his classic albums (and Lou Reed's classic albums, and Iggy Pop's classic albums) while coked out of his mind. Everyone else in the bands and studios were coked out of their minds, too. Not all of those people survived it, though, and Bowie, Reed and Pop only barely managed to survive it themselves. These days, artists, engineers, roadies and producers are not snorting up half of South America each year. They're doing things like... um, having lives and not having to spend a year or two in rehab every few years. Yeah, many musicians still do drugs, but at nowhere near the levels of the classic-rock era, if only because the labels aren't keeping them supplied with mountains of coke just to keep the show on the road.

I figure most musicians and composers are inclined to create and release music fairly regularily. At least one a month. More are inclined than far more than that number of releases. I suppose for well known acts once a year is good It does not seem to cut it I dont exactly like the hurried pace but that is the way it is these days. Its ridiculous as is the race to the bottom. Just me I try to write one cue or composition a week and mastered, ideally I should be writing over 100 a year

Nobody's mentioning that young writer's back " in the day " actually had something to say. We live in a society where your average young adult has the maturity and depth of a 15 year old from about fifty year's ago it's not surprising their songwriting is lacking. They don't know a fucking! What in the hell are they gonna write about?

Touring won’t be all that profitable either if they keep allowing Ticketmaster to charge $500 plus for a ticket.

One problem in the studio is artists wanting the "perfect" sound and the music ends up over produced. Guns N Roses is a great example. Their first albums were done pretty quick and cheap, and captured a certain energy. By the time Use Your Illusion came out they had songs like November Rain that were okay but overdone. That raw energy was lost. The Crüe lost that energy after Theater Of Pain, or even Shout At The Devil. They all spend way too long chasing perfection and they ruin the music, in my opinion. Like too many chefs adding spices to the sauce, and cooking it too slow.

Jason Isbell is a pretty 'new' artist compared to classic rocker...but he does a record every 2 years but I don't think he ever really 'stops' touring except for his pandemic break.

I'm old enuff to remember A&R guys that were actual musicians &/or LOVED music. Somewhere, A&R guys became accountants/strictly bottom-line guys.

Take a look into the venues and the promoters as well. They seem to be satisfied booking the same limited number of acts over and over again.

I don't consider assembly line formula songs to be music. Bring back artistry, creativity and musical instruments!

There is no solution, people are not interested in music like the past. I know people that say they are "really" into music. And they will to my face say they only listen to what's on the radio and do not own or listen to anything if they have to pay. The other problem I have is I want to go to shows but here in Seattle most of the big shows are on weekdays. I have to weigh how much I want to see a musician(s) and how much work to take off for a show and the cost of the ticket AND I am the only one who wants to go. Thats like going to a movie by myself...

I agree with you somewhat but disagree on the point of artists putting out more albums. For most bands the first two albums are their strongest. (for example Guns Roses, Duran Duran, Nirvana etc.) In fact GnRs first album is still by far their best. IMO that's because those are the songs they really had in them and they honed them the most playing them live. The worst albums are usually these cranked out albums, such as an album put out as an excuse so a band can tour. Like Styx, Journey and REO and these other dinosaur tribute bands keep doing. The worst words to here at a show "And now we want to play something for you off our latest album... " ok time to head to the beer stand now. Usually these type of albums are weak. Of course there are exceptions where a band like Duran Duran can be revitalized at a later point and have one last great album; like their second self titled album in 1993. But typically for most bands they hit their peak on the first two albums (Unless they are a major force like PInk Floyd or Led Zep).

Agree 100%

I don't know Michael, it seems like a minute ago I was Walking On Sunshine with my radio on an am station and alot of spring in my step, all I find now is stupidity and negativity in both tunes and lyrics. I was well tuned in for fifty years and now find myself saying what the hell happened. I don't see any solutions.

"The Industry" is run by accountants and lawyers. It began in the 80's with the hairdresser bands, the acts had fabulous hair and fashionable clothing. Unfortunately, the fashion industry has railroaded the music industry into only having beautiful people who have little to no music ability and can't sing.(That's what auto-tune is for) There is numerous videos/shows documenting how dumb the executives of the music industry truly are. They'd rather rub shoulders with a beautiful famous person than a musician. Another problem lies in that every band in every genre sounds just like every band in that genre...if you get what i mean.

just read that last lynerd skynrd member died. so now they are touring with no original members. i guess it means their musicianship does not matter at all. just read iron maiden is in more demand than ever. hell they do a show. and have a newish album so are still creative.. have an amazing video. rush when they retired were in more demand. in a ny times story on high prices gave excuses, we work hard, artist etc. the fan who became a fan when he was a newbie in nj sasid she feels disappointed, doesn't have $5k. won't go.

The real reason today's music does not sell is because it is rarely advertised. I can tell you many great bands are out there, but they never get promoted. KZfaq is about the only source to finding them. I got heavily into Japanese Rock Music because of this. Some are fantastic, some not as much. But they have my support. I could care less if I ever hear Led Zeppelin again. They have been overplayed.