Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger has reflected on the changing music industry. A few weeks before the release of “Hackney Diamonds”, his band’s new studio album, he explained in an interview with “CBC Radio”that the new streaming culture is above all a gift for the younger generation.
“I’m not saying I slavishly try to be up to date on everything, but you have to understand how things work in today’s world,” Jagger said. “And that doesn’t just apply to the music industry, but to many things. You know, driving a car is a different experience than it was in 1960. And the record business, like all businesses, is changing a lot. I think the music business is a business of technology, it’s changing. It’s never stayed the same.”
He is aware that streaming is often demonized due to its economic disadvantages for many musicians, but there are also a lot of advantages because “the interesting thing about it is that people of all generations have access to music from all eras.”
It used to be much harder to get (rare) records
Jagger continued: “Before, if I wanted to buy an old blues record from 1955, it was really difficult. I had to place an order, I had to go to a specialty store, even though I had a lot of money. If I buy it now, I can just click and there it is. She’s right there. And what does that mean? Well, that means people can get anything they want at 16 years old.”
It seems that the somewhat grandfatherly joy for the boys at being able to hear everything is also mixed with a bit of melancholy about times that will definitely not come back. However, the 80-year-old doesn’t seem to be worried about the future of the music industry.
More about the Rolling Stones and “Hackney Diamonds”
With songs like the new single “Angry”, the Stones seem to be able to easily get older people to stream. Of course, it also helps if a young woman appears in the video for the single, who is likely to be known primarily to people under the age of 20.
Numerous famous colleagues took part in “Hackney Diamonds”, the first Stones LP with new songs since “A Bigger Bang” in 2005, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder. The album is also a final tribute to the late Charlie Watts, whose drumming can be heard on two tracks.