[Puncture Repair]

So I had this sudden epiphany while I was doing the washing up, that the music I enjoy leans heavily towards a front-man artist rather than a band. I get that the vast majority of 'solo' acts have teams behind them, but I'm talking about where a project has a lead personality fronting it.

With just a few exceptions, my top 10s from as early as 2014 have been overwhelmingly solo artists. I thought maybe this is because I tend to latch onto personalities more than a 'brand image' a lot of bands go for. Where a band might just be faceless four guys with a cool name, it's much easier to figure out a single person's voice, aims and values and characteristics. Music does seem a lot more personal that way.

Then I thought maybe this isn't just me. Is the entire industry moving this way? With news and media being so engulfing, maybe people would much rather follow the lives of a personality than an entire group. With Hip Hop now one of the, if not the most, popular genre out there, is part of that commercial success linked to the many and varied wild personalities that populate its music? Did bands just peak in the 90s?

Even in successful groups and bands, one member will almost always be assigned frontman. Coldplay's face was always Chris Martin, and Quavo is easily the most prolific in Migos. Maybe I'm not the only one that needs a single, digestible voice within when it comes to what I'm listening to.

Just some thoughts. Do you tend to prefer bands or artists? What time period are they from? Do you think bands will become increasingly irrelevant as time passes? Were they always irrelevant?

[Patman360]

Interesting thought pattern, I haven't put much thought into but I do see completely where you're coming from and feel my own listening has gone down a similar route looking at it now, what with most of my modern artist choices being 'solo' (to a certain extent), is this a result of the expansion of genres over time combined with the modern technological improvements (the whole idea that nowadays one can record a whole album and release it online without ever having to leave their room or even deal with another person certainly comes into play I guess), possibly? Combine that the fact you mentioned about the media and I guess bands are becoming less appealing in a weird sort of way, they still exist and will do in the future no doubt, but there's no new bands that are standing out as a significant media presence, even compared to say, 10 or so years ago.

Fuck knows really, it's interesting though and a case certainly can be made that the 'band' ideology is not what it once was, in a weird sort of way.
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2023
2022

[Fischman]

I love both. Many great examples either way. But I've always been band-heavy. Lately, a few more solo artists are in my rotation, but it's still band heavy.

I've never really thought about why. I doubt there's anything of importance to be learned there anyway. I like what I like and I don't worry much about such distinctions.

[bobbyb5]

Cool topic. But I couldn't vote because I listen to both a lot. It all has to do with what type of music you happen to be listening to. I'm a fan of early singer-songwriter artists, so in that respect I spend a lot of time on solo artists. I also probably spend even more time listening to other kinds of Rock, so in that respect I would be listening to bands. And I spend even more time listening to electronic music, which is at least 75% solo artists. And your question asked Do you listen to solo artists or bands. So I really couldn't give an answer. And I would really have to think about it to even figure out which I listen to more. It would probably be bands, but I couldn't be sure about that.

[RoundTheBend]

I think the industry is moving that direction.

Most new bands today are a joke (kinda... I mean in comparison). King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is totally going to start the next revolution though. (I don't even know what I'm talking about... I'm still stuck in the 2000's)

[RoundTheBend]

[bobbyb5]

[Tap]

who are these solo artists and how solo are they really? father john misty, julia holter, and joanna newsom are probably considered solo artists, but their music is full of other musicians. I think this sort of singular vision from one voice with collaborators has always been the most popular thing. truly collaborative bands are always rarer. they're still popping up if you know where to look tho.

[RoundTheBend]

[RoundTheBend]