Changing Tastes and Genres

There are other reasons for why these huge conglomerates began purchasing every sector of the music industry supply chain. There has been a notable expansion and change in music tastes and consumer needs in a widening market.

While rock dominated the industry in the United States with over 50% of shipments in the mid 1980s, in 1995, this music preference began to equalize with other genres, dropping to about 34%, as other music genres infiltrated the market. Women groups, R&B groups, pop/rock bands, country music, and international beats widened the playing field in which the different labels had to compete. One look at the top male billboard artists in 1995 in the United States, selected based on retail sales of albums, reveals the diversity in taste that had already spread in the industry. These labels were able to find more unconquered niches in the market and the conglomerates were able to buy all these related labels.

Billboard’s Top Albums, 1995

1. Cracked Rear View Mirror- Hootie and the Blowfish
2. The Hits- Garth Brooks
3. II- Boyz II Men
4. Hell Freezes Over- The Eagles
5. CrazySexyCool- TLC