Billboard:
With lead single “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” set to be featured in a massive media campaign from Apple, valued at $100 million by multiple sources, U2 has already scored arguably the biggest launch in music history. And it’s one that’s already fraught with a little controversy, from angry retailers to Grammy and SoundScan guidelines.
Oseary (U2’s manager) rang Billboard on Sept. 11 to address the many questions about the launch, and what’s next (another album?) from this landmark deal with Apple.
For a band that many (not me) consider to be irrelevant to today’s music, this campaign is a concerted effort to market and reinvent what was once called “The World’s Greatest Band”.
I love statements like this: “For a band that many (not me) consider to be irrelevant to today’s music”
Who is the “many”? Certainly not industry leaders like Jimmy Iovine. Certainly not fans who made their last tour, all the way back in 2011, the highest attended and highest grossing tour in music history. Music is personal, no matter the day. Bands like “One Direction” are irrelevant to today’s music as far as I’m concerned.
BTW: Former Looper Peter Cohen summed up this “controversy” best:
“I have trouble thinking of a more self-indulgent, “first world problem” than saying “I hate this free new album I’ve been given.””
Here are a few of “the many”: http://www.whoisu2.com
Facile whining meme-obsessed losers. That’s who. (The twitterers, not U2.)
Come on. I’m not a big fan, I like some of their stuff. But they’ve won more Grammy’s than anyone apparently.
But the World’s Greatest Band title was handed out long ago to Led Zeppelin.
And a slight error on the timing in the linked article. It wasn’t 10 years to the day since they were on stage with Steve Jobs announcing the iPod, because that happened in October.
U2 ipod was Jimmy Iovine’s idea.
I would assume Tim Cook delegated this to his as well.
So Scott Forestall refuse to apologize so he got fired.
Where is the mea culpa for this debacle.
If Tim Cook even listen to one song.
So much for young and hip that Beats was going to bring
to save iTunes Music Store.
Controversy is about album showing up on your personal library
like an intruder and you couldn’t get rid of it until Apple
was forced to provide a tool. Think about that for minute.
Somehow I doubt a relevant band would need a stunt like this to generate interest in a new album. It is simply consistent with Bono’s ego and megalomania.
My “World’s Greatest Band” line was in reference to a Time magazine cover story where they named U2 that.
More than a couple of friends of mine have expressed the opinion that U2 was fortunate The Police disbanded when they did.
Regardless of whether that’s correct, U2 did some great rock that made them famous and highly regarded. Now they’re pop.
I’ll keep the free album, but it’s not something I’d have paid for.
No doubt. And I do consider them important. But well all have our favorites.
Not sure how well it would’ve gone down, but I’d much rather have seen Apple make deals with 100 indie bands over this U2 deal. A few old guys defending the deal, lots of young and middle-aged guys (and girls) slating it. Truth of the matter probably lies somewhere in the middle.
Contra Mr. Cohen, well, if he doesn’t understand the lack of trust generated by “someone else’s curation decision appearing in my music library”, well, that’s his problem.
(Would he be saying the same thing if it was, say, a Slayer album showing up unannounced?
How about some “big two decades ago but never since relevant or interesting”* rap group?
What is it with Apple’s U2 obsession, anyway?
I’d forgotten about the insipid “U2 iPod” thing until you mentioned it.
The Police were better, yeah.
(Sting actually managed to make some interesting solo music, too – and I cannot possibly imagine Bono managing that.
Not that I hate U2, but they’re nowhere near as good as the music press wants me to think they are.)
No band is.
My favorite band is.