Can't Get Much Higher

Can't Get Much Higher explores the intersection of music and data, focusing on the evolution of music industry practices, the impact of technologies on music consumption, artist-fan relationships, challenges in songwriting and music production, and the influence of global trends on local music scenes.

Music Industry Evolution Technological Impact on Music Artist and Fan Dynamics Songwriting and Production Challenges Global Music Trends

The hottest Substack posts of Can't Get Much Higher

And their main takeaways

The Making of a Hitmaking Warrior: A Conversation with Holly Knight

255 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
  1. Holly Knight broke barriers as a female songwriter in the 1980s by writing hit songs.
  2. Knight's intense songwriting style is influenced by her childhood experiences and emotions.
  3. The importance of fair compensation and recognition for songwriters in the music industry needs to be addressed.

The Perils of Sounding Too Good

569 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
  1. Avoid sounding exactly like another artist to maintain long-term success
  2. Artists should aim to make their music unique and leave a personal mark
  3. Performing live should embrace the dynamic nature of music, allowing for change over time

Why Songwriters Stink at Organizing

491 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
  1. Songwriters have difficulty organizing due to legal restrictions.
  2. Musicians have organized strikes in the past, but songwriters face challenges due to their classification as independent contractors.
  3. There are structural differences between the music and film industries that make unionizing for songwriters more challenging.

Getting Your Favorite Band to Your Town: A Conversation with Justin Bridgewater

235 implied HN points • 29 Oct 23
  1. Live music industry professionals often learn on the job rather than through formal education.
  2. Accessibility to recording technology has vastly increased the amount of music available, making it challenging to choose which concerts to attend.
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the live event space, with fewer meet-and-greets and an increase in VIP programs.

From Broadway to Hollywood: A Conversation with Liz Callaway

176 implied HN points • 26 Nov 23
  1. Liz Callaway had a successful career in Broadway and Hollywood, earning various nominations and awards.
  2. She was thrilled and surprised by her recent Grammy nomination for her album celebrating Stephen Sondheim's music.
  3. Callaway's career highlights include landing her first Broadway role at 20, singing an Oscar-nominated song before she turned 40, and playing iconic roles like Grizabella in Cats.
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The Past Wasn't Necessarily That Great

412 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
  1. Stop romanticizing the music festivals and artists of the past.
  2. Be aware of biases when comparing music of the past to the present.
  3. Recognize that the perception of past music as better may be influenced by personal memories and societal filters.

Your Next Favorite Artist Will Be Your Neighbor

511 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
  1. Music streaming has made local artists more prevalent in their country's music charts.
  2. Streaming has enabled glocalisation in the music industry by driving production and distribution costs close to zero.
  3. Consumers show a preference for local flavor in music, leading to a rise in glocalisation.

I Hope You Never Listen Alone

471 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
  1. The fear of AI-generated music leading to personalized listening experiences where you are the only one listening.
  2. Technological advancements in AI music generation could potentially create entirely new songs based on individual tastes.
  3. The abundance of content in the modern entertainment landscape may lead to more individualized and isolated music consumption experiences.

Pop Songs Don't Need to Have a Chorus

530 implied HN points • 04 May 23
  1. Pop songs don't necessarily need to have a chorus to be memorable.
  2. The structure of pop songs has evolved over time, and the verse-chorus form is a more recent trend.
  3. Songs in AABA form showcase the importance of both verses and refrains for a well-rounded musical experience.

The Fight to Control Your Work is Just Beginning

432 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
  1. Artists struggle to control their work, especially with artificial intelligence in music.
  2. Cheap recording and editing software means artists may lose control over their own songs.
  3. AI can generate music imitating artists, posing challenges for maintaining artistic control.

Are Music Critics Becoming Less Critical?

452 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
  1. Critics and the general public often have some overlap in music tastes.
  2. Over the past two decades, overlap between Pitchfork and Billboard lists ranges from 3% to 21%.
  3. Alignment between critics and the public hasn't significantly changed over time.

Music's Past & Future: A Conversation with Michael Pelczynski

275 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
  1. Michael Pelczynski helped create a new payment system for artists during his time at SoundCloud.
  2. Streaming platforms have positively impacted how listeners discover music.
  3. The pro rata payment system on most streaming platforms can make it challenging for smaller artists to earn substantial revenue.

Swifties vs. Deadheads: A Meditation on Live Music

373 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
  1. Comparing setlists of Taylor Swift and The Grateful Dead revealed differences in unique song rates.
  2. Different methodologies for analyzing setlist uniqueness can lead to varied conclusions.
  3. The debate between Swifties and Deadheads highlights the diverse and equally thrilling experiences in live music.

From The Replacements to Maroon 5: A Conversation with Matt Wallace

216 implied HN points • 17 Sep 23
  1. Matt Wallace has produced and mixed famous rock records, showcasing versatility from Faith No More to Maroon 5.
  2. Budgets in music production have significantly changed, with the ability to record in bedrooms and advancements in technology.
  3. For Matt Wallace, the heart of a song is crucial, as great songs convey emotions universally and can withstand acoustic renditions.

Writing Music for the Movies: A Conversation with Carol Connors

314 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
  1. Carol Connors has had an illustrious music career spanning decades, from singing on hit songs to co-writing the theme from Rocky.
  2. Her journey into the music industry started with Phil Spector's group, The Teddy Bears and their chart-topping song "To Know Him is To Love Him."
  3. Connors's perseverance through challenges and dedication to music led to her continued success as a songwriter and performer.

The Search for the Truth: A Conversation with Jonathan Bernstein

157 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23
  1. Fact-checking in journalism involves meticulous attention to detail for accuracy.
  2. Attribution of sources is crucial in determining the credibility of information.
  3. Contextualizing music within social and historical frameworks adds depth and understanding to the artistic expression.

Pirouettes Like Jagger: The Weird World of Ballet Hits

275 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
  1. Ballet classes often use covers of popular songs for exercises, like Coldplay and ABBA.
  2. There is a niche genre of music made specifically for ballet classes, known only to those involved in ballet.
  3. Recorded ballet class music is a substitute for live pianists, who are valued for their ability to adapt and improvise.

The Absurdity of Ed Sheeran's Latest Lawsuit

373 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
  1. Ed Sheeran's lawsuit over song similarities is based on outdated copyright laws and questionable claims
  2. The legal battle involves deceased songwriters' estates, highlighting issues with inheritance and copyright ownership
  3. Many songs share similar chord progressions and inspirations, making it tricky to define plagiarism in music

The Most Popular Song on Every Album

334 implied HN points • 25 May 23
  1. The most popular song on an album is usually in the front, closer to the beginning.
  2. The popularity of a song on an album can change based on the album's overall popularity.
  3. Artists at different popularity levels tend to have the most popular songs placed at different points on their albums.

How to Organize 1000 Albums: A Conversation with Locked Groove

314 implied HN points • 11 May 23
  1. Locked Groove focuses on appreciation and vinyl in music TikTok, avoiding criticism.
  2. Locked Groove has a collection of over 1000 records that he has been building since 2007.
  3. Locked Groove organizes his vinyl collection by genre and uses a combination of Discogs and spreadsheets for tracking.

Telephones, Telegraphs, and Cans of Soup

275 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
  1. Songwriters often reference telephones in their songs for nostalgia and longevity.
  2. Telephones provide a unique combination of distance and intimacy that other forms of communication lack.
  3. The poetic nature of telephones in songs stems from the emotional connection they evoke, balancing distance and proximity.

The Mystery of Leroy Brown

235 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
  1. Jim Croce released 'Bad, Bad Leroy Brown' in 1973, which topped the charts.
  2. Queen later released 'Bring Back That Leroy Brown' on their album 'Sheer Heart Attack'.
  3. Investigating if the songs were related or a coincidence was intriguing to the author.

How Streaming Services Recommend Music

176 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
  1. Content-Based Filtering looks at sonic characteristics to recommend music.
  2. Collaborative Filtering considers user listening habits to make music recommendations.
  3. Most recommender systems are a combination of Content-Based and Collaborative Filtering methods.

You Don't Have to Read Music to Make Music

176 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
  1. Knowing how to read music doesn't make you a better musician.
  2. There are alternative ways to transmit music besides sheet music, like chord charts and tablature.
  3. Creating music through listening and imitating recordings is just as valid as reading sheet music.

The World's Most Popular Album

176 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
  1. Identifying the most popular album has become more complex in the age of streaming.
  2. Total number of streams may not accurately reflect a complete album's popularity.
  3. Looking at the least played song on an album can reveal true dedication to an entire collection.

The Demise of the Cover

176 implied HN points • 19 Jan 23
  1. Since 2001, no cover has topped the Billboard Hot 100.
  2. In the past, it was common for popular artists to release covers of songs.
  3. The practice of covering songs has become less common in the music industry.

In Defense of Balding Musicians

157 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
  1. Baldness in musicians can be a natural part of aging and should be more accepted in the industry.
  2. The expectation for pop stars to have a certain appearance may limit the diversity of artists who can succeed.
  3. Artists should embrace their humanity and vulnerability, which can enhance their creativity and connection with the audience.

Teenagers Didn't Always Exist

157 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
  1. The concept of teenagers as a distinct phase of life is relatively recent, dating back to the early 1900s.
  2. Compulsory education played a significant role in the emergence of teenagers by bringing young people together.
  3. Artists have been singing about teenage experiences for decades, reflecting the anxieties and nostalgia associated with adolescence.

How Musicians Get Paid: Pt. 1

117 implied HN points • 02 Feb 23
  1. Music streaming services pay royalties based on stream share, not a fixed rate per stream.
  2. Artists get paid based on their number of streams relative to total streams on the platform.
  3. Increasing stream counts for favorite artists can help them earn more from royalties.

Why are Artists Selling Their Catalogs?

78 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
  1. Artists are selling their music catalogs to companies like Universal for large sums of money.
  2. Selling catalog rights means giving up royalties for songs and control over their use in media.
  3. This trend of selling catalogs has become popular among artists like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Justin Bieber.

A Welcome to Our Robot Overlords: A Conversation with ChatGPT

78 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
  1. American popular music trends since 1900 include the rise of albums and streaming, influence of technology, and importance of live performances.
  2. Key trends related to technology in American music include sampling, digital production, auto-tune, online collaboration, and social media impact.
  3. Critiques of music technologies like sampling, digital production, and auto-tune are countered with examples of creative use and emotional authenticity.

How I Went Viral and Why Songwriters Love Wine

58 implied HN points • 24 Nov 22
  1. America is the country mentioned most in number one hit songs, followed by China
  2. New York is mentioned in the lyrics of 14 number one hits
  3. Wine is mentioned more often in number one hits than beer, cocktails, or whiskey

How Long Should Songwriters Own Their Songs?

39 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
  1. Songwriters currently own their songs for their lifetime plus 70 years in the U.S.
  2. Extending song copyrights benefits the most successful songwriters but hampers others.
  3. The author suggests revising copyright terms to prevent hindering music creation in the future.

Modern Jazz, Old School Rap, & Fade Out Hate

58 implied HN points • 10 Nov 22
  1. Between 1960 and 1980, 68% of number one hits ended with a fade out.
  2. Technological advancements led to the decline of fade outs in music after 1985.
  3. Between 2018 and 2020, 11% of number one hits ended with a fade out.

Personal Embarrassment & Why Lyrics Don't Matter

39 implied HN points • 17 Nov 22
  1. Personal embarrassment over not listening to popular albums is common in the music industry.
  2. Lyrics in songs may not matter much to the average listener compared to the music itself.
  3. Great songs are genreless and can be appreciated in different musical styles.

Ticketmaster & Local Music: A Conversation with Matt Stoller

19 implied HN points • 26 Jan 23
  1. Concentration in the music industry affects prices for consumers and artist payments.
  2. Local music scenes struggle to flourish due to industry concentration.
  3. The Biden administration is taking a more aggressive stance on antitrust enforcement, which may lead to breaking up big industry players like Ticketmaster-Live Nation.

Lazy Samples and Rock Goes Pop

19 implied HN points • 12 Jan 23
  1. Musicians often show their influences in their songs through covers, interpolations, and samples.
  2. There's a difference between creative use of samples and lazy copying of popular songs.
  3. Artists can elevate their music by using familiar elements in unique and unexpected ways.

What Happened Last Year? Pt. 2

19 implied HN points • 05 Jan 23
  1. Backlash Against Ticketmaster in the music industry due to issues affecting fans and artists.
  2. Fans are becoming creators by manipulating songs, a trend that shows no sign of stopping.
  3. Decontextualization of music on platforms like TikTok poses challenges for artists in building a lasting career.

What Happened Last Year? Pt. 1

19 implied HN points • 29 Dec 22
  1. Popularity of non-American music in America is rising.
  2. Unprecedented number of music releases daily is changing the music industry.
  3. TikTok has a significant impact on creating music hits.