Gene Simmons explains the downfall of the record industry to Dan Rather

Gene Simmons of KISS explains why the music industry will never have another Beatles or Hendrix.

[@LastSunrise1981]

He is absolutely right too. For example, I am a freelance writer for our local newspaper here in Sumter, South Carolina. I compose film reviews that is published for the community. Not trying to sound as if I am anything spectacular or anything. My reviews were very well received by the company and the public. One woman who owns a newspaper company herself offered to publish my reviews. The catch? She did not have a position for me as a freelance or any employee. Yet she was willing to share my analysis for free. Do not get me wrong she is a very, very nice woman and I do not think she had malicious intent. Composing my reviews take about an hour or two, not counting editing and spell check, research synopsis, themes, production notes, and sometimes letting the film marinate mentally before the writing process. I never responded to her since The Sumter Item pays me for my work. The second you start giving away your work for free it ceases to have any value in my opinion. Gene is correct on all accounts.

[@glennoropeza3545]

Gene Simmons did another similar interview with Joe Rogan where he said "the good news is with today's digital age you can get your music published, the bad news is in today's digital age is no one will pay you for it!" Gene Simmons is very intelligent and said the harsh reality of the music industry!

[@kentduryea7109]

Simmons intelligent? Surely you jest. Mentioning his band in the same breath as the Beatles is fatheaded nonsense especially coming from a "covid" vaccinated chump who thinks a germ can fool a mask. He called people the enemy if you weren't as gullible and stupid as he is. Shut him up by moving on to the next video.

[@kentduryea7109]

😂

[@Bone74838]

Legend has it that he is still upset that Metallica sued Napster first lol....

[@benedettomansueto4016]

Brilliant man I agree 💯

[@BlackRoomProductions]

yep Gene speaking the truth, the whole interview was good I think it's floating around somewhere

[@milancoric8787]

I have to agree with what Gene Simmons says. Whilst I enjoy listening to today's music, it won't go down as the best in history. It's a sad state of affairs.

[@davidziemann9653]

I like to think...in 50 years what music today will people still be enjoying and having their kids listen to? We still listen to 60s/70s music, our son is 26 and loves that era (he does listen to some current day stuff). In 2074 what will people be listening to from today? Taylor Freaking Swift?

[@BlackRoomProductions]

In 2074 they won't know how to listen, it will be 24/7 talking.

[@ugofallavena2063]

This is the truth man , gene YOU ARE totally right . Music is dead and Kanye west , sadly, Now is the King with taylor swift , rihanna, and jay z !!!!

[@stevejewell9263]

The recorded music industry is indeed quite dead. The results are not DIRE for everyone though. There has been a 180 degree "flip" in how bands get paid. When I was teen in the 1970s I saw a huge number of bands play for what is truly small change ticket pricing. Tickets were so much cheaper, even after factoring in the effects of inflation, because touring was done to support where the money was made....record sales. Today bands record and distribute music the best they can on their own because with file sharing there is no money to be made. Now they just about give it away for free in the hope that this will get the exposure and fan base that will demand tickets for shows. In this you can easily explain the explosion to the upside in ticket prices. Gene is right about what this means for bands trying to make it today. Lot's of songs and stories written and told in years past about Record Company demands of artists as if these people and companies were little more than leaches on bands and individual performers yet nothing could be further from the truth. Recording executives were always on the look out for the next big thing. Most artists and bands will not have a business minded Gene Simmons in it. Turns out the recorded music industry actually provided exactly what SImmons describes. Structure and a vetting process in a sea of way too many bands and artists they had a financial interest in promoting the best, hottest and what would become the biggest sellers. With that part gone.......it is a mess..... the cream can't rise and the next Elvis or John, Paul, George and Ringo eventually needs to Eat and Survive so most all will give up and take that "real job" before they make it.

[@kentduryea7109]

Just go live in the past. Problem solved. Simmons is nothing more than a "covid" vaccinated idiot who thinks a mask can fool a germ and says those opposing his stupidity are "the enemy".

[@colinrussell2017]

Well said. There is also a lot more competition in the "Attention Economy" that we live in today ANYTHING we want is available ANYTIME we want. Music has to compete with video games, sports, social media, Reddit, Netflix, youtube, p*rn etc. When I was a teen in the 90s it was pretty much listen to music, watch whatever happened to be on tv, or read a book. Music is just so devalued in the world we live in right now. Kids don't dream of being a Rock Star, they want to be an "Influencer". It don't even really think its sad, it's just the way it is.

[@BennieWilll]

I completely agree with Gene but don't take his word for it... listen to the music on the radio.

[@BlackRoomProductions]

Yep

[@berniecasey7592]

You mean that horrible garbage on the radio??

[@Bone74838]

@@berniecasey7592 You mean this?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GqpGeufNxke8k

[@cheeseburgerkid1329]

In 2023 the average price for a Kiss concert ticket is $1888.

[@MrGlastar1]

Was never into glam.

[@user-jg9pk2yy2d]

Is one of the first groups in history . Pay the price . Taylor swift is not free too

[@dagnabbit6187]

Since this interview and another Gene did with Henry Rollins about this subject , many old school rock rollers have doubled down on his comments . Roger Daltry “ Musician’s are getting robbed “ Stevie Nicks “ Video Killed the Radio Star . Internet killed the every star ..

[@keithdean9149]

I think Gene is correct to an extent. The way bands got big and became "iconic" may very well be over. IMO this does give help give the independent artists a greater chance of finding an audience.

[@dagnabbit6187]

One addendum to my initial comment . The late David Crosby sold his catalogue to a streaming service and reaped some coin . When Crosby was asked what advice he would give to young people about going into music as a career . He replied “ Don’t ! “ Yes he was aware of the situation

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

Did you know Graham Nash bought Crosby's songs back from the record label, gave them back to Crosby who had sold them to support his habits. Years later, as you say, Crosby did indeed sell his song catalog for a huge amount over 100M, but Crosby never paid Nash back...Crosby claimed and I;m sure it was true) that if he didnt sell the songs he would lose his house.

[@dagnabbit6187]

@@Piggy-Oink-Oink No I didn’t know that .

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

@@dagnabbit6187 It was in the Crosby documentay from 2019 directed by Cameron Crowe. Crosby said Nash would neither play with him or speak to him. He said the last tour he did with CSN Nash refuses to lok at him onstage/offstage so' in fairness it's kind of hard to pay back someone who isn't speaking to you.

[@leematthews7755]

Another reason that there won't be another Beatles is that it's all been done. There is no more new ground left to break.

[@thomaspeters5889]

Exactly. Gene Simmons has confused the arrival of rock and the fact that it has never left and is here to stay. It's like getting a new bicycle for your birthday. Many years have passed but you still enjoy riding it and even learned a few tricks, but you'll probably never get as excited as you did when it first arrived.

[@colinrussell2017]

@@thomaspeters5889 The "Honeymoon phase" eventually gives way to diminishing returns. Goes for pretty much anything really! Sorry to be a bummer.😥

[@paulking4066]

Iconic bands/musicians since 1988. How about pearl jam, smashing pumpkins, jeff buckley, RHCP, alice in chains, nirvana, amy winehouse, GNR, faith no more, pantera, sepultura, cranberries, silverchair, white stripes, adele. Im sure i could name more.

[@rand443]

great book on the subject "Appetite for Self Destruction "

[@rubenowitzv.3135]

Sad😢

[@juliustherenaissanceman1900]

It was the Internet that destroyed the music industry....

[@67marlins]

Good points, Gene......

[@billhope2596]

I'm of two minds of this whole issue. As a creative person myself I've seen my published writings be pirated after making next to nothing on it. But Gene and the record companies and the movie studios don't get is their business model is archaic in this day and age. I try to be as ethical as I can be and pay for my music downloads etc. but the older artists and labels think that the way to make up the lost revenue is to raise prices--on the music itself, concerts etc. without thinking that the average fan can't afford so it creates a circular effect of they thinking it's okay to pirate. For example I've not gone to a big name concert since the 1990s just because I'm not paying the outrageous prices they want for a ticket--$150 per ticket to sit in the nosebleeds plus add on the cost of getting there and expecting me to buy merchandise on top of that? Heck no! I'll go see a good tribute band for $25-$50 a ticket. If some big band like Kiss would keep their tickets in the $50 range and play a bigger venue and make up the money on scale then yeah I'd go. Plus honestly I've seen tribute bands that are better than the real band, putting on a good show while we have the real bands that come out and give a mediocre show at the best and expect you to shell out the big bucks.

[@JaySLevin]

I think you are not really thinking outside the box to see the big picture on this. The money is in touring now, because it turned out that concert prices could blow up and they still get sellouts. The opposite happened on the recording side. Not a fan of Simmons, but his larger point is that the music industry existed within a structure created by copyright law and other legislation. That was never updated in a meaningful way, and thats why there's no industry now. It's a lot more complicated than a pricing decision.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

Once you experience your music got 20.000 streams and you get paid $4 then you will realize the time you spent writing and recording was just as much use as going to the toilet.

[@dagnabbit6187]

I have discovered something withe interviews Dan Rather has done with Rockers like Gene Simmons and Ian Anderson. Dan likes RocknRoll.

[@berniecasey7592]

Its true what gene says

[@mitchellmiller3176]

Well what about Eminem, Nickelback, Foo Fighters, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake. There's quite a few of them that actually are iconic these days

[@hehehe7303]

Fuckin Nickleback 😂😂

[@mitchellmiller3176]

@@hehehe7303 do you know anybody that doesn't know who Nickelback is

[@hehehe7303]

@mitchellmiller3176 I don't, but everyone who does says they suck donkey d!ck.

[@porcupinetree3033]

These are not iconic artists and never will be. They were famous for a short period of time Gene is absolutely right

[@mitchellmiller3176]

@@porcupinetree3033 I don't know, Foo fighters so far has 57 hit singles and 11 number one hits. That's even more than Nickelback and Nickelback basically blew up the 2000's

[@outsider4212]

the MELVINZ!

[@NelsonMontana1234]

Nirvana and Amy. That's about it.

[@01denese]

Foo Fighters.

[@anne-kristinklement24]

Gene Had worked so hard for His money

[@anne-kristinklement24]

No bettet Song as crazy night from 1987

[@anne-kristinklement24]

I Love it

[@russshafer1171]

You reap what you sow. Back in the '70s the record companies raised their prices because their latest years profits weren't something like 10% higher than the previous years profits. So, it was ok for the record companys' to rip off consumers this way? How about lowering prices and increase your profit with higher volume?

[@jasonpeters9716]

Gene stopping at "1988" is not a coincidence. Hes ALWAYS been so jealous/envious/threatened by early-mid 1990s Alternative Music Revolution. (91-95.) So much KISS literally made a Grunge album in 1997. 😆 🤣 😂

[@nissansentraglx]

name an iconic band from the early 90s still going strong

[@jasonpeters9716]

@@nissansentraglx We'll all were until deaths (Hoon, Staley, Weiland, Cornell, Cobain.) *I seen STP in 2010. Soundgarden in 2013. Pumpkins in 08 Rage Against the Machine in 07 Pearl Jam in 10. Janes Addiction in 09 & 12. NIN in 09. ..Smashing Pumpkins? (Lol..actually doing Walt Disney World's s Xmas Parade. ABC, Xmas Day.) NIN, Pixies, Garbage, Fuel, Janes Addiction, Helmet, Toadies, Hum, Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus, KoRn, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Weezer, Kyuss, Collective Soul, Meat Puppets, Local H, Marcy Playground, Mudhoney, No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, Our Lady Peace, Tool, APC, Placebo, The Cure, RADIOHEAD, RHCP, Soul Coughing, Soul Asylum, The Flaming Lips, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam and so many I cant think of atm! ....Lolololol...AIC & STP even without Scott & Layne selling out venues 2023! ^^^early-mid 1990s bands still selling out shows in 2023. *Um..how F u think Coachella has survived last 25yrs? Off Early-mid 1990s bands. Or Lollapalooza? 😆 REALLY Dumb take.... 😆! (Early-mid1990s??? .....Still night/day better music than 1965-1987) *ESPECIALLY 79-87

[@jasonpeters9716]

@@nissansentraglx Seriously? Lol..Gene Simmons? KISS was a boyband basically Cheesy AF!

[@LastSunrise1981]

Eh, I would not say Gene is envious by any means. The thing is KISS was already well established and iconic way before the grunge movement. I do not know if Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine, or Smashing Pumpkins could be considered iconic in retrospect. Alanis Morrisette I will give you though. Jagged Little Pill is a musical masterpiece cementing her as a cultural phenomenon.

[@Casette81]

.. just like to point out the bands 'Jet' and 'wolfmother' (both aussie exports) made legit rock albums.. Also the 'bloody beetroots' circa 2018 put on a good 'rock show' also... you may say that BB is not it.... but so was KISS 💋🖕🏻

[@ronlewis9374]

I have to say that I've paid for every piece of recorded music I own and there's nothing created after the mid 90s that I have any interest in owning. These artists deserve what they've worked countless hours for.

[@MrChopsticktech]

So you don't give any newer music a chance?

[@AngelofAnguish]

Nine times out of ten, no.@@MrChopsticktech

[@user-gn9vu7wn7t]

@@MrChopsticktech What music? Did you listen to what Gene Simmons just said? duh!

[@mick1406]

Just have to agree with Gene on this one! This entitled generation, who demand everything is available for free, are responsible for the demise of the truly great classic rock acts of the future. I am still prepared to cough up my hard earned to pay for music of bands I support! Gotta keep rock alive!!

[@MrChopsticktech]

I am fifty, and l meet more entitled people my age or older than younger than me. The youngest ones (teens, early twenties) are the least entitled people l know, and are far more likely to help a stranger out than older folks.

[@humbertopineda8742]

Hey its my book 😂😂

[@BlackRoomProductions]

Lol

[@richprokop5155]

HOW MUCH DID GENE N KISS SELL THEIR MUSIC CATALOG FOR?? 300 MILL? 400 MILL? HE WAS ALREADY RICH...

[@01denese]

It's payback for all the albums we had to buy that had one good song and the other 12 were rubbish.

[@Been.Here.Since.2007]

Fair enough. They gouged us in the 70s and 80s. Then CD hit even harder.

[@petercurro8899]

How many cassette tapes did Gene use to record music from Radio Stations Years ago !

[@dagnabbit6187]

He might not have but the difference is for people who did that . Now it can be done with computer clicks at speed of light . I bought my albums

[@JaySLevin]

Simmons was in his late 20s and 30s by the time people were doing that. Gen X was the peak of taping by high school kids.

[@ingleringlet-snipps3rd449]

So, Lars Ulrich was right?

[@AndreChaser]

He was

[@jamesdugas571]

Not an album released since Psycho Circus congrats 👏. Alive is a pain to illegally download I rather buy it

[@patrickladucer4118]

Lest not forget ACDC! "Rock-'n'-roll will survive yes it will" 😢

[@keiths5507]

It's a better point if he says up until 1998... Because he's forgetting about all the good 90s music... Nirvana Pearl jam Soundgarden

[@jasonpeters9716]

Gene has always been insecure/threatened by the Early-mid 90s music. Cuz it killed Hair Metal and cheesy music like KISS

[@jasonpeters9716]

KISS is Corny.

[@darinjames3313]

I better call Uncle Neil.....it's finally happened....😔....I think maybe it's part of the Apocalypse....I bet Elvis n the others are Rollin in their graves.......I think I might go to Church on Sunday..idk

[@MrChopsticktech]

He may know a lot, but to me he always sounds condescending, like anything he says will go right over the listener's head.

[@davidalarconquinones87]

Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Alt J, The National, LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, Gary Clark Jr, Michael Kiwanuka come on Gene

[@user-jg9pk2yy2d]

Do you know the net worth of these groups ? Do you know how many tickets and album sold ? The richest is foo fighters with 36 millions record sold worldwide . I dont call it iconic

[@GUNIT683]

Isn't technology wonderful? 😂❤✌️

[@BlackRoomProductions]

lol didn't know what video you'd commented on at first

[@bobprata7148]

I disagree with Simmons.WE THE FANS KEEP ROCK ALIVE.Records and CDs are gone as yes you can download the music but live performances are still around.Never really liked KISS as I thought to me they were just a Novelty band.

[@sdjslkdjlsskldjslkdjsl8262]

The downfall of the music industry is the glut of artists with close to no talent who get big with provocation and gimmicks. You know, like KISS.

[@BlackRoomProductions]

Lol

[@giacomogonzalez2232]

Nirvana? Hahaahahahah please

[@rustymason3860]

Old man shakes fist and yells at the sky.

[@jamsalot9611]

But in Gene's case it's a fistful of cash. Cash that he already made when there was still a record industry.

[@WilliamCurry-bh3dk]

s oul s tstion - who cares

[@andrewbroughton65]

1st of all ..there will never be another Elvis Or The Beatles ..but since 1988 there have been many very successful Rock bands ,Dan correctly named Nirvana who were the most successful band of the 90's now here's some others : Slipknot Greta Van Fleet Alterbridge Blink 182 Fallout Boy Foo Fighters Hailstorm Nightwish Evanescence Muse Paramore Kings of Leon The Killers Audioslave Soundgarden The White Stripes The Black Keys The Strokes Arctic Monkeys Oasis The Offspring Korn Stone Temple Pilots Limp Bizkit Nickleback Tremonti Kid Rock Bush. Wolf Van Halen Ghost Baby Metal Blur 3 Doors Down Smashmouth Audioslave Rival Sons Alice n Chains Watain Sublime Machine Gun Kelly Dimmu Borgir Emperor Cradle of Filth Puddle of Mudd Pantera Rage Against the Machine..etc Rock is definitely not dead.

[@nyfinest487]

I’m sorry bud, you just don’t understand, it’s not that those bands are bad, it’s that these bands won’t stand the test of time. Those bands he mentioned were trailblazers in their music. Right now it’s an amalgamation of a bunch of top 40 trends all mixed in one. But nothing stands out today as great

[@andrewbroughton65]

@@nyfinest487 No..I understand completely..many of the bands I listed have sustained successful careers for 25 years or more..Gene said name one ..I've named heaps..He is wrong.

[@Bone74838]

If we put on the breaks a little bit as well... There will never be another Motörhead or Lemmy as well. You just cant fabricate those kind of bands and artists. But what chance is there today that new ones is going to have a chance? >zero. How is going to sign them or publish them?... There is no money in it. It was an "era" and that time as come and gone. Things change. And the only certain thing in life is "change".

[@Casette81]

If there weren't illegal downloads or uploads you would probably now be irrelevant, and forgotten... fans have swapped tapes and recordings for years...i'm not about to buy some 'al green' or 'otis redding' ... but i'll care enough to remember their names. 😘✌️

[@YouStinkFather]

I’m surprised he didn’t plug something for sale while talking his bulls***

[@jasonpeters9716]

Gene so threatened by Alternative Music Revolution fr 1989-95

[@clopper3753]

Where is the next Justin Bieber?... Where is the next One Direction?... Where is the next Madonna?... The industry is dead! But on the other side of the coin! Musicians now also have to go out working for their craft! You are an artist, a musician! Its what you do! No more sitting at home collecting royalties! Go out and play and entertain! Its what you wanted to do and why you got into it in the first place isnt it?!... Hm!

[@gregoryfox3373]

We have Oliver Anthony! Sorry, but Gene needs to get over himself

[@kentduryea7109]

Mentioning his band in the same breath as the Beatles is fatheaded nonsense especially coming from a "covid" vaccinated chump who thinks a mask can fool a germ. Simmons called you guys the enemy if you weren't as gullible and stupid as he is. Shut him up by moving on to the next video.