Rockers vs. Record Labels

Each of these musicians took on their record labels in their own way.
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Music: Riffs Two by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
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[@muxz]

They aren't rock or metal but I'll never forget the girls from TLC ending up with, like, $50,000 to split between the three of them off an album that sold 15 millions albums. My memory might be a little hazy but it was something insane like that.

[@csnide6702]

yeah.... they were actually IN DEBT to the record company when it came out and all those sales went to "making up that debt"...... Like WTF....?

[@andrewhudson7108]

If we’re going outside of rock and metal (somewhat), than Chess Records definitely takes the cake of how they took advantage of their artists.

[@davidellis5141]

Warner Brothers were not accomadating to Prince & he was understandably perturbed by that particularly after the success of Purple Rain.

[@krisski2823]

Purple Rain was just an introduction to what that man was capable of. I see clips today that put some of metal’s greats to shame. He was amazing! Shy really. But amazing. 😘😘😘🤘He was one of very few that were trying to show all people how to get out from under “the man’s” thumb. But he knew what I know, there’s too many Karen’s. The people, like in biblical times, have little faith. There’s a pill for every illness or anxiety. Sorry to say he proved that too.

[@michelleduncombe9675]

Hence why he changed his name to just a symbol. It was a big FU to the record company.

[@StageRight123]

Once he got the rights back to his name, he released a phenominal album called 'The Rainbow Children'. It's a masterpiece.

[@courylanders4142]

Prince said he generated 400 million dollars a year, and got 7 million. That was just one issue Prince had with Warner Brothers.

[@jewpac88]

Zappa and Chester had the best view and explanation on it 👌

[@worldoffood123]

Comparing the contract to legislation is really interesting. Cuz that really happens! Every law that gets passed has so many things added in the fine print

[@mainsmain]

R. I. P. Tom Petty, you never backed down

[@lumpyso]

Greedy Music Executives who probably have never played a Recorder, have killed off, Imagination, Enthusiasm, Originality, Good Story Telling, and Trust with musicians who want to be different, The Rock industry has suffered most with all this X-Factor, The Voice, Talent shows etc. garbage with only one person winning, who is generally the one who can Scream the highest. So Sad.

[@csnide6702]

There hasn't been a musician yet that hasn't been screwed by a Record Company - and the Courts allow it every time.

[@DiminishingAugmentation]

Spoken like a true non-musician. If you were one, you'd know about bands screwing over record labels. Or are you not ready to have that conversation?

[@csnide6702]

@@DiminishingAugmentation name ONCE where a BAND "screwed " a Record Label.....

[@bucknasty69]

@@DiminishingAugmentation What record label do you work for lmao

[@Fromheroin2heavenbound]

Right which is really screwed up!

[@andrewmachado6988]

Trent Reznor had the same rant when I saw him on the With Teeth tour. Don’t buy our album, if you want to listen to it, steal it. I find it funny because here we are in 2024 and CD and Vinyl prices are at an all time high. I’m a CD guy and live in Canada. The average single disc CD is over $20, double albums are $30 or more, box sets are even more than that. Its insane, i still like buying CDs, but with the prices these days i cannot buy everything i want. i have to really pick and choose carefully the ones i really want.

[@ZackMorris1015]

I'm also a cd guy and never stopped buying them. There is a really cool record store by me that sells new cds at $13USD. And used ones for as little as $1USD

[@adrianfleming3437]

Its always been expensive

[@bobabubbletea393]

Keep your eye out for $5-$10 USD CDs and $15-$20 USD vinyl LPs in new condition. They are more common than you might think on the internet. I’ll snag an $18 vinyl LP quickly if it’s an album I really like. I think $18 USD equals to about $20 or $21 in Canadian dollars, but I’m not exactly sure.

[@JinxMarie1985]

Thats why he's fkin God

[@p1sstoph3]

most of the extra high prices you're paying to private sellers scalping shit

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

Miss you guys ❤

[@bluebonnetbunny4813]

Freddie Mercury’s “Death On Two Legs” sums up beautifully the trouble Queen went through with their producer.

[@patepulkkinenvtec2403]

It was their manager the song is about, Flick Of The Wrist is another manager mockery song.

[@bluebonnetbunny4813]

@@patepulkkinenvtec2403 Norman Sheffield was their manager and he (along with his brother Barry) owned Trident studios. Queen’s recording, publishing and managing went through them. He gave them studio time while also laying claim to the band’s output. Supposedly he was driving expensive cars while rationing out drumsticks to Roger. To be fair, the Sheffield/Trident put money up front for the early gigs, costumes, tours. Norman Sheffield later wrote an interesting book “Life On Two Legs”.

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

1:02 Chester!!! still miss this legend whenever i see him that made me smile just to hear his angelic voice.

[@rjramone4051]

5:00 Zappa facts!

[@brokl26]

As he always delivered.

[@Ernesto87]

One band that was a victim of these record execs that I can think of is Badfinger. When they moved to Warner Bros, that's when thing went sour. It was not only their conniving thief of a manager, but also Warner Bros that had a hand in Badfinger's demise.

[@nintony2994]

Been listening to John Fogerty/CCR for a while now and just years ago I found out his tragic story of his song legalities between him and Saul Zaentz. I'm really happy to see he is doing a lot better now since then and he's gotten a few of his songs back now. Love John Fogerty and his Music

[@Madkalibyr]

Nice selection 🙏🤘🏻

[@nunyabizness3540]

Zappa is onto it

[@BETAtheBETA]

Record labels can be such a-holes😢

[@yourmomlovespenis]

So is Trent Reznor. He pays his on stage musicians as low as he possibly can. Weird how the oppressed became the oppressor 🙄

[@brianpeterson7557]

Absolutely true from what ive seen.I'm a fan of the underground heavy metal scene and i have heard a lot of those bands have gotten screwed over by these labels pulling this fucking bullshit about publishing and royalties. They were ripping these guys off because that music didn't sell millions. And they played all these games with those kind of bands because it's really about greed not art. A band like Celtic frost is a prime example of how they got screwed over in the 80s because they were doing something very different at that time and their record label was pulling all kinds of bullshit...canceling tours canceling videos messing with their albums productions etc...just insane and they got away with it back then. You gotta watch everything they do when you sign a record contract cause you never know what they're going to pull.

[@user-zq1px9yb7g]

Can be? The labels is why the industry is in the toilet!

[@User-54631]

That right cause stars are known for their low maintence and down to earth approach to things.

[@123theprodigy5]

I once read that there was this beef between Linkin Park and Warner brothers, I wonder what happened. did they have a bad contract or something.

[@archibaldcabebe6062]

"They said, 'Release 'Remote Control'' But we didn't want it on the label" -The Clash ("Complete Control")

[@andyturnbullguitarteacher]

Trent’s, as always, a head of his time

[@AGoodJoe]

I fkin love Trent Reznor

[@rascaltuff]

damn. Courtney actually making sense.. from on high, but still.

[@seanmckelvey6618]

even a broken clock is right at least once a day.

[@infinidominion]

Francis B knew what was up from childlike honesty

[@robertmedeiros5112]

Soon there will be no labels. They are doing a great job at digging their own grave

[@jamescoker2773]

Bands can now record, produce, and distribute their own music without a record label.

[@krymera666x7]

With the available resources to record and produce your own music these days, along with the ease of distribution, labels aren’t needed. Touring companies and management is all that’s really needed.

[@user-ge6vo4hj1t]

I never thought I would agree with Courtney Love, but even a broke clock is right twice a day

[@wretchedforever]

I'm not a thief. Definitely wouldn't go to jail for a Nine Inch nails cd.

[@bakeNeat]

Artists make their money touring. Now the record companies want to get into a cut of everything to do with that now, including merch. Record companies are a bad deal.

[@drgonzo9148]

Only if your dumbass gets caught

[@GarciansVortex]

Good for you square

[@wretchedforever]

That being said, I love Nine Inch Nails, but stealing from a retailer doesn't put money in their pocket.

[@wretchedforever]

@@GarciansVortex Love the 1940s jazz reference. It's very hip.

[@mikestanislaus1107]

As a musician, you need a lawyer to really break down this shit these record companies are handing you. A trap in every word!

[@ivorycybernetics]

Im a starving musician. My will to live has just left the building.

[@tarkenton3895]

I know she's not technically a rocker, but are we really not going to talk about Nina Simone attempting to shoot a label executive that stole her album and refused to pay her?

[@anonymousmc7727]

You don’t have to sign anything 😂😂😂😂

[@GoodGuyChucky-666]

In modern day where artists have the tools/platforms to release their music directly to the world bypassing the gatekeepers like the record labels, you would think record labels would be irrelevant, but that's not the case unfortunately, a record labels are helpful for capital aka money which is basically a loan that the label needs to to be repaid and also can be in marketing and distribution which is a lot of work, some artists rightfully question what can a record label can do that i can't?

[@bostonredsox49]

2:24 Frrrrrrrunkis

[@badmotorfox1097]

It's so funny to me that some people talk about how exploitive streaming services are now (which they are) and their solution is buying physical copies as if record labels were never and don't continue to be just as bad, if not worse.

[@dominon929]

Props to all musicians who wanted to be themselves for what they crafted for the fans unlike those greedy, pushy, snotty, and selfish executives. Being a full time musician can be a long, bumpy, hard road to endure.

[@patientmental875]

Been going on since the 30's you would think bands would be wise to it by now but hey I get it they put you in a bad spot just to get your music out there & tour then before you know it your locked into a three album deal where you make nothing & dont even own it! Things are different now you can do it all yourself but you need to go through the nonsense to build a fanbase or following

[@hugoadancampuzano]

Frank Zappa, man.. what a legend!!

[@IBLOWN]

I think the artists make enough. At the end of the day, go and do it own your own, see how you go... You need to pay for peoples work.

[@southerncanadiancoins757]

look up voivod war and pain they got paid 1000 dollars and the record company made 50,000 in record sale thats 50,000 fans buying the record and finding out these guys got peanuts they become pretty big but fk metal records man

[@WolverineTheApex]

The artifact documentary did a great job showing how messed up signing to a record label can be. The one good thing Jared Leto has made lol.

[@Axial_Andrew]

Here we are now... Entertain us...😎

[@ashepanda4504]

Anyone else skip over Courtney the moment they saw her 😂

[@FloridaManNapalm]

Trent Reznor is so right.

[@ArkaeaFCL3]

Art should never be a product. It's the expression of the soul. You can't put a price on creativity.

[@gerardoa9179]

But the process of creating art is costly

[@jredehrlich26]

They aren't putting a price on creativity. Its everything else. I really don't want to defend record labels, but most of the positions in the video are misinformed or ignorant. The labels typically give the artists an advance, they pay for the album to be recorded, they pay for the marketing of the album, etc. All of which can end up costing millions to tens of millions of dollars. Around 95% of artists signed to labels actually lose money, and will never make back what the labels spent on them. Because of that the top 5% of all artists subsidize the remaining 95%. There are plenty of reasons to hate the labels and go after them. I just don't think this is it. If we went after all the companies involved in the music industry and stopped them from making money they would shut down, which means everyone from the receptionists, the pr people, to agents and the heads of the labels would be out of work. The ones who would take the biggest hit would be new up and coming artists. Sure the big names would be fine, but the little guys would never get the chance to potentially make it big. There's always 2 sides to each coin, the artists that complain the loudest are always the top artists, who are already worth millions, the same ones who claim to be looking out for the little guy, while simultaneously advocating for things that would directly hurt the same people they claim to be trying to help, and enriching themselves even more.

[@MeganKoumori]

Artists need to eat.

[@corpsefoot758]

If art shouldn’t be a product, then why do musicians sell it? The answer to one extreme is not equal & opposite extremes

[@Nuverotic]

They don’t give a fuck about music. They’re putting a price on your attention and wallet. They absolutely can put a price on venues, the bus, the plane, the elec, the lighting, the roadies, other crew, and artist… That shit ain’t free. Corpos are scum but art can be sold, whether you wanna feel liberal about it or not.

[@user-bn8bm5hc9r]

What is he talking about? I don't know l

[@STUFF955]

this is why you never put business majors in the entertainment industry

[@gussysussy47]

shouldve shown blink 182 ruining their label meeting in 2003

[@Nuverotic]

I’m shocked I just heard that from Courtney Love… Good for her.

[@user-zq1px9yb7g]

She is trying to say something good but has the lack of knowledge to pull it off! All the bands she listed do have their own lawyers! She can’t say much because she has basically been living off the money Kurt still brings in over her own careers accomplishments!

[@danfrancis2707]

Who nose?

[@DimebagPantera]

and strangely there is no riot about Spotify and music streaming even though this whole industry is the most ridiculous rip-off in music history

[@petarticinovic2710]

Shut up, Reznor.😅

[@fortheloveofmusic860]

The music industry is rotten to the core. It has never been about the artists.

[@urbanwarior3134]

Maybe butthead sung like tom petty

[@svendhollander7065]

Wait,Ratt ain't cool?!

[@BammyQ]

So "Taylor's version" isnt that bad of an idea

[@user-zq1px9yb7g]

Newsflash, Taylor’s versions are just money gimmicks! Big Machine Records is distributed by UMG! Republic Records is under UMG! Swift is under UMG! Can you see the dots to connect them? It’s just the beginning of the proof that she is a fraud! She talked bad about Big Machine but reluctantly forgot to tell her fans & others they are under the UMG umbrella!

[@sstaners1234]

I always saw music as art. It should never be stifled or conformed so that some fat cat who has never made art in their entire lives can make money off it.

[@gardenboydon]

"Rock n Roll" dies when the artists involved stop talking about injustices

[@cassiebloemendaal7694]

Courtney Love needs help

[@grassyknowles63]

Dumb all over.

[@jeffaguiar8970]

Capitalism as usual. Big suprise

[@brandonwhitehead6929]

Nothing to do with capitalism. The uneducated are always exploited. Young musicians tend to be uneducated.

[@CW19941]

If you say so😂😂😂Blanket Statements made by idiots. Fuck record labels

[@jimmythepirate494]

The liberal version of capitalism you mean. The American version of capitalism works for everybody who works for it.

[@User-54631]

Come paint my house for free, I bet you 500 bucks you won’t

[@jeffaguiar8970]

Read the arguements against your positions.

[@Wizzy678]

Every clip i saw of frank zappa he was whining about smth wow these avant garde artists take themselves too seriously

[@jfbmf1242]

I produced a CD myself. I hit the road and sold copies at $ 5.00 each. They didn't move very quickly at that price. Then I got a manager. The first thing he did was double the asking price of my CD. I sold out my entire inventory in one night. See the point? People didn't think my product was desirable until it had a high price tag. Don't blame the record company because people are fucking stupid.

[@corpsefoot758]

People aren’t dumb for spotting garbo when they saw it If anything, you’re the dim one for taking so long to understand why clearance-sale prices don’t encourage anybody else lmao

[@ExtremelyRightWing]

This sounds antisemitic.

[@lilgoat4257]

Without record label they would be nobody lets be honest

[@telecatsermaster]

The artists would be nobody?

[@homeland1128]

stop the cap there's shittons of artists without record labels n they do just fine lol google exist

[@yourmomlovespenis]

In the old days yes (pre 2005) these days no.

[@joepplaysdrums]

They can help the artist get more exposure and they should be rewarded for that, it’s just that the artists feel they get greedy and take more than they should

[@yourmomlovespenis]

Sooooooo that means they can steal from and exploit them at will?

[@ElAche7]

Ironic how everyone pays $300 for a decent ticket to Live Nation…

[@johndupont1413]

That’s why I quit going to live shows. I remember being in high school and $60 would get you a ticket, a tshirt and a tour poster. Last show I went to was Knotfest Iowa 2021 and was probably the last show I will go to. Fuck Live Nation and Mammoth.

[@ZackMorris1015]

Last concert I went to was Type O Negative in 2008. Tickets were about $25.

[@ethansbluefox3studioscreat134]

That's why I'm hated.. I won't sign.... I love music...because I love music... to help people with this journey called life....

[@Fromheroin2heavenbound]

Dude imo Courtney is responsible for Kurts death. I believe that she is the one who pulled the trigger bcuz she got super popular right after his death.. which is really sus!