Jon Bon Jovi slams Steve Jobs for 'killing' music

San Fran Chronic ^ | March 14 2011 at 02:40 PM

[dennisw]

Jon Bon Jovi has taken aim at Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, accusing him of "killing" the music industry with iTunes.

The rocker is saddened that children no longer enjoy the "magical" experience of buying records in a store because of the ease of downloading individual tracks onto an iPod.

And he lays the blame for the generational shift in music-buying at the feet of technology mogul Jobs.

Bon Jovi tells The Sunday Times Magazine, "Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it.

"God, it was a magical, magical time. I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: 'What happened?' Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business."

[Vaquero]

Hes a cowboy...
on a buggy he rides
he wants buggy whips dead or alive

[catfish1957]

Back when I was a kid, I probably spent close to 75% of my allowance on LP’s. $6 bucks for an album, and in retrospect it was stealing from children. I view every download now as a karma filled experience.

[jimbo123]

Jon...Shut up and PLEASE DON’T SING!

[Free in Texas]

“Give the finger to the rock-n-roll singer as he dances upon your paycheck...” - Beck, “Pay no mind”

[Fresh Wind]

I’ve got news for Mr. BJ: the CD began to kill music when it eliminated “singles.” Kids who once bought one song and liked it returned to buy the whole album. But once CDs came out, they learned that there is a lot of junk on the album.

Actually, the same thing happened with the LP and the 45.

Back in the dark ages, you could actually go into a record store (or a store selling records) and go into a little booth, and play the records that you were thinking of buying.

Now, with on-line music retailing, you can do the same thing. We've just gotten back to where we should have been all along!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Interesting “close your eyes”. Jobs may have facilitated this revolution but video ala MTV lit the fuse.

[Rummyfan]

JBJ needs to join the twenty-first century. He’d be even more bummed to know that I have none of his dreck on my iPod. OTOH, he is a great supporter of our troops.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Bon Jovi tells The Sunday Times Magazine, "Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it.

But Jon...I was buying music...not a painting.

[InvisibleChurch]

why not do a report abuse and have the thread deleted?

[Drawsing]

I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: 'What happened?' Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business."

And you kids get out of my yard!

[MalPearce]

You said it!

When did you last see an early CD or pre-CD era juke box that allowed you to look at the album cover, read the lyrics and randomize the track order?

I was converting my CDs to MP3 way back in 1998 simply because I wanted a juke box but don’t have enough space for a real one. These days my media center is like a juke box - got the album art, got the lyrics, got the pamphlets, got the random track order, the custom playlists and the nightclub-style ceiling projections and all the kit to do it will fit on one shelf in the living room.

JBJ’s showing his age... just like the media stooges who’ve spent the better part of the past 15 years trying to preserve what is, to all intents and purposes, a delivery technology that’s wasteful, inefficient, soulless and overpriced from a consumer perspective compared to either vinyl or media center.

[Yaelle]

Bull piles. There was nothing magical about buying albums. Everyone (some rare album exceptions) hated having to buy the whole album for two good songs and eight shoddy ones.

[the invisib1e hand]

Bon Jovi killed music, not Steve Jobs.

the information industry has killed the easy money in music distribution, and the rock star of the 70s and 80s lifestyle, like its turned every other racket upside down.

if springsteen is the boss than Bon jovi is the administrative assistant. anytime I've had to hear or read anything this bimbo has said I've been left marveling.

as for me, I've bought more music on iTunes in the last year than in the ten years prior to using it. And i prefer vinyl.

[sauropod]

*sob*

[LS]

But you make a key distinction: you could play the 45. I don't ever recall---could be wrong---a time when you could go in and play albums in a booth. The 45 was designed to hook you into buying the more expensive albums.

[Egon]

It needed killin’

[napscoordinator]

How strange. Who cares that kids can’t buy records at a music store. Downloading is just as good and better quality. Kids are not missing a thing. This is like a housewife from the 50’s blaming the inventor of the dryer because people can’t experience hanging out laundry. Get with the times Bon Jovi. Seriously how stupid of him to complain about things. If it were up to him we would still be living the way we did in 1900.....ugh.

[absolootezer0]

"Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it.

One of the things i like about itunes is that when you d/l a song, you get the album artwork with it. not so with napster or kazaa or limewire.
also consider that the artist probably makes more off 3 songs d/l'ed from itunes than a physical album, as the overhead cost is significantly less.

[nhwingut]

The “record industry” has been relegated to an end cap in the back of Wal Mart, next to the duct tape and toilet paper. Right where they belong.

[Bookwoman]

“putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it. “

So he wants to take advantage of people who get swayed by pretty covers? He wants people to buy songs without knowing what they are? He wants people to buy a bunch of crap they don’t want just to buy a few things they do want? Sorry. People can still go to the store and buy CDs, but it won’t be me.