Will Rolling Stones New Album Bring Fans Back Into Record Stores?

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Will Rolling Stones New Album Bring Fans Back Into Record Stores?

The Rolling Stones have announced that they are releasing their first new album of brand new songs in 18 years. The album entitled Hackney Diamonds is due to be released on October 20, 2023. For Rolling Stone fans, this is simply the best news they have heard in well, 18 years. This is the longest stretch of time between new original Rolling Stone albums in the band’s career. The group’s most recent studio album was released in 2016 entitled Blue & Lonesome. That album was a throwback to their early albums that heavily featured blues covers. The record industry has changed dramatically since the band’s last studio album released in 2005 called A Bigger Bang. Although mps 3s had already been around for a while back then, in 2005 music fans were still buying CDs in the early part of the 21st century. As we all know, that is no longer the case. With the exception of the recent vinyl fad and resurgence, music fans in 2023 get the majority of their music from streaming. Can a new Rolling Stones album change that?

Remember Terry all the record stores we used to go to see? Records stores were everywhere in the good old days from the main streets to the backstreets, to shopping malls to the countryside, you could find a record store, Most of them are all gone now. So before we answer the question as to whether or not a new Rolling Stones album can get people back into the record stores, we probably should be asking the question are there any more record stores left? Sure, there are some, a few in every city have kind of survived especially due to the recent vinyl resurgence. Barnes and Noble still carry records. Many of the other big chains like Best Buy have actually stopped carrying music. And of course, there’s Amazon, but we all know where Amazon lives. I think they might have a warehouse in my backyard they’re so fast nowadays.

There are not many legendary bands left still releasing new music. Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney are still releasing new albums and sadly they don’t seem to be really bringing people back into the record stores. Is it the age of fans who follow these artists that have stopped buying physical music? Any music fan who grew up with the Beatles The Stones, or Springsteen as a teenager is in their 60s or 70s or even older. Many of these fans are now living on Social Security and limited incomes. Have you seen the price of a new vinyl record in Barnes & Noble? Single albums go for an average of 20 to $30. We know this new Rolling Stones album is going to be released on vinyl as we even have the pre-vinyl sale link to Amazon in this article and the price tag is over 30 dollars. for what looks to be a single vinyl record release. Can someone living on Social Security and having a hard time just buying food afford to pay that much money for a new vinyl record? I highly doubt that.

I don’t think we’ll be seeing young fans, such as teenagers or 20-somethings going out and buying a new Rolling Stones album. They have not grown up with the Rolling Stones. They have grown up with Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Most young music fans under 40 have not grown up buying music with the exception of the vinyl fad. Remember when we used to buy vinyl albums in the ’70s? We’d buy one or two a week. Most teens and 20-somethings who buy vinyl nowadays, by one or two a year. It’s more of a fashion statement to them than it was a way of life for us.

Of course, putting all these questions aside as to whether or not the Rolling Stones will sell vinyl or CDs of their new album, it’s still great news to hear that a new Rolling Stone album is coming out. The Rolling Stones have announced that they’re actually even releasing a single from the album entitled “Angry.” Mick Jagger said that the new album contains all types of material from love songs to ballads to even country-type songs. That’s pretty much the type of material we have found on every Rolling Stones album. And that’s a good thing.

The new Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds will also feature some pretty big All-Star guest appearances. Speaking of Paul McCartney he joins the fun as well as Stevie Wonder and even modern-day pop music star Lady Gaga. The late Charlie Watts also appears on the album as the Stones had recorded some material with him while he was still alive. Rounding out the drum work for the rest of the album will be Steve Jordan who has been with the band since Charlie Watts had become sick and passed away. Old-time Rolling Stone fans will be happy to hear that the former bass player Bill Wyman also makes an appearance on the album.

For those wondering what Hackney Diamonds may actually mean it’s pretty much just a slang term for the saying shattered glass. If you look at the album cover below, it will make more sense.

Will the Rolling Stones album bring people back into the record stores; well probably some. Of course, the band’s management knows what they’re doing as the new album is being released in late October just in time for the holidays. We all know how much a nice deluxe double or even triple LP vinyl version of the new Rolling Stones album will make as wonderful gift for music fans. I hope my wife reads this.

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