Open Letter to Bon Jovi on What's Really 'Killing the Music Business'

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Posted March 17, 2011 at 11:22am by iClarified

iLounge has written an open letter to Jon Bon Jovi on what's really "Killing the music business"

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Hi Jon,

When my wife—a huge and long-time Bon Jovi fan—asked me to spend over $300 for two floor seat tickets to your Valentine's Day show in Toronto, there were two reasons that I said yes. First, I really love my wife, and would do almost anything for her. Second, I looked through my iTunes collection and realized that there were more good Bon Jovi songs inside than there were for most of the musicians I “love.” Once my wife assured me that your concerts focus mostly on the songs I liked, I plunked down the cash for the seats, and spent the next four months watching my wife smile every time we discussed Valentine's Day.

To be totally honest with you, the concert was great. We both had a lot of fun, snapped pictures and video clips from the floor, and told our friends and family how much we enjoyed it.
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But now you're putting our happy memories in jeopardy. For whatever reason, you told The Sunday Times Magazine during an interview that "Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business." I'm not going to try and tell you all of the ways that you're deeply, profoundly wrong. Instead, I'm just going to focus on a few of them.

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Open Letter to Bon Jovi on What's Really 'Killing the Music Business'

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jim james - March 17, 2011 at 2:46pm

1) I personally don't like their music, but I would hardly call a music group pulling in $146.5 Million per year from touring a bunch of "has been". 2) Although not as great as in the past, but the music industry was in relatively great shape before the popularization of the mp3. And what caused this popularization of the mp3? Steve Job's iPod. 3) Sure, iTunes makes a lot of money selling mp3s, but this is just Steve Jobs milking a dying industry. There have been many record execs on record saying that Apple's terms of selling mp3s has been less than beneficial. Jobs is certainly not saving the music industry, but letting it die slower just to make some extra coin.

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Jim James - March 17, 2011 at 2:38pm

I have to disagree with whatever his name is from iLounge. I think he is completely missing Jon Bon Jovi's point. This has nothing to do with Bon Jovi's fame or how much money they are making off tours. Bon Jovi never stated that Jobs is killing off Bon Jovi, but killing off the music industry. That said, I find it very ironic he mentions money made off tours. Truth is, artists make very, very little off CD sales. From the $15 CD, they only made about $1-$3 off of it. Bon Jovi, or any other artist, was never or will never earn $15 per CD sold. They make the majority of their money from touring, hence the high ticket price of Bon Jovi's shows. Anyways, what Jon Bon Jovi meant is the popularization of the digital track. The mp3 was something only "computer nerd" played with before the iPod. Due to iPod, the popularity of the mp3 has skyrocketed. What comes with mp3s and a way to play them now being ubiquitous comes easy piracy. This is what is killing the industry. The relatively easy to obtain (via piracy) and easy to use music digital file (via Apple's iPod). And I'm not acting all righteous because I do it myself.

dancj - March 17, 2011 at 6:38pm

That might have been valid if it's what JBJ was saying, but I don't think it was. I think he was just getting nostalgic for the uncertainty of buying albums without knowing whether they'd be any good - to which the appropriate response is "tough titty - the current generation actually likes not wasting money on crap"

Me - March 17, 2011 at 11:34pm

I'd agree with dan. Piracy was along way before iPods and iTunes. Remember napster. Now there are hundreds of torrents to download from. If anything iTunes has put back some cash flow back into the industry. I don't mind doing a dollar here or there but most of my music and movie collection is pirated.

Louis - March 18, 2011 at 12:06pm

Hi Jim James: I never looked at it the way you put, about artists making a minute fraction off CD sales. That # you wrote between 1-3 $, you sure about that? I was under the impression that it was like 60-40 (60 record company, 40 artist). By the way, I'm only getting into this discussion not because of Bon Jovi, I don't listen to his music. I'm more into jazz, classical and indie-alternative. For me, iTunes enables me to preview a 90-second track after which I proceed to buy the whole (packaged) CD irrespective of whether I like all the tracks or not. I'm a music lover and in time, I end up liking what I invested by purchasing a CD complete with liner notes and all that transpired in the making of the (said) album. As for Jon Bon Jovi, he may have his own reasons for saying that iTunes is killing the music industry. He's entitled to his opinion.

Jeremy - March 17, 2011 at 2:07pm

He is just pissed because instead of making $10-$15 a cd he is making one $2-$3 because like all artists of the time Rey come out with new shot every year or twice a year and take no time for quality CDs out of 12 songs 10 will b shit and 2 will b good but outplayed on the radio. If it wasn't for iTunes I wouldn't ever waste money on an album that's what torrents are for. But I do end up spending a lot hearing a song I like and instead of trying to remember it when I get home I just instantly download it on my phone. Then u have to remember the indie scene. Most the bands can't afford to mainstream themselves and iTunes helps with that. First band I can think of is atomic Tom. I saw a video of them doing a song using iPhones and the only place I could find it was on iTunes. I looked threw multiple torrents and couldn't find it. To my surprise though it was a rare album for me were I liked much more than half the album. My words to Jon ur music is old the times have changed if u can't change with it or don't like the change retire!

PReaper - March 17, 2011 at 12:21pm

In your face poodle Jovi haha!

Simon - March 17, 2011 at 12:12pm

A considered, relevant, important and educated response to a frankly bizarre claim by Jon Bon Jovi. Well said.

Junaid - March 17, 2011 at 11:46am

Well done!