MUSIC
In 1994 people bought their music from shops like Our Price, HMV, Virgin and Tower Records. HMV had 120 stores in the UK in 1994. The HMV store in London had four levels and it was so big it had an escalator.
“I remember a very troubled and lengthy session in
Freelance journalist Caroline Thorpe
HMV deliberating with friends over what to buy.”
“People used to queue up over night to be the first to buy the new release”.
Freelance journalist Caroline Thorpe
“You made some serious friends with
Alan Cross from Dead Dog Productions
like-minded fans in line”
The music shops did not only sell music, but they had in-store DJs and autograph sessions. It was a place to go and socialise. A place to be with other people who loved music and spend time together.
Then in 2005 music streaming services like Napster started and grew. Spotify began in 2008 & this was different to the other music streaming services because it was the first one to offer users unlimited steaming on songs of their choice. This totally changed how people bought and listened to music. People moved away from traditional physical CDs and records and went to streaming platforms. There are now very few record shops left in the UK.
This graph shows the decline in HMV stores in the UK.
This graph shows the huge rise in Spotify users.
Therefore, buying music in 1994 used to a social event. Music stores were a place to meet and feel connected. However, now in 2024, music streaming means that no social interaction is needed, leaving us atomised and isolated.