Photo: Aerosmith | By Susana Pérez Posada, Stacker | Slide show | In the age of on-demand streaming, have solo stars killed off bands for good? Despite decades of band culture, new research suggests that the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll may be over. Nirvana. Guns N’ Roses. The Eagles. Van Halen. Aerosmith. For those of a certain age, these names need no introduction. They are the sounds, faces, and albums that accompanied some of the most monumental moments in history.
From the height of the hippie movement in 1960s Haight Ashbury to the shooting of President Reagan and the fall of the Berlin Wall in the 80s, bands have defined American culture for decades. They have provided the soundtrack to some of the most pivotal moments in modern history, have been America’s biggest cultural export, and gave rise to psychedelia, stadium rock, and hip hop. So, where have all the bands gone?
It’s All About Solo Acts and Collabs Now | According to new research, the last 30 years have seen band culture replaced by solo stars and one-time collaborations. The hysteria that surrounded the Beatles is now reserved for Taylor Swift. The chart-topping run of Bon Jovi is now replicated by Beyonce. It’s been decades since the heyday of American bands at the top of the charts—but why? When did bands start to lose out to solo artists? And when did collaborations enter the picture?
To answer these pressing questions, Skoove teamed up with the research experts at DataPulse Research. Together, the team analyzed 67 years of U.S. chart history to pinpoint exactly when solo stars began to eclipse band culture—and the reasons behind that shift.
Here’s a look at the data that saw Beyonce overshadow Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake become a chart topper without *NSYNC.
Bands Have Struggled to Generate Star Power for More Than Two Decades
The decline of bands is nothing new—but it is a tale of two halves. Between August 1958 and September 2024, just 34% of the top spots on the charts were claimed by bands. While you might think that there would be strength in numbers, that isn’t true for the likes of Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Metallica. Half of the top charting songs were recorded by solo artists and 16% were collaborations.
Bands accounted for around a third of the songs charting in the 1950s, while solo artists like Doris Day, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly were household names. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, bands claimed more air time and more fans, and split the charts with notable solo stars. From here, things started to slide.
Bands went from occupying 41% of chart positions in 1995 to just 4% in 2023. It’s been 24 years since *NSYNC topped the charts as a boy band, but Justin Timberlake has enjoyed stratospheric success as a solo star in the years since. Destiny’s Child disbanded in 2006, but lead singer Beyonce has gone on to be the most awarded artist in Grammy history, one of the most decorated artists of all time at the MTV Video Music Awards, and a Coachella and Glastonbury headliner.
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This study is largely based on the US’s “Billboard Hot 100” weekly charts from August 1958 to September 2024. Over this 67-year period, charts included 100 song placements every week (with the exception of a few years that had 99 top songs). In total, 334,887 songs were in the database.
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Go here to read more. Beware: This is a SLIDE show with the story below the photos:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/bands-can-no-longer-compete-with-solo-artsts-on-the-billboard-charts-here-s-why/
This story originally appeared on Skoove, was produced in collaboration with DataPulse and distributed by Stacker. https://www.skoove.com/en
Photo: Aerosmith
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