It was announced recently that the UK's global share of music had declined from 17% in 2015 to 12% last recorded year. The drop reflects the improving reach of nations such as South Korea, with its K-pop phenomenon, and it still leaves Britain holding on to a significant slice of the international market.
But I can't help feeling that the British music scene is not as vibrant or influential as it once was. Of course, every generation tends towards nostalgia when it comes to popular culture, and I can recall thinking as a teenager in the late 1970s that I'd missed out on a golden era of British music - the Beatles, the Stones et al - 10 years earlier. In fact, I was living through a wonderful period in its own right but didn't have the perspective to realise it. I grew up in Camden Town, which was, and remains, a music hub in London. I went to a school in Chalk Farm, opposite the legendary Roundhouse, where just about every music act from Jimi Hendrix to Split Enz has played.
Denne historien er fra November 25 - December 1, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 25 - December 1, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.