Downloads, Live Aid and, er, the Spice Girls are named top of the pops

Published on Sunday 6 December 2009 21:53

DIGITAL downloading has been named the most important music "event" in the past 30 years.

The launch of the development has shaped the music industry more than any other, according to a new report.

The survey, released today, named Live Aid – the international day of concerts to raise money for famine relief in Africa – the second most important music event.

Band Aid's groundbreaking 1984 single Do They Know It's Christmas? helped to spark the massive Live Aid concerts at London's Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in July 1985 – dubbed "the day that rock 'n' roll changed the world".

Digital music broadcaster Music Choice, which questioned more than 5,000 people across Europe, found that Michael Jackson's death was seen as the most important demise in musical terms, coming in fourth place overall.

The death of grunge king Kurt Cobain, the Nirvana frontman, was in eighth place, while Beatle John Lennon's death was at number five.

The creation of reality television talent shows such as The X-Factor was in ninth position.

The survey of music fans also revealed that the splitting up of the Spice Girls was seen as highly influential, coming in at number ten.

Band Aid was formed by Bob Geldof, who was moved by news reports on famine in Ethiopia. He and Ultravox singer Midge Ure worked to put together Do They Know It's Christmas?, which featured a "supergroup" of top acts of the time.

Kevin Spector, head of music programming at Music Choice, said that digital downloads had given music-lovers access to songs wherever they were in the world.

"Downloads and digital access to music have revolutionised the way we listen to our favourite songs," he said.

"In comparison to 25 years ago, in 1984, when the only access people had to music was via cassette tapes, records, radio or TV, or live concerts, we are now able to access any music anywhere.

"However, the fact that Live Aid has proved so influential to so many people, even after all this time, is certainly an indication of how much we value the heritage of that music."

Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies at the University of Stirling, agreed that digital music downloading had been the most significant change in the music industry for a long time.

"Basically, it has fundamentally changed the way we buy and listen to music," he said.

"Previously, people might hear a song on the radio and then go to a music store to buy it. Now all that is just a click away on a computer."

Prof Sparks went on: "Currently, the type of music people can get access to digitally is somewhat restricted, as there are not that many back catalogues – it is all current stuff. However, that is all changing."

He also said that, while many music stores would continue to struggle, it was not all doom and gloom for them.

"There will always be some music stores – perhaps selling more specialist stuff – and in a good location," he said.

"Even with the computer age, people do like to browse, relax and listen to music in an environment which is neither home or work.

"That is what stores provide and that should mean that some of them will continue to survive."