Tom Dunne: I'm in mourning for the end of the era of the band
Damon Albarnb and Graham Coxon of Blur in 1997. Is the reign of such bands finished? (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“You don’t know what you’ve got til its gone” as Joni Mitchell once sang, and in the case of bands it couldn’t be more true.
The era of the band – as in a small group of musicians who play music - is over.
You didn’t notice it ending either did you? The evidence, sadly. is overwhelming.
I discovered said shocking fact via the podcast The Rest is Entertainment. Part of the Goalhanger stable that has also given us the wonderful The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics podcasts. Both of those work brilliantly, but entertainment is a more challenging prospect.
It is presented by Richard Osman (famous for having written The Thursday Night Murder Club books, and for being the TV producer behind Pointless) and Marina Hyde. Hyde is a Guardian journalist who writes, with particularly wit, on celebrity, politics and sport.
The issue, as in any entertainment show, is that sometimes a sharp intellect isn’t the greatest gift in the world when facing into what distracts the masses. Hard to discuss Love Island and Dylan’s 1974 World Tour – available this week on a 76 CD set! - without losing both audiences, immediately.
However, in a recent podcast, Osman – whose brother is the bass player in Suede, so kudos – floored me. “Why is no one talking about the complete disappearance of bands from the singles charts? he asked. “Tell me more,” said Marina. Yes, tell us all Richard!
Osman had done a bit of research, and the figures were jaw dropping. This being mid 2024, essentially halfway through this decade, he compared statistics for band successes in this half decade with those of the first half of the 1980s and ’90s.
And what can I say? Make a brew and sit down, there’s something you need to know. In the first half of the 1980s there was a band at number one in the UK singles charts for 146 of the 260 weeks. Glorious bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and other giants like The Pretenders, The Police, Soft Cell, The Jam and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
In the first half of the 1990s it wasn’t much different. Bands were at Number One for 141 of the 260 weeks. Bands such as U2, Wet Wet Wet, and Blur.
In the first half of this decade, about 238 weeks and counting, there have been only THREE weeks during which a band has been at number one. And it gets worse. One of them was a BBC 1 Live Lounge All Stars creation, one was the lost Beatles song, and the other was Little Mix!
“Ay, caramba!” as Bart would say.
What is going on? Hyde and Osman got quite philosophical on this. Individualism as espoused through the growth of stand-up comedy was mentioned. Going out there and doing it on your own is not only a more established idea now, but with technology it is easier and cheaper.
Plus, collaboration is, these days, the name of the game. My knowledge of this is based mainly the display in the car when my children pick the music: SZA feat. Central Cee, Drake feat. Sexyy Red, Beabadoobee feat. Laufey. The list goes on.
And it makes enormous sense. Each guest brings their own universe to the party. It isn’t just a matter of adding a third part harmony — it’s a world view, a style, a signature vocal or a counterpoint. It’s generally brilliant.
Sexyy Red’s contribution on Drake’s ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ is a case in point. It is one of the moments of the decade. If Friends was still being written, they’d base an episode on it.
So where does this leave the traditional band? Lost in the margins of history? Doomed? A relic of a bygone time? And what have we lost, if anything?
When I formed my first band it was more of a social construct than an attempt to become famous. Thankfully punk was in vogue so musically ability was not a big deal. It was more a way to find your tribe.
We lost Duke Fakir this week, the last surviving member of The Four Tops. He met Levi Stubbs and the other members at High School. They performed together, without personnel changes, for over four decades. Can’t see anything like that ever happening again.
Adieu Duke, adieu the band era!
