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# How Obsolescence Shapes Popular Music
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/how-technological-and-psychological-obsolescence-shaped-popular-music-in-america/
- Published: 2009-08-04T07:12:00.000Z
- Updated: 2009-08-04T07:12:00.000Z
- Description: "Near the end of the twentieth century, Major Labels that embraced disposability and commercial music as a viable way to achieve repetitive consumption realized that in catering previously to niche. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/08/how-technological-and-psychological-obsoles
- Author: admin
- Tags: Uncategorized, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:03

[![Capture](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/farm3-static-flickr-com/2643/3788019332_1e69502d01.jpg "Capture")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/23641367@N08/3788019332/?ref=hypebot.com "Capture by Encrpyed Memories, on Flickr")"Near the end of the twentieth century, Major Labels that embraced disposability and commercial music as a viable way to achieve repetitive consumption realized that in catering previously to niche acts and genre specific music, they had severely limited their potential market.

But, in abandoning their more risk averse, ‘gut-feeling’ mindset, they began to operate in a very conservative way, which caused them to try to minimize the very risks that built their industry."

  
Don't miss Kyle Bylin's latest essay:  
[**Conditioned To Steal: Popular Music and Obsolescence in America**](https://www.hypebot.com/conditioned-to-steal-popular-music-and-obsolescence-in-america/)