Adam Clayton of U2: The music fan is "an outdated idea".

[40FootWolf]

"The commercial challenges have to be confronted," bassist Adam Clayton said. "But I think, in a sense, the more interesting challenge is, 'What is rock 'n' roll in this changing world?' Because, to some extent, the concept of the music fan -- the concept of the person who buys music and listens to music for the pleasure of music itself -- is an outdated idea."

Read the full article here.

I think a couple of questions need to be addressed:

1. What does that statement even mean, when it gets right down to it? And,

2. More importantly, is it true?

[afterstasis]

dear adam,
stick to the bass... you suck at talking.

[MovieFreak921]

I'm not really sure what that statement is supposed to mean. In fact, scratch that. I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about. At all.

[Der_Lex]

A more humble or perhaps smarter man would come to the conclusion that his band's album didn't sell as well as expected because it quite frankly wasn't that good, instead of reaching for more far-fetched explanations about music fans.

Then again, if U2 had such humility and self-awareness, their last three albums probably wouldn't have been so terrible.

[Magnet]

The concept of people buying and listening to music because they find it pleasurable is now "outdated" because U2 didn't sell as many albums as they wanted?

Wow.

[LegendofRock3021]

dear adam,
stick to the bass... you suck at talking.

Agreed, ridiculous to say the least.

[Idiostock]

Dear U2
Please play less songs at your concerts so that Muse has more stage time. They're better than you by a scale factor of 9001.

Also, wtf lasers.

[killer_roach]

I think the pure "music fan" is a smaller class than it used to be, but that is largely a function of an increase in the number of entertainment activities available to the average person. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

In addition, we are looking at an upcoming generation who is consuming media in ways previously unknown... the people who pore over old LPs will be around for quite some time, but there will be a new group of people who don't have the same passive connection to music that their parents did. The challenge for the musician is to either appeal to those who seek the greater aspect of entertainment convergence, or hone your craft to the point where you become sought after by the old guard of music fans.

You can't expect the world to stay the same around you. Either you change with the world, or you learn to assume a different vantage point within it. Plain and simple.

[chumsicles]

U2 Disappointed by 'No Line' Only Going Platinum Once

Gee, only once?! HOW DISAPPOINTING


They should be happy their ****ty new album even hit gold.

[Alright_Computer]

Or maybe, just maybe, the music fans, you know, don't listen to new U2. Most of the music-minded people I talk to both on the internet and in real life pretty much universally agree than modern U2 is pretty mediocre. Also, if you're complaining about an album "only" going platinum when it's barely been out for half a year, you know you're getting a bit greedy.