DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
The_Hook_Up said:
I am sure I have seen many, many more Iron Maiden and Misfits t-shirts than Sex Pistols t-shirts....
Seen more Clash t-shirts than Pistols, too. I wouldn't necessarily include Maiden in that list according to Rock's criteria, as they're still filling stadiums worldwide - I'd sub them for Led Zeppelin and/or Motorhead. A mention in dispatches for Joy Division too.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
deathvalley90210 said:
which band wins the merch sold vs. albums sold contest?
t-shirts seem to be the tip of the iceberg/so 15 years ago.
have there been 3 pair of misfts flip-flops sold for each misfits album sold?
what is the ratio of ramones shot glasses sold vs. ramones albums sold?
I think there's always been an element of society for whom appearing to have the knowledge is more important than actually having it.
Back in the late 80s/early 90s in the UK, during the so-called Madchester era, there were loads of what were sometimes referred to as "t-shirt bands", the Inspiral Carpets and James being the two most successful of these. The term arose because these bands actually sold more t-shirts than they did records - and they sold quite a lot of records. You'd go to their shows and just about every kid in the audience would be wearing one of about a half-dozen or more different styles/colours, usually an outsize long-sleeve job bearing the band's logo. You'd see kids buying them two or three at a time at the merch stall, and record stores would give them almost as much rack space and prominence as CDs or vinyl.
Now we're in the age of Officially Licensed Merchandise, it's occurred to yer so-called "heritage acts", especially those with iconic logos like the Stones, AC/DC or The Ramones, that you can turn that logo into a whole new income stream. You still get the "appearing to have the knowledge" types rocking them, though. I won't bother with names, as they won't mean much to most of you, but in the mid-00s, a particularly irritating UK sports show anchor was given his own Letterman/Leno/Conan-style live talk show. In one of the first shows (possibly the very first), one of his guests took the piss out of his Ramones t-shirt and challenged him to name a Ramones album. He couldn't. Pity it's not on YouTube, because it was funny as fuck watching it go out.
I am sure I have seen many, many more Iron Maiden and Misfits t-shirts than Sex Pistols t-shirts....
Seen more Clash t-shirts than Pistols, too. I wouldn't necessarily include Maiden in that list according to Rock's criteria, as they're still filling stadiums worldwide - I'd sub them for Led Zeppelin and/or Motorhead. A mention in dispatches for Joy Division too.
the thing w/ bands like the Misfits and Motorhead is you get the feeling that only about 25% of the people wearing their shirts even listen to the band...
like lil pharell skate clone kids wearing Misfits shirts or weekend warrior "rockers" w/ their motorhead t's copped from target...
Comments
Seen more Clash t-shirts than Pistols, too. I wouldn't necessarily include Maiden in that list according to Rock's criteria, as they're still filling stadiums worldwide - I'd sub them for Led Zeppelin and/or Motorhead. A mention in dispatches for Joy Division too.
I think there's always been an element of society for whom appearing to have the knowledge is more important than actually having it.
Back in the late 80s/early 90s in the UK, during the so-called Madchester era, there were loads of what were sometimes referred to as "t-shirt bands", the Inspiral Carpets and James being the two most successful of these. The term arose because these bands actually sold more t-shirts than they did records - and they sold quite a lot of records. You'd go to their shows and just about every kid in the audience would be wearing one of about a half-dozen or more different styles/colours, usually an outsize long-sleeve job bearing the band's logo. You'd see kids buying them two or three at a time at the merch stall, and record stores would give them almost as much rack space and prominence as CDs or vinyl.
Now we're in the age of Officially Licensed Merchandise, it's occurred to yer so-called "heritage acts", especially those with iconic logos like the Stones, AC/DC or The Ramones, that you can turn that logo into a whole new income stream. You still get the "appearing to have the knowledge" types rocking them, though. I won't bother with names, as they won't mean much to most of you, but in the mid-00s, a particularly irritating UK sports show anchor was given his own Letterman/Leno/Conan-style live talk show. In one of the first shows (possibly the very first), one of his guests took the piss out of his Ramones t-shirt and challenged him to name a Ramones album. He couldn't. Pity it's not on YouTube, because it was funny as fuck watching it go out.
outside of the internet i have never seen anyone wear one in real life.
the thing w/ bands like the Misfits and Motorhead is you get the feeling that only about 25% of the people wearing their shirts even listen to the band...
like lil pharell skate clone kids wearing Misfits shirts or weekend warrior "rockers" w/ their motorhead t's copped from target...