The tipping point has been reached. The Black Keys have crossed over from being a respected band followed by devoted fans who thought no one else knew about them into a band now known by the general music buying and listening public.
It’s only recently happened with the release of the Brothers album and subsequent events following. Enough evidence has already assembled itself to suggest the band has crossed over into mainstream, popular consciousness. From here they can only get better and bigger.
It’s only taken six albums and eight years of recording and touring to happen. For any long term fan, it’s great to have seen and enjoy.
What signs have been missed? Maybe you think the tipping point is yet to happen?
The signs:
- The Black Keys’ album Brothers debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts in the USA. The stats don’t lie.
- The band are playing the main stages of all the biggest festivals in the world – Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, to name a few
- They are touring with Kings of Leon for 3 weeks and supported Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden in the USA. They are not only deemed worthy but The Black Keys seem to have finally embraced the opportunity to be as popular as possible.
- The band has sold out three shows in New York on 27 & 28 July – two at the Summer Stage, Central Park, (5000 capacity) and one at Terminal 5 (3000 capacity) where they will come on stage at 11pm. New York has always been the arbiter of popularity in US music. The band’s early promotion for Brothers focussed heavily on New York where media influencers are based. It’s paid off. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere…
- It may seem trite but when American Idol contestants cover your songs you know you are popular (Kelly Clarkson covered ‘Lies’, Casey James covered ‘I Got Mine’. You also know it when the most popular movie franchises (Twilight feat. Chop and Change) want a taste of your music on their soundtracks – you are ticking boxes and being exposed to an ever increasing audience.
- The Black Keys are presently in the top 10 of the most popular songs on the We Are Hunted website. This is significant because this site looks at popularity of songs and therefore artists based on a range of criteria, semantic sentiment if you will. Basically, more people than ever before are ‘talking’ about The Black Keys than ever before. As any marketer knows you can’t buy word of mouth, and nothing sells better than word of mouth. We Are Hunted explains their chart thus:
We listen to what people are saying about artists and their music on blogs, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, message boards and forums, Twitter and P2P networks to chart the top songs online everyday.
In the physical world, charts are built on shipped albums. Online charts have been a simple count of digital downloads. We Are Hunted is different. We discover new music from around the web and detect sentiment, expression and advocacy to understand what people like and dislike.
We Are Hunted website homepage (my big red arrow noting The Black Keys in #7):
Related posts:
- The Black Squeeze – A Black Keys Tribute/Cover Band
- Alfred McMoore: The Inspiration For The Black Keys Band Name
- The Black Keys: Trend Tracking
- How The Black Keys Promoted The El Camino Album
- The Black Keys’ Slower, Down Tempo Songs
Want to discuss The Black Keys with other fans? Check out The Black Keys Fan Lounge Forum here
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I think those of us who have loved The Black Keys for years now, for all that they gave – grit, soul, being down to earth & all that great SINCERE music – can agree, feelings about something like this happening have been something like dread. Apprehension at least. We have good reason. How many times have we heard a band & thought “They’re awesome! Why isn’t this band huge?” But then maybe the band does start receiving mainstream attention, suddenly everyone else in the world thinks there awesome & wants a piece for themselves. Some sincerely digg the band & that’s great. But then come the hordes of poseurs & band wagoners? Then you wonder if all this ‘commercial success’ is really such a great thing because when the record execs realize that you can make them money, that they can slap price tag on you & put you on a shelf, then the music, the passion, the art, is diluted & what was sincere & genuine becomes manhandled & contrived. & the band & their music end up being a commodity. It’s happened time & again. But unlike many other cases, The Black Keys aren’t releasing their debut album & none of this mainstream spotlight has happened over night. This is their Sixth studio LP, not to mention any EPs or live releases. Dan & Pat are still the same two laid back dudes that we came to know & love back nearly a decade ago. So perhaps we should take a little solace in the fact that they’ve only grown & matured as musicians & artists. More & more people liking something that is great makes sense. They’re my favorite band, Their music rocks & anyone who thinks they stink is kind of an idiot.
@johnny cheers for your thoughts
[...] These graphs reflect the increase in public interest in The Black Keys by looking at some specific measures. These insights below support the contention that The Black Keys’ are now a successful band. [...]
[...] Granted, I have two more chances, though the signs are not good. As has been pointed out before, The Black Keys are now a popular band and are finally getting the recognition and respect they have garnered over 9 years. But with that [...]