Blondie: 'The Internet Has Ruined The Music Industry'

Godmother of Punk, Debbie Harry has gone on record arguing that the emergence internet has ruined the music industry.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, the singer said that the possbility of downloading songs illegally has the power to destroy what artists strive for.

"The music industry is already ruined. Computers and the internet and downloading songs completely ruined the music industry and everything artists used to work for."

Harry also claimed that the music biz has been declining ever since cassettes first replaced vinyls.

"I remember when vinyl was corrupted by cassettes and the whole industry went crazy thinking nobody would sell any records, so it's really been heading this way for quite some time."

These comments follow and echo those of The Who's Pete Townshend who labeled Apple a "digital vampire".

Blondie released their ninth album earlier in 2011.

Thanks for the report to Gigwise.com.

Comments

[AEnima18]

Yawn.

[JFRules]

20 years later

[BenjaminFields]

Ignorant statement from an ignorant woman. The internet hasn't ruined the music industry any more than the industry has ruined its own self with outrageous ticket prices, expensive cds and stale, boring manufactured pop acts. Hey, I love early Blondie and Debra Harry was hot in Videodrome but she's being an ignoramus.

[nailsarecruel]

That's hardly a fair statement. This is a record industry that has people aware (willingly and unwillingly) of faceless pop acts slapped together to ride Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga's gravy train.

How many were even aware Blondie released a record this year?

[bassmike200]

Due respect to one of the front runners of the late 70's New Wave genre but, if you're signed to a bloated "Big Name" label and not prepared to embrace the internet for what it's capable of then yes it will go against what that kind of "artist" strives for ("MONEY GOOD INTERNET BAD!"), however I just want the world to have access to my music so I will happily post what has cost me a very small amount to make online for those interested to download & if they want more they can come see a show. Don't get me started on ticket prices here in the UK & the devil known as Ticketmaster!

[Burgery]

The internet has saved the music industry.

[DharmaForOne]

I'd agree with her. The *music industry* has been dead for perhaps the last 5 years at least.

[Antonio182]

Blondie is dead by the way, and they were dead long before Internet came along...

[Korgull]

"Godmother of Punk", against free music?

WITCH! WITCH! MAY WE BURN HER?

[snaaake]

The music industry ruined the music industry.

[ffaf12]

fair enough to be honest, i mean obviously the industry's been destroyed by the taint of mr Beiber and such others but im still proud to say i dont own an ipod and ive never downloaded a single song

[KnotParkDay]

I love how this article is pretty much the opposite of the one about download sales rising...

[Lacebad]

godmother of punk? you must be shitting me, that's patti smith if anyone!

[astrodog]

Not sure what is so divisive about the quoted comment. Severall musicians are on record making the same point. What people fail to admit is that it is the small and midsized artists that are most affected as these are the bands that historically needed label support. The big purely commercial artists are still going to sell, but the less commercial bands cannot get signed. I think some of the hostility to such a harmless comment is guilt, the realization that illegal downloads truly affect not rich, bloated stars, but small independent bands. (Could Nirvana have made it in this environment; where are the new, dynamic rock bands?). That's why music has become so sterile and commercial.

As to Patti Smith, Debbie was playing in NYC before her, played CBGBs before her, was a better original lyricist (Smith was the tail end of the 60s, Blondie a harbinger of the 80s), and had a much deeper impact. Smith, who I like too, was mainly the hero of the music press. You need to be critical of critic's darlings.