It probably wouldn't be difficult to rattle off a list of music artists who would allow one of their albums to be sold exclusively at Starbucks. After all, pop music and corporate sponsorship have always gone hand in hand. The only shock came when said musician turned out to be Bob Dylan, whose album Live at the Gaslight 1962 can only be found at Starbucks. Of course, that's old news. However, some are still riled up, including HMV record stores in Canada, which have pulled all of Dylan's albums from their shelves in protest. I admire their stance, but protesting against Starbucks is probably like whispering into a hurricane.
1. I applaud HMVs decision. People need to be aware that every CD purchased from a coffee shop/big box store is taking money from stores that specialize in music. The math is simple. Look at the selection available in each location -- if you only want access to a dozen different titles buy there and cast your vote for homogenized, top-40 music. If you want access to new, interesting music, back-catelogues, imported music, cast your vote by buying from a store that offers those today. (I should add that I DON'T work for HMV, infact I try and purchase my music across the street from HMV at our local, independent CD store.)
Posted at 12:52PM on Sep 15th 2005 by David S.