I hate that big business rules (ruins) this country sometimes. Standard of living perks? Yeah that's great and all. But sometimes I wonder how much we've sacrificed for handheld computers and air conditioning and multiple grocery stores to choose from.
The History Channel had to become The Pawn Shop channel. It would have died out.
TLC had to become the Sex Sent Me to the ER and Fruit Fetishes channel. It would have died out.
The Food Network had to start throwing chain saws at their chefs while they make a meal out of ingredients like bottarga, cow skull, jellied ham and fish testicles. It would have died out.
A&E had to show Duck Dynasty 24/7. Would have died out.
Metallica had to cut their hair. Would have died out.
Clothing stores have to sell cheap threads stitched together in Chinese sweat shops. Would have died out.
I don't agree with the "it would have died out premise". Define "died out".
As long as people are here who still would have liked it, appreciated, played it, wrote songs...would it have died out really? Maybe not sold millions and millions...but died out? Nah, I don't think so. Which goes back to it all being about the money. I don't think music in its true form should ever be about the money first and foremost. If that had been the rule back in the 40's, 50's or 60's - we would have never seen Elvis, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Hank, Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Bech Boys, Led Zeppelin, Motown, The Stones or a number of other groups. These acts didn't get into the business for the sole purpose of getting rich. They loved the music and the purity of it. As a form of art and expression of real things in real life - no matter the genre.
Now, music is crap, based off shock value, and 'smoke n mirrors' because society has been dumbed down enough to where this is what they want. They don't want intrinsic value and purity and real things. They want to be entertained with filth and low rate entertainment garbage like Justin Beiber and Miley Cyrus.