If all the music you listen to was shared on Napster in 1999, what do you think the affect would be on history?

HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 31 points –
37

All of my music was shared on Napster in 1999.

I like to think it had a direct affect on the music selection for Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 and Bill Gate's decision to step down as CEO of Microsoft to focus on charitable works. But, in reality, it likely had no affect on history.

So... Funny story. My brother found System of a Downs Toxicity on Limewire or whatever months before it came out and burned me a copy. I listened to it non stop and bought the album when it came out.

Listening to the official Deer Dance I noticed that they changed the song just slightly between my brothers version and the release. That was pretty wild.

I wonder if the leaked version is still on the net anywhere.

I still have a leaked version of Cosmogramma that's slightly different.

What.cd was filled with obsessive people that try to archive every version of a song. I think they moved onto Redacted.

Also, check SoulSeek.

All my music was on Napster...I don't get this question at all.

I mean the music today that you own or listen to.

This "clarification" is just even more confusing. Like do you mean, "What would be the effect on history if we could all see into the future, but only through song?" I guess I'd hope that we'd try better to stop 9/11, COVID, and Trump.

People would say "I didn't know Pearl Jam had so many albums."

Do those albums make any interesting references?

Nothing very specific. Bu$hleaguer could be mistaken for being about George H.W. Bush instead of W. There are songs ostensibly about 2000's Roskilde Festival stage collapse, but I doubt anyone would catch on that they were about an event that hadn't happened yet. Plus some songs about climate change that might sound a little alarmist by 90s standards.

I think the people of 1999 would be overwhelmed by the staggering number of different heavy metal subgenres we have in 2024. And very few of them would download any of it. So not much would change.

Most people wouldn't know what to search for.

Back in the day when I found a user hosting good music I would go browse their other files. I discovered a lot of great shit that way.

"So you're telling me...that nine inch nails...scored a Pixar movie? And won an Oscar for it? Their second Oscar?!"

Unless the MP3 is coded to note that Trent won an Oscar, they wouldn't know it.

They would know he wrote it, though.

I would wonder about the time travel aspect of people sharing modern music in 1999.

(I don't think I understand your question).

I look at it from the perspective of sending data back in time instead of people.

It is absolutely a question about knowing things from the future.

"Napster" still exists, it's called soulseek. aside from racist chat rooms, there is a TON of shared rare shit.

Can you give any specific examples of "rare shit" or at least broad categories? It's the Internet, im picturing legacy porn but am hoping for things from comic book guys secret video archive.

not really, I'm not into underground stuff, but lots of people look for rare recordings, unreleased music, etc. live shows. it's mostly for music but you can get movies and ebooks and stuff too. I share a wide variety.

one I've not been able to find even on soulseek is Jesus Christ Superstar

https://www.discogs.com/master/79753-Various-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Tim-Rice-Jesus-Christ-Superstar

I think that's it, someone asked me to help find it anywhere, I had no luck

Probably minimal, mostly all my music is 2010 prior, it would be weird though to have songs by bands that havent made the album yet.

Yeah, but the music could reference what were then current events.

not sure I have anything that would reference the twin towers, or anything that political in general, not sure it would be believed either

A lot of songs would have the right name, and be missing random beeps in the middle.

Otherwise most of my music is from before then anyway

"Pokemon has HOW many games and soundtracks!?"

Nothing would change, ironically.

In 2006, the band Stefy released the Orange Album. They were amazing electro-pop but after they completely failed to make themselves a presence, they got dropped from Wind Up Records and Stefy went off into obscurity.

If you listen to it now, you can kinda place it into a whole genre of electro-pop music that really started to catch on a few years later. People weren't ready for it yet.

I think EDM and weeb music would have been more popular sooner.

How so?

I think a big part of why EDM and anime took long too catch on was that there wasn't enough exposure. Once everyone started getting "broadband" and more comfortable using technology things really took off.