According to software designer Mike McCready more than 90% of singles released do not chart. Thus, writes McCready, they do "not provide the labels with a return on their investment in spite of sounding and feeling like potential hits. This leaves label executives, producers and musicians themselves scratching their heads wondering what went wrong."
Fortunately for the labels, McCready has a solution, and it is called Platinum Blue. This piece of software analyses the underlying mathematical patterns in music and tells worried record company execs what they may or may not need to change in order to get the song into the charts.
It is a heartbreaking notion, but one already being adopted by many labels. So now that we have decided that a computer is better able to listen to a song than a human being, how long before we conclude that computers rather than people should write the songs themselves? And would it really matter providing it fitted McCready's algorithm and charted high?
Look at is this way. If it was suddenly discovered that Holland-Dozier-Holland's entire repertoire had been written by a computer would the Motown back catalogue suddenly become worthless? In the minds of many I suspect it would, though I am unable to say exactly why without resorting to misty notions of authenticity. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
