American Top 40

Music and TV entrepreneur, Dick Clark passed away last week. He was 82 years old. I would imagine that just about everybody and his/her dog, has or will at one point or another write or report on his passing. I'd like to add my two cents.

Clark's role in popular music history, in my opinion, is firmly cemented. Most of us know of him from his annual salute to the end of each year, held in Times Square on New Year's Eve. But, Clark had a great love of music, and in 1956 he became the host of a local TV show in Philadelphia called Bandstand. On the show, Clark played records while a group of local teens danced. He asked about favorite songs, watched for the latest fashions and the latest dances. After two years, the show went national and became American Bandstand, airing on ABC.

Clark was always on the look out for all things new as they related to music. This often meant bringing on artists that may have been offensive to parents. In a compromise move, he would have those artists dress in suits and ties. In this way, the artists were listened to with less judgement and less resistance. In a way, even though he was criticized for it, he bridged the gap between teen viewers and their parents, by making these artist more palatable.

Clark was always in favor of and defended artistic freedom. He would present both the famous and the not so well know. He had an ear for talent. He was the first to allow Black artist on the show to perform the original versions of their songs, and he was the first to break the color barrier by integrating his dance crew. In a way, in my opinion, the case could be made that if it weren't for Dick Clark, there would not have a been a Don Cornelius and Soul Train.

In 1973,after the Grammys moved to CBS, Clark created, The American Music Awards. Award winners were chosen by a poll of 20,000 record buyers, as opposed to members of the Recording Academy. Music fans would often choose without regard for whether they had purchased the music and often went with their sentimental favorites. In the early 1990's, after complaints from some artists whose records had sold millions but were not nominated, the use of Sound Scan was instituted. This would be so until 2007, when falling ratings and declining record sales lead to allowing fans to once again choose their favorites.

Dick Clark's legacy lead to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Today, at a time when there will soon be only three major record companies, in control of all of the major labels, on the face of the Earth, I don't see another Dick Clark or anyone like him coming along in the near future. While the Indie scene looks promising, and the internet offers many opportunities for getting the word out about whats new in music, it may not be as easy as you might think.