De La Soul to give entire back catalog away for free

February 14, 2014 4:22 AM

De La Soul will make their entire back catalogue available for free for a 25 hour period to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut record 3 Feet High and Rising. The catalog will be downloadable from De La Soul's website starting at 11am EST. This might just kickstart the D.A.I.S.Y. Age.
posted by Kattullus (113 comments total)

Speaking for Me Myself and I, this is awesome.
posted by Renoroc at 4:39 AM on February 14, 2014 [10 favorites]

My mood is 3 Feet High and Rising!
posted by Gronk at 4:55 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Free is the magic number!
posted by flyingsquirrel at 4:58 AM on February 14, 2014 [23 favorites]

Oodles and oodles of songs you know, you get them from the legal download site, y'know.
posted by The River Ivel at 4:59 AM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

This is the only set of comments EVER that's going to be full of puns I actually like.
posted by DigDoug at 5:03 AM on February 14, 2014

Do we have to know how many feathers are on a Purdue chicken?
posted by ardgedee at 5:09 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'm ego trippin' over here.
posted by dr_dank at 5:20 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

3 Feet High and Rising can't be 25 years old, because that means I was in middle school 25 years ago.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:31 AM on February 14, 2014 [6 favorites]

Dante is a scrub.
posted by Drab_Parts at 5:35 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

3 Feet High and Rising can't be 25 years old, because that means I was in middle school 25 years ago.

/s/middle school/college
posted by Daily Alice at 5:46 AM on February 14, 2014

DE LA TO THE DEATH!!! (or at least until they break up)
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 5:46 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

DE LA TO THE DEATH!!!

Dude, didn't you hear De La Soul is Dead?
posted by Ghidorah at 5:47 AM on February 14, 2014

Maseo was on the Champs a few weeks ago, very worth listening to. He also mentioned the unavailability of those first records due to the samples/copyrights involved. This is AWESOME news.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 5:55 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yeah so in middle school this girl gave me a tape of 3 Feet High. She also hand wrote all the lyrics for me. All. The. Lyrics. All the nonsensical, impossible to make out, no-context inside joke, random, hilarious, awesome lyrics. I can't even imagine how much time went into that. It's a dense fucking album.

I still didn't realize that she had a crush on me.
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 5:56 AM on February 14, 2014 [47 favorites]

I wore the hell out the cassette of 3 Feet High and rising, TWICE. My downloading finger is twitching like mad.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:00 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Hey, this is totally dumb. These songs are old and broken and you shouldn't even bother downloading them, or even going to their website at all, really. I mean, everyone should probably just go to the iTunes Store or Google Play or whatever at 11:00 EST and find some good music to download, you know what I mean?

Please pass this comment along to everyone you know so that they don't clog up the pipes and I can download errythang all for myself.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:08 AM on February 14, 2014 [7 favorites]

Somehow, my undercaffeinated brain read "Dee-Lite" and the comments really confused me until I sorted it out.
posted by Foosnark at 6:09 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Saw them in concert last summer, opening for Frightened Rabbit and RJD2, and they were a lot of fun. Still lots of energy.
posted by octothorpe at 6:10 AM on February 14, 2014

I was very seriously dating someone. I played her Trying People, and she didn't like it. She told me that should couldn't understand what it had to do with my life or why I would think it was a good song.

We broke up soon thereafter.
posted by 1adam12 at 6:12 AM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

Jenifa taught me that this is awesome.
posted by entropone at 6:12 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

The one highlight of clearing all the snow this morning was hearing De La pop up on the Propellerheads' first album. Wonder if he ever found those potatoes.
posted by yerfatma at 6:13 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Are they the only group to sample both Steely Dan and Hall and Oates?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:15 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

De La Soul is here to stay like racism.
posted by jonp72 at 6:15 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Anybody in the audience ever get hit by a car?

I cannot believe it's been 25 years since that album came out. So many memories.
posted by jbickers at 6:25 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Jesus fucking Christ. Literally three days ago, I visited a certain Eastern European website, something I never do, to down load 3 feet High and Rising, in frustration over being unable to get a digital version of the album. This, after paying for the cassette, the vinyl, and most recently ordering the CD twice, only to find both times I was sent a corrupted unreadable disk. It hasn't been available on Spotify or iTunes.

Anyway, the album is as great as I remember, better even. Good on them for making this landmark recording available to all the kids who think they're so cool but were born after this came out and haven't been able to play it on their Imusic players.
posted by Random Person at 6:25 AM on February 14, 2014

*shrieks for joy, combs hair straight up*
posted by wenestvedt at 6:26 AM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

2or3whiskeysodas: I still didn't realize that she had a crush on me.

For real?! Stuff like that makes grown-ups think they might be right for wondering, "Teen-Agers: Too Dumb To Live Or Just Willfully Ignorant?" :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 6:31 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

I should possibly clarify that I think sampling Steely Dan (among others) is a good thing--to this day, "Eye Know" is one of my favorite tracks ever.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:39 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

I lost track of De La after Buhloone Mindstate. Which of the later albums is worth checking out?
posted by Ike_Arumba at 6:44 AM on February 14, 2014

Speaking of Native Tongues, if you haven't given Black Sheep's 1st album a spin lately, do so. It's really great and holds up well. I like it as much as 3 Feet and People's Instinctive. Only mentioning because it's been in heavy rotation for me lately.
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 6:49 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Metafilter: You have dandruff.
posted by Random Person at 6:51 AM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

I lost track of De La after Buhloone Mindstate. Which of the later albums is worth checking out?

The Grind Date got very good reviews, but I haven't heard it. Stakes is High is okay, but not something that I've listened to overmuch - certainly worth a free download. This De La Soul / Fela Kuti mashup album, which uses samples from all over their career, remains pretty great.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:12 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

I lost track of De La after Buhloone Mindstate. Which of the later albums is worth checking out?

The Grind Date is very good. Neither of the Art Official Intelligence albums are going to blow your mind, but if you like De La you should pick them up while the price is right... :)
posted by rollbiz at 7:17 AM on February 14, 2014

Take those acid washed jeans, bell-bottomed, designed by ya momma,

Off!

Please?








Please.
posted by cashman at 7:20 AM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

"Trying People" closes AOI: Bionix, the second in a trilogy of Art Official Intelligence albums that never got completed. As 1adam12 mentioned above, it's fantastic. Singlehandedly makes the album worth listening to.
posted by rollbiz at 7:22 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

The best. Not to mention, De La Soul collaborated with Teenage Fanclub at one point, two great totally unrelated 90s acts in one great taste.

Fallen De La Soul mix

Fallen Teenage Fanclub
posted by C.A.S. at 7:26 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Stakes is High is "OK"?! It's fucking genius, son.
posted by Brocktoon at 7:31 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

C.A.S.: De La Soul collaborated with Teenage Fanclub at one point, two great totally unrelated 90s acts in one great taste.

The Judgement Night soundtrack is wall to wall amazeballs.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:03 AM on February 14, 2014 [7 favorites]

FWIW, you have to give them your email address and subscribe to their newsletter before you get access to the downloads.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:05 AM on February 14, 2014

Bitties in the BK Lounge still cracks me up...
... anyway, looks like the dropbox links are dead?
posted by ph00dz at 8:11 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

They tried to use dropbox for this? Anyway, the links they give aren't working because dropbox has suspended them temporarily because so many are downloading.

"Error (509) This account's public links are generating too much traffic and have been temporarily disabled!"
posted by cashman at 8:12 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Can't can't can't be 25 years. Can't. Unpossible.
posted by rtha at 8:15 AM on February 14, 2014

The Judgement Night soundtrack is wall to wall amazeballs.

Completely unexpectedly so. You wouldn't think that a suspense film where Denis Leary pursues a bunch of yuppies going to a hockey game in a motorhome through an urban wasteland would have such a good soundtrack. And up until that point, with a few notable exceptions, the rap/rock collaborations weren't known for being very good. I mean, you're not going to go wrong putting De La and Teenage Fanclub together, but even the weaker artists like Biohazard and Onyx managed to turn out good stuff.
posted by Ham Snadwich at 8:15 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Anyway, the links they give aren't working because dropbox has suspended them temporarily because so many are downloading.

Flagged for: OH THE HUMANITY.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:20 AM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

I'm still waiting for their email to clear my postgrey service when cashman tells me how sad I really. am. :' (
posted by mistersquid at 8:22 AM on February 14, 2014

They tried to use dropbox for this?

Bless their garage band style hearts, but yeah.

Somewhere, there's a server screaming in pain.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:30 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is also as close as I'll probably ever get to seeing De La live. I've tried three times. One time they cancelled a couple days before the show, the next time they just didn't show up. The third time was De La with Biz Markie. Biz went on at 8, I left at 11:30 and heard De La eventually showed up around 1 AM.
posted by Ham Snadwich at 8:40 AM on February 14, 2014

FFFFFFFFFFFFF no email yet.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:40 AM on February 14, 2014

Me neither, Potomac. Been waiting about 40 minutes now.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:41 AM on February 14, 2014

Potomac and Rock, I'm sure they are trying to figure out a new distribution system before sending out any more confirmation emails. Their dropbox account was shutdown almost instantly for excessive bandwidth use.
posted by JJtheJetPlane at 8:44 AM on February 14, 2014

While we're waiting, let's make it hot.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:45 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Big ups! One of my fondest uni memories was getting a call from a friend of a friend who knew a guy at UW-Stout on the student union entertainment committee who somehow convinced De La to play there between their Chicago and Minneapolis shows. Three Honda Civic loads of us drove up to Stout from Madison and it was a hell of a show. They did their set in the midst of the crowd, which was maybe 250 kids, tops. I mean, it was Stout, Wisconsin in 1990. Stupendous, terrific show. One of the top ten concerts of my life. I have all their tracks of those albums already, but this just further goes to show me how cool they are.
posted by droplet at 8:45 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Links are working!
posted by cashman at 8:51 AM on February 14, 2014

On the waaaaaaaaaay!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:13 AM on February 14, 2014

I get a list of checkboxes for the albums I want, and I can subscribe to their list, but I don't see any download links anywhere. Am I doing it wrong or do i have to loosen my browser's filters a bit?
posted by ardgedee at 9:13 AM on February 14, 2014

ardgedee, they will mail you with links to the downloads.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:15 AM on February 14, 2014

Ok. I got the email confirmation of my mailing list signup, but nothing else.
posted by ardgedee at 9:17 AM on February 14, 2014

It takes a while for the download email to show up.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:21 AM on February 14, 2014

Yeah, me too, ardgedee, and I signed up at 11:03. :(
posted by Rock Steady at 9:21 AM on February 14, 2014

If you wanted a whole bunch of people's emails with which to spam.. and possible account names to compare to hacked password databases, this is a GREAT way to do it.

(They have my info.)
posted by DigDoug at 9:21 AM on February 14, 2014

Unf. Link just arrived. But it didn't register that I wanted the rarities collection too.
posted by ardgedee at 9:24 AM on February 14, 2014

So, if someone were to MeMail/email someone the links, someone might be very appreciative of that.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:27 AM on February 14, 2014

The dropbox links are working again.

This mailinator mailbox has all the links.
posted by pixie at 9:29 AM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

> Unf. Link just arrived. But it didn't register that I wanted the rarities collection too.

I could have sworn I checked the box for the rarities but I didn't get it either. Bleh.
posted by Gev at 9:30 AM on February 14, 2014

Oh, the dic, dic, dictionary subscription is very necessary.
posted by I'm Doing the Dishes at 9:32 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Blood Sucking Freaks just like your mama.
posted by eyeballkid at 9:32 AM on February 14, 2014

boom bap
posted by GrapeApiary at 9:35 AM on February 14, 2014

Just got my e-mail, and the links are up. Get to it, people!
posted by Kreiger at 9:41 AM on February 14, 2014

I got 'em. I got 'em all.

I GOT THEM ALL. omg
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 9:49 AM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

Oh. Em. Eff. Gee.

Seriously... This is awesome... and takes this nerdy, awkward white boy way... way back.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 10:07 AM on February 14, 2014

Thanks for the mailinator link. Like others, I'm positive I checked all seven boxes but I only got six links (no Remixes, Instrumentals, & Rarities). Far be it from me to complain about all my free music, but I'm happy someone posted that link so I can grab it.

I'll be jamming to this all day!
posted by introp at 10:19 AM on February 14, 2014

Oh man, no Grind Date...? That's a bummer, it's pretty much the only album I'm missing.
posted by rollbiz at 10:20 AM on February 14, 2014

Now, perhaps, the world will finally know that Buhloone Mind State is one of the top five hip hop albums OF ALL TIME!
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 10:22 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Like some dude named Derwin?!
posted by chavenet at 10:32 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Successfully downloaded their entire oeuvre - now to listen!
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:55 AM on February 14, 2014

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

*searches for oversized daisy necklace in box of junk jewelry from college*

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
posted by scody at 11:01 AM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Man, can't wait to download 3 Feet High and Rising...that was one of my favorite tapes back in the day.
posted by KillaSeal at 11:29 AM on February 14, 2014

I remember working in a record store when the first album was out. I drove my boss crazy with it. That's something since he *loved* it.

Also had no luck with the remixes. Even tried it with a second email address for just that collection. No go. Thanks for the mailinator links, pixie.
posted by brokeaspoke at 11:30 AM on February 14, 2014

You can adjust your account when you've done the confirmation and check the remixes and they'll be included in your download.
posted by juiceCake at 11:56 AM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

I don't have my link email yet!!!

This is simultaneously the best and worst Valentine's Day of my life.
posted by magstheaxe at 12:38 PM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

I just got my links email after a couple of hours. Do not fear! De La will not let you Down!
posted by scody at 12:42 PM on February 14, 2014

This is all sorts of awesome. If you're kind of... particular... about your music tags, just be aware that you'll have some cleanup to do. Oddly, they seem to have sourced most of their own music from a Ukranian rap file-sharing site (RapPalata) and there are missing/truncated tags, comments, etc. Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth. Seems like this isn't the first time an artist/artists have done a promo and the music had a similar source?
posted by sysinfo at 12:53 PM on February 14, 2014

Can't seem to get the download link for rarities/instrumentals either. Mailinator link no longer seems to have it. Do any of you have a copy of that album that you don't mind sharing? I'm ITCHING for it, but also do not feel like this is something I should like, complain to De La Soul about.
posted by chinese_fashion at 1:06 PM on February 14, 2014

I HAVE RECEIVED MY LINKS

O FRABJOUS DAY

CALLOOH

CALLAY
posted by magstheaxe at 1:12 PM on February 14, 2014

This might be enjoyed by a few people here then; an amazing Solid Steel radio show curated by United States of Audio last year:

Several years in the making and including around 100 tracks, this is my personal tribute to De La Soul's '3 Feet High and Rising'. Using original sample sources, album tracks, interviews and rarities, 'How High's The Water Mama' tells the story of one of hip hop's most influential albums.
posted by davehat at 1:12 PM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

Wait, what rarities? I didn't see that the first time. How do I go back and get it?
posted by wenestvedt at 1:17 PM on February 14, 2014

Here's my De La Soul Story. It was about 1990-91, I was living in a co-op in Berkeley for the summer. A pair of stoners, brothers, from France were rooming with us for the summer. They had decided to come to Berkeley for the full hippie grateful dead LSD tourist experience, and it was completely charming having them around. They were great fun, made fast friends with everyone and always held great dope.

This was just before rave culture was getting off the ground and there was very little cross over between hip hop and white boy jam band music. One weekend, my buddy is having a bunch of friends up to his mountain cabin in the Sierras and I decide to invite my new French friends up. I drove an old beat up VW bus back then and we had to stop every 30 miles or so to adjust the air/fuel mix to get up to the summit and my two friends were getting a bit stressed out thinking the old van wouldn't make it, as it was getting extremely late. At one point I suggest we should pack a bowl and put on 3 Feet High and Rising for the rest of the trip.

It's dark and I can't see what's going on in the back of the van, but by the time the track with the French language instruction sample comes on, I hear uncontrollable laughing. I pull over and both of them are lying down on the floor of the van and Sebastien tells me "Zees music is ze best music ever!"

Last time I heard from them was in the mid 90s and they were big time rave promoters in Amsterdam.
posted by Random Person at 1:26 PM on February 14, 2014 [6 favorites]

Subscribed to their thing (via a mailinator alias because I'm not looking for a "relationship" with spiced ham). Half an hour later, still no download links.

Way to make bittorrent look good. :/
posted by swr at 1:42 PM on February 14, 2014

swr, it can take a while. I got mine in about 30 mins. it took my friend about 2 hours or so.
posted by brokeaspoke at 1:43 PM on February 14, 2014

I never did figure out how many fibers were intertwined in a shredded wheat biscuit.
posted by Brak at 1:55 PM on February 14, 2014

It took me about three hours ... but it arrived. Now I can go send the link on!
posted by kanewai at 2:31 PM on February 14, 2014

Took me a while, but I got the links. Also, I only asked for the first two albums, but they sent me all of 'em, including the rarities. Thanks, De La Soul! Thanks, Kattullus!

Some of you are so impatient!
posted by languagehat at 2:37 PM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Okay, am I doing something wrong? I submitted my info and did the confirmation step in the email around seven hours ago, and I have yet to see anything else in my inbox. (I even checked my spam folder.)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:38 PM on February 14, 2014

When I listen to De La, it is always a warm day in DC-- April or May, school's almost out-- and I'm riding in my best friend's car smelling the summer city smells: warm concrete, bus exhaust and that wet green humid tropical smell particular to DC. Also, musty Plymouth Neon interior. But it's a red Plymouth Neon, so it's cool.

Anyway, it's that time of year, that car, that friend, and yelling along to 3 Feet High And Rising. Forever.

I miss 80s rap like you wouldn't believe. For all the artistry that's happened since, I miss the geeks and nerds of the alarm-clock-necklace generation. Thankfully, I still have the friend who showed me how cool it all was. She kept that Plymouth Neon till after the turn of the millenium, in perfect working order.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:49 PM on February 14, 2014 [5 favorites]

I mean, you're not going to go wrong putting De La and Teenage Fanclub together, but even the weaker artists like Biohazard and Onyx managed to turn out good stuff.

Not to mention Del the Funky Homosapien & Dinosaur Jr.

And the Slayer & Ice-T collaboration was miles beyond what Ice-T was trying to do with Body Count.

Hell, even Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. get in a good one.

The soundtrack for a movie no one remembers had no right being that awesome, so awesome it has transcended the movie. No one fucking remembers the movie, they remember the soundtrack.
posted by mediocre at 4:36 PM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

Still waiting on my email as well, but for anyone missing the Remixes/Rarities, here's the download link: http://de-la-soul.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/Remixes-Rarities-Instrumentals.zip (511 MB)
posted by bizwank at 4:44 PM on February 14, 2014 [4 favorites]

Stakes is High is "OK"?! It's fucking genius, son.

Yeah I don't know how anyone could gloss over an album with Stakes is High, Big Brother Beat, The Bizness and Itsoweezee on it. Everything from 3 feet up to Stakes is High is excellent and if you have th echance to get it free you should do so.
posted by Hoopo at 4:50 PM on February 14, 2014

"De La Soul Is Dead" was one of the first two CDs I bought. (The other one, bought at the same time, was the Simpsons CD. Obviously.)
posted by inigo2 at 5:18 PM on February 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

I would pay a considerable amount of fake Internet dollars for an Oral History of the Judgement Night Soundtrack. I want to know literally everything about the writing process, the recording sessions, the video shoots, all of it.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:35 PM on February 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Half an hour later, still no download links.

Way to make bittorrent look good. :/

GIVE IT A SECOND, IT'S GOING TO SPACE
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 6:34 PM on February 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

This makes me stupid happy. TDK cassette happy.
posted by jade east at 11:01 PM on February 14, 2014

I totally missed this while traveling. Now I am bummed out.
posted by Mngo at 4:16 PM on February 15, 2014

I missed it, but I figured I should just buy the albums I don’t have anyway. Are they not available? What in the name of all that is holy is going on?

In retrospect who knew the late 80’s and early 90’s was going to be such a amazing time for music?
3 Feet High And Rising
Paul’s Boutique
Pretty Hate Machine
A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Just from 1989 off the top of my head.
posted by bongo_x at 9:56 PM on February 15, 2014

To quote from the FPP:
The same things that made 3 Feet High and other De La albums so influential — its creative, if not fully licensed, use of a myriad of samples — has also prevented the group's work from appearing on many digital platforms. "It's been a trying journey," admits Posdnuos. "We've been blessed to be in the Library of Congress, but we can't even have our music on iTunes. We've been working very hard to get that solved." The rapper points to frequent personnel changes at record labels and hazy language in early contracts that have led to long delays in properly clearing the group's catalog.

This is pretty easily verifiable - iTunes and Google Play both have The Grind Date and a few random singles and the "First Serve" spin-off disc. None of the big name albums show up.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:10 AM on February 16, 2014

Finally got my download links just now. I'm grabbing myself some sweet, sweet De La as we speak.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 12:01 PM on February 16, 2014

I signed up late in the game and am still waiting. That's okay, love waits.
posted by wobh at 12:31 PM on February 16, 2014

So much love!
posted by wobh at 5:10 PM on February 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

Does anyone know what "Johnny's Dead A.K.A. Vincent Mason (Live From The BK Lounge)" on De La Soul Is Dead is parodying?
posted by Going To Maine at 5:57 PM on February 16, 2014

In retrospect who knew the late 80’s and early 90’s was going to be such a amazing time for music?

On the other hand, if you have the courage to look at the Billboard charts from any given week back in that time frame, you'll be rewarded with so much crap that you might need therapy to recover. It's pretty jarring to look back and actually see how far into the 90's crap music from the 80's managed to survive.
posted by Ghidorah at 8:04 PM on February 16, 2014

On the other hand, if you have the courage to look at the Billboard charts from any given week back in that time frame, you'll be rewarded with so much crap that you might need therapy to recover.

It seems to me that one difference is that younger people today actually know and listen to things on the Pop charts and radio, even if they consider themselves fans of more "underground" music. In the late 80’s the Billboard charts were about as relevant to my friends and I as the S&P 500. I was a crazy obsessed music fan, and a big fan of cheesy pop, but when I look back at those old charts I don’t even know half the tunes. It’s odd to me that when I hear this narrative that everyone listened to the same music back then, not like now, when it feels much the opposite to me.
posted by bongo_x at 11:27 AM on February 17, 2014

De La Soul "Thank You/Sorry" (Valentines Day Audio Letter)
posted by cashman at 11:19 AM on February 18, 2014 [1 favorite]

De La Soul "Thank You/Sorry" (Valentines Day Audio Letter)

Man, what a class act. Thank you De La Soul.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 3:48 PM on February 19, 2014

From Fact: De La Soul share first cut off J Dilla “produced” mixtape Smell The D.A.I.S.Y.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:04 PM on March 4, 2014 [1 favorite]