Associated Press | In a victory for the concept album, Britain’s High Court has ordered
record company EMI Group Ltd. to stop selling downloads of Pink Floyd
tracks individually rather than as part of the band’s original albums.
The group sued the music label, saying its contract prohibited selling
the tracks “unbundled” from their original records. EMI claimed the
rule applied only to physical albums, not the Internet.
Judge Andrew Morritt backed the band Thursday, saying a clause in the contract protected “the artistic integrity of the albums.”
He ordered EMI to pay the band’s legal costs and said he would rule later on damages.
Pink Floyd signed with EMI in 1967 and became one of its most lucrative acts, with its back catalog outsold only by The Beatles.
Just another brick in the wall.
Hey Courts leave the music industry alone.
One of these days they will cut their songs into little pieces.
The band is just fantastic. That is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?
Why be bored out of your mind for 4 minutes when you could be for 45?
You have to listen to an entire Pink Floyd album to get a proper nap.
Go on, do it again. If you don’t sell your songs, you can’t make any money. How can you make any money if you don’t sell your songs?
Go on, do it again. If you don’t sell your songs, you can’t make any money. How can you make any money if you don’t sell your songs?
“The evidence before the court is incontrovertible, there’s no need for the jury to retire.
In all my years of judging I have never heard before, of someone more deserving of the full penalty of law.”
Oh Floyd, how I love both your music and your integrity!
It’s been a long time since I’ve heard of any integrity in the music industry. I’m glad there is still some out there but too bad it has to come from a band from the 60’s.
It’s not like you can pick a single song of the record, CD or full downloaded album or anything. Wait a minute, you can do those things. You can listen to only the songs you want but you have to pony up for the whole album. Now that’s integrity. Not exactly 90s behavior.
Floyd Rocks! Hello is there anybody in there…? \m/
God, the music industry is a pack of shameless vultures.
Go Floyd! Screw the labels and the RIAA.
So because it’s easy to split up the artists work that means they should do it?
So much emphasis now is how someone looks or dances instead of how they SOUND – I’m glad to see someone telling the man to shove it.
This will be overturned. The day of the album is over, so is the day of forcing people to pay $16 for two good songs and a bunch of filler. BTW, forcing people to buy things they don’t want is not “integrity” in any way, shape or form.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream
Jeff- Nobody is forcing anybody to buy anything. This is the way the band wants their music to be distributed. If you don’t like it, the solution is simple: dont buy it. But a band should certainly have the right to distribute their creative work as they see fit. If you simply want to treat songs as commodities, then I would argue you arent a music lover in the first place.
So their own greatest hits collection that included selected tracks from all their albums didn’t violate their artistic integrity?
DF | March 11, 2010 12:00 PM | Reply
So their own greatest hits collection that included selected tracks from all their albums didn’t violate their artistic integrity?
NO, DF. Because that greatest hits collection banded (meaning no silent gaps between) the songs together in an artistic way. It was a whole other way to listen to those songs.
I wonder if this will impact the (hopefully) eventual release of their songs to Rock band 2? I would love to buy the complete “Darkside of the Moon”, “The Wall”, “Meddle” and “Wish You Were Here” albums and jam to them on RB2.
Backwards logic, I say. For 99 cents a pop someone might just download the tune or two they wanted from iTunes, but if they’re ultimately “forcing” people to buy the whole album, they’re more likely to go find it elsewhere for free. It’s not about the “art” or integrity of the album at all, is it? “New car, caviar…”
If you’re not rolling Floyd on original vinyl through tube/solid state then you’re missing the whole thing.
Kudos Pink Floyd for having the nerve to make the Final Cut.
Hey Andy- you have any Floyd singles for sale? Really, what is with these idiots and their attempt at “free” advertising? Annoying ad a pop-up.
When will Floyd sell their tasty jingles to Toyota or Subaru.
Here’s the bottom line: if you know anything about music you aren’t be downloading single tracks off Dark Side of the Moon. It’s one 43-minute-long sonically intoxicating masterpiece.
And as for the money, it’s no surprise that they’re giving none away.
Their albums and the tracks within them are like a symphony and its movements. Must be heard in it’s entirety to be fully appreciated. EMI should not have the right to alter the artists’ vision.
Their albums and the tracks within them are like a symphony and its movements. Must be heard in it’s entirety to be fully appreciated. EMI should not have the right to alter the artists’ vision.
Wait, so you have to be a “music lover” to buy and enjoy what you like, the way you like it now? Full disclosure: I’ve never particularly liked Pink Floyd. One or two of their songs are okay, but they’re largely overrated. No matter what this court decides the day of the album is over and it should have ended a long time ago. Maybe in the ’70s Pink Floyd made albums that actually SHOULD have been listened to in their entirety, but that was a long time ago. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s people slapped one or two good singles into a mess of filler and charged $16 for it. Consumers got angry and started sharing the good songs online and the RIAA got litigious and started cracking down on “piracy.” All this decision will do is give more people a reason to pirate songs rather than buy the filler.
p.s. As soon as some company wants to use their song in a jingle Floyd’s “integrity” will go out the window.
Jeff: The “two good songs and a bunch of filler” complaint might’ve rang true in 1960, but it’s a tired complaint these days. People who believe that old trope are looking for immediate gratification. They’re also usually the people who make the ignorant claim that “no good music has been made since 19__” (fill in the date of your high school graduation).
Jeff, after reading your 3:20 PM comment, I have to conclude that you are the most out-of-touch person I’ve seen in quite some time when it comes to understanding of music. Also, please explain to us exactly why the day of the album “should have ended a long time ago.” Your comments demonstrate your myopic, ignorant musical taste and even flimsier outlook on artistic license. You’re probably the kind of dude who impressed the kids on his block ten years younger than him with his lousy tape collection, but when it comes to intelligent discussion with people who understand the topic you’re just a pipsqueak nattering in the wind.
Matt and Joe are very much right on this. Jeff, you need to get a clue. Its ok if you dont like Floyd and think they are overrated. DONT Buy their product. Simple is it not??
And Jeff–as for Pink Floyd’s integrity going out the window “as soon as some company wants to use their song in a jingle,” please know that the group permitted their likenesses to be used in a drinks commercial in Europe circa 1971, and they were so humiliated by their decision to permit it that they vowed not to do it again. Stifle it, Jeff.
Oh and if Floyd wants to sell their music the way it was intended to be heard it should be their choice. Apparently they dont think there are many people like you out there. I would have to agree with them. This wont hurt them one little bit.
Jeff, As a “Music Lover”, I enjoy rock, classical, swing, blues, etc. You don’t have to like a particular group or style of music to enter into a discussion. You may view an album or CD as a group of unrelated singles. Pink Floyd’s concept album is a case of the sum greater than the parts. So what do you like to listen to?
I’ve never wanted to buy music of an artist who has one hit and records “filler” for the rest. The reason the music industry is in the toilet is because no one makes complete albums anymore, and people like Britney Spears pass as artists. And do you honestly believe that no one has ever approached Pink Floyd before asking to use their music in an ad? Furthermore, your assessment that Floyd is “overrated” is your opinion, and not a very good one at best, as stated that Floyd’s back catalog is oversold only by The Beatles.
Also, regarding your claim that through the 80s and 90s people made albums of mostly filler, try and convince fans of U2, REM, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, etc of that. That approach has been happening since the 50s and before, and still continues to this day. But real artists who make complete works are out there, and if they want the complete album as the only way to buy the music, that is their right to negotiate with their label.
I agree that they should sell their music in the way they choose. HOWEVER, they didn’t seem to have a problem with separating certain pieces of it from the rest to be played on the radio. Just sayin…
I can’t believe the news today. I can’t close my eyes and make it go away. OH, wrong band.
This is great ruling!!! Many albums are meant to played as if they are novels. With each song, a chapter, meant to be played in a specific order for a reason.
What’s the point to listening to, lets say, The Who’s “Tommy” in any other order? Or just individual tracks.
Well done, Pink Floyd.
You can’t expect people who have the attention span of a dead rat to be able to appreciate Pink Floyd’s music….
some of you are just ANIMALS!! floyds music changed rock forever and is timeless. i dont know many people in all of the music biz that have a tenth of the integrity floyd has. so all you haters..you better run!!
What about Roger Waters concept albums? Dennis DeYoung & his Hunchback of Notre Dame concept album? Pet Sounds? Quadrophenia? Days of Future Passed?
Easily some of the finest music ever produced, been a fan for as long as I can recall.
50 Cent is the ******* lord. Haters, be gone!