Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman recently shared his thoughts on how to breathe life back into the struggling record industry. Speaking with Rick Beato, the music legend pointed out a glaring issue: the lack of community in today’s music-buying experience.
According to Wakeman, industry executives have prioritized profit over passion, focusing on online platforms for selling physical and digital music. While efficient, this approach has stripped away the personal touch that used to make buying music an adventure. Wakeman believes bringing back that sense of connection could turn things around.
The Lost Magic of Record Stores
Wakeman fondly recalled the heyday of record shops, where music lovers bonded over their discoveries. He explained:
“Even up until 20 or 30 years ago, you’d go into a record store [to see] thousands of records. “You’d be going through them, trying to find something, and somebody next to you would go, ‘Oh, have you seen the …