Industry highs and lows of the year - 2009

December 26 2009

DAVID JOSEPH Chairman and CEO, Universal Music UK

High point Lady GaGa. The speed. The record. The fun

Low point Industry in-fighting over filesharing debate

Best album Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More

Best song Lady GaGa: Poker Face

Worst moment The Mercury Music Prize. This year’s was a wasted opportunity

Event of the year Take That at Wembley Stadium

Most looking forward to in 2010 A better year for domestic A&R.; Launch of new campaign highlighting the value of music

Act to watch Ellie Goulding/Mumford & Sons/ Chase&Status;

Biggest threat in 2010 Not supporting new legal music services

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Supporting new legal music services

Zane Lowe Broadcaster

High point of the year Either playing Coachella or meeting Jay-Z

Low point Not getting to see the Blur reunion live

Best album Jamie T: Kings and Queens

Best song Jay-Z: Empire State Of Mind

Worst moment Having to pull out of RockNess Festival at the last minute due to illness

Event of the year The inauguration of Barack Obama

Most looking forward to in 2010 Family aside, my new appreciation for quality socks. I can't believe I've overlooked a good cotton sock for this long

Jeremy Marsh Vice chairman, Warner Bros Records UK

High point Starting at WBR in August, working with the team here!

Low point The Astoria was a great venue for upcoming bands and it’s a real shame it closed

Best album Biffy Clyro: Only Revolutions

Best song Jason DeRulo: Whatcha Say

Event Simon Cowell’s 50th birthday celebrations

Most looking forward to in 2010 The return of My Chemical Romance

Act to watch The Wombats with their next album

Biggest threat in 2010 Doing the same old thing

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Doing things differently

Tony Wadsworth Chairman, BPI and Julie’s Bicycle

Low point Missing Blur at Glastonbury

Event of the year Blur's reunion

Best album David Rawlings Machine: A Friend Of A Friend

Best song Duckworth Lewis Method: Age Of Revolution

Most looking forward to in 2010 The digital music market really hitting its stride

Biggest threat in 2010 Doing nothing about climate change

Biggest opportunity in 2010 The music industry

leading by example on climate change supported

by the Julie’s Bicycle organisation

Nick Raphael Managing director, Epic

High point My wife getting her

doctorate... Dr Raphael!

Best Album JLS: JLS / Paloma Faith: Do You Want the Truth Or Something Beautiful?

Best Song Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Most looking forward to in 2010 Breaking more new artists, Siphiwo and Russell Watson. And new albums by Lemar, Scouting For Girls and JLS

Event of the year The X Factor

Act to watch Russell Watson

Biggest threat in 2010 Mediocrity – it undermines our business on a daily basis

Biggest opportunity in 2010 The public's continued appetite for music new and old

Ben Beardsworth Managing director, XL Recordings

High point Adele, Vampire Weekend and MIA all going gold in the US, and The xx being well on their way to reaching a huge global audience with an album they recorded in the studio space at XL that had until that point been our garage

Low point Jack Penate made an amazing album that did OK, but deserved to be

massive

Best album XL-released albums aside, Richard Hawley: Truelove's Gutter

Best song Dizzee Rascal feat. Armand Van Helden: Bonkers

Worst moment Queen playing as backing band to the X Factor Finalists

Event of the year Friendly Fires at the Forum was the first moment it became really clear just how far that band can go, and Blur at Hyde Park was a spectacular testimonial

Most looking forward to in 2010 New albums by Adele, MIA, Friendly Fires and Vampire Weekend

Act to watch There's two at opposite ends of their career – Gil Scott-Heron and Giggs

Biggest threat in 2010 Bad music

Biggest opportunity in 2010 People still want to buy great albums

Marc Marot CEO, SEG International  

High point The creation of SEG in January

Low point Ending a 10-year management relationship with Paul Oakenfold 

Best album Florence + The Machine: Lungs  

Best song Noisettes: Don’t Upset The Rhythm

Worst moment of the year The death of Dusty, one of my chickens 

Event of the year Two nights sold out at the Roundhouse with Shpongle. No promoter, agent or publisher; just a self-owned and very organised indie label on board. The future is now 

Most looking forward to in 2010 Independent finance fuelling a year of hot acts working with great young managers 

Act to watch Kid Adrift 

Biggest threat in 2010 Despair and apathy 

Biggest opportunity in 2010 DIY. It's all opening up

STEPHEN BASS Co-founder, Moshi Moshi

High point of the year Moshi Moshi DJs at Latitude

Low point Monday morning after Latitude

Best album The xx: xx

Best song Dirty Projectors: Stillness Is The Move

Event of the year Florence + The Machine at Glastonbury

Most looking forward to in 2010 The new Metronomy album

Act to watch Kindness

Biggest threat in 2010 Music industry failing to reach out to the younger generation

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Music industry reaching out to the younger generation

Richard Hawley Artist

High point The whole year’s been pretty good to me to be honest; being able to make the record I wanted in these iffy times for a start. And writing with Lisa Marie Presley has been a high point

Low point Being too busy to play a guitar solo on Paul Weller’s album after his most kind invitation. I was proper gutted, I had to sit quiet for a while to get over it... although our kitchen being flooded was a bit of a fucker, mind

Best album Loved Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug and the 13th Floor Elevators boxed set is an awesome thing to behold

Event of the year The Shirley Bassey night at the Roundhouse was pretty good. Although watching our drummer trying to light a ciggy at six in the morning is always an event in itself

Most looking forward to in 2010 The Tories losing by a landslide to a party with some fucking balls and integrity... fat chance

Act to watch “Act” implies some kind of circus and jugglers. All jugglers should be killed, they are just wrong – but The Crookes from Sheffield are special as are the Smoke Fairies

Biggest threat in 2010 I really worry about the Tories getting in. It’s not just political, it’s the disturbing fact that an idiot like Cameron dealing with the Iraq/ Afghanistan situation will be a farce and lead to more hatred and confusion

Jeremy Fabinyi Acting CEO, PRS for Music

High point Meeting Lamont Dozier

Low point Recession

Best album The Temper Trap: Conditions

Best song Lady GaGa: Poker Face

Event of the year Faces reforming for Helping the Heart of Music gig

Most looking forward to in 2010 A sense of common purpose in the music industry

Act to watch The Drums

Biggest threat in 2010 Disunity

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Explaining why the music industry is important

Rob Hallett International president, AEG

High point Launch of Michael Jackson’s This Is It residency 

Low point The passing of Michael Jackson 

Best album Lady GaGa: The Fame

Best song Beyoncé: Halo

Worst moment of the year The passing of Michael Jackson

Event of the year The Michael Jackson press conference 

Most looking forward to in 2010 A year of new opportunities 

Act to watch Akon 

Biggest threat in 2010 Pessimism 

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Optimism 

Ben Turner Co-founder, Association of Independent Festivals

High point Bestival bouncing back from appalling weather to deliver best show

Low point Having to suspend Bloom from the Association of Independent Festivals

Best album The xx: xx

Best song Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers

Worst moment of the year Michael Jackson

Event of the year International Music Summit in Dalt Vila, Ibiza. Finally Ibiza gets a grand electronic concert

Most looking forward to in 2010 Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip second album on Sunday Best

Act to watch Richie Hawtin presents Plastikman

Biggest threat in 2010 Talent prices for major artists making festivals vulnerable to failure

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Let’s Go Crazy’s under-age events. London day festival alert!

Jim Reid Senior vice president

synchronisation Europe, Warner Music Group and Warner/Chappell

High point Spiritualized at the Royal Festival Hall playing Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space in its entirety

Best album The Flaming Lips: Embryonic

Best song Girls Aloud: The Loving Kind

Event of the year Blur at Glastonbury

Most looking forward to in 2010 A new Radiohead record

Acts to watch Stornoway / Alice McLaughlin

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Subscription music services

Adrian Pope Director of digital and business development, PIAS

High point Dizzee Rascal and digital business becoming “real”

Low point Dominance of X Factor-related music in UK charts

Best album Alberta Cross: Broken Side of Time

Best song Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers

Worst moment of the year X Factor again

Event of the year SXSW was inspiring for the breadth and quality of music being made

Most looking forward to in 2010 PIAS continuing to develop its services; SXSW

Act to watch White Denim, Local Natives

Biggest threat in 2010 People not taking risks and failing to debunk the perception that music doesn’t have a value

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Direct-to-consumer services; the genuine growth of subscription-based models from Sky to Spotify; the continued development of interoperability between media platforms and hardware; developing markets across Europe and EPAC

David Glick Founder, Edge Group

High point Taking new

challenges at Edge, and still growing and enjoying it every day

Low point Natural disasters killing innocent people in their tens of thousands, amplified by all the fighting throughout the world

Best album Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires

Worst moment of the year Arsenal’s Robin van Persie out for the season

Event of the year The X Factor

Most looking forward to in 2010 Inflicting my opinions on our ever-changing industry

Act to watch The Big Pink

Biggest threat in 2010 Trying to hold on to the past rather than embracing the future

Biggest opportunity in 2010 It’s about access, not ownership

George Ergatoudis Head of music, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra

High point Radio 1’s reach to 15 to 24-year-olds going back up to 43% 

Low point A lack of really exciting new artists

Best album Florence + The Machine: Lungs

Best song Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers

Worst moment of the year The death of Michael Jackson

Event of the year Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Swindon

Most looking forward to in 2010 Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2010

Act to watch Clare Maguire

Biggest threat in 2010 Complacency

Biggest opportunity in 2010 The cross-industry online UK Radioplayer

Iain Watt Founder and CEO, Machine Management

High point Mika at Latitude Festival

Low point Online hounding of Lily Allen for her piracy stand

Best album Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires

Best song Jay-Z feat. Alica Keys: Empire State Of Mind

Event of the year The X Factor

Most looking forward to in 2010 Alphabeat and Lady GaGa touring together

Act to watch Alex Gardner

Biggest threat in 2010 The industry sabotaging itself with bickering and in-fighting rather than focusing on improving itself

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Finalising piracy legislation and penetration of digital services

Helen Marquis Category manager for music, Play.com

High point Finally getting to see The Specials after a wait of 25 years

Low point Realising that all anyone seems to care about any more is The X Factor

Best album Jay-Z: Blueprint III

Best song David Guetta: When Love Takes Over

Worst moment of the year The death of Michael Jackson

Event of the year Take That’s Circus tour dress rehearsal in Sunderland

Most looking forward to in 2010 Winning the Euromillions lottery

Act to watch Broken Bells

Biggest threat in 2010 The fact that so many people seem to think music should be free these days

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Bringing value back into the market with credible artists releasing great albums

Will Mills director of music and content, Shazam

High point Shazam breaking 50m users

Low point Michael Jackson's death

Best album Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – a career high

Best song La Roux: In For The Kill (Skream’s Let’s Get Ravey Remix)

Worst moment of the year Chas & Dave splitting up...

Event of the year Michael Jackson's death, unfortunately

Most looking forward to in 2010 A summer with sunshine/exciting new music/artists

Act to watch The Drums. Their single Let's Go Surfing is a hit in waiting

Biggest threat in 2010 Complacency

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Continued growth of digital/wireless music consumption and interaction

Chris Evans Broadcaster

Best album Shirley Bassey: The Performance

Best song The Killers: Human

Event of the year Terry Wogan’s last ever breakfast show

Most looking forward to in 2010 Tash, my wife, announcing a phrase that begins with “Hey, I’m...” and ends with “again”

Act to watch The Feeling

Biggest threat in 2010 The chocolate drawer at home, we must get rid of it

Biggest opportunity in 2010 To get Tash in the family way again

Eric Daugan SVP commercial strategy, Warner Music International

High point Arrival of Obama at the White House

Low point The death of Michael Jackson

Best album Muse: The Resistance

Best song Jay-Z: Empire State of Mind

Worst moment of the year Lily Allen being criticised for taking a stand on filesharing

Event of the year The Hapodi law in France and the progress we’re making around the world with governments and ISPs

Most looking forward to in 2010 The first artists making the most of 3-D TV technology

Act to watch Donkeyboy

Biggest threat in 2010 All forms of piracy

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Launching successful consumer offers with ISPs

Nigel House Co-owner,

Rough Trade

High point Blur’s in-store first show for the public in their comeback   

Low point Jedward not winning X Factor – if they had won it might have been the end of it

Best album The xx: xx

Best song The Leisure Society: The Last Of The Melting Snow

Worst moment of the year Rough Trade losing a cricket match to Beggars – we will have a county player too next year

Event of the year Record Store Day shows the worldwide love for proper indie shops 

Most looking forward to in 2010 The new Gil Scott Heron album which is the most sensational makeover of an artist since Johnny Cash

Act to watch Marina And The Diamonds

Biggest threat in 2010 Lack of politics in music

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Rough Trade going overseas

Trevor Dann Chief executive, The Radio Academy

High point Launch of Amazing Radio

Low point Death of Les Paul

Best album The Beatles boxed set (in mono)

Best song The Beatles: She’s Leaving Home (finally at the right speed)

Worst moment of the year All TV “talent” shows

Event of the year Sven Goran Eriksson taking over Notts County

Most looking forward to in 2010 World Cup

Act to watch Lau

Biggest threat in 2010 Old Etonians

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Radio apps

Marina Diamandis Marina And The Diamonds

High point Being voted on to Sound of 2010 BBC poll

Low point When I felt like everyone was passing me off as “another quirky girl”. They probably will for the next 10 years!

Best album Royskopp: Junior

Best song Lady GaGa: Alejandro

Worst moment of the year Missing the NME tour due to swine flu/crying onstage like a loser because it was eating my brain!

Event of the year Hello Kitty 35th Birthday Party

Most looking forward to in 2010 Being free to be an artist 

Act to watch My lovely friend Ellie Goulding 

Biggest threat in 2010 Failing 

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Succeeding

Geoff Taylor Chief executive, BPI

High point Birth of my second daughter Honor

Low point Cambridge United failing to return to the Football League (again)

Best album Doves: Kingdom of Rust

Best song Jay-Z: Empire State of Mind

Worst moment of the year Zavvi and Woolworths closing

Event of the year Brit Awards 2009

Most looking forward to in 2010 The Apple Tablet

Act to watch Hurts

Biggest threat in 2010 An early election killing the Digital Economy Bill

Biggest opportunity in 2010 New ISP music services

Nick Gatfield President, new music North America and UK/Ireland, EMI

High point Robbie Williams' brilliant return to form

Best album Robbie Williams: Reality Killed The Video Star

Best song Lily Allen: The Fear / Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Low point For music, the death of Michael  Jackson

Event of the year Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, which proved that Coldplay are the biggest act in the world and will remain there for a very long time – plus Blur's fantastic Hyde Park gigs

Most looking forward to in 2010 The return of Gorillaz will be a major event and also David Guetta becoming a global superstar  

Act to watch Sky Ferreira and Tinie Tempah  

Biggest threat in 2010 Any loss of momentum in the UK Government's recent moves to protect rights holders and to provide a level playing field for the development of the creative industries

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Even more and better digital music services

Ed Vaizey Shadow Minister for Culture

High point Robbie Williams at the Roundhouse

Low point Missing U2 play Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge because I had to vote

Best album Florence + The Machine: Lungs

Best song Beyoncé: Single Ladies

Event of the year Michael Jackson’s death

Most looking forward to in 2010 The election

Act to watch I’m pretty excited about the rumours of a Coldplay / a-ha side project album

Biggest threat in 2010 The Digital Economy Bill running out of time

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Still the internet, a decade after it first got going

Feargal Sharkey Chief executive, UK Music

High point Working with the lovely people at UK Music

Low point PRS/YouTube row

Best album The xx: xx

Event of the year Number 10 reception

Most looking forward to in 2010 Exemption for small venues

Act to watch Outside Royalty

Biggest threat in 2010 Inertia

Biggest opportunity in 2010 The music fan

John Giddings Managing director, Solo Agency and promoter of the Isle of Wight Festival

High point No rain at the Isle of Wight Festival

Low point Death of Stephen Gately

Best album Kasabian: West Lunatic Pauper Asylum / Muse: The Resistance

Best song Beyoncé: Halo

Worst moment of the year Susan Boyle singing

Event of the year Hard rock calling

Most looking forward to in 2010 U2 at Glastonbury

Act to watch Paloma Faith/Marina And The Diamonds

Biggest opportunity in 2010 F1 Rocks

John Kennedy Chairman and chief executive, IFPI

High point Lily Allen’s courageous decision to stand up for artists whose career prospects are being damaged by piracy 

Low point The closure of the last Woolworths and Zavvi stores in January and February. This marked a further retreat of music from the High Street. While digital sales are increasing, they are not offsetting the sharp fall in CD sales and the closures of these stores reduced the opportunity for spur of the moment purchases

Best album Editors: An End Has A Start

Best song Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind

Worst moment of the year The delay in implementing a graduated response approach in New Zealand. A shrill campaign of disinformation led to the shelving of a law that could have brought immediate benefits to the whole music community   

Event of the year The current series of The X Factor has attracted audiences of more than 16m. This proves there is space for music on primetime television 

Most looking forward to in 2010 Seeing U2 play Glastonbury

Act to watch Editors for global success

Biggest threat in 2010 A false optimism that great services like Spotify and Deezer can commercially thrive in an environment where no effective action is taken against online piracy    

Biggest opportunity in 2010 The Digital Economy Bill in the UK offers the opportunity for us to address the devaluation of music through mass online piracy

Stephen Navin CEO, MPA

High point The wealth of new classical music premiered at the BBC Proms

Low point The death of David Ferguson

Best album Girls: Album

Best song Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers

Worst moment of the year Impersonating Chris Organ at the MPA AGM and arguing the case for lawyers to secure a seat on our space flight to a new musical universe

Event of the year Shirley Bassey at the Roundhouse / MPA AGM

Most looking forward to in 2010 40th anniversary of Glastonbury

Act to watch Joy Orbison

Biggest threat in 2010 Becoming socially and politically apathetic about the extraordinary value and quality of music

Biggest opportunity in 2010 ISPs and rights holders working together on music services to offer a compelling proposition to users

Miles Leonard President, Parlophone

High point Visiting the Congo

Low point The filesharing issue

Best album Lily Allen: It’s Not Me, It’s You

Best song Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers

Event of the year War Child Coldplay/Killers show

Most looking forward to in 2010 World Cup

Act to watch Tinie Tempah, Eliza Doolittle, Sky Ferreira

Biggest threat in 2010 Complacency

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Digital (again)

John Probyn Chief operating

officer UK music, Live Nation

High point The first ever sold-out Download festival

Low point The day after Download!

Best album Black Eyed Peas: The E.N.D.

Best song Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Worst moment of the year Donington Park losing F1 Grand Prix

Event of the year Download 2009

Most looking forward to in 2010 locog deciding what they want

Act to watch Stacey Solomon (The X Factor)

Biggest threat in 2010 British weather

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Branded ponchos for a quid!

Kim Bayley Director general, ERA

High point of the year More stores opening and a renewed interest in entertainment from new retailers

Low point The continued closure of independent retailers which may stifle new music talent's ability to break in to the market

Best album Black Eyed Peas: The E.N.D.

Best song Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Worst moment of the year The worst moment of 2009 actually happened last year when we lost Woolworths, Zavvi and EUK. Only this year have we all appreciated the true impact

Event of the year Record Store Day

Most looking forward to in 2010 Record Store Day – it will be bigger and better than before

Act to watch Empire of the Sun

Biggest threat in 2010 Prematurely writing off the physical music market

Biggest opportunity in 2010 Continued innovation in the music retail market. In particular changing the model by findiing ways to link physical and digital music