With or Without U2 and Apple: The Rise and Fall of Pop-Culture Giants

The relationship between Apple and the band U2 has existed for quite some time now. I remember being jealous of my friends who had the special "red-clickwheel" Ipod in the early 2000s...Apple was just starting to become super hot, and U2 was back in vogue for a short period, but soon the band that had always sounded "modern" and 20 years ahead of it's time began to sound dated, as the sound of popular music inevitably caught up and surpassed them in the mid 2000s. Their relationship with Apple was truly one that aimed to echo meaning, with a modern aesthetic, cool factor, and theme of innovation. Today the continuation of a relationship with Apple runs into problems because U2 no longer shares these same attributes in the public eye for various reasons. They are no longer in vogue and their continued pairing with Apple seems strange to us, especially with their latest debut of their new album for free on itunes. Our readings for class describe a dependence on both the popular and the cultural as necessary means to form popular culture, in this case U2 is no longer as popular in the mainstream as it is in the niche of "Dad Rockers," and the cultural denotation is that they are has beens...which is then affirmed with a terrible free album release.  If we really think about it, how often do we complain about receiving something for free? Unless that something is total crap...which let's face it might be a generous description of that album. In doing so they also anger their niche market who now view them as sell outs who cease to be a band but are now entirely a business with no musical substance to be found whatsoever. Unless they have something groundbreaking up their sleeves it will be hard to achieve their previous status, but in all fairness, why should they bother?