The Decade at a Glance
The year 2000 signaled the first decade of the 21st century. People who lived through this era witnessed the emergence of computers being predominantly used to record, distribute, store, and play music. These new processes changed the way the economy worked, as well as the music industry. Artists experienced a shift in how they establish relationships with fans, record companies, promoters, retail music stores, and technology.
At this time, digital music consumption already existed and was making massive shifts in the industry. Album sales started to decline as the digital format offered “a la carte” options to consumers. This meant there was no need to download entire albums; you could just get the tracks you liked. The digital music revolution also faced some issues with peer-to-peer networks allowing people to exchange free music files.
By 2001, hard drive space experienced a significant drop in prices and laptops and computers were able to store a large number of music files. Itunes and iPods became the main music storage and playback options for users. Artists also transferred their music from physical media like the CD into digital-only formats.
The rise of digital music considerably shifted the power that was in play during the reign of CDs. Artists started relying on live performances to gerner fans and no longer felt the need to sign “record deals” because high-quality music could be made through any computer and distributed online. The rise of social media and YouTube meant they could reach audiences they weren't able to reach before.
The 5 Best Musicians From the 2000s
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer and actress. Her contribution to the music industry significantly changed the world's view of what it truly meant to be a “complete performer.” After going solo from Destiny's Child in 2006, she made one smash hit after another. Songs like “Crazy in Love,” “Single Ladies,” “Halo,” “Partition,” “Irreplaceable,” “Drunk in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Beautiful Liar,” “7/11,” and “Run The World (Girls)” performed so well that she was selling out tickets in the world's biggest stadiums. Today, she is still one of the biggest celebrities and most influential performers of the 21st century.
