Styx Future Longevity

[styxfanNH]

oddly enough, I Am The Walrus seems to be making its way on various classic rock stations. Most breaks are freaks of nature that occur. This song could be the break that at least opens the door for them. But who knows how things will play out.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

That's how Styx got started in the first place. I remember when I was a little girl, a looooooong time ago and hearing "Lady" on my am radio.

This is from the WLS site:

The seventies were a time for many "firsts" at WLS Musicradio. In 1974, it would help break one of the biggest acts in the music industry by playing a song by a local South Side band formerly known as TradeWinds 4 (TW4). The song was "Lady" by Styx. After the song began airing on The Big 89, Styx was signed to a record deal with A&M, who bought out their contract with local Wooden Nickel Records. Styx was also the first live rock concert broadcast on WLS on December 18. 1978 from the Chicago Stadium. To this day, Styx still credits WLS with sparking their career.


For "I Am The Walrus" (egad-no offense), the 1000 radio stations that received the cd will need to play if often. The number of "spins" are kept track and then if it hits a certain number it will enter the Billboard charts, or something like that.

I agree with Classic, most current music is 90% crap!!!!! Notice how most of these "in" bands come and go?

[styxfanNH]

Never said it was gonna chart. Just that with a bit of luck, maybe, they can get their other music on the radio. Most Classic Rock artist that are still making music can't get air play for their new songs if there was a $100 bill attached to the top of it.

It's not a Styx issue, its a genre isssue.

[Adam]

You know, there is an argument against anything. Each and every new record that comes out has much more going against it than going for it. But some of them will surprise someone, and break through regardless of any marketing plan. Has anyone forgotten the story of how the album that "Lady" was on flopped, so Styx released another album before one particular DJ broke the rules and began playing the old, unproven "failure"?

JY has to be positive. It's so easy to sit at a computer terminal and sling tomatoes. But that's not productive, and JY is working on promoting his business.

I am sure there are boards all over the internet discussing how the music industry will never be the same, how the family unit is breaking down in our society, how big corporations are ruining everything, how the US cannot win in Iraq, how George Bush is ruining our country, how useless your vote is, how global warming will destroy the earth, how the planet is malnourished and over populated...but in the end, that's all utter hopelessness.

And what good does that do?

Yes, you might get in your car today and get in a mortal accident. Yes, you might have cancer growing in you at this very moment. Yes, you won't live forever. But only a fool will spend his time and waste his energy about that stuff.

So, yeah, JY is probably wrong - the odds are - but Arnold Shwarzeneggar has hit unfathomable sucess in THREE careers without being able to speak English clearly, and JY chooses to see the glass as half full.

I have no problem with that.

[classicstyxfan]

Adam,

You make many valid points....Styx IS a business, JY has every right in the world to conduct his business as he sees fit.

What's interesting here to me is to see how the people who post here, potentially his best customers, see things....We are in a way, an unpaid focus group, we are a slice of the demographic most likely to spend our money on the Styx product.

Since the overall customer base for Styx is small relative to it's former size, it wouldn't be a bad idea for JY to see that many of his best customers are put off when he makes negative comments about former members. don't you agree ?

[Adam]

You raise a good point here, Classic, and I can't argue. I actually don't blanketly support JY's position. I believe he's complicated and suspect he has a ton of unresolved issues with Dennis.

What I was responding to was the "JY is delusional" parade over his optimism. Would anyone expect any artist who's promoting their act to act otherwise?

As far as the people who post here, I don't necessarily see one opinion emerging, nor would I give it much credence if there were a shared consensus. What a band like Styx needs is to crossover to a new audience.

Are posters potentially JY's best customers? I suspect most posters here don't buy as many albums as they once did.

Yes we are a slice of the demographic most likely to spend our money on the Styx product now...but that's why it aint selling enough to make a difference. What resurrected Aerosmith from the "Where Are They Now" file in the 90s was a Run DMC video on MTV. You think that was their old audience who bought "Dude Looks Like A Lady" and "Janie's Got A Gun"? Probably more than not it was a new generation of music buyers.

As for JY's negative comments about former members, that seems another issue.

[classicstyxfan]

Adam, I don't buy nearly as many CD's as I once did......I do however own both Cyclorama releases, Return to Paradise and
20th Century Collection DVD's, and the Styx Anthology....certainly not everything they've put out since 1999, but a decent amount of it.

In business it's said for every customer who takes the time to complain about a perceived bad product or service, there are 10 others who didnt bother , and just didnt come back. I wonder if
JY's negativity has turned off many potential customers ?

Your right, Styx needs to find their equivalent of Aearsmith/RunDMC's "Walk This Way"....something to ignite a revival, if there is ever to be one...

[styxfanNH]

Just a question, Other than us hard core fans, does anyone think that the casual fan has actually read one of JY's interviews? Has a casual fan read two or three interviews? If the answer is no, then what he says is irrelevant in the overall scheme of things.

[classicstyxfan]

I wonder if that casual fan even knows Styx is still a band ? Perhaps if he or she stumbles upon some publicity for a concert in their local area, or happens by some of the new releases on-line or at a music store....

[styxfanNH]

WIth 600 some odd dates in the last 5+ years, unless they don't go to concerts they probably don't.

[Adam]

All true, but there's just so much entertainment saturation at this point and I'm thinking people only know about what they're into. The kids who prefer a particular radio station will be aware of the acts promoted on that station.

Can anyone here tell me if the Backstreet Boys are still together? I sure ain't paying attention to them...and they probably sold more records than Styx a helluva lot more recently than when Styx peaked.

We don't care because we're into what we're into and there's only so much interest we'll invest in the music business.

Do you think anyone but Yes fans know that they still tour? Or care?

But when a band like Styx has a comeback (i.e. a record on the charts, or a presence on TV) suddenly the world knows. Take Bon Jovi. They were on their way to no man's land there for a while, but now their profile has been rejuvenated. So we know they're still around.

(I can't help but notice that when the conversation becomes a little more intelligent and civil the conspicuous absence of Froy...)

[classicstyxfan]

who are the backstreet boys

Adam, I couldnt agree with you more.....all the more reason JY and Styx in general should keep an ear open to those of us who still would be their audience....we have money, we are aware of whats going on, and we'll spend it....not very bright to put us off though.

As for Froy, his mind is closed......he's decided one side is completely in the right, and the other is completely wrong.......he's not going to participate here, except on that basis.

I personally believe there are 3 sides to every argument, and that the post 1999 music of Styx is worthy of a listen, politics be damned...same with DY's music.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Can anyone here tell me if the Backstreet Boys are still together?

LOL I can't believe that I actually took the time to Google them - LOL I didn't think they were still together but they are. They're coming back from touring Europe.

I don't think N'Sync is together. Maybe they'll be on "Band Reunited" in a few years - LOL

I don't know if Matchbox Twenty will be back together after Rob Thomas goes solo.

All these bands of the 90's and 00's come and go. Are there any bands that are still together from the 90's?

Classic Says:

I wonder if that casual fan even knows Styx is still a band ?

When some of the high school kids come over to baby sit they USED to laugh at my 80's bands pictures that I have up around my computer. Most of these kids, well most of my town, LOL knows that I'm a BIG Styx fan. Knowing this, a bunch of the kids saw Styx at the Jefferson County Fair and Summerfest this past summer. They even went out and bought a few Styx cd's. When I play my Classic Styx music at the high school a lot of the kids recognize the songs.

The hard core fans, the casual fans and word of mouth will keep the bands like Styx going.