Since the mid 1990's we've been here, getting at peak around 10,000 visits daily. Over the years, visitor numbers have increased but posts have shrunk; with the advent of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube etc most seem to post there now. But we remain here to supply information, educate and entertain and stimulate. Sadly the Tip Sheet (music threads) has really declined - less interest (mainly) in the specialist areas and the executive functions of the industry. That was our main reason for starting; at peak we had around 1000 subscriptions to the printed magazine (with enclosed CDs carrying our tips), which included ALL the top people in the industry around the world. The Tip Sheet was hugely influential in breaking new hits. In the 1980s I had the BBC TV series and the Sun column which helped break artistes. But The Tip Sheet was even more powerful in the 1990s. Rupert Perry, boss of EMI then, once contemplated scrapping both A&R and Promotion departments and simply using the Tip Sheet to acquire and break hits (he signed and broke Chumbawamba due to the Tip Sheet).

These days nobody seems to care about music. There are billions of "streams" (earning virtually no money) but very few real hits or stars.

Here we have seen this Forum (Your Views) overtake the music threads by ten to one. So here's my Christmas post on Covid.

Happy Christmas - just to update you on this killer plague Covid19; these are today's official figures for Sweden which handled the virus very well in the spring except NOT protecting and treating the vulnerable (especially the elderly in care homes). The vaccine has not yet been cleared there but check out today's Active Case numbers. This virus was never the killer plague hyped by global media. Like flu, it was and is a trivial virus for the vast majority; requiring sensible reaction and not the extreme measures applied by so many governments.

So what would I do if I was still producing & writing The Brits (I christened them that; an acronym for The British Record Industry Trusts Show)? Well, 2021 would feature a majority of past hits and stars, with only a few current hits. That should kick start a revival in Mass Appeal music. And the ever popular (ignored by the industry) Novelty Hits. Why did they become ignored (after I left the industry)? Because Artistes and Albums made far more profits for the record companies. Stupids.

Merry Christmas to you JK. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Thanks for making me feel not completely alone or insane this year with my views on the panicdemic, and continuing to host the site.

I like this site because as you touch on it is "old-fashioned". Twitter can be interesting but more and more it is hundreds, thousands of people orbiting around someone well known and tweets just get lost in a giant ocean of often black and white opinions.

Yes this is much slower, so less instant "gratification" but richer for it.