first thing you need to understand is that, historically, there has been very little transparency in the record business. Until 1991, the sales data that trade publications like Billboard used to determine chart positions was sourced by cold-calling record stores and asking for estimates. The transition to streaming and social media platforms with public viewcounts and creator-facing analytics breakdowns has been a paradigm shift for anyone with even a passing interest in watching the charts. Large fanbases like the Swifties and the BTS Army are now able to track sales, streams, and radio spins to an extent that was never possible during the the days when proving your mettle as a superfan meant calling in requests to radio stations and MTV. The music industry is notoriously byzantine and opaque, but many of these fans now understand it better than most… Read More...

1796, the Presbyterian minister James McGready arrived in Kentucky to take charge of three small congregations near the Tennessee border. The Revolutionary War had only been over for five years, and the alliance of six tribal nations that sought to block American expansion into the northwest had just recently been defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. What was once enemy territory had become a frontier. Newly-minted “American” speculators were now free to claim the land’s vast resources without fear of retaliation or interference. McGready’s arrival preceded a much larger wave of migration that would see hundreds of thousands of settlers pour into the region seeking fortune. He stood ready to meet them there, Bible in hand. McGready’s singular focus was conversion. According to his theology, it required a legitimate change of heart, not just a shift in habits or… Read More...