We would like to thank whoever decided to send Andy Rooney a copy of Billboard in the mail. As a result of this individual’s initiative, Rooney gifted all of us with a mild-mannered rant about the state of popular music on last night’s 60 Minutes. Rooney, who considers himself “to be an absolutely dead center, average normal American†looked at the Billboard 200 and didn’t recognize a name on it. Sure, he’s heard of “Sting and the Rolling Stones,†but not “Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Usher, I mean who?†Yes, this segment proved that Rooney is old (there has to be a more contemporary act than Sting or the Stones to name-check), but Rooney’s larger point should not be lost in all his adorable old man–ness. That point is, go to the Billboard 200 and take a look around. There will be some names you do not know there! Sure, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Usher are not the names you do not know, but there will be others! In short, Andy Rooney was talking about the fragmentation of the music business — something that much younger people than Andy Rooney talk about sometimes! So, good call Andy Rooney. If you are looking for a Lady Gaga track you can stand, you might try “Alejandro.â€
