zensounds

zensounds

Stop Fetishizing Data

Our numbers obsession has killed music journalism, now it’s slowly killing music itself

Stephan Kunze's avatar
Stephan Kunze
Jun 11, 2024
∙ Paid

When Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in 1991, no data would have been able to predict its massive success.

Their first album Bleach had initially not sold very well. It even failed to chart.

David Geffen still offered Nirvana a major deal and bought them out of their indie contract. Their next album, Nevermind, sold 30 million copies worldwid…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Stephan Kunze.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2025 Stephan Kunze · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture