Peterson and Berger revisited: Changing market dominance in the British popular music industry, c.1950-80

TY - JOUR

T1 - Peterson and Berger revisited

T2 - Changing market dominance in the British popular music industry, c.1950-80

AU - Gourvish, Terry

AU - Tennent, Kevin

PY - 2010/4

Y1 - 2010/4

N2 - In studies of the popular music industry, there has been much interest in the market share of the leading firms (majors), and the apparent connections between a high level of concentration and musical innovation and diversity. Peterson and Berger argued that in the United States the majors lost market share to independent companies in 1955-62, then recovered their position to 1973. This article uses a newly-constructed database and concentration measures to test the proposition in relation to Britain for 1952-75. We find that British majors also lost market share, but the process started much later, and was not followed by a recovery. Instead, American majors entered the market directly from the late 1960s.

AB - In studies of the popular music industry, there has been much interest in the market share of the leading firms (majors), and the apparent connections between a high level of concentration and musical innovation and diversity. Peterson and Berger argued that in the United States the majors lost market share to independent companies in 1955-62, then recovered their position to 1973. This article uses a newly-constructed database and concentration measures to test the proposition in relation to Britain for 1952-75. We find that British majors also lost market share, but the process started much later, and was not followed by a recovery. Instead, American majors entered the market directly from the late 1960s.

KW - British music industry

KW - concentration

KW - competitive entry

KW - SYMBOL PRODUCTION

KW - DIVERSITY

KW - CYCLES

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77951709432&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00076791003610717

DO - 10.1080/00076791003610717

M3 - Article

SN - 0007-6791

VL - 52

SP - 187

EP - 206

JO - Business History

JF - Business History

IS - 2

ER -