David Lowery makes list of people who changed the music industry.

I for one loathe end of year lists and it seems to me like easy fodder for people who would rather be on vacation than have to think. Recaps just aren't my bag. In this case though I'll make an acception to the rule.

Digital Music News Digital Music News came out with its list of people who changed the music industry in 2012. Spoiler Alert: Amanda Palmer is not on the list.

Looking at the list of innovators seems a bit, well, contradictory. On one hand we have CEO of Spotify Daniel Ek who it could be argued along with Pandora, cornered the market for music streaming. And then on the other hand, singer songwriter Ellen Shipley, who took one look at her royalty check for a song being played 3.1 million times on Pandora (it was $39.00) and said you gotta be kidding me.

On the flip side we have everyone's favorite horse ridin' American hatin' Psy, and headphone creatin' awesomeness known as Dr. Dre, who with über-producer Jimmy Iovine who have joined forces to perhaps create a new software to blow the crap fidelity of spotify out of the water.

And that leaves us with the proverbial number eleven on the top ten list. You know. The number that says you should be on this list but we have to put you in the outcast slot. We created this number for you because we know you should really be here. But for all his work this year, I'm sure that suits him just fine.

Congratulations, David Lowery, for breaking through the sharing is caring bullshit, and shining a light on ethics, whether people wanted you to or not. This kind of recognition is as well-earned as it is hard won, no doubt.
But I suspect in the balance, earning the ire of closed-minded people, is worth a lot less than earning the respect, changing the minds, or at the very least enlightening people who might see things a different way.

As Digital Music News wrote:

In one fiery and insanely-viral post, performer and professor David Lowery somehow managed to reframe the entire debate over technology, piracy, and the plight of the artist. And, draw attention from seemingly every corner of both the tech and creative communities. It was the biggest post of the year for the music industry, and potentially, the start of a very different type of discussion in 2013.

Just as important to Adland, your voice allowed us to connect the dots and start bringing to light to more and more Adland readers this year just how much damage music and movie piracy is doing to our own field.

Mazel tov, David. Hope to keep working with you in 2013 and beyond.