Raw Power to the people!

[vermin_boy]

Gad, it's been a while since I've posted anything of substance. As luck would have it, I actually have multiple topics of substance that I could easily write decent, thought-provoking pieces on. But, as it turns out, I am lazy, so instead here's another snotty, indulgent theory about musical minutiae

Comments

[guitarzan]

The essence of your idea - that, over time, certain songs have transcended the commercial world and enter the cultural - was the essence of the original copyright laws in the US and UK (which were later adopted by the rest of the world in the later 1800s). Up until 1910, copyright protection was only enjoyed for a little over 20 years - so, Beatles, Beach Boys, Miles Davis, LedZep, Sex Pistols, and almost early Pixies (scary a thought as that is) would be in the public domain at this point, totally allowing all the uses you mention above. Technically, this is still how the law works, but special interest groups, particularly those interested in protecting a 4 foot tall cartoon mouse with white gloves, have managed to kick it out to the life of the artist plus close to a century after. To put it in perspective, while the Beatles would be free shortly after you and I were born under the old copyright law, Claude Debussey is only about to enter the public domain under the current law (truthfully, he already is in the public domain, but