The Needle Drop

Anthony Fantano is the reason I started to listen to music with a critical ear.  Fantano runs a website and a YouTube channel called The Needle Drop, where he reviews three to four albums a week and provides commentary on today's music scene. His prolific output has earned him the title "Internet's busiest music nerd" and over 1.5 million Youtube subscribers. 

Behold. 

At the bottom of every video description, Fantano writes, "Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?" This attitude is what allowed Fantano to become so successful. Instead of billing himself as an expert, Fantano bills himself as a guy with an opinion, just like you. He removes the "ivory tower" element from music criticism.

This attitude shows up in his camera work. Fantano's reviews consist of him talking straight into the camera. Using this technique, Fantano is able to provide the illusion of conversation. When watching a Needle Drop video, it often feels like you are sitting with your music literate friend. You feel like you're chatting about exciting new albums and Fantano is cracking jokes and being quirky. Reality TV shows like Jersey Shore use this same technique when they have the actors confess their private thoughts to audience members. 

May I suggest Spamthony Cramtano?

Fantano constantly interacts with his fans, which furthers the interactive, personal feeling his videos give viewers. Look at the picture above, where Fantano lets the web decide what he will say in his signature opening gag. Fantanto is the first internet literate music critic. He grew with the rise of memes. He has gained mass popularity on websites like 4chan and Reddit. Websites like 4chan are where many popular memes are created.  Through these memes, users have of course relentlessly made fun of Fantano, both maliciously and endearingly.  Despite their silly origins, these memes serve to brand Fantano into the collective memory of the internet, giving him permanence.

Pictured: Dead Meme (circa 2013)

Whatever you think of Fantano and his videos, it is clear to see he has tapped into some cultural paradigm that allows him to be so successful. As traditional music media like Rolling Stone loses credibility and readership, keep an eye on The Needle Drop.