Ryssdal: Does this mean then the increasing nichification of this music, where bands go out and find fans who like this band in particular. Does that mean the days of the blockbuster, globe-shattering bands like U2 and the Rolling Stones are done with?

KOT: Yeah, I’m crying a bitter tear here because those days are gone. I’m saying, what have we lost there? Seeing a mega band in a stadium, that’s a good experience for somebody? I’ve been in the last row for a Rolling Stones show, Kai. It’s not a lot of fun back there.

—Conversation with Greg Kot, music critic for the Chicago Tribue, on Marketplace