S Predict the future with pop music. Music predicts the future, as probably do many of the creative arts. Sociological research journals have published studies by academicians on this topic for years, generally concluding that musicians from Mozart to Jay Z reflect incipient trends in a culture. A half century ago, Tennessee Ernie Ford dominated the pop charts with his hit “Sixteen Tons,” foreshadowing a general awakening of public and corporate concern for the economic and physical afflictions-such as black lung disease-and other maladies of the coal mining industry. Fast forward to 2003, and you may interpret the meteoric rise and success of more traditional musicians such as John Mayer, Norah Jones, and Vanessa Carlton as a desire to turn toward conservatism.

The music industry, like most others today, is dependent on perceived cultural relevance or the degree to which a brand is up to date.

Few people want to be associated with a brand, style, fashion, or attitude that isn’t current-it doesn’t have to be the latest fad, but it has to be relevant to them to maintain favored status. Though rock and roll can be an effective crystal ball, cultural relevance is tricky for any brand, including bands, because musicians and other artisans often start as the outcasts of society and stay closely tuned to the perimeter of culture even after they attain success. In medieval Europe and England, it was the task of traveling minstrels to pick up gossip, unrest, and social concerns from the campfires of the countryside and taverns of the city and bring them into mainstream culture. In the Elizabethan days of Shakespeare, “fools” took the truth to the king or queen-hence the name of one of the best known newspaper columns and web sites, Motley Fool, claiming to tell the truth about investing to help readers laugh their way to the bank.

“The Greatest Discovery,” in contrast, was a piano lullaby describing one of life’s most emotional experiences, the birth of a baby.

Other songs spoke of the cultural gaps associated with poverty (”No Shoestrings on Louise”) in a country melody, similar to what the Rolling Stones were recording at the time. Race relations and the consequences of bigotry were encompassed in “Border Song,” with soul themes so profound that Aretha Franklin recorded a cover of the song the next year-the first major star to do so. The final song, “The King Must Die,” was interpreted in the culture of the time to be about the death of Martin Luther King, although Taupin actually wrote it about assassination plots through the ages.

A Transgenerational Appeal This album, and subsequent others, connected at the deepest level with people of all ages, genders, and cultural groups. It laid the foundation for Elton John’s transgenerational marketing strategy- creating a product that may be designed for a specific segment but whose appeal transcends a variety of age groups rather than just teens or just boomers. Other artists have had success with a similar approach, although few are really able to create a music product that appeals to multigenerational audiences. The fact that the classic rock bands highlighted in this article have been around for so long helps to explain why they are more likely to attract varied audiences today, but it isn’t often that new artists can attract the same mix.

One breakout example of late is Norah Jones, whose fairytale success story began with the release of her album Come Away With Me in February 2002, culminating in eight Grammy awards, ranging from Best New Artist to Album of the Year. But this Cinderella’s night at the ball was not the result of an invitation by the prince, rather because the townspeople drove her to the palace and pushed her inside. Her voice is sultry, her look exotic, her sound lush, her talent enormous and genuine. With low expectations for the commercial success of the album, critics and fans alike were surprised by the runaway acceptance of her style of music, and no one was more stunned than Jones herself.

It’s Got to Be Relevant The phenomena of long lasting, successful bands and brands can often be explained by cultural relevance. If a brand isn’t relevant to the people who are supposed to buy it, they don’t, at least not in the long run. When people say about a brand, “It makes sense; it fits into our lives and our lifestyles,” then they are on their way to describing a store or products as “my store” or “my brand,” assuming a sense of ownership and pride. A relevant brand name often becomes a descriptive word, such as a “Wal Mart kind of guy” or a “Tiffany’s kind of girl.” The musicians who become rock and roll legends are grippingly relevant to the cultural values of a specific group of people-their fans. Similarly, profitable businesses and brands are grippingly relevant to key market segments-those that are currently profitable or possess potential for future growth. The best of the best expand the relationship from one segment to become core, mass market branding successes. This is more likely to occur when the values and lifestyles linked to a brand are closely aligned with the behavior, whether actual or aspirational, of customers and their culture.

Verizon’s recent advertising campaign resonates with American culture today. The slogan “Can you hear me now?” in Verizon’s clever television ads reflects the sentiments of people frustrated by poor cellular phone connections. You can hear people waiting in airport concourses or walking down the street uttering the phrase as they try to maintain communication with the person on the phone. It’s a slogan adopted by the culture, as much as the phrase “Elvis has left the building. ” Achieving cultural relevance is the first phase in marketplace acceptance, but legendary bands will tell you it’s also about staying relevant to a culture, using core products to reinforce relationships with existing fans and attract new ones. Hence, the “greatest hits” albums.