As I understand it, the music industry today is heavily geared toward the labels getting profits from sales of recordings, so a hugely successful band (in terms of record sales) signed with a "major label" can find itself in a situation where it is a household name but have very little money to show for it. They are then faced with a conundrum: do we continue making great new music, or do we go on tour to make some money for ouselves?

More and more, we see great artists going the tour route, and so we, the fans, suffer, for not getting to hear more of our favorite artists. Maroon 5 hasn't produced a new album in 4 years but have been touring non-stop, and that isn't even close to the worst of it. Artists like Shannon Curfman haven't produced an album in almost a decade, and she's been touring since she was 14!

I certainly don't begrudge artists their financial remuneration, but at the same time, I'd like them to not chew themselves into little pieces trying to make money. Non-stop touring is exhausting and draining even when it doesn't shatter your health, as it has done with Maroon 5's drummer, Ryan.