Christopher Cross occupies a curious place in music\u2019s landscape: he\u2019s not what you would call a \u201csuperstar,\u201d but he\u2019s far from a small name. And while his time in the spotlight was brief, his is a story of resilience in a world changing into something not friendly to his kind of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in middle America, not everyone was involved in the nightlife or the underground clubs. The loudest, flashiest genres consume most of the oxygen, but other voices were there as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cSinger-Songwriter\u201d genre gave us some of the best-selling and most beloved stars in the industry, like James Taylor, Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, and, of course, Christopher Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet in August 1981, three simple letters would change things: MTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like that, music focused more on looks and visuals: video did indeed kill the radio star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The years between the end of disco and the music video era were a ticking clock that told us pop culture wasn\u2019t going to be the same again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s oddly coincidental that Cross released his debut album on December 27, 1979, moving between gaps, small spaces, and opportunities during that window. It went five times platinum in America, and found a similar reception in the UK, France, and Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His second single, \u201cSailing,\u201d earned the soft-spoken Texan five Grammy awards. He became the first artist to win the main categories in the same year: \u201cAlbum of the Year,\u201d \u201cRecord of the Year,\u201d \u201cSong of the Year,\u201d and \u201cBest New Artist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Posted from: https:\/\/www.culturesonar.com\/christopher-cross-sailing-a-sweet-spot\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n