The Honest Broker's 20 Most Popular Articles From 2024Phew, I published 171 articles this year—here are the ones you liked the most
What an amazing year at The Honest Broker. I somehow published 171 articles, and they generated 25 million views during the year. The community grew at an unbelievable (to me) rate. I started 2024 with 86 thousand subscribers, and finish it with 198 thousand. Needless to say, that’s way beyond anything I anticipated when launching on Substack in April 2021. Back then, I thought I’d pick up a few hundred readers—and then things would plateau. (Is plateau a verb? It has to be. I’ve certainly devoted enough time and energy to doing it over the years.) But, hey, I’ve stumbled somehow into a plateau-free zone. The growth here hasn’t just continued each year. It has accelerated. This has been an unanticipated (but happy) surprise. We don’t chase metrics (ugh!) here, but we warmly welcome new members to our community—even if I’m never quite sure where they come from.
But what’s really going on here? Sure, a lot of it is dumb luck. I was in the right place at the right time. And I’ve also benefited from the expansion in the total Substack platform (as have others). This really is a community here. Those aren’t empty words. But I also believe these trendlines have something to do with alternative culture displacing corporate media. The fringe is somehow replacing the mainstream. That does worry me a bit. I’m not really a mainstream kind of guy. I’ve never had any thoughts of reaching a large crossover audience. I’d actually like to avoid that—and regularly turn down offers from intermediaries who have plans to take me to the next level. I sorta like this level. Leveling up is not on my bingo card—at some point I might even level down. But this is a juncture in history where some outside voices are getting amplified. And I do feel fortunate to be one of them. The only other thing I can say is that this comes with some responsibility. And I take that responsibility seriously. Now let’s revisit the highlights of the year. If you want to support my work, please take out a premium subscription (just $6 per month).The 20 Most Viewed Articles of the YearThese were the 20 most viewed articles on The Honest Broker in 2024. I’ll start with the most popular and work my way down. (1) The State of the Culture 2024 (2/18/24)This “State of the Culture” article went viral with a vengeance. It’s the most widely read piece I’ve ever published. I added a few homemade charts to the article at the last moment, right before publishing it—and one of them took a life of its own. This graphic reached more than a million people. It’s still circulating on social media.
I clearly tapped into a growing anxiety among the general public. They fear new tech in a way they never have before. And I do, too. It’s no exaggeration to say that my vocation is changing in response to these widespread concerns. When I launched The Honest Broker, I never envisioned writing on technology. But a lot has changed during the last three years—and not for the better. I now feel that it’s urgent to give voice to people victimized by abusive and manipulative digital platforms—especially because very few media outlets seem to care about the fallout (some of them are part of the problem)—and also lay out a game plan for addressing the crisis at hand. This does, however, connect to my advocacy for musicians, writers, and other creatives, because they have stood on the front lines of this battlefield. Yet, as this “State of the Culture” assessment makes clear, everybody is now suffering, to some degree, from the expanding ambitions of the technocracy. (2) The Ugly Truth About Spotify Is Finally Revealed (12/19/24)I’ve been a harsh critic of Spotify for more than a decade. But this article from a few days ago has reached more people than anything I’ve ever written about the company. I drew on Liz Pelly’s disturbing new revelations, as well as my past investigations. In aggregate they make it clear that Spotify has gone to war against musicians, relying on deception and fakery to reduce royalty payments to artists. Meanwhile the senior executives are dumping shares like they’re confetti in a Wall Street ticker tape parade. Maybe they fear an impending backlash. What a surprise. I have a hunch this story isn’t over yet. So we’ll continue to keep on tabs on it here. (3) How to Know If You're Living in a Doom Loop (8/2/24)As mentioned above, I never anticipated becoming the Scourge of Tech. Blame Silicon Valley, not me. I’d happily spend my days reading 19th-century novels, and listening to Miles Davis on vinyl. But when the largest companies in the world invest a trillion dollars in polluting the culture with AI slop, some response from the humanists is required. In this popular article from August, I looked at how AI and algorithmic control systems are creating a doom loop. Let’s escape it while we still can. (4) The Real Crisis in Humanities Isn't Happening at College (3/28/24)So many articles about the humanities are focused on what happens at college. But the real glaring need right now is for a wise humanistic perspective in society at large. We desperately need the humanities to build character, instill compassionate values, and impart wisdom in technology, business, politics, and everyday life. This article was a plea for just—supported by lots of data, cautionary tales, and exhortations to the wise. (5) 11 Predictions: Here's What AI Does Next (9/7/24)Are you noticing a pattern here? Against my will—kicking and screaming—I’m turning into a tech writer. Heaven help me! I wish these billionaire-bought bots would go away. Then I could settle down by the fireplace to write a poem or compose a madrigal. But they won’t let me. If the new overlords keep scamming and spamming the creative culture, somebody has to speak up. That makes me like the old blues musician who sat down on stage with his guitar and said: “I may not be the best, but I’ll play for you until the best shows up.” That’ll be my motto as a tech writer. In this article, I offer a forecast for the future of AI, and sketch out some possible responses. (6) A 12-Month Immersive Course in Humanities (7/8/24)This never happened before—an article (mostly) behind a paywall was one of my most viewed postings of the year. And it was an article about Plato, Shakespeare, Dante, and other highbrow figures. What a relief! Finally something deep and substantive to think about—with no TikTok links necessary And the popularity of this article tells you that a rebellion against the swipe-and-scroll mania is already underway. In the midst of all the degradation, something positive is emerging. Let’s try to nurture it. (7) The Death of the Magazine (8/9/24)Along the way, we ought to spend some time mourning the casualties of digital culture. I miss those old thick Sunday newspapers, and glossy middle-brow magazines. Clearly I’m not the only one. This assessment of the collapsing market for print periodicals was widely read and cited. (8) Is There a Crisis of Seriousness? (11/7/24)I’m still planning to publish a follow-up to this article. It will be called “How to Be a Serious Person.” In the meantime, this essay from November outlines the reasons why seriousness is disappearing from the public sphere. (9) 15 Observations on the New Phase in Cultural Conflict (11/17/24)I originally published this essay in 2022, but I put it behind a paywall. As a result, only a few thousand people read it. A few weeks ago, I liberated it from the paywall—it just seemed too timely, and needed a second hearing. This time around, it definitely stirred up lots of discussion and debate. Many people said this analysis helped them understand the recent election. And just a few days after publication, the shooting of the United Healthcare exec was an eerie and unsettling reminder of the premises outlined here. (10) The 6 New Rules of Communicating (11/15/24)I published this article immediately after the election. I tried to articulate what we had learned about communicating and influencing audiences from both the campaign and other recent developments. This chart from the article circulated widely.
(11) How to Escape Dopamine Culture (3/4/24)Maybe I do too much complaining here. Am I turning into a curmudgeon? Even worse, have I always been one? But I do try to propose solutions, and not just gripe about problems. In this popular article from March, I offered a game plan for thriving in the face of brain-numbing swipe-and-scroll phone culture. (12) Ten Reasons Why Technological Progress Is Now Reversing (8/19/24)In this article, I tried to do more than just complain about crappy tech—I outlined the reasons why it’s getting worse. This is a good starting point for anyone who wants a more expansive diagnosis of the dominant digital dysfunction. (13) I Say Forbidden Things About Sports (11/30/24)Some readers are frustrated at how I jump from topic to topic. They have legitimate complaints—I’m no longer just a music writer. (I published more than 70 articles on music in 2024, but only two made this top 20 list, and they were both about the music business, not music itself.) So it’s not even clear to me what my specialty is anymore. (But—fair warning—I’m not giving up music writing. Below I share links to some music articles published here during the last 12 months.) So I dared to publish an essay on sports—a subject where I have no credentials whatsoever (although, to be fair, I once had a spiffy jump shot from outside the key)—and it resonated with many of you. I can only assume that an outsider perspective is what’s needed now in the more degraded sectors of society. In those situations, you can state obvious truths (see chart below), but they merely point out how far we’ve fallen from our ideals.
(14) Stupidity: A Reading List (5/22/24)Once again, a reading list was one of the most popular articles of the year. Every time this happens, it restores my faith in the world at large. This article had a peculiar premise. If you want to be smart, you need to learn about stupidity. Then I offered a syllabus on the subject—with 17 book recommendations and a final exam. (15) Why Is the Tesla Cybertruck So Depressingly Ugly? (11/9/24)I like writing about beauty and aesthetics, but those can be boring subjects. Elon Musk, however, was so obliging, and introduced a vehicle that put ugliness on the road in all our neighborhoods. I poked fun at it in this article, and many readers agreed with the sentiments expressed. A few Cybertruck owners, however, were not amused. (16) How Coffee Became a Joke (5/5/24)Here’s another example of an unexpected topic reaching a larger audience. I drink a lot of coffee—maybe too much. If you ever meet me, don’t be surprised if I spontaneously start dancing a jitterbug waltz. In this semi-serious article, I lamented the rise of sickly-sweet Starbucks drinks, and expressed a hope for the return of plain ol’ jo. And I got the best response of all. Soon after publishing this article, Starbucks got rid of the olive oil coffee that I mocked in the post. We take our wins where we can find them.
(17) How Virtual Reality DiedBack in 2021, I predicted that Facebook’s huge investments in virtual reality would soon go sour. Three years later, I revisited the subject, and showcased the biggest tech flop (so far) of the century. It’s a useful case study in how out-of-touch Big Tech has become, and a reminder that its user don’t always agree to be used. (18) Is Silicon Valley Building Universe 25?In 1968, an obsessed scientist tried to create a utopian society for mice. It didn’t work out well for the rodents—the easier life got, the more self-destructive they became. This is especially relevant right now because our new app-driven lifestyles are having a similar impact on human beings. (19) Are We Now Living in a Parasite Culture?Back in my consulting days, I analyzed “parasite strategies”—sly dealings which allowed businesses to suck blood out of the economy without giving anything back in return. Until recently, corporate execs found these practices disgusting and borderline unethical. Not anymore. The entire creative economy is now built on parasite platforms—and they will wreak tremendous destruction over the long run, unless we mount a resistance movement. (20) Nine Predictions for the Future of the Music BusinessHere I offer very, very long-range predictions. My time horizon is 10-15 years in the future. And, much to my own surprise, my conclusions are very optimistic. I point out how many of the current trends are unsustainable, and will lead to their own obsolescence. Those were the 20 greatest hits of the year. As noted above, only two music articles earned a place in this popularity contest—and they were both about the music business. None of my articles on musicians and recordings made it into the top 20. But some came close. So here are links to five (somewhat) popular music articles I published in 2024. Finally, let me mention five popular articles for premium subscribers. You can read some of the text for free—because I usually insert a paywall deep in the article. Those were the highlights of a busy year. But give the community here a lot of the credit. The comments are often better than the articles. So find time to read those, too—and maybe add your own observations to the mix. Finally, let me give my heartfelt thanks for your support. Yes, I’m talking to you, personally, right now—thank you! And let’s do it again next year. You're currently a free subscriber to The Honest Broker. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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The Honest Broker's 20 Most Popular Articles From 2024
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