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    Hit men by Fredric Dannen Summary

    Hit men
    Fredric Dannen
    3.95 (959 Reviews)
    BusinessEconomicsFinance
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    Overview of Hit men

    Dive into the music industry's dark underbelly with "Hit Men," Billboard's #2 greatest music book of all time. Dannen's award-winning expose reveals how power brokers manipulated radio playlists and built empires through vendettas, payoffs, and fierce ambition. The unofficial history they never wanted published.

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    Key Takeaways

    1

    The Music Industry's Dark Empire

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    The music business has always projected a glamorous image of creativity and artistic freedom, but behind the curtain lies a shadow empire of intimidation, payola, and mob connections. In 1978, a loose alliance of independent promoters called "The Network" formed, creating a system of institutionalized payola that would reshape the entire industry. Key figures like Joseph Isgro and Fred DiSipio controlled territories across America, delivering national airplay through a sophisticated system of bribes and favors. By 1985, record labels were spending $60-80 million annually on indie promotion - nearly 30% of the industry's pretax profits - not because it guaranteed hits, but because refusing to pay guaranteed failure. This system created a stark divide among industry executives. CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff embraced the indies as "mensches" who "get results," while his deputy Dick Asher worried about organized crime connections. The promotion system operated through carefully constructed invoices with tear-off receipts that were discarded after verification, leaving no paper trail connecting payments to specific radio stations. This wasn't just promotion - it was extortion, demonstrated dramatically when The Network blocked Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" from major Los Angeles radio stations until CBS hired them.

    2

    The Godfather of the Music Business

    3

    The Power Troika

    4

    The Legal Labyrinth

    5

    Casablanca and the Disco Disaster

    6

    The Rise and Fall of Walter Yetnikoff

    7

    The Music Behind the Money