When it comes to the arts, I relish in taking the side of the creators, because I have little faith in the taste of the masses — after all, I wasn’t one of the contributors to “Kangaroo Jack’s” $45 million (and climbing) box-office haul.

So when it comes to the whole peer-to-peer MP3 sharing, it should come as no surprise that I understand the viewpoint of the music industry — users of software like Kazaa and Morpheus are taking money out of the pockets of the record companies and the artists themselves.

But at the same time, I can’t let us common folk take the blame — the reason we all resort to using this software stems from the impotence of the music industry — they try and try to score money-making albums, but always come up empty.

The reason for this lack of bravado is because the nature of the music industry has changed since its climax in the ’60s. It often took years and numerous albums to build a following, and the entire album sold because these artists had dedicated fans.

When Joni Mitchell or Janis Joplin appeared on the scene, they had to work their way up with quality music, not a sellable look. Even today, it’s hard for most people to name more than one or two songs by either of these artists because they were never about the single (and if anyone is thinking “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell, it has earned big notoriety because of her own remix, Janet Jackson’s sampling of the hook on “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” and the latest Counting Crows cover).

But in the contemporary wintery economic climate, record executives are just looking for a catchy hook — the next big single. The whole idea of the album flew out the window with the mysterious success of Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

Success in the industry is now based on a flashy, flesh-filled music video and a gimmicky approach — the remainder of the album is inconsequential. Songs like “Unleash the Dragon,” “So Sexual” and “How Can I Love U 2nite” only appear on albums as filler, because execs knew “Thong Song” would turn Sisqo into a summer breakout artist.

This may be why Britney Spears is falling out of the spotlight — the popular sound is changing and she never actually built up much of a fan base. Instead, the fans flock to the next fad, which ultimately leaves Spears in the dust, trying to make her comeback with the pitiful remix of “Boys.”

But along with the switch from bubblegum pop to garage rock comes a glimmer of hope. The salvation from this single-based landscape may lie in the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Norah Jones.

With the Sept. 11-inspired album “The Rising,” Springsteen made his long-awaited comeback, and there’s nary a single in sight. The title track has begun to get a little airplay on VH1, but the album has already been registered a success. “The Rising” just relied on heartfelt emotion and thoughtful lyrics to propel the entire album to the top, not a catchy chorus to lift one particular song.

While Jones has had success with her single “Don’t Know Why,” the album has still sold like mad, despite the absence of another single-worthy song. The music is slow and the words like poetry, which moves her music as far way from the land of Christina Aguilera as possible.

While I may agree the music industry is technically right in condemning people for taking money from them, I think they need to realize most people use the technology to download these standout singles — songs that would never lead one to buy the entire album. Unless I’m just overestimating the masses and underestimating the drawing power of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s album “Mack Daddy.”

Todd LaPlace is a junior in journalism and The Lantern arts editor. While he is proud to say he never owned a Sir Mix-a-Lot album, he will admit to owning one by Kris Kross. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].