Availability of SG Downloads: Part 2
Doug Harrison at the Averyfineline blog suggests that piracy in Southern Gospel is a moot point because so few SG albums are available for digital download. I decided to check iTunes and eMusic to see what kind of selection they had.
In yesterday’s post, I indicated I thought I’d have my list done by yesterday afternoon. Well, it took a little longer than I thought. Here’s the list–17 pages in a pdf format.
Look it over and take in the scope and breadth of what you can find at just these two sites.
Is this a good selection? Yes.
Could it be improved? Yes. There are glaring omissions, especially from the Cathedrals repertoire. (Also, the Collingsworth family is about the only major Crossroads/Sonlite/Horizon artist not on eMusic, and I’d love to see them added.)
But there is also a surprisingly vast scope of material, from the 1940s through the present day, covering everything from the Inspirations to Signature Sound, from the Golden Gate Quartet to the Jody Brown Indian Family (JBIF).
If the ultimate goal is getting everything that has ever been recorded online and available for download, I grant that we still have a ways to go. That’s a worthy goal, at least if you stick to the worthy projects by decently good artists.
But I think it is safe to say that the argument that one must resort to illegal downloads because there isn’t much else doesn’t hold water.
Blame it on whatever you like! Fact is, my reason is simple enough: I have no interest in any secular music. 
(jealous pout)