| URL | youtube.com/theneedledrop |
|---|---|
| Type of site | Music reviewing |
| Created by | Anthony Fantano |
| Launched | 2007 |
| Current status | Active |
The Needle Drop is a blog/vlog created and run by Anthony Fantano, in which he reviews "rock, pop, electronic, and experimental music of the independent persuasion," usually by the medium of video and audio reviews. Despite the blog's tagline, hip hop and metal have been covered extensively along with certain major label artists. The blog started in the fall of 2007, with video reviews beginning in February 2009. The blog reviews albums, individual songs in a segment called "Track Reviews" (stylized as "TRKRVWZ"), and occasionally a "Question of the Week" or list based upon a theme relating to music.
The blog rates albums and tracks on a scale from 0 to 10, with an accompanying adjective, either "light," "decent," or "strong," for further specification to its score. The blog's site also includes a "loved list" section, featuring a list of albums and tracks which were scored 8/10 and above when they were reviewed.
In 2011, Anthony was interviewed at SXSW about the rise of music vlogging, along with Sami Jarroush of the Rock It Out! Blog, and Michael Roffman, president and editor-in-chief of Consequence of Sound.[1] In March he was featured in an article from The Guardian also about the rise of music vlogging.[2]
The Needle Drop's YouTube channel currently has over 50,000 subscribers, and almost 12 million upload views.[3] The channel was voted as September 2011's 'On The Rise' contest winner[4], a program by YouTube. His competitors were Pineapple Boy Productions, The Uncut Sports Show and Simple Kids Crafts.[5] In October 2011, Fantano won the 'Beyond the Blog' award at the MTV O Music Awards [6]