Industry monopolization froze charts and drove retro nostalgia touring

Evidence

This monopolistic aspect of pop music froze the charts into place, as few novice acts could challenge the existing winners. … With the influence of the twentieth century so persistent, alternative legends like the Pixies, Pavement, and My Bloody Valentine returned to touring, earning sums that dwarfed their original payouts. Iconic artists performed their most celebrated albums in their entirety, playing them track for track as if frozen in time. Bruce Springsteen revisited The River, U2 resurrected The Joshua Tree, and Nas brought Illmatic back to life onstage. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 642