Sheryl Crow and Rolling Stones Hear Music at Starbucks

Is There a "Starbucks Sound"? Can Coffee Company Influence Musical Tastes?

Dave Matthews Band doesn't want to Stand Up and wait in line for an overly-long-time for their favorite Grandi, and the rest of America is pressed for time also.

Starbucks Coffee is everywhere people want to be. It is no accident that there are Starbuck's, it seems, everywhere. As related on America's chronicler of current culture, Fox television's The Simpson's, Starbucks appears to have too many outlets, located near each other within the busiest cities in the United States. There is a reason for this seeming proliferation: Customer service. To serve the onrush of customers during the busiest time of the day and evening requires a lot of outlets.

Glen Barros, president of Concord Records an independent Jazz label, had an idea for Genius Loves Company a compilation recording pairing the late, great Ray Charles with Nora Jones.  He produced the CD with the help of Starbucks Entertainment and when the biographical film of Ray Charles life was released sold over 750,000 copies at Starbucks stores! The CD went on to sell a total of 3 million copies, an enormous number for Rhythm & Blues, which makes up a small segment of the American music market. For people who had never heard Ray Charles and his unique music before, it was a revelation.

Possibilities, a CD by Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock was released synchronously at Starbucks stores in the United States and internationaly, Australia, Britian, Germany and Japan and  Bob Dylan's Live at the Gaslite 1962 show the range of musical catagories covered by Starbuck's Hear Music packaging operation at their central perk in Seattle, Washington.