#14: Fredric Dannen, New York Times Best Selling Author of The Hitmen. The book that shook the music industry.
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Sold 4 a Song™ isn’t just a podcast — it’s a revolution for undervalued creatives. Hosted by Terrance Sawchuk, Billboard #1 writer & multi-platinum producer, each episode helps you rewrite your story from undervalued to unstoppable.
To go deeper, join Terry at TerranceSawchuk.com
👉 Watch for announcements for my Free Webinar coming in January 2026.
#songwriters, #musicindustry, #livenation, #ticketmaster, #streaming #royalties, #independentartists, #musiccreators, #fanconnection, #artistfanrelationship, #musicbusinesstruth, #copyrightboard, #Spotifypayouts, #Thanksgivingspecial, #behind themusicindustry, #Sold4aSong
What really happens when the mafia, major labels, and radio money all collide?
In this episode of $old 4 a $ong, Terry sits down with legendary investigative journalist Fredric Dannen, author of Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business—the book that pulled the curtain back on payola, the mob, and the hidden forces shaping what makes it onto the airwaves.
Fredric shares the real story behind the infamous Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall” experiment, how a handful of “independent promoters” (with documented mob ties) could stop a hit record cold, and why labels willingly fed tens of millions of dollars into a system that often worked more like extortion than promotion.
They dig into:
How Hit Men nearly got blocked by Clive Davis—and why that backfired spectacularly
The mafia-connected “Network” that controlled Top 40 radio in the late ’70s and ’80s
Stories of Morris Levy, Michael Jackson’s team, and artists like Pink Floyd, The Who, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more
The uncomfortable truth about race records, R&B, and how genre labels tracked skin color, not sound
Fredric’s work freeing an innocent man from a Texas prison and why that fight for justice led him to live in Mexico
How his reporting helped inspire Eliot Spitzer’s modern payola crackdown
If you’ve ever wondered why truly great music doesn’t always rise to the top—or why the people who create the value get paid last—this conversation is mandatory listening.
👉 If this episode lights a fire in you, don’t let it fade. Follow/subscribe to $old 4 a $ong, leave a review, and share this with one artist or songwriter who needs to hear it.
To go deeper into ownership, leverage, and building an artist life on your terms, visit TerranceSawchuk.com and join the movement.
To go deeper, join Terry at TerranceSawchuk.com
👉 Watch for announcements for my Free Webinar coming in January 2026.
#songwriters, #musicindustry, #livenation, #ticketmaster, #streaming #royalties, #independentartists, #musiccreators, #fanconnection, #artistfanrelationship, #musicbusinesstruth, #copyrightboard, #Spotifypayouts, #Thanksgivingspecial, #behind themusicindustry, #Sold4aSong
What really happens when the mafia, major labels, and radio money all collide?
In this episode of $old 4 a $ong, Terry sits down with legendary investigative journalist Fredric Dannen, author of Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business—the book that pulled the curtain back on payola, the mob, and the hidden forces shaping what makes it onto the airwaves.
Fredric shares the real story behind the infamous Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall” experiment, how a handful of “independent promoters” (with documented mob ties) could stop a hit record cold, and why labels willingly fed tens of millions of dollars into a system that often worked more like extortion than promotion.
They dig into:
How Hit Men nearly got blocked by Clive Davis—and why that backfired spectacularly
The mafia-connected “Network” that controlled Top 40 radio in the late ’70s and ’80s
Stories of Morris Levy, Michael Jackson’s team, and artists like Pink Floyd, The Who, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more
The uncomfortable truth about race records, R&B, and how genre labels tracked skin color, not sound
Fredric’s work freeing an innocent man from a Texas prison and why that fight for justice led him to live in Mexico
How his reporting helped inspire Eliot Spitzer’s modern payola crackdown
If you’ve ever wondered why truly great music doesn’t always rise to the top—or why the people who create the value get paid last—this conversation is mandatory listening.
👉 If this episode lights a fire in you, don’t let it fade. Follow/subscribe to $old 4 a $ong, leave a review, and share this with one artist or songwriter who needs to hear it.
To go deeper into ownership, leverage, and building an artist life on your terms, visit TerranceSawchuk.com and join the movement.
