The Beginning Of The End: and another one bites the dust, wearied by the end of the century and the decline (yeah, yeah) of Pop. But it’s not about the musicians: it’s about the listeners. And so this is the most exciting time since 1988 (or ’92 or ’95 or whatever you like), and yes, that is because of MP3s. The real reason critics are feeling so tired now is that the new technology tears their playhouse down far more surely than it does the artists’.