UP
Andrew Lack
CEO, Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Age 57
When Lack took over Sony Music in 2003 he was a TV guy with no music
experience, presumably picked because he'd be unsentimental about
massive cuts. But he's quietly won enough industry respect that when he
was elevated to run the Sony/BMG fiefdom this summer, complaints were
few. Lack's combined operation instantly supplanted Universal as
market-share leader, and owns 10 of the year's 20 best-sellers so far,
from Usher to Gretchen Wilson.
UP
Jimmy Iovine
Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M;
Producer
Age 51
Interscope seems likely to own the fall in three genres — hip-hop
(Eminem), rock (U2), and dance-pop (Gwen Stefani) — on top of the
inexplicably triple-platinum Ashlee Simpson. Meanwhile, it belatedly
turns out, Iovine did pick up the movie bug from producing 8 Mile in
2002. The label honcho just signed a multipicture pact with Paramount
and MTV Films designed to bring more Interscope artists to the big
screen. Their next would-be screen gem: 50 Cent.
UP
Steve Jobs
CEO, Apple/Pixar
Age 49
Potential storm clouds haven't been limited to his pancreatic cancer,
which he says is treatable. The Beatles are suing over the name Apple
being used for music, and Net-tune competitors pop up hourly, MSN Music
being the latest. But with iTunes' Windows rollout going smashingly,
Apple has 70 percent of the U.S. download biz and 4 million songs sold
worldwide a week. Even if some of that plurality inevitably gets
siphoned off, no one's likely to invent a product with more kid cred
than the iPod in Bill Gates' lifetime, or Paul McCartney's, or yours.
UP
Merck Mercuriadis
CEO, Sanctuary Group
Age 41
Sanctuary isn't just for dinosaur rockers anymore. Lately the label's
been collecting cooler major-label castoffs, from Morrissey to De La
Soul, and just agreed to distribute a stegosaurus-free indie, Drive Thru
Records. The management roster is even wider ranging, especially since
picking up Beyoncé's dad; clients include Destiny's Child and Nelly.
Reports that Madonna might sign on proved premature, but her manager is in talks to join the company.
DOWN
Matt Serletic
Chairman-CEO, Virgin Records America
Age 34
Given the shaky state of the biz, you may be wondering why we only have
a downbeat report on one music suit. That's easy: In the current
suffer-no-fools climate, practically everyone else who was floundering
already got shown the door. Some wonder if EMI will lead Serletic — a
controversial 2002 hire previously best known as matchbox twenty's
producer — toward the same open elevator shaft. But with a roster as
star-crossed as Virgin's (Janet Jackson . . . ouch! Courtney Love . . . oof!
Lenny Kravitz . . . eee-aah!), there probably aren't many A-listers lining
up to replace him.
UP
Joe Simpson
Manager
Age 46 First, he revived daughter Jessica's stalled career by signing
off on MTV's invasive Newlyweds. Then he not only saved Ashlee from
being known as ''the less talented one'' but actually helped give her what
could be an even bigger career — by sexing and punking her up, and
positioning her as . . . the anti-Jessica. The big question: Can he work the
same magic with anyone outside his immediate family?
