GLENN HUGHES On How Streaming Has Made Music Disposable: 'People Buy An Album, Listen To One Or Two Songs, And It's Done'

On a recent episode of TWISTED SISTER guitarist John "Jay Jay" French's "The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond The Music" podcast, Jay Jay was joined by legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, TRAPEZE). During the 44-minute chat, which can be seen below, these two rock legends do a deep dive into their ongoing musical legacies and the life experiences that come with it. Glenn shares stories from his illustrious career, giving us a glimpse of what it was like to be part of legendary bands like DEEP PURPLE and TRAPEZE — the extensive performances, creative breakthroughs, and unforgettable moments. He gets into the evolution of his sound and the challenges that artists face in today's music landscape. Their discussion touches on the impact of streaming, with Glenn expressing his thoughts on how it has transformed the way music is both consumed and created. They discuss Glenn's latest work and listen to two recent singles "Voice In My Head" and "Chosen". The conversation wraps on a hopeful note, as they discuss the importance of live music and the connection it fosters among fans and artists alike.

Regarding his latest studio album, "Chosen", which came out on September 5, 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl, Glenn said  (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you can see I'm kind of smiling and kind of sad because this probably will be my last solo album. Because, as you know, yourself being in the industry, nobody really buys 'em anymore. I don't like streaming. People buy an album, listen to one or two songs, and it's done. It's painful sometimes for me to write these albums. I mean, these songs are very personal to me, these lyrics are very personal. I don't think I can continue to do that anymore. I think the live work is way more important for me.

"We don't live in a longplayer world anymore, do we, Jay Jay?" Glenn continued. "We don't live there anymore. Maybe [you can release] a single here and there, maybe a live thing coming out. Albums don't really mean anything unless you have a huge fanbase."

Elaborating on his mindset when performing live in 2025 and beyond, Hughes said: "The way I feel about it, Jay Jay, is, look, I've been playing the legacy songs for a couple of years now. I don't know if you know — I've been doing this DEEP PURPLE classic show, and I've come to the point, well, I've done that now, and I've done it years ago. I'm gonna go back to being simply Glenn with all those other great songs. I've done 18 solo albums. They've done really well. I've got [material from] TRAPEZE, I've got HUGHES/THRALL, I've got other things to play. I'm getting into a new era when I wanna play new songs. I look different, I feel different. I'm happy. I can't keep regurgitating these old catalog [songs]. I love them — don't get me wrong — people wanna hear them, but my audience now is ready for something new. They're ready for something more dangerous and more exciting, and I am the man to do that."

Glenn recorded the long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "Resonate" in June 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Glenn previously talked about his reluctance to make a new full-length album this past October in an interview with Marko Syrjälä of Chaoszine. He said at the time: "I don't think I'll make another rock album. You know why? Nobody buys albums anymore… I'm talking in general. You do, people like you, sure, but in general, nobody buys. Nobody buys. I write this stuff, I record it, I do a lot of interviews, and then the album comes out. It's great. It charts the first week, and then it's like, it's over. I'm laughing because I'm like, 'What… what the fuck?' You know, it's the same for everyone. It's not just me. Everybody… you see it. It's not just me. I have to ask the question myself: Is it me? No. I look at THE DARKNESS and my friends and all other people. My friends say it's like… new albums are now like 'in and out.' But I'm really happy with 'Chosen'. If it's the last Glenn rock album, I think it's a great way to finish."

Asked if he has ever thought about releasing his music independently and not working with traditional record labels anymore, Glenn said: "Yeah, I mean, there have been talks about that. I could do it on my own because I've got a great team with me. Right now, I don't have any plans to make another album — but I will, I believe I will. The stuff I'm writing at the moment isn't rock, but it's also not really pure black music. I love doing that kind of stuff, but I'm not black — I'm white, and most of my fans are white too."

Hughes previously floated the possibility of not releasing another rock album this past August in an interview with Phil Aston of Now Spinning Magazine. On the topic of where "Chosen" sits in his discography and what might be coming next, Glenn said: "I can give you an exclusive. I think this will be the last rock album I make, but it might not be the last album I make. I'm not saying I've got plans, but I am thinking about things that won't be too far away from what I've been doing. And if you like albums like 'Feel' and 'First Underground [Nuclear Kitchen]', you'll know what I'm hinting at. It'll be more for the vocals than heavy guitar. But at some point — I think you might un understand me here — it's always been about that voice, and when you take away disrupting instruments so you can hear that voice…"

He continued: "When I did the Jon Lord tribute at the Albert Hall, when you had myself and you had a 73-piece orchestra and that was it, and no drums and no guitar, that's what I consider to be the pure Glenn Hughes voice. And as I close out my career, whenever that's going to be, I want my voice to be… The only thing you wanna hear, if you're coming to see Glenn, is that voice. I'm not being disrespectful to anybody I'm working with, but this voice [which] has been given to me is really a humbling gift sent to me. It's not really me. I'm just portraying what God has given to me."

Elaborating on how he wants his voice to be the focal point in his music going forward, Hughes said: "In the production quality of the ['Chosen'] album, Søren [Andersen], my guitar player, helped me do it. But he also understands the predicament we're in right now, realizing my age, and how many years have I got left to do this? I think what I and the people around me want to portray is that we've got this voice.

"People say, 'Is Glenn the last man standing from his peer group?'" he continued. "I can't say that myself. I have a lot of good friends, and you know who they are in my age group. But if I am the last man standing, please just listen to that voice. I'm talking in the third person. I'm not saying anything about how good it is or bad it is, but let's just take a listen to the voice.

"When we talk about the stratospheric voice, and if you understand R&B music and black music like I do, if you think about Smokey Robinson or Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and Prince, for example, those guys use their voice in the same kind of fashion," Hughes added. "They just sing R&B falsettos. And that's the way I do it. But it's something I only do feel when I feel it necessary in the moment. And by the way, each night I sing live, I might be doing it in places I never did it before. But I don't really think about those moments. All I'm only thinking about is delivering the song. The people know the melody. I never change the melody. I never change the lyric. But I really do enjoy being Glenn."

Glenn, a native of Cannock, England, absorbed all kinds of influences, including early British hard rock, THE BEATLES and, most importantly, American soul and R&B. The sleek Motown sound from Detroit and the gritty Stax/Volt sound from Memphis left their mark on him.

Hughes first found success in the early '70s with the band TRAPEZE before joining DEEP PURPLE in 1973 during a pivotal lineup change that introduced him and David Coverdale to the group. Despite initial skepticism, the revamped band silenced critics with the release of "Burn" (1974),a powerful album that revitalized PURPLE's sound and remains a classic. During this era, the band headlined the iconic California Jam in front of over 300,000 fans, toured the world aboard their private jet The Starship, and released two more studio albums, "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band", before disbanding in 1976.

Glenn's first solo album "Play Me Out" was released in 1977. He joined former Pat Travers guitarist Pat Thrall to form HUGHES/THRALL, which released an acclaimed self-titled album in 1982. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Glenn Hughes made countless guest appearances (both credited and un-credited) as a vocalist, bass guitarist or songwriter on other artists' albums. The endless list includes — among others — Gary Moore, John Norum and Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH.

Since 1992, Glenn has started a prolific solo career with a dozen studio albums where he explored all the different sides of his songwriting and influences: from hard rock to funk and more contemporary sounds. He collaborated — among others — with such musicians as Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),Dave Navarro, John Frusciante and many others. He also founded or took part in some amazing musical alliances such as CALIFORNIA BREED (with Jason Bonham and Andrew Watt),BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (with Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham) and THE DEAD DAISIES.

Glenn has collaborated with Robbie Williams on his new single "Rocket", which was released in May. The track also features a collaboration from Iommi and is the first time Glenn has been featured on a record with Tony since 2005, when they released "Fused" together.

Glenn also recently joined forces with SATCHVAI, a new collaboration by legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, by writing and singing on their single "I Wanna Play My Guitar".