New Rockford Speedway Tribute Song Sparks AI Debate

A new Rockford Speedway tribute song has people talking all over the Stateline area, but we noticed something interesting about it right away.

Childhood Memories in Rockford

As a kid growing up in the Rockford area, there were several things I always had on my summer break bucket list:

1. Spending every day at Magic Waters/Alpine Pool/Sand Park Pool
2. Going to every fair and festival in the area, especially On The Waterfront in Downtown Rockford.
3. Spending at least one week at YMCA Summer Camp.
4. Watching the trailer races at Rockford Speedway.

Sadly, a lot of things that made summertime great in Rockford are no longer with us, but the memories made will live on in our hearts and minds, and for a lucky few, in song form too.

Rockford Speedway Tribute Song

This morning as I was perusing social media I noticed several people sharing a link to a Rockford Speedway Tribute song, so of course I had to click on it.

Before I listened to it, I noticed something peculiar:

If you've tried using AI to create images before, you'll learn quickly that it's not great with words or putting the correct number of appendages on humans. So, when I noticed the sign in the photo says "Grand Swand" instead of "Grand Stand" I automatically knew AI was responsible for the photo, but is the song AI created too?

I'm pretty sure that answer is yes.

Give it a listen and see what you think:

Yes, that song sounds awesome, but the truth is, AI bots have officially entered the music business, and that tribute song is a perfect example.

Introducing the 'Q98.5 Morning Stomp'

This morning Sweet Lenny and I did a quick Google search and discovered several different AI music creators to choose from, so we decided to give it a try.

Sweet Lenny threw some basic facts into ChatGPT to create some lyrics, which we then pasted into the AI music creator Mureka.

I have no shame admitting we laughed WAY too hard in the five minutes it took to make this. So, without further ado, please enjoy listening to the "Q98.5 Morning Stomp".

The Cons of AI Music Creators

AI music creators can be a very useful tool for artists, but they do pose some real threats to the music industry.

AI tools like these pull from existing music archives without permission from the original artists. There are copyright violations to consider from sound-alike voices, to lyrics and songwriting styles.

Artificial intelligence tools can be very beneficial, but only when they are used for good. Use them to make your life easier...and to create super-cheesy radio show theme songs.