Week 11: Is the audience for popular music created by the music industry?

It could be argued that without the music industry’s intervention to create an audience for popular music, some artists would be far less successful. The music industry is far more than simply recording music; it is also made up of retail, press, merchandising and technology aspects. For example, would 16-year-old Miley Cyrus’ music be as popular without her accompanying television show, movie and masses of merchandise? The fact is that the main aim of the music industry is to make money, and if a particular type of music proves popular then record companies will release similar-sounding music in the hopes that it will have similar commercial success. This is why record companies tend to discourage artists’ creativity, and stick to a standardised format. Even in 1941 Adorno recognised that ‘standardisation extends from the most general features to the most specific ones’ in the music industry, with repetition being the key to success. Whilst some artists have emerged and created a fan base without the industry’s help, the industry is out for profit and helps generate as large an audience as possible for popular music to achieve this.

Week 10: Review of ‘Mojo’ magazine

Contemporary and informative, there are many signs that Mojo magazine is aimed predominantly at music-loving male 30-somethings. The hefty cost of £4.20 a month is not in a pocket money or even student price range, and adverts promoting ale and The Samaritans point to an older, seemingly more troubled generation. Other than that it’s just packed full of extensive reviews and interviews, from classic artists such as Led Zeppelin and Tom Waits to new kids on the scene like the Arctic Monkeys. Like an overly enthusiastic poet, Mojo also uses numerous similes in its reviews, albeit always relevant and descriptive. As for the sophisticated yet informal language? Mojo pulls that off too, mixing fairly complex vocabulary with slang and sardonic humour. This laidback yet engaging magazine has been keeping the reader well-informed and sufficiently amused since 1993, and with consistent circulation figures making it the second-most widely read music magazine in the UK, Mojo shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Week 9: Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

‘Blackness’ and ‘whiteness’ are tricky concepts to define, particularly in today’s politically correct society. In the 20th century, it was not uncommon for white artists such as Elvis Presley to cover black artists’ songs and frequently have more success than the original. This was seen as ‘black music’ having an influence on white artists, which led to new genres such as rock ‘n’ roll emerging from ‘black music’ like blues and R‘n’B. Indeed, Hatch & Milward claim that ‘pop music has always depended upon the interaction between white and black traditions,’ and it is true that no matter whether a song is recorded by a white or black artist, it is still enjoyed by a mixed market. Also, whilst black people having segregated record labels seems racist today, in the early 1900s it allowed artists of different races to release music on a wider scale for the first time, also benefiting the record companies who could profit from a whole new market. Although it is impossible to categorise music as ‘black’ or ‘white,’ these concepts are still useful in the understanding of the development of popular music.

Week 8: Can popular music really achieve genuine political change?

Shuker describes how popular music ‘can be a means of raising both consciousness about and funds for political causes.’ However, the success of popular music in achieving political change depends greatly on its context. There is the example of Band Aid, in which the Christmas single released by celebrities including Bob Geldof raised £8 million for famine relief. USA for Africa followed Band Aid and raised a subsequent $50 million for the same cause; clearly this was a massive help for the charities. Interestingly, Red Wedge’s similarly preaching popular music did not achieve its goal of helping the Labour party win the 1987 general election. However, although both groups’ music was listened to by the masses, Band Aid was also a social cause, whilst Red Wedge was purely political. Indeed, Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’ is another example of how popular music can have an enduring influence on social causes. Whilst popular music is not always a guaranteed way to achieve political change, it has certainly demonstrated its potential to do so.

Week 7: Are youth subcultures genuine signs of revolt or simply the manifestation of style?

Hebdige claims youth is a painful transitional period, which suggests subcultures are less about revolting or self-expression and more about simply wanting to belong. However, there is the example of youths self-harming purely to feel part of ‘emo’ culture, which certainly leans more towards revolt than manifestation of style. Hebdige also points out that punk must be interpreted in the context of the time it emerged, suggesting that this subculture was a genuine revolt born out of the social decay of 1970s Britain. Cohen claims subcultures are the solution for youths wanting to express their individuality whilst still maintaining parental identifications. This would suggest subcultures are used to help youths get to know themselves as opposed to revolting. It could be argued that at the point of emergence, subcultures are a form of revolt against the mainstream, but eventually they become widely recognised and it is at this point that they become merely an expression of style for youths to adopt.

Week 6: Does the emergence of the digital download signal the end of the music industry?

In the music industry, every significant progression in technology is followed by a prophecy of doom for profitability. The cassette was considered a threat when it grew popular in the 1970s, as was the compact disc. Neither of these led to a decline in record sales, and so far digital downloads haven’t either. Steve Jobs has commented that Apple’s biggest rival is piracy itself, and it is true that the introduction of smaller, compressed MP3 files and faster internet connections have made file sharing easier, but is this theft? The music industry insists that it is, despite that nobody is making a profit from P2P file sharing. However, Jobs is still urging major record labels to abandon DRM and release DRM-free files for downloading. This suggests that it will always remain the case that people get what they pay for; downloads can be unpredictable and carry the risk of spyware, so people choose to buy albums in shops and online so they can be assured of quality.

Week 5: Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

This would depend on the definition of ‘unplugged’; albums claiming to be ‘unplugged’ tend to simply be recorded without the use of electric instruments or special effects. Théberge claims that today’s popular music would be ‘unthinkable’ without the use of technology, and indeed technology is still a major part of ‘unplugged’ albums, and ultimately they could not be recorded without it. The use of microphones and amplifiers is now commonplace, so to be truly ‘unplugged’, popular music would have to be recorded acoustically or played with acoustic instruments and simply listened to live. The former option would be impossible with the use of the bass guitar and drums in most popular music, and the latter would be impractical as technology is essential for the audience to clearly hear the artist performing. Whilst it is possible for popular music to be fully unplugged, it is generally never done due to the sheer impracticality of the task.