Week 1: What is 'popular' music?

Initially, one might assume that popular music is simply music that is enjoyed by lots of people, but the very meaning of ‘popular’ is open to interpretation, and can be self-contradictory. There’s also the argument that ‘popular’ music is merely commercial, but this wrongly suggests that the artists’ sole intention is to make money from their music. Whilst music can arguably become commercial by generating profit, artistic vision remains the primary motive. One must also consider that the word ‘popular’ and its meaning have evolved throughout the history of the English language; originally a legal term meaning ‘belonging to the people,’ it is defined today as ‘from and of the people.’ However, this is unspecific; some people like rap music whilst others favour opera. The fact that there is an audience for every genre of music, whether mainstream or alternative, suggests that all music is popular to some extent.