Week 3: Is popular music a mass-produced commodity or a genuine art form?

Theodor Adorno argues that ‘popular’ music is standardised and has a specific structure, whereas ‘serious’ music is more complex and must be appreciated as opposed to simply enjoyed. If we assume that art is any form of self-expression, then it could be argued that some popular music is not art. For example, a manufactured group who do not play their own instruments and have their songs written for them are hardly expressing themselves personally when they perform, yet it is generally these groups who are most popular. Music moguls tend to put these groups together for the sole purpose of making money, through merchandise as much as music, making the group a brand and thus a commodity. However, other popular artists, though perhaps imitating the same standardised structure of popular music that Adorno points out in their own songs, write the music and lyrics themselves to express themselves artistically. This could be considered a genuine art form. Some popular music is mass-produced for commercial profit, but it depends on individual artists as opposed to the whole genre.