Is the Audience For Popular Music Created by the Music Industry?

The music industry exists for one sole reason; to make money, but whether it's audience is created by the industry itself or its listener is still debated. Record companies mimic music styles if they see they are successful and they sell this to their audience through merchandising, music press and retail. Record companies such as Universal, EMI, Sony BMG and Warner depends (to an extent) on retail companies such as HMV. In his book The Music Business and Recording Industry Geoffrey Hull states that “it depends upon popular tastes and culture and consumer activity to purchase or access the music and upon technology to deliver that access” (2010: pg 33). I believe that the industry does create the audience for popular music as it cannot exist through just 'listener interaction'. 

Review of Mixmag magazine

Mixmag is the world's biggest magazine guide for dance music and clubbing that includes reviews and detailed articles for house, techno and electro music and even goes as far as discussing politics and fashion. Technology plays a big part in this magazine with different gadgets advertised on several pages.

Its colourful, eye-catching covers are aimed at young people aged between 18-25 who do not lead an ordinary working life, however at £4.20 the price is a bit steep for this age range.

The singles, album and up and coming gig reviews allow its audience to keep up to date with the ever-changing dance scene.

I think that Mixmag is well written and its quality is worth a read and being one of very few dance and clubbing magazines, they have little direct competition but its obvious let-down is its price.

Are Blackness and Whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

R 'n' b, soul, pop, rock 'n' roll, jazz, dance, blues...there are so many different categories of music but which ones can be classed as black music and which can be classed as white music?

The concept of 'black' and 'white' music is useful when looking at the history of popular music.“It wasn't until the late 1950s that black music became popular with white audiences...in doing so the “popular” (white) and blues (black) music began to crumble” (Kenn Chipkin; Real Rock Guitar).

Elvis Presley was heavily influenced by black artists and covered many of their records which led to major hits (e.g. Mystery Train by Little Junior Parker). Race records introduced black music into the music industry and this allowed record companies to explore an untapped market. This led to the birth of new genres as they became merged with 'white music' and created hybrid genres such as jazz, soul, pop, rap.

Race is no longer an issue when looking at popular music as there are so many genres that draw in different races, but the concepts are helpful when looking at the history of music.

Does the Emergence of the Digital Download Signal the End of the Music Industry?

Digital downloading has drastically changed the way the music industry operates. It has revolutionised the way music is purchased, but has also lead to the ever growing 'culture of piracy'. Illegal downloading has provoked many legal battles over copyright and has also highlighted its hypocrisy; it's illegal to download music that someone else has shared over the internet, but is sharing and burning cd's illegal?

The music industry is taking the brunt of illegal downloading, as people find easier and cheaper ways of obtaining music, they are neglected their royalties. Stealing music is not bad for music itself, but bad for the industry. This can be seen by Radiohead's album Kid A, which downloaded illegally, became their most famous album in the U.S.

Ian Condry explains that there is no way to stop unauthorised copying and claims that “downloading music is ethical provided we support artists who are important to us”.

Can Popular Music Achieve Genuine Political Change?

It is difficult to say whether popular music has a direct impact on politics. According to Roy Shuker, it is possible for music to have an impact, labelling pop music as 'a means of raising consciousness'. The 1994 Criminal Justice Act proves how certain musical genres led to moral panic; leading to a change in the law because of the connotations that 'acid house music' had. Red Wedge and Rock Against Racism showed how the attempts to use music to affect politics flopped, however Live Aid and Band Aid shows how music can bring about awareness. Using music to express social and political messages can be seen in tracks such as Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday (which was named as song as the century by Time magazine), What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 and many more.

In my opinion, I think that popular music has a minor effect on politics and cannot solely bring about change without other contributing factors.

What is World Music?

World music is a very wide category and is hard to define in one sentence. It involves many cultures and some would say that world music reflects a non-western culture. Its traditional music created by indigenous people. It is music that is not associated with American popular music, but is still widespread and could also combine western popular music with other genres. It is known simply as 'music' to other people in the world.

Its ethnic style gives world music its own category, as it sounds different to 'pop music' and has derived from other cultures other than Western Europe and English speaking North America. It has an exotic sound which is created using different instruments and musical styles and harmonies. The term 'world' music is a general one and helps the music industry to sell more under this title as opposed to having many different categories.

Is Pop Music a Mass Produced Commodity or a Genuine Art Form?

Looking at popular music today, I would be reluctant to label it a "genuine art form". Pop singers can only sing about limited subjects consequently making them sound similar, resulting in a lack of creativity. Theodor Adorno believes that popular music is a mass produced commodity that makes people forget about reality.  He looked at its structure and used 'pseudo-individualisation' to explain how popular music affects its audience. He believes that the industry offered the opposite of 'genuine art' and that it is sold to an audience who are passively satisfied. The main goal is ultimately making money, it focusses more on image rather than the content. 

My definition of an 'art form' is a creative, artistic expression; which is not the vibe given off by pop music today as it tends to mimic other artists instead of being original. 'Move it on Over' by Hank Williams and 'Rock Around the Clock' by Bill Haley and the Comets shows how popular music accentuates similarity making it more a mass produced commodity, rather than a creative piece of work. 

How Useful is a Production of Culture Perspective in Understanding the Birth of Rock and Roll?

When was rock and roll born? Some would say the 1940's, when Wyonie Harris's 'Good Rockin' tonight' (1947) was released and others like Rolling Stones Magazine, suggests that the first rock and roll single was Elvis Presley's 'That's All Right'' in 1954. 

Richard A. Peterson described rock and roll using six key terms that he believed influenced its rise in 1955. He concentrated on the social context and how it affected rock music, rejecting the view that the emergence of certain artists such as Elvis and Chick Berry in the 50's; were responsible for rock and roll. He explains that new technology, such as the television and the use of the transistor helped to broaden the rock audience. Peterson's theory overlooked one main factor; he does not address the music itself. In 1955 circumstances came together but he doesn't explain why the music that emerged was rock and roll. Why was it not the breakthrough of Jazz music? I believe that Peterson's theory is too general as it sets up a framework that could refer to any type of music.

Is It Reasonable To Consider That Rock Music Is Gendered Male?

Yes. Rock is predominantly a male culture, in which women are widely restricted. Unfairly, women tend not to be considered as instrumentalists, only vocalists. Mavis Bayton states “women's presence has been absolutely minimal” and this is evident from the top 100 best guitarists featured in the Rolling Stones magazine in which the only two female artists featured in the list weren't even in the top 50!

Feminists say that rock is a male form of expression thus making it difficult for women to be accepted into the genre. Janis Joplin sacrificed her femininity and was seen as 'one of the guys' in order for her music to be accepted as 'rock'. There are many female rock artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Joan Jett but they can never be compared to guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen. Men don't have any physical attribute that makes them “better” at playing instruments than women, yet rock is still a male-dominated genre. 

Can Popular Music Ever Really Be Unplugged?

Hearing an artist 'unplugged' gives us a chance to hear what they really sound like acoustically; without the use of electronic technology such as the microphone, amplifier and electric guitar. Inventions such as the microphone allowed an artist to perform to larger venues and still be heard.Popular music requires a large audience in order to become 'popular' so the use of the microphone  has become compulsory. It helps artists to create that intimate sound that cannot be achieved acoustically and still be heard, evident in artists such as Bing Crosby.

In the 1950's amplification became a necessary part of rock 'n' roll. 'The Beatles' would not exist without the use of technology, as their music depended on miniaturisation and amplification. Popular genres such as hip-hop and dance music would also be inconceivable without the use of amplification; proving that popular music can never survive 'unplugged'.

“Without electronic technology, popular music in the 21st century is unthinkable” (Theberge).

Pop Goes the culture: What is Popular Music

Popular music is described by Raymond Williams as a term which was originally a legal one. The term has changed over many centuries; in the 16th century it meant vulgar/low, in terms of common people and continued to change. In the 19th century, american magazine came to take the word 'popular' as 'good'. Popular from the people of folk could include home-made, unpolished and unmediated music. Folk can be seen as authentic whereas pop can be classed as manufactured. As noted by some songs in the charts (bob the builder), popular is not always a synonym for 'good'. Popular music can also be commercially oriented meaning that profit is the primary aim. Popular music involves the use of technology, such as the piano, guitar e.t.c. Popular means contemporary, mass produced and consumed. It can also be described as “a hybrid of musical traditions, styles and influences”.