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| Popular Music and Society | |
|---|---|
| Title | Popular Music and Society |
| Genre | Pop music; Rock music; Hip hop music |
| Region | Worldwide |
Popular Music and Society
Popular music shapes and reflects everyday life through widely circulated records and public performances, intersecting with institutions such as the BBC, MTV, and Rolling Stone while engaging figures like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Madonna. It circulates via technologies developed by Thomas Edison, Emile Berliner, and Lee de Forest and through platforms including Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud, affecting audiences connected to cities like New York City, London, and Los Angeles. The field engages with events such as the Woodstock Festival 1969, Live Aid, and the Monterey Pop Festival, and it is debated in venues like the United Nations General Assembly, courts such as the United States Supreme Court, and cultural sites like the Palace of Westminster.
Popular music is defined by mass dissemination through media like RCA broadcasts and Grammy Awards-promoted releases by artists such as Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. Characteristics include commercially oriented song forms exemplified by The Beatles' singles, production techniques developed at studios like Abbey Road Studios and Sun Studio, and performance styles associated with James Brown, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin. Its aesthetics draw on traditions from African American music icons such as Louis Armstrong and Muddy Waters and from regional scenes like Nashville country sessions led by Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. Industry practices tied to labels like Columbia Records and Motown shape length, structure, and marketing strategies employed by bands including Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.
From early mass-market hits produced by Victor Talking Machine Company and touring acts like Enrico Caruso to modern pop phenoms such as Taylor Swift, genres evolved through intersections among blues pioneers Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson, jazz innovators Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, country music figures Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, and rock and roll progenitors Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The rise of rhythm and blues influenced Motown Records artists like Stevie Wonder, while ska and reggae from Kingston—voiced by Bob Marley—fed into British scenes represented by The Clash and The Specials. The emergence of hip hop music in Bronx, New York featured groups such as Grandmaster Flash and Run-DMC, later giving way to subgenres through acts like Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Dr. Dre, and Eminem.
Popular music provides rituals in stadiums like Wembley Stadium and arenas such as Madison Square Garden via performers including U2 and Bruce Springsteen, and it conveys narratives through films like A Hard Day's Night and Purple Rain. Songs by Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and Sam Cooke become communal memory at events like the March on Washington and in broadcasts from networks such as CNN. Music informs fashion trends via designers linked to Vivienne Westwood and Gucci and influences tourism in cities including Manchester and Seattle. It contributes to economies through corporations including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, and it shapes youth subcultures around labels like SST Records and collectives such as Factory Records.
Artists from Joan Baez to Rage Against the Machine have mobilized around causes like anti-war activism at events including Vietnam War protests and benefit concerts like Farm Aid. Movements for civil rights involve figures such as Sam Cooke and Odetta; feminist critiques engage artists like Bikini Kill and Ani DiFranco; and LGBT visibility is advanced by performers such as Freddie Mercury and Lady Gaga. National identity debates surface in festivals such as Eurovision Song Contest and in state patronage at institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. Legal cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the United States Supreme Court touch on issues of censorship for songs by Nirvana and Prince.
Technological innovations from Edison’s phonograph to the compact disc promoted by Sony transformed distribution alongside corporate consolidation by EMI and mergers involving Vivendi. The transition to streaming services like Apple Music and Deezer alters revenue models contested in disputes involving artist Taylor Swift and organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of America. Radio consolidation under companies like Clear Channel Communications and policy frameworks from agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission influence playlists that favor labels like Atlantic Records and Island Records. Independent scenes thrive via DIY networks exemplified by Sub Pop and Matador Records and through online communities on platforms like MySpace and Bandcamp.
International flows bring collaborations between artists from Nashville and Seoul; crossovers include PSY and BTS engaging Western markets alongside exchanges in world music festivals such as WOMAD and Glastonbury Festival. Recordings made in studios like Capitol Studios circulate via multinational distributors including EMI and Sony Music Entertainment, while transnational genres arise through fusion projects involving Fela Kuti and Paul Simon’s work with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Cultural diplomacy programs by the United States Department of State have exported jazz from Duke Ellington tours to global audiences in capitals like Havana and Beijing.
Debates over explicit lyrics implicate artists such as N.W.A. and 2 Live Crew in legal battles in courts like the United States Supreme Court and provoke policy responses from bodies like the Federal Communications Commission. Concerns about commercialization attract critiques from scholars referencing labels like Capitol Records and bands such as The Monkees, while accusations of cultural appropriation target artists including Paul Simon and Iggy Azalea. Moral panics around youth culture have featured protagonists from Satanic panic-era controversies and censorship campaigns involving works by Marilyn Manson and Sinead O'Connor, assessed in debates within institutions such as the British Parliament.