The popularity of the motion picture soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? brought an extraordinary amount of attention to bluegrass, but it also drew its share of criticism from some aficionados who felt the album’s inclusion of more modern tracks misrepresented the genre. This soundtrack, these purists argued, wasn’t bluegrass, but “roots music,” a new and, indeed, more overarching category concocted by journalists and marketers. Why is it that popular music genres like these and others are so passionately contested? And how is it that these genres emerge, coalesce, change, and die out? In Genre in Popular Music, Fabian Holt provides new understanding as to why we debate music categories, and why those terms are unstable and always shifting. To tackle the full complexity of genres in popular music, Holt embarks on a wide-ranging and ambitious collection of case studies. Here he examines not only the different reactions to O Brother, but also the impact of rock and roll’s explosion in the 1950s and 1960s on country music and jazz, and how the jazz and indie music scenes in Chicago have intermingled to expand the borders of their respective genres. Throughout, Holt finds that genres are an integral part of musical culture—fundamental both to musical practice and experience and to the social organization of musical life.

Publisher description

Discover why Genres exist Curious about why we divide music into genres like Pop, Rock, or Jazz? If you love music but find all the different terms and categories a bit overwhelming, this book is perfect for you. It is a straightforward guide that explains what a music genre is, what makes each one unique, and why these distinctions are important. Understanding these concepts can transform how you listen to and talk about music. This book takes you through the origins and characteristics of various music styles in an easy-to-understand way. You'll see how genres help artists define their sound and how they enable listeners to discover the music that resonates with them. Whether you're just starting to explore different kinds of music or want to have more meaningful conversations about the songs you enjoy, this guide will equip you with the knowledge you need. Embrace the diversity of music and enhance your listening experience by understanding more about what you hear. Let this book kickstart your appreciation for music. Start your journey today!

Now in an updated fourth edition, this popular A-Z student handbook provides a comprehensive survey of key ideas and concepts in popular music culture. With new and expanded entries on genres and subgenres, the text comprehensively examines the social and cultural aspects of popular music, taking into account the digital music revolution and changes in the way that music is manufactured, marketed and delivered. New and updated entries include: Age and youth Black music Digital music culture K-Pop Mash-ups Philadelphia Soul Pub music Religion and spirituality Remix Southern Soul Streaming Vinyl With further reading and listening included throughout, Popular Music: The Key Concepts is an essential reference text for all students studying the social and cultural dimensions of popular music.

On the crossroads between the cultural influences of perceived global models and local specificity, entangled in webs of post-communist complexity, Bulgarian popular music has evolved as a space of change and creativity on the edge of Europe. An ethnographic exploration, this book accesses insight from music figures from a spectrum of styles.

What do boy bands from the 1990s have in common with the Beatles? Why are some pop artists, such as Justin Timberlake, considered controversial? Readers will discover these answers and the stories behind beloved artists from the Beach Boys to Lady Gaga through fun and fact-filled text about the roots of pop music and how it has spread around the world. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for their favorite artists and the pop stars who came before them as they explore a discography of important albums, full-color photographs, annotated quotes from artists and journalists, and fascinating sidebars.

The research presented in this volume is very recent, and the general approach is that of rethinking popular musicology: its purpose, its aims, and its methods. Contributors to the volume were asked to write something original and, at the same time, to provide an instructive example of a particular way of working and thinking. The essays have been written with a view to helping graduate students with research methodology and the application of relevant theoretical models. The team of contributors is an exceptionally strong one: it contains many of the pre-eminent academic figures involved in popular musicological research, and there is a spread of European, American, Asian, and Australasian scholars. The volume covers seven main themes: Film, Video and Multimedia; Technology and Studio Production; Gender and Sexuality; Identity and Ethnicity; Performance and Gesture; Reception and Scenes and The Music Industry and Globalization. The Ashgate Research Companion is designed to offer scholars and graduate students a comprehensive and authoritative state-of-the-art review of current research in a particular area. The companion's editor brings together a team of respected and experienced experts to write chapters on the key issues in their speciality, providing a comprehensive reference to the field.

Emphasizing stylistic analysis and historical development, this unique book is the first to examine all major non-Western music styles, from reggae and salsa to the popular musics of non-Western Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 2.0, University of Wuppertal, language: English, abstract: The thesis of my work is that pop music can be used as a medium of political messages. But what is actually pop music? Can this genre be used to spread a political message? And why is the influence of the media so important in this case? In the following I will introduce the phenomenon of pop music and try to give a definition. Furthermore I will discuss the question whether the lyrics of pop music can be considered as poetry or not. After that we take a closer look on a model that illustrates the relation between pop culture and politics. At the end of my work I will discuss the political role of pop music with the help of the famous song “They don’t really care about us” by Michael Jackson. Everybody knows pop music. It is a genre of popular music that found its way into the Western world during the 1950s and 1960s deriving from rock and roll. Its big influence in the Western world is quit remarkable. It is so remarkable that when it comes to the definition of what music in general is people start to think automatically about Pop music. This genre has become one of the most influential music forms in the world. But still there are songs like “They don’t really care about us” from Michael Jackson that show the political side of Pop music. The pop culture is a voice that communicates within the mainstream of the Western culture. It contains ideas, perspectives and attitudes towards the everyday lives of the society.

This is the first textbook on Pop Music to be written after the start of the iPod era. The book is organized in accessible sections which cover the main themes of research and teaching. It examines the key approaches to understanding popular music, the main settings of exchange and consumption, the role of technology in the production of popular music, the main genres of popular music, and the key debates of the present day. Barbazon writes with verve and penetration. Her approach starts with how most people actually consume music today and transfers this onto the plain of study. The organization of the material enables teachers and students to shuffle from one topic to the next. Yet the book provides an unparalleled network to the core library of concepts and issues in the field. As such, it is the perfect study guide for undergraduates located in this exciting and expanding field.