Offers a multidisciplinary analysis of Anglo-American popular music of the last two hundred years.

This book provides a collection of graduate students' writings in popular music studies.

Popular music studies is a rapidly expanding field with changing emphases and agenda. This is a multi-volume resource for this area of study

This book examines the diverse facets of popular music in Malta, paying special attention to għana (Malta’s folk song), the wind band tradition, and modern popular music. Ciantar provides intriguing discussions and examples of how popular music on this small Mediterranean island country interacts with other aspects of the island’s life and culture such as language, religion, history, customs, and politics. Through a series of ethnographic vignettes, the book explores the music as it takes place in bars, at festivals, and during village celebrations, and considers how it is talked about in the local press, at group gatherings, and on social media. The ethnography adopted here is that of a native musician and ethnomusicologist and therefore marries the author’s memories with ongoing observations and their evaluation.

Understanding Popular Music is an introductory textbook for students which explores the history and meaning of rock and popular music. Roy Shuker's study encompasses every aspect of popular music, from the history of the record industry to the concept of the `musician', from rock as cultural politics to MTV. Roy Shuker examines the music press; the impact of music videos; the workings of the industry, songs and genres; public performance; fans and subcultures, and the nature of the `pop star'. * Case studies include contemporary icons such as Frank Zappa, Prince and Madonna * Includes full bibliography and song listings Includes annotated guide to the key texts discussed

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.

This volume is the first book-length study of hooks in popular music. Hooks - those memorable musical moments for listeners such as a riff or catchy melodic phrase – are arguably the guiding principle of much modern popular music. The concept of the hook involves aspects of melody, rhythm, harmony, production, lyrical and cultural meaning - and how these interact within a song’s topline and backing track. Hooks are also inherently related to the human capacities for memory and attention, and interact with our previous experiences with music. Understanding hooks in popular music requires a new interdisciplinary approach drawing from popular music studies, pop musicology, and music psychology, and this book draws from each of these disciplines to understand the hooks present in a broad range of popular music styles from the last thirty years.

Now in its fifth edition, this popular A–Z student reference book provides a comprehensive survey of key ideas and concepts in popular music culture, examining the social and cultural aspects of popular music. Fully revised with extended coverage of the music industries, sociological concepts and additional references to reading, listening and viewing throughout, the new edition expands on the foundations of popular music culture, tracing the impact of digital technology and changes in the way in which music is created, manufactured, marketed and consumed. The concept of metagenres remains a central part of the book: these are historically, socially, and geographically situated umbrella musical categories, each embracing a wide range of associated genres and subgenres. New or expanded entries include: Charts, Digital music culture, Country music, Education, Ethnicity, Race, Gender, Grime, Heritage, History, Indie, Synth pop, Policy, Punk rock and Streaming. Popular Music Culture: The Key Concepts is an essential reference tool for students studying the social and cultural dimensions of popular music.

Popular music studies is a rapidly expanding field with changing emphases and agendas. The music industry has changed in recent years, as has governmental involvement in popular music schemes as part of the culture industry. The distinction between the major record labels and the outsider independents has become blurred over time. Popular music, as part of this umbrella of the culture industry, has been progressively globalized and globalizing. The tensions within popular music are now no longer between national cultural identity and popular music, but between the local and the global. This four volume collection examines the changing status of popular music against this background. Simon Frith examines the heritage of popular music, and how technology has changed not only the production but the reception of this brand of sound. The collection examines how the traditional genres of rock, pop and soul have broken down and what has replaced them, as well as showing how this proliferation of musical styles has also splintered the audience of popular music.

An incredibly wide-ranging critical account of popular music. The book is an essential resource for all staff and students in the field′ - John Storey, Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sunderland Organized in accessible sections and covering 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 • 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 book enables teachers and students to shuffle from one topic to the other whilst providing an unparalleled access the core concepts and issues. As such, it is the perfect study guide for undergraduates located in this exciting and expanding field. Tara Brabazon is Professor of Communication at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT).