Popular Music as a Cultural Artifact: A Critical Analysis

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New

In “What Pop Lyrics Say to Us Today” writer Robert Palmer analyzes pop lyrics over the recent decades and concludes pop music sends dominant messages that are influential to young people. Pop has always thoroughly responded to current events, and today’s pop music continues to reflect that culture. To begin with, pop can change attitudes toward love. Palmer first refers to stars such as Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones who endorse sex to urge social change and revolution. Their music was a voice and reminder to older generations that they possessed influential power. True romantic notions tend to be viewed with some suspicion. Palmer also discusses how in comparison to music of the 60’s, idealisms have changed since current times. The Beatles

From bell bottoms to Barbies, every generation has its own distinct trends. While various fads have cropped up in each era, music has always been a key element of culture. Starting in the 1950’s, music became integrated within the American culture as the favored form of expression. The popular types of music found on the Top 100 lists today however, have changed dramatically since then. What has promoted this obvious change in music choice? While rock ‘n’ roll still holds its own in the music billboards of 2010, the general public now prefers the mechanical sounds of hip hop and

Modern day pop music only differs slightly from the perspectives of a consumer or listener while taking the aspects of sound, conception, and behavior into consideration. Sound being the literal sound generated from pop’s rhythm and beat. Conception the history of modern pop, where it came from, and why it is relevant today; and behavior being how the genre can affect mood and behavior. All three aspects will contrast two similar, but distinctly different perspectives derived from personal experience with both; however, with a stronger emphasis on a consumer perspective. Beginning by marking the differences between that of a consumer and a listener. While both perspectives want similar things from their pop music, they both go about it differently and influence the genre in different ways.

The music was opening eyes of the youth and showing them the cruelties of America. Elvis Presley began to rise on the music scene, his music was showing “rebellion as an eye-opening style”(Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Rock of the Sixties). It wasn’t until 1962 that the generation had found a music to truly fit their desire for music. Originating in Liverpool, England, The Beatles, a band that captured the essence of being a cultural outsider. The Beatles gave a sense of hope, “young people were free to redefine themselves in completely new terms”(Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Rock of the Sixties).

Music is a powerful apparatus that shapes generations. In the 1960’s, music was a force that affected the way people thought and behaved(Welch). During that period, people started composing their music in different ways. Many musicians wanted to share important messages or their opinions about situations on that time: Protest songs were born. For example, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie in their songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “This Machine Kills Fascists” were protesting against wars and conflicts. It was new and unique because most of the music composers were being very creative in songwriting. They wanted to reach people’s hearts and minds with peace, justice and anti-war messages(Protest).

Music has described and impacted our culture as far back as we can record. From ballads to hip hop, music has not only told stories about the singer, but also, and perhaps more importantly, about the time as well. The 1960 's was a time known for it 's anti-war movement and it 's drive for sex, while the 1990 's became an era of nostalgia (especially for the current adult generation) and melancholy ballads only subdued by birth of "bubblegum pop." In our current century, music has become a forefront for young adult 's emotions. In this essay, I will contrast how young adult views on politics, sexuality, and the future impacted the music of the 1960 's and the 1990 's.

“Music and social movements have been widely celebrated as two catalysts that can elevate the human condition by lifting spirits and undermining subordination” (Reds 10). The 1960s were a time in American history that by many can be described as chaotic. A time in history where folk music was revived, also called contemporary folk, and seeked to challenge the racial boundaries in America. A time in which Pop and Rock music were influenced by contemporary folk and revealed the discontent of the young American generation towards the Vietnam war, established institutions, and middle class values. A time where music channeled the social movements taking place in America. Music of this period represents a unique connection between music and

As a distinctly American form of cultural expression, Rock 'n Roll may be our nation's greatest global export. Its influence on popular, social and artistic mores on a global basis is incomparable. Indeed, one could make the argument that most modern forms of popular music derive from the basic components, if not the underlying attitude, or Rock ' Roll. However, this observation should not be at the expense of considering the yet more powerful influence that this musical form has had on our society as a whole. This is the premise driving Glenn C. Altschuler's 2003 text All Shook Up: How Rock 'N' Roll Changes America. According to the Altschuler text, Elvis Presley and his contemporaries would not just alter the musical landscape but would create a stark generation gap, a deconstruction of racial barriers and dismantling of sexual taboos. In this regard, the text argues, Rock 'n Roll would do nothing less than alter the course of American life.

The contribution that Rock and Roll has made on social change as a popular culture has changed mindsets and challenged long-established views of power and authority, particularly during the 70s and 80s. It may be easy to frown upon rock and roll as having a pronounced negative influence on social change. After all, the saying, "sex, drugs and rock and roll" doesn’t do the image of Rock and Roll any favours.

Some of the things that made people upset and worried in the mid-fifties would make no more than an artificial eyebrow, and the kind of music that is important to a fan of rock nowadays may not be fairly be the same for a rock and roll fan in the 1950’s. In fact rock and roll artists and fans have been victorious in making a taboo art into a universal obsession. Although the generation of adolescents had a terrible status, it led to today’s society. Rock and roll had above all affected society; certainly it affected family lives as well.

Perhaps the most influential and controversial music genre throughout American history is rock. Rock dominated the American Billboard charts from the 1960’s through the 1980’s and garnered attention from millions of youth, while sparking plenty of controversies along the way. Rock, however, undeniably began to decline as time progressed, while genres like hip-hop/rap and pop emerged and began thriving. In contemporary society, rock is no longer a dominating and makes few appearances in the top charts. Despite rock’s indisputable decline, and the desire by many to pronounce it dead, rock and its influence survives both through modern artists and its everlasting impact. Rock proves its continuing presence through the several rock artists who

Distant memories of waking up on a Tuesday morning anticipating that after school or work you would be heading to your favorite record store to buy your musical idol’s new album is something to be cherished. When discussing classic albums, projects, and music moments people tend to forget that the context of society is a monumental factor to evaluate. The 1990’s were an era of unrelenting self-expression birthing new genres of music that allowed space and interpretation amongst all classes. The thrill of all this lies in the exclusivity of the artist-fan relationship. Prior to social media individuals were left to imagine the lives of artists but with the influx of technology and the popularity of reality television, it is almost impossible to NOT know the most intimate details of celebrity lives.

In the twenty-first century, we have an abundant variety of music genres, old and new. Music has a versatile role in modern society. Music serves just as many purposes as it possesses in genres. For listeners, music is not simply an escape or form of entertainment; it is a source of inspiration and self-expression. Sometimes, this can be problematic and lead to false identities and music miscegenation. The music industry has had a powerful influence on what listeners consume. In this process, traditional black music genres have crossed over to the mainstream. This has been problematic in that it gives listeners the sense that the music industry is fully integrated. In reality, the white dominated music industry and labels are still using

Furthermore, global consumers are progressively embracing popular cultural products such as music like Gangnam Style as well as film and other audio-visual media content through online social media community networks. Jung & Shim (2014, pp.485) illustrate that following Psy’s global success, other Korean pop music or K-Pop, have become one of the most vigorously distributed forms of pop culture globally, through its distribution via social networks. Hogarth (2013, pp.144) illustrates how K-Pop entertainment agencies have recognised the Internet as an important means of spreading this cultural product internationally, and now continuously launch K-Pop music videos through YouTube. As most K-Pop videos are freely available on YouTube, they are accessible to a multitude of viewers worldwide. This in turn has facilitated the ubiquity of K-Pop music consumption though social media among individuals, on a global scale which Huat and Jung (2014, p.41) illustrates with example to the Indonesian youth. This however is not limited to Asia, as Sung (2014) shows how K-Pop and its popularity and participatory fan culture have spread quickly beyond Asia and have gained fans in America as well as European countries such as Austria. The dimensions with which K-Pop has spread worldwide within a media environment is noted through studies done by Jin & Yoon (2014) and Jung (2014). Such research show how a wide range of fans from all over the world embrace this Korean pop culture through