Popular Music Genre Definitions

Question 1

Whats wrong with attempts to define pop music?

Answer 1

Not enough
Too vague
Fit other genres

Question 2

Theadore Adorno

Answer 2

Doesn’t see pop music as creative or critical
Society has created a generation who don’t understand music
Result of capitalism

Question 3

Theadore Adorno views on rock

Answer 3

Standerdised and repetitive
Commercial product
Psedo-individualisation

Question 4

Psedo-individualisation

Answer 4

Impression of something new but isn’t

Control/suppression

Question 5

Exclusion

Answer 5

1527 France gave music publishing the same rights as music but not pop
Not seen as worth protecting

Question 6

Why didn’t France include pop music in 1791 law or penal code of 1810

Answer 6

Seen as dangerous

Vehicles of subversion

Question 7

Late 50s and musical language

Answer 7

Education increased

Especially higher education - new subjects

Question 8

Birmingham school Central college for cultural studies

Answer 8

Studying what people do and how xukture affects the lives of the working class
Broadening the notion of culture - descriptive rather than proscriptive

Question 9

Issues with 50s critical language

Answer 9

Still seen as a symptom of revolt

Still only useful due to what is said about society

Question 10

Priority in genre and style

Answer 10

Cultural studies = priority to genre

Musicology = priority to style

Question 11

Alan Moore and genre/style

Answer 11

Genre = form
Style = characteristics/tone

Question 12

Genre types

Answer 12

Technical
Retrospective
Tribal
Functional

Question 13

Technical

Answer 13

Distinctions musicians describe in what they do

Question 14

Retrospective

Answer 14

Descriptions collectors/archives used

Apparent after the event

Question 15

Tribal

Answer 15

Acquires it’s identity through association with extra musical definitions

Question 16

Functional

Answer 16

Music that’s identified according to function E.g dance

Question 17

Franko Fabbri

Answer 17

Genre is a set of musical events (real or possible) whose course is governed by a definite set of socially accepted rules

Question 18

Franko Fabbri rules

Answer 18

Formal and technical
Semiotic
Behavioural
Social and ideological
Economic and judicial

Question 19

Formal and technical rules

Answer 19

Each genres typical form

Explicit or traditional/inherited

Question 20

Semiotic rules

Answer 20

Communication 
Referential 
Emotional 
Imperative 
Phatic 
Metalinguistic 
Poetic

Question 21

Behavioural rules

Answer 21

Practitioners and audience

E. G jazz clap after solos

Question 22

Economic and judicial rules

Answer 22

Copyright

Performability

Question 23

Negus music genres and corporate cultures

Answer 23

Music industry likes genre as it defines a market
How music relates to social distinctions - who will buy it?
Culture can take industry by suprise

Question 24

Industry produces culture

Answer 24

Attempts to identify its market
Who will buy it?
Assumptions define the genre
Audience

Question 25

Culture produces industry

Answer 25

Popular culture of the time
Factors of creation
Commercial potential

Question 26

Style and Genre in Rock - Allen Moore

Answer 26

Style and Genre imposed by society

Genre more fixed than style

Question 27

A theory of music genres - Franko Fabbri

Answer 27

Conzone music genre in Italy show the different styles and how rules create the styles
Conzone d’autore developed from an old system-similar rules but new genre

Question 28

Fabbri and musical community

Answer 28

Social function and classes

Don’t have to be present at the musical event