WEEK 1

If there is only one book you're going to read on the history of popular music, make sure it is this fantastic book.

So, what is history? How does this system work? And how does it work specifically for art and popular music? Is it only The Big Names or are lesser known artists /genres also important? How about the audience? Or the music industry? Or technology? 

History is a construction. Most of the times the winners of battles, the kings and queens and famous European composers seem important enough to make it into the history books. But what about us regular folks?

And talking about Popular Music, what is 'Popular Music' exactly? Music that is popular? That has millions of streams? Again, Big Names?

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talking point:

GIVE A SOLID DEFINITION OF POPULAR MUSIC

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Tim Wall explains here in this excerpt from his book "Studying Popular Music Culture" (2003) how history is a construct:

 

 

THE 4 (or maybe 5?) FOREFATHERS OF POPULAR MUSIC:

HANK WILLIAMS (1923-53) - COUNTRY – SELF DESTRUCTION

ROBERT JOHNSON (1911-38) - BLUES – MYTHOLOGY

WOODY GUTHRIE (1912-67) – FOLK – SOCIAL AWARENESS

LOUIS JORDAN (1908-75) – RHYTHM & BLUES – ENTERTAINMENT
 

FRANK SINATRA (1915-1998) - JAZZ - ALBUM