What is Subjectivity?
Subjectivity refers to a person’s individual perspective, feelings, identity, and way of experiencing the world.
When we engage with music, we bring our own subjectivity to it, meaning: We interpret lyrics, beats, and genres through our own experiences.
What is Popular Music?
Popular music is the form of music that is commercially produced, widely distributed, and consumed by a large audience, it reflects the social, cultural, and technological conditions of its time.
Something that can be read for clues about society, politics, gender, race, and power.
What is the difference between hearing and listening?
Hearing happens automatically — our ears have no lids, so we constantly absorb sounds, even unwanted ones (noise).
Listening, on the other hand, involves concentration, interpretation, and meaning-making.
As Jean-Luc Nancy says, listening is “straining toward a possible meaning.”
How does ‘control’ and ‘technology’ impact our lives in terms of listening and music?
With mobile devices, earbuds, and iPods, people now control their sonic environments — choosing what they hear and blocking unwanted sounds.
This creates a personalized “soundtrack” for daily life, letting individuals shape their own auditory world.
Why does Brabazon call listening a “literacy for the ear.”
Just as we learn to read and interpret words, we also “read” music and sound.
What does Brabazon argue about visual culture versus aural culture?
Western culture prioritizes sight over sound, valuing what we see over what we hear. Brabazon urges recognition of listening as an important way of knowing, as sound reveals identity, emotion, and connection.
How have technologies changed listening throughout history?
1960s: transistor radios made music portable.
1980s: Walkman created private listening spaces.
2000s: iPods and podcasts digitized listening, changing how music is shared and experienced.
How is listening connected to identity?
Listening is deeply personal — playlists, earbuds, and platforms like Spotify or iPods let people express who they are. Music choices become part of subjectivity and self-definition.
Why does Brabazon say popular music listening has been misunderstood?
Critics once saw popular music as shallow, but Brabazon argues it’s a valid form of literacy. Listening to pop is a way of thinking, feeling, and connecting — not ignorance, but cultural intelligence.
Why does Brabazon say writing about music is difficult?
Because music is non-verbal and emotional, while writing is linguistic and structured. Translating sound into words means capturing something fleeting and sensual through analysis.
What role does writing play in popular music?
Writing gives lasting meaning and social context to sound
Why is writing about popular music controversial?
Because it involves power struggles over authority and taste — between journalists, academics, and fans — about who can define what music matters.
What tension exists in writing about music?
Between personal experience (emotional connection) and expert analysis (academic interpretation). Brabazon argues for balance — valuing emotion and intellect equally.
How do race and gender affect music writing?
Academic and journalistic writing often privilege white, male, rock-based voices. Writers like Mitchell and Coates show how Black music and women’s perspectives are marginalized.
What does “Art vs Commerce” mean in popular music studies?
It’s the tension between creative expression (art) and economic production (commerce). Pop musicians balance personal artistry with the demands of the music industry and market success. This theme connects to debates about whether pop can be both meaningful and commercial
What is Simon Frith’s idea of “The Industrialization of Music”?
Frith argues that the 20th-century pop experience is defined by the clash between music-as-expression and music-as-commodity. He says the music industry determines what songs, performers, and styles can exist, showing that music is shaped by economic systems and technology
What major change happened by 1945 according to Frith?
By 1945, the modern music industry’s structure was established — pop music meant pop records, created and distributed as commodities controlled by large companies. This industrial system still defines how popular music circulates today
What role do devices like the Walkman, Discman, and iPod play in listening?
hey show how technology personalizes listening, letting users control their sound environment and create “a sonic world of their own choosing.”
What does the Billboard chart represent
The Billboard Hot 100 symbolizes how the industrial and commercial side of music measures popularity. It visualizes the link between art, technology, and commerce — music as both cultural expression and data-driven business
What are the main sonic elements to listen for in popular music?
Rhythm, melody, harmony, voice, riffs, hooks, and lyrics. These elements are how listeners actively interpret music’s meaning — the foundation for musical analysis in this course
Why is history important in popular music studies?
Because each era’s music reflects its technology, politics, and identity. Understanding pop’s history — from ragtime to streaming — reveals how sound evolves alongside society
How does music create community according to Brabazon and the slides?
Listening choices help define boundaries of belonging — who is included or excluded from a culture. Music fandoms (like K-pop or hip-hop) become social groups built through shared sound and identity
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Week 1 readings11
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Week 1 things to know22
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Week 2 things to know25
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Week 3 things to know30
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Week 4 things to know28
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Week 5 things to know23
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Week 6 things to know30
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Midterm Songs21
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Week 844
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Week 940
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Week 1047
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Week 1232
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Week 1348
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Week 1417
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Music pt115
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Music pt.218
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Music pt.312
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Music pt4 (old)11
