Sunday, 23 January 2011

What is popular music?

Over the last few centuries the definition of the word 'popular' has changed and today's definition has been reversed from that of the 16th century. According to Raymond Williams, 'Keywords'(1976), in the 16th century the word 'popular' meant : ' low or base, vulgar, of the common people'. However, these days the word 'popular' stands for something good and 'widely favoured'.

The question, what is popular music is difficult to answer as it has no single response. What can be considered to be 'popular music' us unique and different to the individual. Music, like most things, have genres, whether it be folk, hip hop, indie, classical or rock. These genres have their own audiences ad fans which therefore would alter what is considered to be popular.

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