Sunday, 30 January 2011

Can popular music ever be unplugged?

The concept of music existing without any technology, or electrical input, and therefore being truly unplugged seems implausible. For popular music to be classed as popular, suggests that it is heard and liked by many people. The only viable way to have music heard by large audiences is to first record it, which involves an electronic input, even if nothing else is electronically enhanced. 
Manu genres of music also rely on electronic technology to create their music, from uses of the microphone, amplification of sound, to an almost infinite number of tracks to record on.
For many artists it is virtually impossible to play a truly acoustic gig, or get a clear recording without microphones or amplification, due to acoustics and projection. The voice, if nothing else is almost always picked up by a microphone and often the instruments will be amplified in some way, even if it's simply a keyboard or electro acoustic guitar, plugged into an amp.

Sunday, 23 January 2011

What is popular music?

The word popular simply means “liked and enjoyed by many people”. Although when appended to music often refers to a specific type of music known as ‘pop’.  The term popular in fact covers genres from Rock to R&B to Hip Hop and everything in between. 
The Top 40 Chart, decided by record and download sales is used as an indication of what people are buying and therefore listening to. But is it always an accurate representation of popular music?
The recent X Factor Vx Rage Against The Machines battle in 2009, for Christmas No:1 showed that the chart is becoming less about good music and talent but more of a popularity contest. Suggesting that music can be popular without actually being good. Thousands of people bought both the X Factor and RATM records, but can popularity of a product show true popularity of the music? For example I downloaded RATM then deleted it from my iTunes, simply in a bid to beat The X factor.