Popular Culture

Many groups of Marxist Philosopher based in Germany in middle 20th century used the theories of popular music in their work. They were troubled with the role of popular culture taking advantage of lower-class masses (people) while the bourgeoisie (higher-class) maintained power.

Theodor Adorno was one of the first to write a theory about popular music. He believed popular music was the opposite of true art.

Bourgeoisie – True Art being Opera, high-class, intelligent, ect Masses – Popular Culture being Music Festivals, lower-class, ect

He believed masses were not smart enough to question the music they listened to while bourgeoisies questioned what they listened to, by the way it sounds, lyrics, and the artist’s class.

He believed the music companies fed their music to the popular culture as they easily digest the music they listen to not questioning its content.

True Art Popular MusicBourgeoisie: Sophisticated, Harmony, Beautiful; makes people question the music in style and content.

Mass: Aimless, Nonsense, unsophisticated; large amount of people consume the music but don’t question it.

His message was that popular music is leading people to be unsophisticated and naïve as they are being fooled by nonsense and are not consuming true art which is classier. He also believed it gives us false hope for example rap giving us the false hope of being rich, having designer clothes and women. Although they create the needs we want we feel satisfied, as wee feel we are progressing to that goal slowly by buying expensive products and acting like the artist. Although these needs replace our real needs and real goals in life it removes freedom and creativity.

Popular music products are characterised by:

Standardisation – same basic formulaic and similar (verse, chorus, verse).

Pseudo – Individualisation (incidental differences make them seem distinctive but they’re not) as all the music is the same and false.

Culture industry

Products of the culture industry may be emotional or apparently moving, although Adorno sees this as cathartic, we might seek some comfort in sad film or song, have a bit of cry, and then feel restored again.

Dick Hebdige:

More modern theorists have tended to view Adorno ideas as overly pessimistic and dismissive of mass audiences as passive and easily manipulated. Dick Hebdige argues that consumption is an