Chapter 10: Popular Music
Preview Questions
Introduction
In this chapter we’re going to look at some of the styles of popular music from that last 70 years, and try to look at it in light of what has been covered previously in the book.
The classical music covered in this book was primarily composed for the middle and upper classes, who had more time and financial resources to attend concerts, purchase instruments, and learn to read music. While in the 1800s you might have heard your Italian butcher or baker singing a tune from a new opera, it wasn’t until the 20th century before radio, records, and television made it possible for an artist to become popular with a national audience.
Review Questions
- What popular music styles can you name? What is something distinctive about each one?
- What kind of music did your parents listen to when they were your age?
- What is your most favorite style of popular music today? What do you like about it?
- What is your least favorite style of popular music today? What don’t you like about it?
- Who is your favorite artist or group? What do you like about them and their music?
- What do you know about Elvis Presley? Can you name any of his songs?
- What do you know about the Beatles? Can you name any of their songs?
- What do you know about Aretha Franklin? Can you name any of her songs?
- What is different about how modern pop songs are produced, compared with those of the 1950s and ‘60s?
- What is different about hip-hop compared with other styles?
Introduction
In this chapter we’re going to look at some of the styles of popular music from that last 70 years, and try to look at it in light of what has been covered previously in the book.
The classical music covered in this book was primarily composed for the middle and upper classes, who had more time and financial resources to attend concerts, purchase instruments, and learn to read music. While in the 1800s you might have heard your Italian butcher or baker singing a tune from a new opera, it wasn’t until the 20th century before radio, records, and television made it possible for an artist to become popular with a national audience.
Review Questions
- What popular music styles can you name? What is something distinctive about each one?
- What new music did you hear on this chapter’s playlist that you liked the most?
- What do you know about Elvis Presley? Can you name any of his songs?
- What do you know about the Beatles? Can you name any of their songs?
- What do you know about Aretha Franklin? Can you name any of her songs?
- What do modern pop and hip-hop share in the way they are produced?
- How has hip-hop evolved since the 1970s? How would you describe the most popular artists today?