Lecture #5 - Reality, Virtuality and Hyperreality

Lecture Notes

Task 2 - Popular Music

Quickly read Adorno's (1941) article 'On Popular Music'. In no more than a few paragraphs, summarise his ideas on pop music, concentrating on highlighting key points such as 'standardisation' etc.

In Adorno's eyes, music can be categorised into two major divisions; popular music and serious music. Popular music representing contemporary mass culture and its obsession with consumerism, and serious music reflecting that born of 'real' culture.

The fundamental characteristic of popular music can be described with just one word: standardisation. With limits placed on chorus length, range, content, structure, rhythm and genre, we are led to believe that the only songs worth any merit are those that conform to these rules. Ease of listening is of utmost importance in popular music, the structure aims at producing standard reactions from the audience. We are led to believe that we are hearing something new and exciting but in reality each songs purpose is not to be contemplated, but to be consumed.

Pseudo-individualism masks over the pre-digested choices that have already been made for us by leading us to believe that we are engaging in free will. We think we are individual because of the choices we make and the way our music makes us feel. In reality we are categorising and conditioning ourselves. We choose our musical taste by genre, we automatically know what it is going to sound like before we hear it because it has been categorised for us, therefore we instantly have a preconception - 'I must like Band A because they sound like Band B'. The myth of free choice encourages us to buy into a pre-made and regulated category of popular music.

The standardisation of popular music is so extreme the the only way to counter balance the lack of originality in songs is through the way they are marketed. The term 'plugging' refers to the constant exposure of a particular song in order to standardise its presence in our lives and in turn make it a 'hit' - if a song, any song, is presented to us repetitively enough we will intrinsically believe that it is good. To be plugged, a song must be as conventional and easily consumable as all the others, but must have an underlying distinguishable feature on which it can be sold - it must be the same, but different. The similarities will ensure automatic acceptance, and the differences will guarantee that it is remembered.

The acceptance of popular music helps us to feel a sense of collectivity in society. The reason we like the things we listen to is because of an underlying feeling that we are forming bonds with others, the realisation that we are not alone in the way a particular song makes us feel is comforting and reassuring. The ability of a song to effortlessly distract us away from reality is part of its appeal. Popular music requires no real attention and yet allows us to escape from the tediousness of work and the real world.

The physical adjustments achieved through music manifest in one of two ways: the 'rhythmically obedient' type and the 'emotional' type. Rhythmically obedient reactions rely on a beat, the audience conforms to a preconceived manner of dance, expressing themselves in a completely pseudo-individual way. The emotional reactions, however, rely on the sentiment of a song, allowing the listener to drift into a dreamy state of wish fulfillment and unconditional happiness.

The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself.

For me this song epitomises the standardisation and pseudo-individualism of contemporary culture. The song itself is, of course, a cover version of a song written by Burt Bacharach and originally recorded by R'n'B singer Tommy Hunt in 1962. Since then it has been covered countless times by artists across all genres of music. A perfect example of plugging. The song is, literally, the same as previous hits, there is little to no structural difference between this version and that released by Dusty Springfield in 1964 - the industry knew it was going to sell before it had even been recorded. The memorable feature of this cover lies in the 'alternative rock' genre in which it was released, providing it with a 'cool', fresh edge over previous versions. Hooks were also placed in the music video that made it stand out from other songs at the time. The video fully engages with todays celebrity culture, playing on the inclusion of supermodel Kate Moss and the contribution from renowned director Sophia Coppolla - both elements give the song an instant status.