Let’s discuss any and all music here. Got a new artist who’s rocking your boat that you want to talk about? Post a video! Found out about that unearthed Coltrane album that has the jazz freak in you losing your mind? Lay it out for us! Have a theory about what your favorite band might do for their next album? Let’s hear it! Anything and everything music-related goes here.
This week’s discussion prompt: Pop Music
While it’s safe to say that the musical tastes of most of the Avocadians who participate in these weekly threads are relatively “left of the dial”, at the same time I doubt that many here are completely adverse or oblivious to mainstream artists, or completely resistant to the charms of “pop music” (though even defining what pop music is can be difficult).
Some points for discussion:
- How closely do you follow or pay attention to “pop music”? Do you (or have you at any point in your life) paid attention what was in the charts, or ever primarily listened to what was in the “Top 40”?
- How do you define “pop music”? Is it merely music that is popular, or is it denoted by a specific style?
- Are artists that are incredibly popular “pop artists”, regardless of the genre or genres they are most closely associated with?
- At a time when the Hot 100 has been dominated by country music and complete albums by certain artists, are the charts “more accurate than ever before”, or still subject to the same gaming and manipulation that they have always been to some extent? While Billboard insists that its policy changes have worked to make their charts a more accurate representation of what people are actually listening to and buying, others have suggested that the chart no longer makes any sense. If you care about this type of thing at all, what is your take?1
- What are some of your favorite pop songs (past or present)? Or what, for you, is the definitive “pop song”?
- When you hear the words “pop artist”, who are the first artists that pop2 into your mind?
- Remember poptimism? Is it/was it good, or bad, or two things? And is it relevant now?
And as if this week’s prompt wasn’t already messy or unfocused enough, of course feel free to bring up any other ideas you might have for discussion down below!
As always, any and all music-related posts are welcome. Have fun, and rock out (or pop out) with yr guac out!