Is Popular Music a Mass Produced Commodity or a Genuine Art Form?

When we discussing whether something is art, we first need to define what art is. I believe that it is a creative way to portray human expression, whether through music, painting, dance or drama etc.

Some people may say that popular music uses part interchangeability to streamline production costs, and therefore is primarily the same. In my opinion, all lyrics, and all music begin as art. The person that wrote or created it is the artist. In some cases with popular music, the performer did not write the song, and therefore I do not believe that they are the artist, merely an artists tool. Nevertheless, I find it difficult to believe that popular music does not fall into the category of art. Theodor. W. Adorno on the other hand, would say that popular music is 'an all consuming production line that churns out mass produced inferior commodities' (1941).

How useful is a production of culture perspective in understanding the birth of rock and roll?

Richard A. Peterson, in his book The Production of Culture (1976), said that there were six socio-economic factors that came together to create a platform on which 'something' new could emerge. The six factors are law, technology, industry structure, organisation structure, occupational career and market. In this instance, the six factors made way for Rock and Roll.

At first glance, it appears that Richard A. Peterson has answered for the birth of Rock and Roll, but upon closer examination we realise that there is one gaping hole in Peterson's theory, and that is the question of why? Why was it Rock and Roll that took of in such a powerful way, and not one of the other genres of the time?

Overall, I believe that Peterson's theory is useful in understanding the birth of 'something' but not as useful in understanding the birth of Rock and Roll in particular.

Is it reasonable to consider that rock music is gendered male?

In the Rolling Stone top 100 guitarists list from 2003, there were two females. This raises the question of whether rock music is gendered male. Guitar is not considered to be a feminine instrument to play, women are more likely to pick up a violin or flute, it is sometimes seen as unladylike to play guitar. It has become apparent that many men see a guitar as an extension of themselves, often in a sexual way. We can see this by the way men hold a guitar, covering their genital area. Women in rock are often shown as sex objects for the men's pleasure. The lack of female artists in the rock genre therefore means that the majority of songs produced are aimed at men, making the amount of female listeners considerably less. Overall, I believe that rock music is predominantly male, however is not exclusively for men.