Quickly read Adorno's (1941) article 'On Popular Music' (links below). In no more than a few paragraphs, summarise his ideas on pop music, concentrating on key points such as 'standardisation', 'psuedo-individualisation' etc.
Post a link to a YouTube pop video that, in your opinion, epitomises Adorno's sentiments. Explain why, trying to emphasise the links to the wider 'culture industry' in general.
Theodor W Adorno is
Theodor W. Adorno wrote ‘On Popular Music’ as a result of his Marxist ideologies and his Frankfurt School approach to “popular music”. In this article, he claims music can be separated into two spheres… “popular” and “serious”.
His views on “popular music” are based around the fact that it’s entire culture is built on standardization. The mass-production of popular music and the way the actual songs are structured are a way of appealing to the people, by giving them a familiar experience every time due to the predictability of what they are hearing. He says the hits people listen to are “pre-digested”, nothing about them are individual or contain any original musical schemes, and produce standard reactions.
One of Adorno’s key points of the article is based around his theory of pseudo-individualisation. In short, that, to enjoy and absorb this standardisation, the masses need to identify with popular music on a personal level and forget about the existence of the standardised natured of what they are listening to. In essence, feel that they are being individual and original in listening to something, which, in essence has been produced to entertain the masses.
I have chosen a new video which epitomises Adorno’s theory. This is Blue’s ‘comeback’ video and song after 7 years of disappearing from the music industry. It is perfect to illustrate what Adorno was saying as, as well as sounding exactly like every one of Blue’s previous tracks (with a little more bass added to please the crowds of today)… it is also this year’s UK Eurovision entry, it needs to appeal to the masses to win a competition. It’s entire structure will have been created to appeal to people across the world.
Theodor W Adorno is
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