The study of popular music has experienced an astonishing growth in the past two and a half decades; however, the detailed analysis of musical texts has lagged far behind other areas, such as the sociology of the youth audience and analysis of the visual components of music video. This thesis undertakes a survey of recent approaches to popular music at the textual level, before examining the construction of an individual song, the Beach Boys' 1964 recording of "All Summer Long". While many parameters affecting the creation of the cultural significance of the text in question are discussed, ultimately the exegesis serves to problematize larger issues in scholarly work on popular music, particularly the dominance of the paradigms of rupture, rebellion, and authenticity in relation to the historiography and criticism of the formation known as "rock".

This thesis investigates the theory and practice of song criticism from a primarily literary perspective. It maintains that much contemporary song criticism deals inadequately with the complex relationships between verbal, vocal and musical texts that comprise the three basic elements of the modern song. To justify this claim, and to grasp how the current situation might have arisen, the thesis delves into the history of song and traces its developments. It concludes that modern and classical song differ in ways that the "serious vs. popular" debate do not address: autonomy of authorship, frame of reference, and proper context for interpretation. To remedy this situation, the thesis anatomizes modern song and outlines a "top-down" approach to song criticism with lyrics as the primary frame of reference, supplemented by emotive cues found in the music and vocal performance. Concurrently, the anatomy is put into practice, using examples from the unofficial canon of modern song.

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This thesis examines the impact technology has on the music industry. Despite decrease in physical sales and piracy, statistics indicate that consumer requests for music content are strong. Although sales of physical product have decreased, the demand for digital music has dramatically increased. The current market players and technology innovations provide new opportunities to deliver music to the consumer. It is imperative to balance the divergent interests of consumers and artists, while ensuring profits for all parties involved. / by Jazmine A. Valencia. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The physical sale of music and the effectiveness of traditional media are expected to continue to decline, challenging marketers to develop new methods to create awareness about music. Although music sales are declining, interest in music is healthy, and strongest amongst the American young adult market - between the ages 18-34. This marketing plan uses traditional and innovative techniques to capture the attention of the target market, which is more culturally diverse and technologically advanced than any previous demographic. / by James Rocco Amedeo. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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Orientador: José Roberto Zan / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T14:58:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vicente_RodrigoAparecido_D.pdf: 3123932 bytes, checksum: f86d66df46900853b99ebd4269c3bc7f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: A década de 1950 é um dos momentos-chave da história da música popular brasileira. Nesse período, diferentes ramos da incipiente indústria cultural se modernizam e começam a se articular de modo mais orgânico. Além disso, recrudesce a segmentação da produção musical, formando-se audiências específicas para cada gênero e estilo em circulação nos principais meios de comunicação. É nesse contexto que surge o Trio Surdina, conjunto ligado num primeiro instante a um programa de rádio que tencionava reproduzir a sonoridade e o ambiente intimista das pequenas boates que então proliferavam na zona sul do Rio de Janeiro. Sua produção se insere na chamada era da "Alta Fidelidade" - tradução literal de High-Fidelity, mais conhecida pela abreviação Hi-Fi -, um momento marcado pela introdução de novos suportes, equipamentos e técnicas de gravação no âmbito da indústria fonográfica. A partir do estudo dos elementos e procedimentos constituintes das performances registradas nos LPs do Trio Surdina, este trabalho investiga em que medida a sonoridade do conjunto informa a existência de uma nova sensibilidade auditiva, de um novo "ouvido social" que se configura entre as décadas de 1940 e 1950, ligado no caso a uma fração da classe média que esteve no centro da vida sociocultural da zona sul carioca. Conforme indicam os discursos da época, certos agentes sociais estavam em busca de um tipo de música mais intimista, "moderna" e de "bom gosto", pautada pela economia de elementos, pelo tratamento "suave" e por uma "técnica aprimorada" de interpretação. A sonoridade concebida pelo Trio Surdina parecia corresponder a tais expectativas, destacando-se no segmento dos chamados "conjuntos de boîte". Em síntese, procurou-se compreender de que modo as obras musicais traduzem e condensam em suas estruturas experiências estéticas, sociais e históricas mais amplas. Nessa direção, destacou-se, ao mesmo tempo, o conteúdo propriamente original e específico da produção do Trio Surdina, isto é, aquilo que, nas músicas, escapa tanto aos padrões e convenções de estilo, quanto aos valores e juízos intrínsecos aos discursos do seu tempo, permanecendo em estado de potência como possibilidades expressivas elaboradas a partir da linguagem da música instrumental / Abstract: The 1950s are one of the key moments in the history of Brazilian popular music. At that time, different branches of the incipient cultural industry modernize and begin to articulate in a more organic way. Moreover, there is an increased segmentation of music production, emerging specific audiences for each style in the main media. It is in that context that is formed Trio Surdina, a musical group associated initially to a radio program that intended to reproduce the sonority and the atmosphere of small nightclubs which then proliferated in the southern area of Rio de Janeiro. The group¿s production is closely associated with an innovation of the recording industry at that time, the "High Fidelity", better known by the abbreviation "Hi-Fi". From the formal study of the Trio Surdina¿s work, this thesis investigates how the sonority of this musical group reflects a new "social listening", which seems to emerge between the 1940s and the 1950s linked to a fraction of the middle class that was in the center of social and cultural life of the southern area of Rio de Janeiro. As indicated by discourses of that time, certain social agents were looking for a kind of more intimate, "modern" and "tasteful" music, characterized by the economy of elements, "soft" treatment and a "refined technique" of interpretation. The sonority conceived by Trio Surdina seemed to correspond to such expectations, especially in the segment of the so-called "boîte groups." In short, this research aims to understand how the music of Trio Surdina translates and condenses into its structures aesthetics, social and historical experiences. At the same time, we emphasize the original and specific content of the production of Trio Surdina; in other words, the content that goes beyond the standards and stylistic conventions, as well as the intrinsic values and judgments to the discourses of that time, remaining as potential expressive possibilities elaborated from instrumental music¿s language / Doutorado / Música, Teoria, Criação e Prática / Doutor em Música

A sample of the top fifty songs of 1973 in Soul, Country-Western, and Easy Listening music is content-analyzed to determine dominant theme and type of love relationship presented. Most of the songs are about women and are sung by men. Hence, male artists continue to dominate the record industry. Criteria for evaluating direction of presentation are applied to lyrics to determine how men present women and women present men. Songs with the heterosexual theme are analyzed to determine conformity to six male and six female stereotypical traits. Males conform to the male stereotype in larger percentages than females conform to the female stereotype. Differences in female role expectations vary among the three genres.

In Caught Between Jazz and Pop, I challenge the prevalent marginalization and malignment of smooth jazz in the standard jazz narrative. Furthermore, I question the assumption that smooth jazz is an unfortunate and unwelcomed evolutionary outcome of the jazz-fusion era. Instead, I argue that smooth jazz is a long-lived musical style that merits multi-disciplinary analyses of its origins, critical dialogues, performance practice, and reception. Chapter 1 begins with an examination of current misconceptions about the origins of smooth jazz. In many jazz histories, the origins of smooth jazz are defined as a product of the jazz-fusion era. I suggest that smooth jazz is a distinct jazz style that is not a direct outgrowth of any mainstream jazz style, but a hybrid of various popular and jazz styles. Chapters 2 through 4 contain eight case studies examining the performers of crossover jazz and smooth jazz. These performers have conceived and maintained distinct communicative connections between themselves and their audiences. In the following chapter, the unfair treatment of popular jazz styles is examined. Many early and influential jazz critics sought to elevate jazz to the status of art music by discrediting popular jazz styles. These critics used specific criteria and emphasized notions of anti-commerciality to support their theoretical positions. In Chapter 6, the studio recordings and live performances of smooth jazz are discussed. Critics frequently complain that most smooth jazz recordings feature glossy packaging and pristine studio editing, resulting in a too-perfect product. Although this aesthetic is the result of a unique series of interactions, recordings do not represent the complete musical nature of smooth jazz. Live performances contain important, but typically neglected aspects of smooth jazz. Live performances enable performers to extend solos, interact, and communicate directly to the audience. While recordings are a useful source for musical analysis, smooth jazz, like other styles of jazz, is an improvisatory music that utilizes multiple sites of production and cannot be accurately judged on recordings alone.