Task 2 - Popular Music

From reading through the text by Adorno on popular music we can see that his views on the subject are very strong.

Ardorno main point on popular music is standardization, he believed that the popular music that we listen to today has been 'standardized'. He believed that when a pop musician tried to create music he was unable to create anything that he had not heard before. Even when he tries to change his music he cannot escape the pre conceptions of the genre that he has experienced before.

Ardorno also believed that pop music was easier to listen to than 'real' genres like classical because it allowed the viewer escape the realities of life. This was because they did not have to concentrate on the song as they would have heard many other previous songs that were the same. This comes back to the idea of 'standardization'.

He also believed that pop music made was a comforting friend to most people as it was so familiar to them. He suggested that it helped people shop better and that shops played pop music because it made it more likely that people would buy things as they would feel more relaxed. He then goes on to suggest that the music is a substitute for what people truly want and that is their freedom, their freedom to rise up and change the environment they live in. He claims that the record companies know what they are doing and lie to the public telling them 'we just give them what they ant to hear.'

According to Adorno popular music is what keeps the masses in line and order and claims that if people were to realise what was going on then they would rise up and revolt.

The super techno pop group are a japanese trio from Hiroshima, Japan. In my opinion this is a perfect example of standarization. This song was released in 2008 and was by a japanese producer called Yasutaka Nakata. He is responsible for producing music throughout Japan for many different artists that consequently end up sounding very similar because they all have the same producer.

It is also a song that bears uncanny resemblance to the tune view from a bridge by kim wilde. This song was made in the 1980's and suggests that pop music today has become standardized.

These girls have little or no input to what their music sounds like. instead they are merely attractive figures that the controlling record labels can put a face to.

When people listen to the music they long to be with or be the three girls and not the production that goes on behind the scenes.