Popular Music and Society

The third edition of Popular Music and Society is fully revised and updated, deftly exploring the study of popular music in the context of wider debates in sociology and media and cultural studies. Astute and accessible, it continues to set the agenda for research and teaching in this area. The book begins by examining the ways in which popular music is produced, before moving on to explore its structure as text and the ways in which audiences understand and use music. Packed with up-to-date examples and data on the contemporary production and consumption of popular music, the book includes overviews and critiques of theoretical approaches to this exciting area of study and outlines the most important empirical studies which have shaped the discipline. Topics covered include:

• The contemporary organization of the music industry
• The effects of technological change on production
• The history and politics of popular music
• Gender, sexuality and ethnicity
• Subcultures
• Fans and music celebrities

This new edition adds sections on the impact of digital media on popular music production and consumption and incorporates original ethnographic research on musicianship and musical practices. It will continue to be required reading for students of the sociology of culture, media and communication studies, and popular culture. Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Boxes
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction: Constraints and Creativity -- Arguments and Framework
Part I Production
1 The Pop Music Industry
2 The Social Production of Music
Part II Text
3 History, Politics and Sexuality
4 ‘Black’ Music: Genres and Social Constructions
5 Texts and Meaning
6 Performance, Dance, Distinction and the Body
Part III Audience
7 Effects, Audiences and Subcultures
8 Fans, Production and Consumption
9 Beyond Subcultures and Fans: New Audiences, Scenes and Everyday Life
Conclusion
Further Reading
References

This third edition by Longhurst and Bogdanovic offers a comprehensive updated sociological analysis of the field of popular music which incorporates media and cultural studies into its frame. It reflects backward and telegraphs forward the key theories, approaches, analysis and criticisms that abound in the field. It is both accessible and scholarly and will be a key resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sociology, and media and cultural studies.
Helen Thomas, University of the Arts London

Praise for the 2nd edition

I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to both students and scholars interested in the sociology of music. This is a great text if you are looking for a clear and lucid introduction to the subject.
Sociology

Brian Longhurst is Professor of Sociology at the University of Salford

Danijela Bogdanovic is Lecturer at The University of Liverpool and Associate Lecturer at The Open University