Lady Gaga
Popular music in the 21st century is no longer just about the lyrics, the music, or the presence of the artist. It is about the combined "show" -- using media, lights, sound, special effects, costumes, make up and above all, an entertainment experience. One of the most visible and influence in the pop, dance and electronic fields is the artist Stefani Joanne Angelia Germanotta, more commonly known as Lady Gaga. Born in 1986, LG is not just a singer and performer, but also a producer, activist, fashion designer, actress and philanthropist. She was born and raised in New York City, did some brief music studies, but concentrated on her career in Manhattan's Lower East Side, then signed to Streamline Records when she was just 21 (Herbert). But this musical phenomenon is much more than a popular singer, with impressive philanthropic interests she is truly what one might call a…...

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Works Cited

Blauvelt, C. "Lady Gaga Talks Early Struggles." 23 February 2011. Entertainment Weekly. Web. April 2013. .

Caufield, K. "Lady Gaga is Billboard's 2010 Artist of the Year." 9 December 2010. Billboardbiz. Web. April 2013. .

Chao, N. "Going Gaga." 3 February 2010. MarieClaire.com. Web. April 2013. .

Dershowitz, J. "Lady Gaga Donating #1 million to Sandy Relief." 7 November 2012. CBS News. Web. April 2013. .

Scorpions
The audience for popular music frequently assumes that the songs heard on the radio or downloaded from iTunes are predominantly a form of personal expression on the part of the artist, and that song lyrics may express the most raw form of autobiography (such as the recent Grammy-winning success of "Rehab" by Amy inehouse, who turns up in tabloids to demonstrate that she practices what she preaches) but they do not express any political or historical content. But the example of the Scorpions -- who come from Germany but work within a largely American-derived idiom of heavy metal power ballads -- proves that the lyrical content of popular song can also provide a sort of historical documentation. I would argue that by comparing two of the Scorpion's most successful songs to date -- "Still Loving You" from their 1984 album Love at First Sting, and "ind of Change" from their…...

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Works Cited

The Scorpions, "Wind of Change." Crazy World, 1990.

The Scorpions, "Still Loving You." Love at First Sting, 1984.

Dan MacIntosh, "Songwriter Interviews: Scorpions Rudolf Schencker." Songfacts.com, accessed 25 February 2011 at:  http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/scorpions_rudolf_schenker/

" Instead of those key lines, a wailing voice suggests that prayers for love remain unfulfilled. The stress is on lines like "without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own," as the wailing replaces the rest of the chorus. Elvis's "Blue Moon" is truly blue: filled with sadness and unfulfilled longing.
To enhance the reinvented theme of "Blue Moon," the instrumentation is stark. Throughout the recording, only a bass and a drum accompany the sultry vocals. The effect is clearly and intentionally that of a cowboy song. The rhythm of both the bass and the drums convey a horse gently trotting, carrying its lone rider through the Wild West. Evoking cowboy movies and mystique is one way the arrangement sends a far different message than the one that ogers and Hart had intended. In Elvis's version, the male vocalist is totally, utterly alone. He is a lone…...

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References

"Blue Moon: by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart" (n.d.). Retrieved online: http://www.lorenzhart.org/moonsng.htm

"Blue Moon." Versions performed by the Boswell Sisters, Elvis Presley, and Rod Stewart. Retrieved on YouTube.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLfTjTLnVIo&feature=player_embedded

Music
Few popular music stars today are as colorful as Lady Gaga. Recently on tour, Lady Gaga is again making the headlines. In South Africa, a group of churches has been organizing protests against Lady Gaga's performances, and even just her presence, in the country. Among other complaints, the South African Council of Churches claims Lady Gaga's visit "could lead to an exponential growth of Satanism," (Engelbrecht, p. 1). For others, Lady Gaga is a welcome presence in the popular culture because she spreads the message of gender equality and positive gender "performativity," (Horn, p. 1). Lady Gaga is like a female "drag queen" and therefore sends a good message about tolerance of gender and sexual identities. Finally, Lady Gaga exemplifies the way social media can be used to promote popular culture and allow for greater fan interactions and control over content. Given that Lady Gaga is associated with Satanism, gender,…...

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Works Cited

Engelbrecht, David. "Council of Churches Still Anti-Gaga." Channel 24. Retrieved online:  http://www.channel24.co.za/Music/News/Council-of-Churches-still-anti-Gaga-20121129 

Hampp, Andrew. "Gaga, Oooh Lala: Why the Lady Is the Ultimate Social Climber." Advertising Age. 22 Feb, 2010. Retrieved online:  http://vandymkting.typepad.com/files/2010-2-22-adage-gaga-oooh-la-la-why-the-lady-is-the-ultimate-social-climber.pdf 

Horn, Katrin. "Camping with the Stars: Queer Perfomativity, Pop Intertextuality, and Camp in the Pop Art of Lady Gaga." Current Ojbectives of Postgraduate American Studies. Vol. 11. Retrieved online:  http://copas.uni-regensburg.de/article/view/131/155

These assumptions encapsulate the notion of consumer sovereignty in neoclassical economics of consumption' (Jonathan Scheckter (2006). A Holistic Approach to Consumption Analysis in the Popular Music Market). While the concept is often criticized at an empirical level, or at an intuitive level, the origins of consumer sovereignty are seldom explored with reference to popular music.

The most important advancement of neoclassical economics arose as a sophisticated defense of this assumption of constant preferences. The argument asserts from the outset that, 'tastes neither change capriciously nor differ importantly between people'. (Becker and Stigler, 1977: 76) the starting point is the utilization of a reformulation of consumer theory, first expressed by Becker and Michael (1974). This new theory "transforms the family [consumer] from a passive maximizer of the utility from market purchases to an active maximizer also engaged in extensive production and investment activities," (Becker and Stigler, 1977).

The theory explained various consumption phenomena…...

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References

Adorno, Theodor (1976). "Mediation." In Introduction to the Sociology of Music. New York: Seabury.

Berland, Jody. (1990). "Radio Space and Industrial Time: Music Formats, Local Narratives and Technological Mediation." Popular Music 9(2): 179-192.

Frith, Simon. (1981). "Making Records." In Sound Effects: Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock 'n' Roll. New York: Pantheon, 89-129.

Hall, Stuart. (1973). "Coding and Encoding in Television Discourse." In Culture, Media, Language. Edited by Stuart Hall et al. London: Hutchinson.

Popular Music
The New Face Book of ock and oll

An entirely new book (okay score) on the future of music and the place of rock and roll is being written, and yet we really can't even tell what the experience will be like, though it will most likely be a continued mix of country/folksy democracy. What we can tell is that it will come in the packaging of a self-published, self-directed, interactive collection (just like an ebook!), and that its messages of defiance will be such that the entire digital universe of followers will each think of themselves as their own Guitar Hero!

While many people believe that Guitar Hero brought rock and roll into the digital era, the case can be made that it did as much damage as good. It turned many people on to a sense of simulating the music of the leaders of rock and roll, electronically…...

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REFERENCES

Crocker, N. (2010), Mashable Business, 5 predictions for the music industry in 2010. Retried from  http://mashable.com/2009/12/25/music-industry-predictions-2010/ .

Parker, J. (2009), School of Rock: What does Guitar Hero's popularity mean for the future of rock and roll? The Atlantic. Retrieved from  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/03/school-of-rock/7278/ .

Bain & Company, Publishing in the Digital Era (2011). Downloadable from  http://www.bain.com/bainweb/PDFs/cms/Public/BB_Publishing_in_the_digital_era.pdf

Undoubtedly many Beatles songs will be around far longer than many pieces labeled as "classical," but we would still never call "Yesterday" a work of classical music. Similarly, songs like "Yesterday" can be considered as musical masterpieces just as Beethoven's 9th, but the term "classical" can still only be applied to Beethoven, not the Beatles.
Therefore, pop music can be "classic" but not "classical." Classical music is a category; the term does not mean that the music was composed in the eighteenth century; nor does it mean that the music will endure in time as a masterpiece. Music called "classical" can be composed in the 21st century; much of it will not stand the test of time. Nevertheless, it can be labeled as classical if it can be classified into that genre, for instance by the type of instruments being played and the overall impact of the composition.

orks Cited

Classical." Entry…...

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Works Cited

Classical." Entry in Dictionary.com.  http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=classical .

Popular Music and Identity
Sound Clash-Popular Music and American Culture

Identifying through music is fantastic and creates social movements. People find music to be liberating, relaxing, and calming. Identifying oneself through music a person is able to have direct experiences in their body. This allows a person to place them self in an imaginary cultural narrative. Popular music has been analyzed as though it is a classical composition, which makes the analysts neglect the improvisational and performative aspects of popular music. Analyzing how audiences respond to popular music and how they identify with this kind of music is vital. This would allow people to better understand how different people identify with certain popular songs. Theodor Adorno viewed popular music as a culture industry, which is designed to appeal to society by creating a false need for entertainment. Simon Frith views popular music as a complex world where that values and attitudes…...

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References

Adorno, Theodor W, and George Simpson. On Popular Music. Institute of Social Research, 1942. Print.

Frith, Simon. "Music and Identity." Questions of cultural identity (1996): 108-27. Print.

Hill, S., and B. Fenner. Media and Cultural Theory. London: Bookboon. Print.

Appendix

Today sometimes also referred to as 'urban' music, R&B was originally a euphemistic way of referring to the boogie woogie blues-based music of African-Americans in the 40s and 50s. In some circles, these would be referred to as 'race records.' When white musicians like Elvis Presley began recording these songs, the term Rock and Roll was coined. This transition would not render the R&B genre moot, but would instead apply it to most music made by African-Americans. Over the years, this would come to serve as a Billboard Chart classification for forms such as Soul, Funk, Disco and many modes of Hip Hop.
Quite in fact, today, R&B may be said to be the dominant form in popular music once again, with its permeation of the variant of popular forms impacting the sound of music today in the same way that rock would for decades. Particularly in the type of…...

American Idiot
Popular Music and Social Change in the Present: Green Day's 'American Idiot' (2004)

Following the catalyzing events of September 11th, 2001, the United States would find itself deeply divided over the issues of terrorism, war and presidential politics. At the heart of this frequently impassioned and vitriolic debate would be the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a far-reaching culture clash between two distinction American populations. The 2004 album by pop-punk trio Green Day, American Idiot, would be crafted with the intent of exploring these divisions. In the title track, Green Day would author an anthem that would become omnipresent in pop culture as the U.S. used falsified information to justify its invasion of Iraq.

"American Idiot" would serve both as a harsh critique of the war, of the presidency of George . Bush and of the violent, materialistic culture being fomented in the U.S. At this time.…...

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Works Cited:

Geek Stink Breath (GSB). (2012). American Idiot Song Meaning. Geekstinkbreath.net.

Wiebe, C. (2007). Walkn' With Green Day. Center for Parent/Youth Understanding.

Elvis Presley's Impact On Popular Music Culture
From the time Elvis recorded "That's All Right Mamma" for Sun Records in 1953, to his subsequent and astonishing rise to fame, he reinvented the concept of rock star and has made a bigger impact on popular music culture than any other act. That is saying a lot considering that the Beatles and Rolling Stones and others like Elton John have been huge superstars. But looking at Elvis's impact, as this paper does, one can clearly see that he influenced all of those acts. John Lennon said that "Before Elvis there was nothing…" and the Rolling Stones have indicated that they were hugely influenced by Elvis.

hen Elvis Started Out -- Launching his Career as a Musical Rebel and Icon

An article in the Public Broadcasting Service (KCET) website ("Culture Shock / Music and Dance) traces Elvis's early beginnings in terms of how he became so…...

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Works Cited

History Today. (2007). Elvis: Rock 'n' Roll's reluctant rebel. Retrieved December 24, 2013,]

From  http://www.historytoday.com .

Kemp, M. (2001). Elvis Presley Biography. Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 24, 2013, from  http://www.rollingstone.com .

Public Broadcast Service. (1956). Elvis Presley, 1956. KCET. Retrieved December 24, 2013,

American Popular Music (Lady Gaga)
The question of originality in popular music is a vexed one. To choose a convenient and current example, when Justin Bieber sings about his "baby," listeners are not meant to hear any kind of deliberate allusion to the Supremes' "Baby Love" or any other previous songs which include "Baby" as part of their lyrical hook: Bieber's charming faux-naivete cannot be mistaken for anything other than a rhetorical willingness to utilize the regular tropes and language of a standard love song. But with some performers, the matter of originality -- together with the question of influence -- is one that must be addressed. I would like to look, in this context, at the work of Stefani Germanotta, the twenty-four-year-old singer and composer better known by her stage name "Lady Gaga." I would like to examine Lady Gaga's oeuvre with three separate areas of inquiry kept in mind…...

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Works Cited

Brand, Katy. "No Pants." Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, Episode 1 (ITV-2, UK). Airdate 10 September 2009. Accessed on YouTube 13 March 2011 at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKGtFNwxs8 

Germanotta, Stefani ("Lady Gaga"). "Just Dance." The Fame, 2008. CD.

Grigoriadis, Vanessa. "How Lady Gaga Became the World's Biggest Pop Star." New York Magazine, 28 March 2010. Accessed on 13 March 2011 at:  http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/65127/ 

Koestenbaum, Wayne. Andy Warhol. New York: Viking, 2001. Print.

CLASSICAL AND POPULAR MUSIC IN 'THE CRYING OF LOT 49'
Thomas Pynchon is known for his complex storylines and weird characters. For this reason it is not easy to comment on the use of music in his novels as it is the very complexity of his plots that obscure the influence or meaning of classical and popular music in his books. Despite this, he is one of the most influential writers of the postmodern era and many singers have cited his work as an inspiration for their music. In our days for example, since the return of popular music, we notice that Thomas Pynchon has become a source of inspiration for many new pop artists. Larry Swindell (1996) says, "Pynchon is an enduring literary cult figure, sainted by proponents of darkest-hued comedy."

It is important to bear in mind that Pynchon's use of music is not limited to just one of his…...

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Works Cited

Hans, James S., Emptiness and plenitude in "Bartleby the Scrivener" and 'The Crying of Lot 49.'. Vol. 22, Essays in Literature, 09-22-1995, pp 285(15).

Jamie Diamond, PAGES: THE MYSTERY OF THOMAS PYNCHON LEADS FANS AND SCHOLARS ON A QUEST AS BIZARRE AS HIS PLOTS., People, 01-29-1990, pp 64

Joel Stein, The Case For Thomas Pynchon., Time, 07-09-2001, pp 50.

Joseph Slade, Writers for the 70s: Thomas Pynchon, New York, 1974.

Today many mainstream popular artists have Rhythm and Blues influences. In addition some artists fluctuate between signing R&B and pop music. Although there are often distinctions made between the two genres R&B is definitely a type of popular music that has been greatly influenced by all of the above Genres.
Rap music or hip hop is also a prime example of the influence of African-American Music on popular music. Rap music actually comes from the ancient art form of poetry. The original intent for rap was to tell a story -- provide a narrative. ithin the context of African-American folk tradition storytelling is extremely important -- the griot is important. Griots are the keepers of the oral traditions -- the storytellers. According to Powell (1991) "To the accompaniment of drums or other percussive instruments, griots entertain and educate their audiences by reciting tribal history and current events. Their performances are…...

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Works Cited

Powell, CT. (1991) Rap Music: An Education with a Beat from the Street

The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 60, No. 3,

Progler., J.A.(1995) Searching for Swing: Participatory Discrepancies in the Jazz Rhythm

Section Ethnomusicology, Vol. 39, No. 1,, pp. 21-54

In "The Times They Are a-Changin'," released in February 1964, he encapsulated the spirit of the times, and issued a timely warning to the older generation to accept the changing times or be drowned in a youth-inspired social revolution. (Mcilliams, 32)
hile Dylan was introducing protest folk music in the mainstream popular music in the early 1960s, bands such as "The Beatles" had captured the imagination of the estern youth on both sides of the Atlantic. By accepting the influence of each other's music in their work, these artists revolutionized estern popular music. The power of such music in shaping the direction of the youth culture was immense. It spread the message of peace, love, racial and gender equality and challenged the hypocrisy of the existing social order.

Not all aspects of the sixties music were positive. Many of the sixties rock musicians adopted a hedonistic lifestyle and indulged in excessive…...

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Works Cited

DiGrazia, Judith L. "The Sixties: Notes of Discord." Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. 1983. January 18, 2007.  http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1983/4/83.04.04.x.html 

McWilliams, John C. The 1960s Cultural Revolution. Ed. Randall M. Miller. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

Rodnitzky, Jerome L. "The Sixties between the Microgrooves: Using Folk and Protest Music to Understand American History, 1963-1973." Popular Music and Society 23.4 (1999): 105.

Dylan started to introduce amplified rock music into his acoustic folk repertoire by 1965 and the "Beatles" replaced their simple "I wanna hold your hand" lyrics by more socially relevant themes in their songs in the latter part of the sixties.

1. The influence of social media on modern pop culture
2. The evolution of gender representation in popular music
3. Cultural appropriation in the fashion industry
4. The impact of reality TV on society and culture
5. The representation of race and ethnicity in popular films
6. The role of streaming services in shaping contemporary pop culture
7. The phenomenon of viral memes and their influence on popular culture
8. The rise of celebrity influencers and their impact on consumer behavior
9. The portrayal of mental health issues in popular media
10. The intersection of technology and pop culture in the digital age.
11. The relationship between popular culture and....

1. The Impact of Musical Theatre on Society
2. The Evolution of Musical Genres
3. The Psychology of Musical Preference
4. The Influence of Technology on the Music Industry
5. The Role of Music in Film
6. The Importance of Music Education in Schools
7. The Representation of Gender and Race in Popular Music
8. The Power of Lyrics in Music
9. The Connection Between Music and Emotions
10. The Role of Musicals in Preserving Cultural Heritage
11. The Rise of Music Streaming Platforms and Their Impact on the Music Industry
12. The Relationship Between Music and Memory
13. The Effect....

Mississippi Blues: An Iconic Sound of the Deep South

The Mississippi Gulf Coast, a vibrant tapestry of rich history, cultural heritage, and musical traditions, serves as the birthplace of an iconic genre that has captivated audiences worldwide: Mississippi Blues. This distinctive sound, deeply rooted in the African American experience, has become synonymous with the region, and has left an enduring legacy that continues to resonate through contemporary music.

The origins of Mississippi Blues can be traced back to the late 19th century, when freed slaves and sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta began blending elements of African folk music, field hollers, and spirituals....

How a Thorough Analysis of Music Enhances the Overall Impact of an Essay
A thorough analysis of music can significantly enhance the overall impact of an essay by providing insights, supporting arguments, and creating a more immersive and engaging experience for the reader.
1. Provides a Rich Context for Literary and Cultural Analysis
Music often plays a vital role in literary and cultural works, reflecting social values, historical events, or emotional states. By analyzing the musical elements of a work, such as rhythm, melody, and harmony, writers can gain a deeper understanding of its themes, symbols, and characters.
For instance, in an essay on....