The sociology of popular music

Abstract

Music is present everywhere and many people hear music everyday of their lives. The social and technological changes that have taken place, especially in recent years, have meant that music is available to a very large number of people. This study will take a glimpse at social psychology of music and musical development. The social functions of music will also be discussed. Also, a history of what constitutes music will be given, the emphasis being on Rock Music and how it evolved. The massive question of the meaning of music has received a good deal of attention from philosophers and sociologists. A sociological approach towards music will be taken and the questions of subjectivity and value are tackled. I will also try to explain how people acquire musical tastes. Interviews will be held with adolescence. The main concern is to find out what music means to them. Music is also a message and a way of understanding our world. The content of today's song lyrics have kept up with contemporary issues and when one listens to music, one would be informing himself about society. It is seen how the lyrics of Rock music, especially those of Heavy Metal, concern social issues. After looking at the negative aspects, the positive aspects are explored. I will look at Heavy Metal song lyrics and their contribution to the understanding of society and its many problems. Many think badly of Heavy Metal music and an objective of this study is to try to make people appreciate such music.