Are Blackness and Whiteness Useful Concepts in the Study of Popular Music?

Ideas of 'black' and 'white' music as seperate styles stems from the emergence of 'race records' in the 1920s, labels which specialised in 'black' music.

Producer Sam Philips also saw a difference in style, claiming "if I could find a white man who had a negro sound...I could make a billion dollars," and actively encouraging white artists to cover black music.

However Hatch and Milward claim that "pop music has always depended upon the interaction between white and black traditions," and this is seen in Rock and Roll, a predominantly white genre with influences in black soul.

Similarly genres sterotypically seen as of one race often have successful oppositional artists - Jessye Norman's opera, Eminem making hip-hop. However, artists like Eminem becoming involved with black music may have more to do with social class and their economic environment. Meaning that race may actually have little influence on musical style.

Can Pop Music Achieve Genuine Political Change?

Street claims pop music is "a symbolic force, it deploys the power of language to create visions, articulate ideas and form bonds." If true, there is no doubt it could be used to voice political ideals.

Popular music genres have sometimes been related to political ideals (for example Punk/Anarchy) due to their connotations and artists have used their music to promote their beliefs, Bob Dylan for example, but whether they actually achieve political change is a different matter.

The musicians Red Wedge movement, promoting Labour in the 1987 elections, was a failure in that Labour lost the election. It could be argued that Bob Marley’s promotion of the beliefs of Rastafarians in his music is flawed as he goes against his anti-capitalist beliefs by mass-producing his records.

However, popular music can make a difference, for example Band-aid raised vast sums of money for African charities through songs and concerts.

Does the Emergence of Digital Downloads Signal the End For the Music Industry?

Since the Berliner's invention of the disk-based recording system in 1877, the music industry has controlled the way in which we consume music texts.

Worries of piracy have been strong since the 1980s, the BPI introduced an anti-piracy campaign to stop home taping, as they believed it would kill the record industry.

However, 39 years after the campaign was launched, and following the introduction of MP3 in 1992, the music industry still thrives.

Though Digital downloads and increased download speeds make it easier to illegally download than ever before, studies show that it is not necessarily damadging the industry. Lessig notes that following leaking of Radiohead's Kid A onto Napster, they experienced chart success for the first time in America

Despite a minor fall in sales, people continue to purchase music - especially judging by the recent sale of iTunes’ (the leading MP3 retailer) 10 billionth track.