Professional musicians and artists must have an appreciation of historically important material if they are to enjoy long-term success and credibility. Few established popular musicians are unaware of the traditions in which they perform, and contemporary artists who understand recent developments in music can build upon that foundation by producing innovative material.
This module presents a critical history of popular music from 1970 to the present day. Significant artists will be examined in relation to their cultural, social, and political impact and their continuing influence on contemporary music genres. Explorations of canonical and innovative artists will be performed through various cultural theories and themes, enabling a systematic evaluation of aesthetic value in contemporary popular music.
You will be expected to develop a sophisticated understanding of our cultural and musical antecedents and will be encouraged to analyse, synthesise, and evaluate the circumstances around significant moments in the history of popular music since 1970.
This module will oblige you to engage with in depth reading and demonstrate an appropriate level of academic rigour. You will be required to engage in critical debate with full justifications and explanations for your reasoning.
Theodor Adorno and the Frankfurt School
n/a
Aesthetics and the philosophy of music
n/a
Postmodernism in pop and rock music
n/a
African-American cultural expression in funk, hip hop, gangsta rap
n/a
Postcolonialism and cultural expression
n/a
Feminism, third wave feminism, and post-feminism
n/a
Structuralism and post-structuralism
n/a
Neoliberalism and cultural production
n/a
Krautrock: synthesizers, sampling and the avant-garde
n/a
Punk and post-punk culture
n/a
Electronic dance music and digital culture
n/a
Teaching and learning is delivered via lectures, Q&A, audio material and video material, internet resources, discussions and debates, in class presentations, small group discussions, coursework, in class exercises, e-learning through the BIMM VLE and independent study and research.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |