Essay applying theories of political economy to music

Applying theories of political economy to music - Essay Example The newer pop and rock music that is being included in each genre, as well as from the Big 6 music corporations, are specifically leading many to have a commercialized expression that will always sell within the genre. The music is becoming a superstructure of what sells, as opposed to providing genuine music. When looking at the different aspects of the top 20, it can be seen that commercialization has taken over the different genres, as opposed to independent artists and variety. The top 20 on itunes included mostly pop and hip hop music, with only one country song and one alternative rock song. The genres continued with the Big 6 having several smaller branches that were sponsoring the artists, as opposed to a larger corporation. However, none of the artists were independent and all were signed to a contact with the Big 6. The same trend was seen at the Last FM site. Most of the artists were in the genre of dance and pop music. The majority of the artists were also signed over to the Big 6 or a branch of the larger corporations. In the Last FM component, there were more rock and alternative sounds with two to three Indie musicians that were mixed in with the others of this genre. However, Last FM also had several of the same artists playing with different songs for a similar affect. Fr om the two areas of Top 20 that were analyzed, several assumptions could be made. The first is that specific genres, such as pop and hip – hop, are the most popular in society on a global level. The second is that the Big 6 are continuing to create a mass response to what individuals are demanding in society. It can also be assumed, from this analysis, that specific musicians are more popular than others and are instantly hitting the Top 20 on a global level, which shows a mass response to cultural icons and artists that are being promoted by