Portfolio Task 2 - On Popular Music

Quickly read Adorno's (1941) article 'On Popular Music'. In no more than a few paragraphs, summarise his ideas on pop music, concentrating on key points such as 'standardisation', 'psuedo-individualisation' etc.
Post a link to a YouTube pop video that, in your opinion, epitomises Adorno's sentiments. Explain why, trying to emphasise the links to the wider 'culture industry' in general.


Adorno claimed that the fundamental characteristic of popular music is 'standardization'. He also compares pop music in an inferior way to 'serious music'. He believes that pop music is predictable and pre-digestive, that if you like the style of a song then you will like other songs with that same style. This means the consumers decision has already been for them. Adorno says that ''Structural Standardization Aims at Standard Reactions'' (Adorno, p76), which therefore reduces the effort on the part of those working in the music industry, as they know how people will react. He explains that the whole structure of pop music standardized, even when an artist tries to be different, because they are still conforming to a set of rules, for example; the breakdown of a song consists of a chorus and verse pattern, and therefore the consumer has ''the same familiar experience''(Adorno, p74).

Adorno goes on speaking about the correlation between muscial standardization and 'pseudo-individualization', he states that ''Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resitance.''(Adorno, p78), meaning that if people knew they were being controlled they would resist against it, so therefore they are under the illusion of individualism, even though what they listen to is 'pre-digested'.

Adorno also believes that people who listen to popular music do so as a distraction from their everyday lives. It does not demand their attention, however it produces passivity through rhythmic repetitiveness, and emotional adjustment, that music is an escape from reality. The listeners don't realise this repetitiveness, as their thinking has been done for them.

[Adorno, T., (1941), 'On Popular Music' In 'Studies in Philosophy and Social Science', New York: Institute of Social Research]

Westlife's cover of 'Uptown Girl', epitomises Adorno's beliefs about popular music. The fact that it is cover of an original is an obvious reason for this choice, with Billy Joel first releasing the song in 1983 it reached number one in the UK charts, proving it's inital popularity. Westlife knew this in 2001 when they released their cover, which also reached number one in the UK chart, and became the band's biggest selling single in the UK. Adorno's idea of music being 'pre-digestive' is apparent here, with the band working deliberately to set out to win favour with the people, knwoing the reactio nthe first time around. The doo-wop beat and close harmonies, makes the song catchy and memorable, which is common within popular music.

Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' -


Westlife's cover -