Simon Frith challenges the traditional academic divide between high art and popular culture by examining how listeners make value judgments. He argues that musical meaning is not found within the notes themselves but is created through the social act of listening and the performance of identity. The text focuses on the sociology of aesthetics, detailing how generic categories, industry structures, and emotional responses shape our definitions of "good" and "bad" music. Frith analyzes the functions of the singing voice, the importance of rhythm, and the ways fans use sound to establish communal boundaries and personal ethics.
This book serves students of cultural studies, sociologists, and musicologists who want to understand the mechanics of taste. Readers gain a framework for analyzing how listeners use music to navigate their social world and define their individuality. It provides a technical vocabulary for discussing subjective pleasure without relying on elitist standards. By the end, the reader understands how institutional pressures and private listening habits converge to form modern cultural values.
Deep; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1998
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- ISBN
- 9780674661967
- Language
- EN
