1.
Music journalism
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Music journalism is media criticism and reporting about popular music topics, including pop music, rock music, and related styles. Journalists began writing music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on what is now thought of as classical music. An influential English 19th-century music critic, for example, was James William Davison of The Times, the composer Hector Berlioz also wrote reviews and criticisms for the Paris press of the 1830s and 1840s. The 1840s could be considered a point, in that music critics after the 1840s generally were not also practicing musicians. However, counterexamples include Alfred Brendel, Charles Rosen, Paul Hindemith, in the early 1980s, a decline in the quantity of classical criticism began occurring when classical-music criticism visibly started to disappear from the media. Also of concern in classical music journalism was how American reviewers can write about ethnic and folk music from other than their own, such as Indian ragas. The performers be treated as human beings and their music be treated as human activity rather than a mystical or mysterious phenomenon, the review should show an understanding of the musics cultural backgrounds and intentions. A key finding in a 2005 study of journalism in America was that the profile of the average classical music critic is a white, 52-year old male. Demographics indicated that the group was 74% male, 92% white, davis, one of the most respected voices of the craft, said he had been forced out after 26 years. Music writers only started treating pop and rock music seriously in 1964 after the breakthrough of the Beatles, one of the early music magazines in Britain, Melody Maker, complained in 1967 about how newspapers and magazines are continually hammering pop music. Melody Maker magazine advocated the new forms of pop music of the late 1960s, by 1999, the quality press was regularly carrying reviews of popular music gigs and albums, which had a key role in keeping pop in the public eye. As more pop music critics began writing, this had the effect of legitimating pop as an art form, as a result, in the world of pop music criticism, there has tended to be a quick turnover. In the realm of music, as in that of classical music. Frank Zappa declared that, Most rock journalism is people who cant write, interviewing people who cant talk, in the 2000s, online music bloggers began to supplement, and to some degree displace, music journalists in print media. In 2006, Martin Edlund of the New York Sun criticized the trend, arguing that while the Internet has democratized music criticism, slate magazine writer Jody Rosen discussed the 2000s-era trends in pop music criticism in his article The Perils of Poptimism. Rosen noted that much of the debate is centered on a perception that rock critics regard rock as normative … the standard state of popular music … to which everything else is compared. At a 2006 pop critic conference, attendees discussed their guilty pop pleasures, reconsidering musicians and genres which rock critics have dismissed as lightweight. Rosen stated that this new paradigm is called popism — or, more evocatively
2.
Pop music
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Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid 1950s. The terms popular music and pop music are used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular. Pop and rock were synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they were used in opposition from each other. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other such as urban, dance, rock, Latin. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a format, as well as the common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes. David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop music as a body of music which is distinguishable from popular, jazz, according to Pete Seeger, pop music is professional music which draws upon both folk music and fine arts music. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music, the music charts contain songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs. Pop music, as a genre, is seen as existing and developing separately, pop music continuously evolves along with the terms definition. The term pop song was first recorded as being used in 1926, Hatch and Millward indicate that many events in the history of recording in the 1920s can be seen as the birth of the modern pop music industry, including in country, blues and hillbilly music. The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pops earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to a wide audience. Since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the meaning of non-classical mus, usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as the Beatles. Grove Music Online also states that, in the early 1960s pop music competed terminologically with beat music, while in the USA its coverage overlapped with that of rock and roll. From about 1967, the term was used in opposition to the term rock music. Whereas rock aspired to authenticity and an expansion of the possibilities of music, pop was more commercial, ephemeral. It is not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward, and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative. It is, provided from on high rather than being made from below, pop is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged. The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment, the lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions
3.
The KLF
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The KLF are a British electronic band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in 1987, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the KLF released a series of international hits on their own KLF Communications record label, and became the biggest-selling singles act in the world for 1991. The duo also published a book, The Manual, and worked on a movie called The White Room. From the outset, they adopted the philosophy espoused by esoteric novel series The Illuminatus and this performance announced The KLFs departure from the music business, and in May 1992 the duo deleted their entire back catalogue. Drummond and Cauty remained true to their word of May 1992, the KLF Communications catalogue remains deleted in the UK, but The White Room is still being pressed in the U. S. by Arista. They have released a number of new tracks since then, as the K Foundation, The One World Orchestra and most recently, in 1997. On 21 July of that year, he resigned from his position as an A&R man at record label WEA, citing that he was nearly 33⅓ years old, there is a mountain to climb the hard way, and I want to see the world from the top. Artist and musician Jimmy Cauty was, in 1986, the guitarist in the commercially unsuccessful three-piece Brilliant—an act that Drummond had signed to WEA Records, Cauty and Drummond shared an interest in the esoteric conspiracy novels The Illuminatus. Trilogy and, in particular, their theme of Discordianism, a form of post-modern anarchism, as an art student in Liverpool, Drummond had been involved with the set design for the first stage production of The Illuminatus. Trilogy, a 12-hour performance which opened in Liverpool on 23 November 1976, re-reading Illuminatus. in late 1986, and influenced by hip-hop, Drummond felt inspired to react against what he perceived to be the stagnant soundscape of popular music. I was at home with my parents, I was going for a walk in the morning, it was, like, bright blue sky, who can I make a hip-hop record with. I wasnt brave enough to go and do it myself, cause, although I can play the guitar, and, I thought, I knew, I knew he was a like spirit, we share similar tastes and backgrounds in music and things. So I phoned him up day and said Lets form a band called The Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu. And he knew exactly, to coin a phrase, where I was coming from, and within a week we had recorded our first single which was called All You Need Is Love. Early in 1987, Drummond and Cautys collaborations began, in those novels, the JAMs are what the Illuminati call a group of Discordians who have infiltrated the Illuminati in order to feed them false information. As The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, Drummond and Cauty chose to interpret the principles of the fictional JAMs in the context of production in the corporate music world. Shrouded in the mystique provided by their identities and the cultish Illuminatus. The JAMs debut studio single All You Need Is Love dealt with the coverage given to AIDS, sampling heavily from The Beatles All You Need Is Love
4.
Busted (band)
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Busted are an English pop rock band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, consisting of James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson. They have also won two Brit Awards and won The Record of the Year in 2004 with their single Thunderbirds, Busted have sold over 5 million albums worldwide. In November 2013, Willis and Bourne announced plans to tour together with McFly as the supergroup McBusted in 2014, on 10 November 2015, it was revealed that Simpson had rejoined Busted after successful secret writing sessions. The band then embarked on the Pigs Can Fly arena tour in May 2016 and released their studio album, Night Driver. James Bourne and Matt Willis had been friends for a number of years and had written material together, Willis claimed that they had been inspired by Green Day, Blink-182 and BBMak. Busted were formed in early 2000 and originally consisted of Bourne, Willis, Ki Fitzgerald and Owen Doyle, Charlie Simpson and Tom Fletcher auditioned to be in the band and were both offered a place to complete the lineup. 24 hours later, however, Busteds manager told Fletcher via a call that the band was to go ahead as a trio, comprising Bourne, Willis. The band was launched in August 2002, making their first appearance on the cover of Smash Hits with the headline, Meet Busted, making it a first for any pop band to appear on the magazines cover before releasing a single. Their debut single, What I Go to School For, inspired by a teacher that Willis had a crush on at school, was released in September 2002. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and their debut album Busted was then released, initially charting only around the UK Top 30 and receiving mixed reviews from critics. The follow-up Year 3000, which was written about Bournes obsession with the film Back to the Future, then followed in January 2003, in April, their third single, You Said No finally reached number one. British Hit Singles & Albums certified them as the first act ever to have their debut three singles enter the top three in an ascending order, recording began for their second album while the debut album was re-released with new tracks and an enhanced CD section. It would go on to sell 1.2 million copies by the end of the year, the debut albums final single, Sleeping with the Light On, reached number 3 in August 2003, beaten to number one by Blu Cantrells Breathe. Busted started the summer of 2003 with a win for Favourite Newcomer at the National Music Awards, as well as Best Band at that years Disney Channel Kids Awards. After this, the band launched the promotional trail for their new album, A Present for Everyone and its lead single Crashed the Wedding, more edgy than their previous album, Simpson said that it had some harder, Good Charlotte type vibes coming through on this album. This album would go on to reach sales of over 1 million copies. During 2003, Charlie met fellow songwriter-guitarist Alex Westaway and drummer Omar Abidi at a party, during the aforementioned party, an impromptu jam session took place. Simpson, Westaway and Abidi played Rage Against the Machines song Killing in the Name on loop, after the show, they went back to Simpsons flat and began performing on guitars and a v-drum kit, which led to their first song being written, titled Too Much Punch
5.
Popstars: The Rivals
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Popstars The Rivals was a British television talent show series that was broadcast on ITV in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars franchise, during the rounds of live show, viewers voted for their favourite performers by telephone and the Red Button on digital television remote controls. In the final weeks, five females and five males were chosen by the British public to form the two groups, boy band One True Voice, and girl group Girls Aloud, the final episode of Popstars, The Rivals aired live on 22 December 2002. One True Voices double A-side single, Sacred Trust/After Youre Gone entered the chart at Number Two, the series was hosted by Davina McCall, with the performances judged by Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. In addition to the show, Popstars The Rivals Extra aired on ITV2, presented by popstar Dane Bowers. On the judging panel, neither Nigel Lythgoe, Paul Adam nor Nicki Chapman, Lythgoe had left ITV to work with Simon Fuller at 19 Entertainment and become the executive producer of Pop Idol and American Idol, although he initially expressed an interest in appearing. Chapman also went to 19, where she managed the careers of Pop Idol winner and runner-up Will Young, Adam turned down the opportunity to return as he was too busy working as a music executive at RCA Records. Former Another Level singer Dane Bowers and former Popstars and Pop Idol contestant Hayley Evetts presented Popstars, The Rivals Extra on ITV2. Popstars The Rivals drew on the success of the first series of Popstars, which aired during the months of 2000 and 2001, and Pop Idol. In the months since Popstars finished, the five runners-up of the show had formed their own group, Liberty X, the British media had also begun to create a rivalry between the two groups. Each week, the singer with the fewest public votes would be eliminated from the competition until five males and five females remained, who would then form the two rival groups. Elements of Channel 4s Big Brother were used in Popstars, The Rivals when the final ten boys, initial auditions began on 9 August 2002 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London. And continued in a number of cities around the United Kingdom and this stage of the competition was broadcast over three episodes, with auditions taking place in London, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. This was in response to the demand of the original Popstars series which had seen thousands turned away due to time restraints. Just two of the hopefuls advanced from the London open auditions, the open auditions were broadcast across 3 episodes. Around 100 contestants made it through to the round of the competition. The 102 remaining contestants had to travel to London for the bootcamp stage, with only 50 places available in the next round, the judges had tough decisions to make. The contestants were put through various workshops to test both their singing and dancing abilities, all contestants were able to choose a song to perform, while choreographers judged them on their dancing
6.
Smash Hits
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Smash Hits was a pop music magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time, the name survives as a brand for a spin-off digital television channel and website. A digital radio station was available but shut on 5 August 2013. The magazine was at its peak in the 1980s, launching the career of many journalists including Heats editor Mark Frith. Other well-known writers have included Dave Rimmer, Ian Birch, Mark Ellen, Steve Beebee, Peter Martin, Chris Heath, Sylvia Patterson, Alex Kadis, Sian Pattenden, Tom Hibbert, and Miranda Sawyer. Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys also worked as a writer and assistant editor, in the 1990s the magazines circulation slumped and it was overtaken by the BBCs spin off magazine Top of the Pops. Emaps other biweekly teen magazine of the period Big. was closed and this focus was shifted over to Smash Hits. The magazine also shifted size a number of times in subsequent relaunches including one format that was as big as an album with songwords to be clipped out on the card cover, television presenter and journalist Kate Thornton was editor for a short time. There were other licensed versions in the magazines history and it was published by Emap, who also use the name for one of their digital television services, and for a digital radio station. The brand also covered the annual Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, in February 2006, it was announced that the magazine would cease publication after the February 13 edition due to declining sales. The digital music channel, digital radio, and website services still continue. In July 2009 a one-off commemorative issue of the magazine was published as a tribute to singer Michael Jackson, further one-off specials were released in November 2009 and December 2010. EMAP licensed the brand for a number of albums, including a tie in with the Now Thats What I Call Music brand for Now Smash Hits. The Australian edition of Smash Hits magazine began in November 1984 as a fortnightly edited by James Manning, the magazine blended some content from the parent publication with locally generated material. Eddy Sarafian, who was later to edit the successful competitor TV Hits for Attic Futura Publications, was also on staff at the time the magazine was founded, Australian Smash Hits was originally published by Fairfax Magazines and was later purchased by Mason Stewart Publications. Over the years it became a monthly and then a bi-monthly, in 2007 the magazine retailed for A$5.95 Inc. On 30 March 2007 it was announced that the Australian edition would cease due to low readership. The editor at that time was Emma Bradshaw, the issue that was scheduled to be released on 9 May 2007 was cancelled
7.
NME
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New Musical Express is a British music journalism magazine published since 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, in the 1970s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. It started as a newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s and 1990s. An online version of NME, NME. com, was launched in 1996 and it became the worlds biggest standalone music site, with over seven million users per month. With newsstand sales falling across the UK magazine sector, the paid circulation in the first half of 2014 was 15,830. In 2013, the list of NMEs The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, NME magazine was relaunched in September 2015 as a nationally distributed free publication. NMEs headquarters are in Southwark, London, England, the brands editor-in-chief is Mike Williams, who replaced Krissi Murison in 2012. The paper was established in 1952, the Accordion Times and Musical Express was bought by London music promoter Maurice Kinn, for the sum of £1,000, just 15 minutes before it was due to be officially closed. It was relaunched as the New Musical Express, and was published in a non-glossy tabloid format on standard newsprint. On 14 November 1952, taking its cue from the US magazine Billboard, it created the first UK Singles Chart, the first of these was, in contrast to more recent charts, a top twelve sourced by the magazine itself from sales in regional stores around the UK. The first number one was Here in My Heart by Al Martino, during the 1960s the paper championed the new British groups emerging at the time. The NME circulation peaked under Andy Gray, Editor 1957–1972, with a figure of 306,881 for the period from January to June 1964, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were frequently featured on the front cover. These and other artists appeared at the NME Poll Winners Concert. The concert also featured a ceremony where the winners would collect their awards. The NME Poll Winners Concerts took place between 1959 and 1972, from 1964 onwards they were filmed, edited and transmitted on British television a few weeks after they had taken place. The latter part of the 1960s saw the chart the rise of psychedelia. During this period some sections of pop music began to be designated as rock, in early 1972 the paper found itself on the verge of closure by its owner IPC. Alan Smith was made editor and in 1972 was told by IPC to turn things around quickly or face closure, according to The Economist, the New Musical Express started to champion underground, up-and-coming music. NME became the gateway to a more rebellious world
