Pop composer Burt Bacharach died on Feb. 8, 2023, at the age of 94. He left a legacy of classic songs beloved by generations.
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Articles on Popular music
Displaying 1 - 20 of 38 articles
Songs of the season – sacred and secular music alike – sometimes acknowledge that Christmas isn’t all joy.
The genre of contemporary Christian music has been around for decades, but the line between CCM and secular pop music has always been blurry.
Whether we’re talking songs that are popular on Spotify, or were Billboard hits through the ‘40s up to recent years, popularity cannot be attributed solely to quantifiable acoustic elements.
Through songs such as ‘The Pill,’ Lynn addressed issues confronting all women. The country star died on Oct. 4 at age 90.
Nigerian popular music - Afrobeats - is storming the world’s stages. But it’s just the latest stage in a vibrant century of recorded music in the country.
On Sunday, popular American singer-songwriter Halsey shared a video calling out their label for demanding a viral TikTok before releasing a new song. The video went viral.
Five red flags parents should listen for in popular songs.
Regularly topping lists for ‘greatest song of all time,’ the former Beatle’s classic 1971 song is taken by many as an atheistic anthem.
Charlie Watts was the Rolling Stones’ drummer for almost six decades. A scholar of music – and a Stones fan – describes what he brought to the band.
David Byrne redefined the idea of what a band onstage looks like. Spike Lee has made a film about Byrne and his band that stands up with the best.
With his wonderful voice, fondness for strings and whistling and sad, beautiful stories, this American singer-songwriter lifts the spirits.
The recent furor from senior academics in response to a public lecture about the whiteness of music education reflects a longstanding race problem in music — it’s time to address this.
It may seem counter-intuitive to turn to Leonard Cohen’s ‘depressing’ songs during times of grief and uncertainty. But he shows there is always a reason to keep on keeping on.
A somewhat obscure 2003 science-fiction film has a luminous soundtrack, which brings surprising solace to a locked down world.
Formed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Laibach has offended all points of the political spectrum
His single Yeke Yeke was the first African song to pass a million in sales, but it’s meaning was best understood in Guinea, home of the griot and kora star.
Busking has long been a way for musicians to gain performance experience and garner a following. Digital platforms are powerful tools that can transmit local artists to global audiences.
Even though the way we access pop music has changed and gone digital, hitmakers lag behind other industries in terms of globalisation.
Surf music was born in 1960. Its twangy instrumentals can be traced through many artists from The Shadows and Fleetwood Mac to Australia’s The Sunnyboys and The Cruel Sea.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer, School of Creative Practice, Queensland University of Technology
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Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University
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Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University
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Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne
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Professor in Cultural and Social Analysis, Western Sydney University
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Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
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Associate Professor of Popular Music, University of Sydney
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Senior Lecturer in Music, Newcastle University
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Dean, Graduate Research, University of Canberra
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Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash University
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Senior Lecturer in Cultural Sociology, Griffith University
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Associate Professor, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University
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Associate professor, Design, Edith Cowan University
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The University of Melbourne
