Glossary

Authenticity

One of the most contested terms within Popular Music Studies. It generally relates to a particular version of truth, intensity, and sincerity, which forms a seemingly shared sense of identity between popular musicians and their fans. Genres of popular music typically constructed as ‘authentic’ usually involve the performance of original material. The term ‘authenticity’ is also used more widely within Music Studies. It is also often applied to the performance of early music that has been informed by some sort of historical research intended to get as close as possible to the performance conventions of the time (such as the use of period instruments or consulting contemporary performance treatises).

British Invasion

Term used to refer to the great popularity of British popular musicians in the US in the mid-1960s. It is generally said to have commenced with The Beatles’ first US tour in 1964.

Counterculture

OED Definition: A radical culture, esp. amongst the young, that rejects established social values and practices; a mode of life opposed to the conventional or dominant.

Genre

Within the arts in general, genre refers to the category of a specific work, such as a novel, play or symphony. Within Popular Music Studies, genre refers to the specific style of a piece of music; for example, pop, rock, folk or jazz. Many of these also have specific sub-genres, where the genre refers to an umbrella category, such as rock, and the sub-genre to a particular style within this, such as psychedelic rock, glam rock, punk rock, etc.

Girl groups

Small ensembles of female vocalists.

Motown

An African-American record label that specialised in black musical genres such as soul, but which had a huge appeal to both black and white markets. Based in Detroit, Motown was founded by Berry Gordy in 1959.

The ‘Other’

A concept widely drawn upon in Popular Music Studies, Gender Studies, and Cultural Studies more widely. It is used to demarcate one (often – supposedly – minority) group as being in some way(s) different to the majority group. Othering frequently has negative associations, as it has been used to portray the minority group as deviant from the majority group.

Popular Music Studies

The academic study of popular music. Popular Music Studies often pays considerable attention to the social, cultural, and political contexts within which popular music is produced and consumed, rather than necessarily focusing upon the notes themselves.

Session musician

A professional popular musician who is hired to perform on a specific studio recording or for a live event but who is not a permanent member of a particular band.