Week One - What is popular music?

Our first/introductory lecture asked the question; What is Popular Music?

-A tough question really, and one which produced a variety of answers and viewpoints.

From our disussion, both in the lecture and the seminar, I feel that the term Popular Music is given by the individual listener, to that piece of music. In the same way that someone can define the work of, say, Katherine Jenkins as a sub-division of Opera, a listener can define a personally liked piece of music as popular music, as a sub-division of the spectrum of 'Popular Music' as a whole. All music is included in the term 'Popular Music', yet only a certain section of that, is popular music to an individual. For example, my definition of popular music is Drum and Bass, or House. This, to me, is popular music, and also would be included under the larger heading of Popular Music.

Jesus, does that make sense?! probably not, but it does to me....