Unit 2: Site B Popular Music - the songs that saved my life

Back to AS Unit 2

Site B

Popular Music - songs that saved my life
Everything I own: what stuff means
In my room: personal places

Resources for this topic
Website links
Suggested books and articles

Subcultures Case Study

Exploring this topic

You might be interested in this topic for a variety of reasons - you may wish to explore it for your first 500 word 'reading' or investigation, or you may be interested in using this topic as part of your audiovisual presentation. There is a list of resources on this topic, which may help you with your research or presentation, in the left-hand margin of this page.

Before you can do that, you need to understand a little bit more about what popular music is and how it relates to personal and cultural identity. Try some of the activities below and some of the suggested reading.

What is popular music?

How would you define 'popular' music and how is it different to 'classical music? Can you sort out the examples below into two columns - one for popular music and one for classical music? Each sound clip takes a minute or so to download using Apple Quicktime. To get back to this page, use the back button. Print off a chart to help you do this by clicking here.

Example One - Oboe piece
Example Two - The Beatles
Example Three - Highway Blues
Example Three - Greensleeves
Example Four - Beethoven

How did it all begin?

What do you know about the history of popular music and how it developed? Have a look at this short presentation about the history of popular music.

How does music fit into our lives?

What part does music play in your life? Do you have an MP3 player? Do you listen to and download music onto your computer? Your phone?

How is the way you 'consume' music - listen to and buy it - different to the way your parents and grandparents listened to and bought music? Go ask them!!

What does music mean to us, as individuals?

Listen to the Radio 4 programme, Desert Island Discs (click here) or read the list of music from this week's guest or the archive list of guests from past weeks.

Each week a celebrity guest is asked to imagine they are about to be castaway on a desert island and they can choose the eight pieces of music which have meant the most to them in their life - either because it reminds them of a particular time, age, event or occasion. They talk about each choice to the presenter and then the piece of music is played.

Ask your parents and grandparents to imagine they are on Desert Island Discs (Radio 4 programme). Get them to make a list of the eight pieces of music which have meant the most to them over their lives.

Try doing this list for yourself as well.

Compare your list against your parents and grandparents. What differences and similiarities are there?

What does music mean to us in our social groups or subcultures?

Music doesn't just define us as individuals, it is also the basis of our group membership - we share music and musical tastes with others. This is particularly true when we are young because musical taste often defines our fashion sense and style as well. Try the Subculture Case Study to explore some of the links between music and other aspects of group identity.

Song Lyrics

What significance do song lyrics have for us? What do they represent about culture?

Read this article in the Guardian