Does the emergence of the digital download signal the end for the music industry?

The emergence of the digital download signals change, rather than the end. Like the music industry dealt with the introduction of the cassette and then the CD, it will still survive with digital downloads, even if piracy is a bigger problem than ever before. Record shops are far and wide these days, with HMV being the only major record shop left in the UK. People will still buy music, as iTunes 10 billionth track sold reminds us. As music piracy sites are easily accessible and simple to navigate, people are always to going to use them, however not always with bad intentions, as many artists breakthrough over the internet by releasing songs and albums via piracy websites to promote themselves and get themselves known, so in that respect due to piracy we actually have more music to access, that we wouldn't have had the chance to before. The music industry has seen many changes, all of which the music industry has handled and coped with, and even though the music industry faces it's toughest test yet with digital downloads, music will still sell and maybe the digital download will itself evolve into another platform?

Is pop music a mass produced commodity or a genuine art form?

In my eyes, it can and it can not be. For example, a contemporary artist like Cheryl Cole who is doing well in todays charts, etc, would be seen by most as a mass produced commodity, someone who is simply having their moment now and that in five years time there will be another Cheryl Cole regurgitating the same sounding songs that every interested eleven year old will rush out to buy, but on the other hand there is another contemporary artist like Adele, who is also topping the charts, yet has taken two years out to write songs and work closely with producers to create an album which will not only perform well in the charts, but that will stand the test of time. It's this example that leads me to believe that yes, the majority of today's popular music consists of songs crafted by the same producers for the mass market, accentuating similarities, but this doesn't stand for all existing and well performing artists of today, as artists such as Adele prove so.

How useful is a production of culture perspective in understanding the birth of Rock n' Roll?

Peterson's theory doesn't actually explain the birth of Rock n' Roll, instead it goes into extensive detail on the surrounding events and occurrences. Peterson discusses the state of the radio networks and the impact the television had on the music industry. He also talks about the transition into vinyl and how they made an impact in the purchasing and shipping of records, but what he doesn't explain is why this leads to the birth of Rock n Roll music. He talks about the FCC and how after the television became popular, they accepted the backlog of applications for independent radio stations which then led to the boom in popularity in records from independent record companies, but again, Peterson fails to get across why it was Rock n Roll music that became so popular. Peterson's views are most useful and informative, but on understanding the birth of Rock n Roll, which he says the article does, the article proves to be not so useful after all.

Is it reasonable to consider rock music to be gendered male?

I believe that rock music is gendered male, it's a very male attitude, style, theme, feel amongst many other factors also. All through time, rock music has predominately been produced by males. From The Beatles to the Kings of Leon, rock music has been ruled by male figures. That's not to say that females can not make rock music, because many females have and continue to do so well, as the band Paramore have shown, a pop-rock outfit who's lead singer is a female. Also from the same genre is Avril Lavigne, another female rocker who's had major success in charts the world over and I'm sure she'll continue to do so. Another thing to point out with both these females rockers, the majority of the time you'll find them wearing trousers, baseball caps etc, a very male look. In addition, rock music is hard, loud, tough, rough, used to feature a lot of leather, and if you look back through popular music, you'll find many of the most successful artists of all time, rock or not, are male rock artists/bands. The good thing about it though, is I think that the balance between male and female when it comes to listeners or fans etc, isn't so uneven as it's creators.

Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

I believe pop music can be unplugged, it's that it isn't being done enough. Popular artists like Damien Rice will produce an acoustic song and release it, and no doubt these singer/songwriter songs do well in the charts and are well received, but on a general outlook, I don't think 'pop' music could solely consist of 'unplugged' music, as commercially it wouldn't do well. Another good example is James Blunt, another singer/songwriter who has had much success commercially, made a huge impact with his first album, with both of the lead tracks from the album being basic, stripped down productions (You're beautiful & Goodbye my Lover), however his most recent album featured a fast paced dance type track, a change of direction for Blunt. Another factor is that often when an artist is releasing a new album or single, you'll find acoustic performances and 'acoustic version' bonus tracks, just going to show that even though popular music most of the time is plugged in, many fans enjoy the unplugged feel and vibe that it can bring, proving it to be popular.

What is popular music?

Popular music is that which is widely listened to and is, especially nowadays, music which is mass purchased and sells a lot of units. But i do think there is a difference from popular music and 'Pop' music. For instance, Sea Sick Steve, a former tramp turned professional music artist, has sold many records to date and would be regarded by many as popular music, but wouldn't be labelled as 'Pop' music. He's the type of artist who you wouldn't find enduring the circuit of endless promos to make the most sales, or hogging up the airwaves with his latest hit, never the less, he's music is some what popular.
           Popular music then, in my eyes, doesn't have to be the noise reproduced over and over again for the next generations of teenagers, but can also be music which is professionally created by artists who take their work seriously, and which many people enjoy.