Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

Paul Theberge says ‘without electric technology, popular music in the 21^st century is unthinkable.’ And he is right, when it comes to recording, producing and performing popular music, it’s almost impossible to imagine any of that unaided by technology. When it comes to an acoustic guitar, which appears unplugged, but that can be plugged in to provide a better and louder listening experience. As a whole unless it is being performed in an intimate surrounding, you can’t perform unplugged. It’s difficult to imagine a band playing an arena gig with no electronic sound system. There’s also the aspect of recording music, whether that be on your own laptop or in a studio it wouldn’t be possible if popular music was ‘unplugged’. The way we listen to music would change without technology there would be no CD’s or MP3’s. To reach a wide audience, popular music has to be plugged in.

What is popular music?

Over the years the definition of the word ‘popular’ have evolved, from ‘belonging to the people’ , to the 16^th century when the word developed negative connotations such as ‘low, vulgar of the common people’. In the 18^th century it became positive and was known to be ‘widely favoured’. This has become the definition which I feel sums up popular music, as it has a wide appeal, and spans through a variety of genres and audiences. In recent years with the rise in popularity of music talent shows that year after year produce artists who are controlled and manufactured with their main aim being profit rather than artistic and creative values. At the same time there are artists who fall into what Anahid Kassabian calls ‘folk’ which is home-made, unpolished and the opposite of mass produced, consumer music. Both can be described as popular music as they are ‘widely favoured’.