Are Blackness and Whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

 Music has always seemed a place of great racial divisions, progressions and tensions. The birth of rock and roll stemmed from blues songs which were originally sung by african Americans. White record companies took these old blues tracks and re recorded them in a more upbeat tempo white white artists and essentially re marketed them. To a primarily white audience. In this sense there as always been black and white sides to the music industry with most big record companies branching out and having sub labels for black artists. In these modern times however the lines between black and white music have certainly been blurred. Music is no longer particularly branded by race. People of all races tend to enjoy a vast variety of music. However the stereotypical genres of white and black music have still yet to die out, they are so deep rooted in the way we appreciate music it will take a while and a few more people like Eminem until people universally realise that music is multicoloured.  

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

The rise in the trend of illegal downloading is definitely not ideal for the music industry. However with more and more people downloading music they would not necessarily buy it is becoming almost like a free advertising for bands. The fear is that eventually no one will buy music and the music industry will collapse. However it is proven that this is in no way true. Ian Condry states that 'If fans use digital technologies in a conscientious way, and record companies withhold judgement on the dangers of non-commercial uses, then we might be able take music into a new era...' The perfect example is radio head, who's album “Kid-A”was leaked early on the internet and subsequently went platinum in the first week of UK release. Following this they released their album 'In Rainbows' and sold it for the price people were willing to pay for it, they found that the average was £10. Digital downloading will hopefully show the evolution of the music industry, not the end of it.

Can popular music achieve genuine political change?

Popular music has been used throughout human history to inspire political change. The very first folk songs were usually designed to spread the word of governmental wrong doings and the need to protest and fight for a better life. In more recent times there have been many instances of politically motivated popular music. Fela Kuti in Nigeria constantly wrote music which was advocating change, so much so that he won the support of many followers and decided to run for president of Nigeria. Clearly this was a political threat to the government as they proceeded to have him put into a coma. This is a clear example of music causing much political threat if not true change. Yet if music could not cause genuine change why would it be seen as a threat? 'Ohio' sung by Neil Young was banned for a while as have been many other political songs. It is hard to conculsively say whether music by itself has ever managed to achieve political change however if it is such a threat, it must have some power.