Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

Blackness and whiteness could arguably be seen as a way for the industry to catagorise music.

Although when you look deeper into the subject we can see that it is also about class rather than just black and white. All forms of pop music have different influences. Elivis made 'Black music'. This was due to the way he was bought up, attending Gospel churches and living in relatively poor multicultural areas. Sam Phillips stated " If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars.” He found this in Elvis.

'Pop music has always deepened upon the interaction between white and black tradition” (Hatch) This would suggest that pop music is from black and white. Rock n Roll which may be considered white derived from the Blues. This can also be supported by the fact that black and white artists have covered each others music, again suggesting that whiteness and blackness are not useful concepts.

Can pop music achieve genuine political change?

Music and Politics don't mix. Music won’t ever change the public votes. The only musician in my eyes that has ever come close to successfully mixing the two is Dylan. 'Blowing in the wind' asks questions about peace, war and freedom yet doesn't provide any answers. If anything this encourages the public to think for themselves.

However some would argue that 'pop becomes the expression of its political and social context' (street in F.S.S) This has some truth, for example Live8.

Another criticism of music mixing with politics could be the fact that the artists and industry are quite hypercritical. An artist like Bob Marley giving a voice to a counter capitalist movement is met with the capitalist system making money from this.

At the end of the day I stick with my first point this music and politics don’t and shouldn’t mix. Yes artists should write from their heart and if that has political aspects then fine, but this won’t achieve political change.