The first article I read was called "Sing a Song of Drug Abuse" this article expanded over four decades of pop music. This article explains how after the 1960's lyrics involving drug usage became popular. The article talks about how drugs such as heroin and cocaine were talked about as being antagonist, this became more popular in the 1980's when crack cocaine was introduced. Marijuana during this time period (the periods the article discusses) was thought to be cool, innocent, pretty relaxed. Up until the 1990's marijuana had a more positive vibe connected to it. The article continues to explain that more recent music, puts a more negative look at these drugs, including marijuana. The article concludes it's self by saying, the look at drugs in the music world has gone highly over looked.
"Sing a Song of Drug Abuse: Four Decades of Drug Lyrics in Popular Music"
By, John Market
The second article I read was on the success of African American performers in mainstream music. This article discusses Black performers in the 1940's through 1990's. The article looks into two hypotheses as to how Black performers became on the rise. The first on is "concentration and diversity" and the second one is "history of media". Both had evidence in support. The first states that although there was/is negative factors surrounding the topic, recording industries off set those by being decentralized in music production. The historical aspect as had thoughts/facts backing it up. The historical point stated that African American performers dampened when large networks were in charge. However, their performances heightened when there was racial conflict.
"Charting race: the success of Black performers in the mainstream recording market, 1940-1990"
By, Timothy J Dowd
Thank you for reading and responding,
Claire Miles. Soc. Pop. Culture Mon 7 to 9:50
The 1st article was interesting. I think that marijuana in particular is having a big positive take in today's time. Already 2 states have legalized for recreational use. I wonder when this article was published.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that music even deals much with that drug anymore, perhaps because of it's on the verge of becoming an everyday legal consumable item?
Both articles were interesting because they both had good points that are true. I think that the first article was right because socially, it seems that we have waves of different drugs that are popular at different times. That has been brought into music that gets heard by the public. The second article was interesting because I feel that people like the music by African Americans even if at the time in history there was much segregation.
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