Can Popular Music Ever Be Unplugged?

Technology shapes the kind of music we listen to, from Hip-hop to R and B to Rock, Popular music relies on technology. Instruments we hear in modern music and affects added in the production of popular music from synthesisers and auto tuners all come from technological advances.

These technologies are so deep rooted in to the culture of popular music it is near impossible to imagine a world without them, from the recording of music, to the performance of music which necessitates microphones and speakers to play to large numbers of fans. Even things that appear to be unplugged such as the mtv unplugged cd’s are all recorded on using modern technology which almost emphasises the point that technology and popular music are entwined.

In conclusion to answer the original question, NO, popular music being what it is can never be unplugged, as essentially it is these technologies that define popular music and allow it to be enjoyed by many.

What is popular music?

The term popular music means different things to different people, for some it will conjure up images of artist’s such as the Beatles and others will imagine commercial entities like ‘x-factor’. The word popular is derived from the legal term popularis meaning belonging to the people. The term was first used in conjunction with music in 1926 about a piece of music "having popular appeal". 

When thought of in the sense popular music being from and of the people in can often mean home made but these types of music are not always accessible which is what pop music is often considered to be. We also often think of pop music as music that is commercially orientated but this is not always true, making money and making art is not mutually exclusive. 

Essentially popular music builds upon the past and combines styles and influences using new technologies, which is invested with ideological significance by many of its consumers.