Selling out : culture, commerce, and popular music

"The relationship between popular music and consumer brands has never been so cosy. Product placement abounds in music videos, popular music provides the soundtrack to countless commercials, social media platforms offer musicians tools for perpetual promotion, and corporate-sponsored competitions lure aspiring musicians to vie for exposure. Activities that once attracted charges of 'selling out' are now considered savvy, or even ordinary, strategies for artists to be heard and make a living. What forces have encouraged musicians to become willing partners of consumer brands? At what cost? And how do changes in popular music culture reflect broader trends of commercialization? Selling Out traces the evolution of 'selling out' debates in popular music culture and considers what might be lost when the boundary between culture and commerce is dismissed as a relic."-- Provided by publisher Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Acknowledgements Introduction What is ‘selling out’? Selling out, discourse and debates How this book is organized 1 Popular music for art’s sake Movement from entertainment to art The folk tradition in art and music Authenticity and popular music as art Tracing the legitimation of rock as art The Beatles: From teen idols to serious artists White, male, middle-class rock and selling out Popular music, art and commercialism 2 Popular music as big money Success, going commercial and selling out ‘Going commercial’ Arena rock Commercial success, artifice and early poptimism Anti-commercialism, community and the punk response 3 Alternative goes mainstream Cultural autonomy and ‘independence’ in popular music culture Independent labels: Early history, punk and after punk Indie incorporated Corporate rock whores Enduring indie values 4 A different kind of selling out Race and the music industries Production, distribution and segregation Rap and commercial opportunities Chart success and corporate interest Rap, commerce and entrepreneurialism Authenticity within commercialism Selling out and race 5 Popular music in advertising Industry struggles, advertising heroes To license or not to license No such thing as selling out? 6 Promotion in popular music Digitalization: The cause of and solution to the music industries’ problems Promotional culture Popular music and cultural policy Popular music and promotional activities Evolving consumer brand partnerships The indirect influence of brands Promotional fatigue 7 Popular music and beyond Beyond popular music Popular music culture as both reflection and force Putting selling out back to work References Index "The relationship between popular music and consumer brands has never been so cosy. Product placement abounds in music videos, popular music provides the soundtrack to countless commercials, social media platforms offer musicians tools for perpetual promotion, and corporate-sponsored competitions lure aspiring musicians to vie for exposure. Activities that once attracted charges of 'selling out' are now considered savvy, or even ordinary, strategies for artists to be heard and make a living. What forces have encouraged musicians to become willing partners of consumer brands? At what cost? And how do changes in popular music culture reflect broader trends of commercialization?Selling Out traces the evolution of 'selling out' debates in popular music culture and considers what might be lost when the boundary between culture and commerce is dismissed as a relic."--Page 4 de la couverture