What's wrong with mainstream? An exploration into the attitudes towards mainstream music
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Transcript of What's wrong with mainstream? An exploration into the attitudes towards mainstream music
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An exploration into the attitudes towards mainstream music
Becci Hailey
A dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of requirements for award of the degree BA (Hons)
Music and Live Events Management of Buckinghamshire New University
29 April 2015
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Acknowledgements
Writing this dissertation has been one of the biggest annoyances and yet sources of pride Ive had over my academic career, and Ive never been so happy to complete something.
Id like to thank;
my dissertation supervisor, Stan the man Erraught, for his continued support through panicky emails
my little sister, Rachel Hailey, for always calling this my dislotation which would make me smile
my mom, Alison Hailey, for the regular texts and FaceTime calls to preserve my sanity
my boyfriend, Lee Stevenson-Rose, for putting up with my random rants and emotional fits
my best friends, Chloe Glynn, Joelle Legrand, Jessica Reynolds and Becca Atherton, for asking me about my dissertation as if they cared
and finally to my Grandad, Peter Hailey, who still thinks my degree is pointless.
I love you all.
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Contents 1. Abstract....1 2. Introduction..2 3. Literature Review5 3.1. Cool5 3.2. Authenticity.10 3.3. Mainstream.12 4. Methodology..16 4.1. Quantitative v Qualitative.16 4.2. Methodological Choice, Techniques and Procedures....19 4.3. Analysis of Data.20 5. Findings..21 6. Discussion.26 7. Conclusion.38 7.1. Key Findings..38 7.2. Limitations..39 7.3. Future Research40 8. Bibliography..41 9. Appendices45 9.1. Blank questionnaire..45 9.2. Genre of music full responses48 9.3. Define mainstream full responses..49 9.4. Enjoy seeing preferences as alternative full responses..52 9.5. Enjoy seeing preferences as mainstream full responses...54 9.6. Steer away from mainstream full responses.56 9.7. Cross tabulation of 1-7 response and gender..64 9.8. Cross tabulation of 1-7 response v opinions of others65 9.9. Signed ethics form66
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1. Abstract BBC Radio 1, X Factor and MTV - Once loved sources of mainstream music for the
masses that have seen their highly regarded reputation turned in to one of producing,
playing and promoting corrupt and inauthentic rubbish.
This study commenced to understand the attitudes towards mainstream music from
those who hate it, those who love it, and some who just say they like what they like
regardless of labels and definitions. Through both quantitative and qualitative
research, opinions and statistical data were gathered in order to reach a conclusive
statement on the flaws and opportunities to improve upon mainstream music.
The data collected shows the alternative scene is more male dominated, with
mainstream being female dominated so this shows a potential starting point for the
industry to work on.
The impact of age is greater than it appears on first sight; it is more acceptable for
women to admit to enjoying mainstream music at a younger age, whereas men admit
to an enjoyment of mainstream music between the ages of 21 and 27, suggesting it
may be more acceptable when youre younger due to naivety, and acceptable when
youre older due to more self-assurance.
Authenticity and the overplayed nature appear to be the biggest problems for this
type of music, showing that maybe the listeners are more in touch with the deeper
elements of music than the industry thinks.
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2. Introduction
With the ever growing sway from mainstream music becoming more apparent within
the music industry, this paper will look in to whats wrong with mainstream and the
attitudes towards mainstream music. Although the transition away from the
mainstream is less subculture based and more mainstream vs alternative as a
whole, in that there is less distinction from the masses through style and faade etc.,
is there a notion of it just not being cool to be part of the mainstream? With social
media now making peoples musical tastes more and more public - your Spotify
choices are shown on Facebook, your last.fm is on Twitter - people naturally find
more to judge, as this is what connects us to our peers through friendship groups. It
is human nature to judge individuals and situations from a protective perspective - we
must find out all possible threats and uses of things before we take any further steps
- but this growing ease of access in order to judge new people in life is becoming
more harmful to the public, but a valuable resource for businesses trying to define
their target audience base.
This studys main objective is to discover what (if anything) is wrong with mainstream
and how peoples attitudes towards this institution become so negative. Over the
past few years, thats so mainstream has become a popular derogatory saying
amongst youth culture as alternative music, fashion and taste in leisure activities has
become more popular. Some believe that this is due to the prejudice towards people
who are part of mainstream culture for being seen as sheep who are susceptible to
good marketing and familiarity within musical structure or visual content such as X
Factor and Britains Got Talent. Manufactured bands and artists have led to the
downfall in credibility of Top 40 chart music as pop music today is seen as
inauthentic, causing music critics to sway towards more real, alternative musicians
making general music listeners feel pressured into doing the same due to the
musical taste hierarchy.
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To fully answer this question, sub-questions must also be answered:
Is anything wrong with mainstream?
o Surely its called mainstream for a reason? Or did its origins once bear a true meaning to its name and anything mainstream has slowly
become the alternative within the world today? Is it mainstream as a
culture as a whole - clothing, TV and memorabilia included - that is
causing such an uproar from those who do not like it, rather than just
the music alone?
Why has liking alternative music become cooler?
o Has it at all? Instead of having well defined and identifiable subcultures throughout our parents generations, have the 2000s brought us to a
new state of a collective, cooler alternative crowd vs the mainstream
lovers?
o Is mainstream music still relevant in todays society where there are so many different avenues of music to travel down? The weekly charts
listeners are slowly declining and the chart itself is showing tiny sales
figures in comparison to decades gone by, so does this show that our
tastes have expanded to more than just these selected 40 with their
constantly over-played nature? Although we now consume more music,
are the mainstream sales dwindling to compensate for our, now more
developed, love of all things alternative?
o Are hipsters to blame for this new cool that we see projected to the masses with their stark contrast from mainstream? Is an alternative
taste in music slowly turning in to an alternative lifestyle change, away
from the mainstream all together?
Has mainstreams authenticity become an issue to the masses?
o Manufactured acts appear to be taking over our radios, TVs and any other source of media we now own in this highly technological age. Is
this bombardment of lesser authentic musicians creating this negative
reputation surrounding mainstream? Is the problem with mainstream,
mainstream itself?
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o Do the alternatives, with their far higher regard of the authentic, mock the mainstreamers for not holding this trait in such a light?
o Mainstream music merchandise now contains logos from The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Blondie. With the ever rising Primark Culture
where iconic images that were once valued so highly can just be picked
up from the shelf by anyone regardless of whether they know a single
song or not, is mainstream ever authentic any more?
As shown above, there are a plethora of questions and therefore avenues this study
could choose to answer on topics such as;
Mainstream culture as a whole
Mainstream clothing and ephemera
Mainstream music vs traits of the enthusiast
However these topics have been researched previously, therefore this study will look
more in to comparing the attitudes of alternative lovers vs mainstream lovers
through the same questions.
Respondents will be found through social media as this is the only place the
questionnaire will be posted due to its wide reach of location, age and gender.
Facebook will be the primary platform as groups can be targeted easier through
pages and groups rather than individual profiles. Twitter will be the secondary source
as this is a widely used platform but doesnt have the group and page features that
Facebook does.
This study will advance, improve and identify the pitfalls within mainstream music
and the ways the mainstream music industry could seek to improve its current
reputation within the alternative world.
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3. Literature Review
3.1. Cool
Coolness is ubiquitous in 21st-century life (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012).
Cool, or hip as Sarah Thornton calls it, is not a unified style, nor is it captured
definitively by any one scene (Thornton, 1997, p.204). Although cool may appear to
be trivial (Pountain and Robins, 2000, p.9) and a lot of merely passing fads (ibid.,
p.10), Thornton states that the social logic of subcultural capital reveals itself most
clearly by what it dislikes (Thornton, 1997, p.208) therefore cool is more likely
defined by what is uncool, leaving all other items as cool complex to say the least.
The idea of cool can position you, as a member of society, away from the bottom
rung on some linear social ladder (ibid., p.208) or towards the top of this social
hierarchy. To oppose the norm, or in this case, mainstream, either leads to extreme
exile or an air of authority over those with the mind of the masses.
In Danesis eyes, coolness entails a set of specific behavioural characteristics that
vary in detail from generation to generation (Danesi, 1994, p.38) which others
believe is untrue. Many believe that coolness has staple trademarks, developing
throughout the ages, such as attire or memorabilia. In the case of this study,
coolness is defined in terms of musical knowledge and taste rather than physical
capital.
Many see the idea and development of cool originating during the United States
slavery period. Bortz-Bornstein sees cool as a classic case of resistance to
authority creativity and innovation...[cool] can turn people into untouchable objects
(Bortz-Bornstein, 2010). Cool enabled slaves to wear masks that said Im strong,
Im invincible, Im cool (Walker, 2012). Through the black musical journey, through
jazz and all the way through to the hip-hop of the 21st century, how did cool become
so ingrained in todays society? Black culture was heavily influenced by this notion,
promoting the predominantly black hip-hop culture to become the centre of a mega
music and fashion industry around the world (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), yet Walker
argues against this flamboyancy, stating that black cool is generated from a sense
of internal calm (Ogilvie, 2012). Hip-hop is, of course, just one of an array of cultures,
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that fashion and music to their ideas of cool; Goths intense monochrome stance
through clothing and make-up, Punks antiestablishmentarianism shown through
song lyrics.
As individuals with more alternative taste have to seek out music which caters to
them more than someone with more mainstream tastes would, many argue that there
is a hunter-gatherer element to a love for the alternative, having to actively search
for the things you want within your tastes. Merely on a biological level, the substantia
nigra/ventral segmental area of the brain signals the rest of the brain to produce
dopamine, the happy chemical, when we find something new (Cooper, 2013),
making it naturally hard for us to be anything but happy when we find something
new. People like finding things that other people have not got (House of Commons
Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 2007, p.221), which therefore creates an air of
authority or added coolness about the said individual. Or does it?
As some argue cool resists linear structures (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), there is no
straightforward way to achieve a cool status therefore no distinct features of the
phenomenon. In 2012, Ilan Dar-Nimrod and Ian Hansen conducted three studies
under the umbrella Coolness: An Empirical Investigation siting that coolness is
ubiquitous in 21st-century life (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012, p.175). Their first
study, of 353 people, surrounded adjectives linked to the word cool with attributes
connected to friendliness and personal competence being the most popular (as
shown in table 1), contradicting Danesis idea of rough coolness (Danesi, 1994,
p.40) being predominately seen as the coolest.
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From study one, Dar-Nimrod and Hansen discovered that the concepts of coolness
and social desirability overlapped considerably (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012,
p.178). This study showed the confusion between social desirability and a traditional,
historical sense of cool. The participants seemed to view traits they find admirable as
traits linked to being cool.
Study two asked 508 applicants to rate the coolness of various characteristics.
Endorsing the results of study one, study two found a positive and significant
correlation between the characteristics rating of coolness and of social desirability
(ibid.) (as shown in table 2)
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.
Their third and final study compared the thoughts of 410 participants regarding
active cool being expressive verses contrarian coolness being withdrawn
and antisocial. The 410 were asked to answer a quantitative survey based on the
attributes of one of their friends such as their ambition and adventurous side (as
shown in table 4).
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It was established that cool friends fall in to one of two categories; friendly,
ambitious, charismatic, confident, attractive, personally competent and trendy or
ironic, rebellious, tough, party animal, confident and adventurous (ibid., p. 182).
From all three studies conducted, contrarian cool rebellious and detached-from-
the-mainstream (ibid., p. 183) seems to be the inferior perception of cool in todays
society compared to its superiority in the early 20th century.
To discuss cool, we must also include the ever growing world of hipsters. The term
hipster was coined in the 1940s to define someone who rejected societal norms
(Ferrier, 2014) and relates to people so image-conscious that they live in fear of
being or doing anything remotely uncool or unhip [] (they) worry about whether the
music they listen to is too mainstream (Wylie, 2012). Proto-Hipsters were seen as
connoisseurs in years gone by, however, these new hipsters want to appear a
certain way, to be seen to be doing certain things but without doing the research
(Ferrier, 2014). By rejecting this mainstream way of life and therefore what is seen as
cool by the masses, hipsters project a new cool. In opposition with the James-
Dean-tough-guy-cool, hipsters are more feminine in their ideals of cool yet still
possess the ruggedness. Normcore - which moves away from a coolness that
relies on difference to a post-authenticity that opts into sameness (ibid.) - and some
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would say therefore mainstream, rejects this countercultures ideas of cool due to its
anti-norm nature.
3.2. Authenticity
Authenticity is the degree of belief the audience has in its own fantasies (Fonarow,
2012).
Authenticity - of all the terms employed in music discourse, this is perhaps the most
loaded (Moore, 2002, p.209). In Western Society, sincerity is the most praiseworthy
trait (Trilling, 1972). Fabbri suggests that a musical genre [in this case, mainstream]
is a set of musical events whose course is governed by a definite set of socially
accepted rules (Fabbri, 1981, p.52). These rules include formal and technical,
semiotic, behavioural, social & ideological and economical & juridical (ibid., p. 57).
Approaches to the behavioural rule vary enormously (ibid., p.57). Once signed,
once labelled, musicians will there-after be expected to act and play and look in
certain ways (Frith, 1998, p.76). Behavioural rules dont just apply to musicians - the
audience also has psychological and behavioural reactions codified from genre to
genre (Fabbri, 1981, p.57). Behavioural rules are the disguise that musicians put
on to the public, regardless of reality (Frith, 1998, p.93). Some rule sets overlap -
vocabulary used in conversation, for example, could also been seen as part of the
semiotic rule set as it is a linguistic sign of which genre of music you listen to.
Behavioural, social and ideological rules overlap when they stand for how their
particular love and use of music informs their social ties (ibid., p.90). Authenticity is
integral to behavioural rules for distinguishing between genres - performers sincerity
is valued differently according to genres (Fabbri, 1981, p.57).
The quest for authenticity, for the real, has become a dominant factor in musical
taste [] the aesthetic of the authentic musical experience, with its rejection of
music that is labelled contrived, pretentious, artificial or overly commercial, has
played a major role in forming musical tastes and canons, with wide-ranging
consequences (Barker and Taylor, 2007, p.ix). This issue of real has caused
authenticity, or the lack of it, to appear to be the main discussion point of the
downfalls of mainstream: manufactured bands and artists who do not write their own
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music or lyrics, with an obvious exception in the form of The Beatles. This form of
inauthenticity is what Moore refers to as a lack of Third Person Authenticity (Moore,
2002, p.214).
As a by-product of the lack of authenticity within the music, it could be said that fans
of the mainstream culture have adopted this trait aswell. In Dick Hebdiges
Subculture: The Meaning of Style, he explains how all subcultural products have
now become a commodity (Hebdige, 1997, p.131) to the masses. Designer Betsy
Johnson created a line of safety pin chic inspired by Punks. Subcultures influencing
high street fashion was at first a compliment but now the creation and diffusion of
new styles is now inextricably bound up with the process of production, publicity and
packaging (ibid., p. 132), being able to buy a Run DMC or Beatles top in any
Primark branch whether the consumer is aware of their musical works or not. Like
Fabrri, Fornas proposes that authenticity can differentiate genres - since the 1960s,
a network of institutionalised voices have asserted and administered the sincerity,
legitimacy and hegemony or rock in opposition to the vulgarity of pop [or
mainstream] (Fornas, 1995, p.112). Fornas splits authenticity in to three categories;
subjective (first person), meta-authenticity (second person) and social (third person
authenticity) (ibid., p. 276).
Artists must speak the truth of their (and others) situations. Authenticity was
guaranteed by the presence of a specific type of instrumentation [the singers]
fundamental role was to represent the culture from which he comes (Gilbert and
Pearson, 1999, p.164). This is what Taylor describes as first person/subjective
authenticity (Taylor, 1997, p.21). The idea of selling out is a big issue within the
music industry - to sell out means to lose authenticity (Pennycook, 2007, p.14).
Artists, ranging from hip-hop to indie rock, often try to hold onto their local roots []
they might have to defend their cool street cred after selling out and singing a deal
with a big record label (Pettit, 2014).
Second person/meta-authenticity - where some listeners give value to some musical
experiences above others, depending on what music connotes or denotes; where
fans saw authenticity not by the past, but by the acts portrayal of the present (Moore,
2002, p.218). Take for example The Sex Pistols - they had a brilliant way of
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expressing how both themselves, and their fans, were feeling in response to the
tensions between the government and the public, despite Johnny Rotten (the lead
singer of The Sex Pistols) having a more aristocratic upbringing, and therefore not
fully experiencing that of their working class fan base in day-to-day life.
Finally there is third person authenticity, or social authenticity, which is ensured in
an act of judgement legitimate within a particular community (Moore, 2002, p.215). If
a manufactured act was told by management to create a different backstory to fit in
better within a genre, such as Lana Del Rey covering her upper class upbringing,
then this show a lack of authenticity but also how important music, as a business
rather than a hobby or interest, sees genre specific authenticity. Fornas provides a
theoretical side to this deception, stating that authenticity is essentially a construction
we place upon what we perceive (Fornas, 1995, p.275).
Since the 50s, popular culture has attempted more and me to align itself to notions
of authenticity (Wylie, 2012), but is mainstream music capable of being authentic in
todays music industry?
3.3. Mainstream
The perception of change is generally enough to tarnish any counterculture
reputation associated with what will now be defined as mainstream, watered-down
and lacking in real cool (Pettit, 2014).
Mainstream, also known as popular or mass culture, is described as the ideas,
attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or
conventional (Oxford Definitions, 2014). People, especially fans of different genres,
often draw strength and courage from their ability to identify themselves as a
member of a group who shared common interests and confronted common
problems (Jenkins, 1997, p.507). This insinuates that by being part of mainstream
culture you are, if mainstream is still considered the most popular lifestyle choice,
sharing the common interests of masses; you enjoy prime time TV programmes,
listen to Top 40 music and watch movies with the bigger Hollywood names. The
mass has been conceived as a body of rational individuals, responsible citizens who
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are able to form their own opinion and express it through officially recognised
democratic channels (Thornton, 1997, p.2).
The argument surrounding what attributes a song is required to have to be placed in
to the pop music genre, or whether pop even is a genre at all, has been fought for
many years by musical theorists. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, pop music is the music since industrialization in the 1800's that is
most in line with the tastes and interests of the urban middle class. This would
include an extremely wide range of music from vaudeville and minstrel shows to
heavy metal (Grove and Fuller-Maitland, 1922) and the word pop is merely
shortened from the word popular (which is the essence of mainstream music),
making pop an audience created genre. However many believe that pop has a
structure; Intro, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Chorus (Haydock, 1996).
With the questionnaire produced alongside this study, a genre based question was
asked with the option of answering with pop, to determine whether the general
public see pop as a real genre or not.
In the 1930s, a study was conducted by the Payne Fund to analyse the impact of
motion pictures on children to see if a theory known as the Hypodermic Needle
Theory or Magic Bullet Theory was present and possibly even controllable
(Wartella and Reeves, 2006). This theory plays on the idea that the masses can be
shot or injected by mass media corporations, with appropriate messages designed
to trigger a desired response (University of Twente, 2010). Later in the 1930s, a
radio broadcast of Orson Welles War of the Worlds caused thousands of panic-
stricken Americans (Campbell, 2011) as some listeners tuned in part way through
the broadcast, therefore missing the explanation at the beginning clarifying that the
following broadcast was all a radio play. There was another clarification 40 minutes
in, but by this point, American listeners were in far too submerged in a wave of
anxiety to have stayed tuned in. The pre-existing fear of war in Europe travelling to
America was embedded in to most Americans subconscious and therefore a
potential reinforcement of such acts through the media does indeed endorse the
hypodermic needle theory. So although this theory focused predominantly at
broadcast and picture based media, what happens when it is transferred into the
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world of mainstream music? Music, with both its lyrical and melodically aspects, are
seen as huge potential forces within the manipulation and communication fields.
In contrast to the hypodermic need theory, McGuire suggests that the more subjects
are exposed to mild attacks of an idea or concept, the more they become resistant
to it, or see it as a day-to-day norm (McGuire, 1964). The theory, known as the
Inoculation Theory, was initially developed through Korean prisoners of war who
chose to stay with their captors after the Korean War was over. Although some
believed this was related to the later proposed Stockholm Syndrome (a theory
suggested by Kenneth Levin regarding a psychological symptom with creates
feelings of warmth from a hostage towards their captive), McGuires theory can be
relayed to situations regarding themes such as violence. Within the hip-hop world,
there are strong lyrical and attitudinal connotations towards crime, violence and a
general undermining of the law which many parents may find worrying as this is not
the ideals they would want their children to have, therefore this sort of philosophy
within mainstream hip-hop could be forced upon them unknowingly. This theory
relies upon the subjects being weak-willed and somewhat simple, therefore some
see it as outdated within the psychological world.
So is mainstream music becoming so overplayed that it is just seen as the norm
and the sheeple (the docile, foolish or easily led (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015)) enjoy
it because they think they should, or have the alternative crowd become so immune
to it that they now see mainstream as a derogatory term?
In 1974, Bulmer and Katz determined that people use various medias for their
personal gratification and that is all, i.e. no repercussions, as suggested in previous
theories - what people do with media rather than what media does to people (Katz
and Blulmer, 1974). This Uses and Gratification theory proposes that the subject
uses media content within four main areas;
Diversion
Personal Relationships
Personal Identity
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Surveillance
For example, if a subject is currently in love, they may search for music with romance
as the main concept, absorb what they need to and carry on with normal activities
completely unaffected but satisfied that they have obtained what they wanted from
the media type. As mainstream music caters for a wide range of emotions yet without
specific storylines, i.e. a song may be about falling in love with a girl but not state
too many specifics such as name, it is relatable to all consequently making it a mass
commodity.
Michel de Certeau indicates that the ordinary man has a set path in life - to be
duped, frustrated and forced to labour (Certeau, 1988, p.3) yet he does not
merely accept what he is given by the mass media, as Blulmer and Katzs theory
confirms. De Certeau sees the population as thinkers (ibid., p.3), a culture who are
able to stray away from previous theories because they can think for themselves -
adapting and subverting popular culture to their own ends.
With such varying views relating to mainstream and its mind controlling powers
(Ansary, 2012), is this why the term is slowly becoming more and more derogatory?
Although subcultures may not be as prominent now as they were in yesteryear, is it
now mainstream v alternative within societys music tastes?
4. Methodology
4.1. Quantitative v Qualitative
In many social sciences, quantitative orientations are often given more respect
(Berg, 2001, p.2). Quantitative research is defined as empirical research where the
data are in the form of numbers (Punch, 2014, p.3), but this isnt all that quantitative
is limited to; it is also classified as specific, well structured, has been tested for their
validity and reliability, and can be explicitly defined and recognised (Kumar, 2014,
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p.132). Quantitative data is far easier to determine patterns from and extract
statistical information (Ramona, 2011).
Quantitative data collation operates through correlation analysis, regression
analysis, mean, mode and median and others (Dudovis, 2015) through mainly
numerical or closed questioned answers, with the most popular collation techniques
including questionnaires, sample surveys and experiments.
The majority of the survey accompanying this study, six of ten set questions, were
quantitative based questions, but as this research is also about attitudes and
opinions, the remaining four required written responses of which the respondents
had free reign in their choice of words. Descriptive answers such as these fall in to
second research category qualitative.
Qualitative data is said to provide richer data about real life people and situations,
and being more able to make sense of behaviour within its wider context (de Vaus,
2014, p.6) with such research taking much longer, requiring greater clarity of goals
during design stages, and even when completed, the data cannot be analysed by
running computer programs (Berg, 2001, p.2). Information found through qualitative
is text-based and methods of data collection can consist of responses from open-
ended survey question, dialogue from a focus group, the answer to an essay
question, a term paper, or ideas brainstormed by a group (ACET Inc., 2013). There
is no single defined route to interpreting qualitative data, however, as Punch states,
any method used should be systematic, disciplined and able to be seen (Punch,
2014, p.195).
There is also a combination of the two methods, referred to mixed methods, which
contains a format known as Likert scales. Likert-type or frequency scales use fixed
choice response formats and are designed to measure attitudes or opinions
(Bowling, 2002, p.288) which gives a choice of five to seven or even nine pre-coded
responses with the neutral point being neither agree nor disagree (McLeod, 2008),
giving respondents an escape if they feel the question provokes a strong enough
reaction from the individual.
Quantitative Qualitative Mixed Method
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(mainly based upon Likert-Type Scale)
Pros In-depth exploration of
questions
(Dudovis, 2015)
Better
understanding of
underlying
behaviours
(Dudovis, 2015)
Usually can
implement with
staff (Dudovis,
2015)
The evaluation
and the results are
based on objective
methods
(Ramona, 2011)
Extremely efficient
for large group of
respondents
(ACET Inc., 2013)
Conclusive; its results
can be inferred to the
rest of the population
(Dudovis, 2015)
Better for costly
investment because it
measures degree and
frequency of
behaviours (Dudovis,
2015)
Contextual
information is
gathered when the
data is collected
(ACET Inc., 2013)
Respondents can
answer in any way
they would like (ACET
Inc., 2013)
Allow a degree of
opinion from
respondent
(McLeod, 2008)
Balances efficient
data collection and
analysis with
context (ACET Inc.,
2013)
Large amounts of
data can be
gathered (ACET
Inc., 2013)
Interpretation of
explored answers is
more effective to
overall results
explanation (ACET
Inc., 2013)
Simple (Johns,
2010)
Versatile (Johns,
2010)
Calculating mean
response can
eliminate dont
know responses
(Johns, 2010)
Cons No further Time consuming Need to find a
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explanation of why
select answers
were picked
(ACET Inc., 2013)
Respondents are
limited to a set of
responses (ACET
Inc., 2013)
Elements of bias
may be present if
not exhibited
correctly (Dudovis,
2015)
Research cannot
be inferred to the
population
(Dudovis, 2015)
(ACET Inc., 2013)
Bias could be
bestowed (Dudovis,
2015)
Could be costly if
travelling is necessary
(Dudovis, 2015)
It is possible that the
reality is not defined
correctly because of
the subjective
perspective of the
author (Ramona,
2011)
complimentary
balance of
quantitative and
qualitative (ACET
Inc., 2013)
Acquiescence
bias - a tendency
to agree with
statements, to
some extent
irrespective of their
content (Johns,
2010)
Labelling the
response options
effectively (Johns,
2010)
4.2. Methodological Choice, Techniques and Procedures
During this study, responses were gathered through an online questionnaire
comprised of both quantitative, qualitative and Likert-type scale questions. It was
issued to 100 respondents, both students and members of the public, aged between
18 and 30 years old. The survey contained 10 questions ranging from thoughts on
what mainstream is to the impact it has on their taste in music.
Of course, there are pros and cons of only using a questionnaire;
Questionnaires Pros Ease of data gathering
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Minimal costs
Automation in data input and handling
Increase in response rate (due to ease of access)
Flexibility of design
Cons Absence of interviewer Inability to reach challenging population
Survey fraud
(All (Sincero, 2012))
4.3. Analysis of Data
As the questionnaire consisted of both qualitative and quantitative data collection,
respondents were profiled based on similar responses, including;
Those who defined mainstream music in a positive light v Those who defined
mainstream in a negative light
Those who saw their musical tastes as mainstream v Those who saw their
musical tastes as more alternative
Those who consciously avoided mainstream and their reasons surrounding v
Those who dont avoid mainstream and their reasons surrounding
This exploratory data was them analysed through looking for key words, trends,
themes or ideas in the data that help outline the analysis (Guest, MacQueen and 19 | P a g e
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Namey, 2012, p.7). This thematic approach helps to analyse words in to themes, as
the name suggests, and codes (ibid., p. 9).
Cross tabulation - which provides a way of analysing and comparing the results for
one or more variables with the results of another (Wyse, 2012) - will be used
throughout my findings as this will be a useful tool for further investigation i.e.
whether males are more alternative in their musical tastes than females. This method
of categorical data analysis should help establish whether there are age, gender or
musical taste correlations to the respondents further outlook on mainstream music
as a whole.
5. Findings
A blank questionnaire can be found in Appendix 1.
Question 1 - Which genres of music would you say you mainly listen to?
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Some respondents chose to answer with Other, which gave them the opportunity to
note the genres for themselves. Comments included genres such as Ska, Opera,
Classical and Folk Rock.
Full responses can be found in Appendix 2.
Question 2 How would you define mainstream music?
Answers ranged from The Simon Cowell generation to the more popularly coined
chart music/top 40 which 30% of respondents answered with. 35% openly
expressed a negative view towards mainstream music with phrases used such as
not authentic, repetitive and corrupted.
Full responses can be found in Appendix 3.
Question 3 - On a scale from 1-7, how mainstream would you define your musical preferences?
58
23
60
19
30
14
22
17
27
Pop
Punk
Rock
Metal
R 'n' B
House
Hip Hop
Drum and Bass
Other
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Over one third of respondents gave a neutral response, with the remaining two thirds
consisting of an almost 50/50 positive to negative split.
Question 4 - If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible.
35% of respondents fit in to this category. With 43% of those respondents enjoying
seeing their tastes as alternative, with a similar amount (37%) had no strong feelings
towards their musical taste being seen as alternative. Surprisingly, 20% of
respondents who identified with the fact their taste was mainstream but didnt enjoy
seeing it that way. One respondent commented that they would rather my music
choices were on the radio/TV more often.
Full responses can be found in Appendix 4.
Question 5 - If you answered between 5-7, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as mainstream? Please explain your answer if possible.
3
14
18
36
14
9
6
1 - Very Alternative
2 - Quite Alternative
3 - Slightly Alternative
4 - Sometimes Alternative, Sometimes Mainstream
5 - Tending Towards Mainstream
6 - Quite Mainstream
7 - Very Mainstream
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29% of respondents fit in to this category. Far fewer (24%) enjoyed seeing their
tastes as mainstream, with the majority (55%) stating they didnt have any strong
feelings towards their allegiance. Over a fifth of the respondents strongly
disapproved of seeing their views as mainstream, with one stating no, people think if
you have mainstream music taste that you are boring, follow the crowd and are a bit
dumb.
Full responses can be found in Appendix 5.
Question 6 - Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser known bands)?
Similarly to question 3, the majority of respondents gave a neutral response with the
remaining results being an almost 50/50 positive to negative split.
Question 7 - If you do consciously steer away, why? If you don't, why not?
There were a lot of varied responses for this question. Main themes including I just
like what I like and mainstream is easier to find. This later theme also appeared in
27
43
29
Yes
Sometimes
No
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answers for question relating to enjoying your tastes being mainstream. Some
respondents with alternative tastes commented on a similar theme but seem to find
alternative bands rewarding to find.
Full responses can be found in Appendix 6.
Question 8 - Would others thinking your musical preference is mainstream (even if you dont believe it is) have an affect on you?
As shown, 66% of respondents answered with a disagree reaction with the lowest
percentage being given to the neutral answer. This is the first opinion based question
where the neutral response hasnt been the highest percentile.
Question 9 - Which of these age categories do you fit in to?
10
24
66
Yes
Potentially
No
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Overall there is quite an even split between the age categories with a slight lean
towards the younger demographic.
Question 10 - Which gender do you identify yourself as?
Here we have a very high female to male ratio however results will be cross
tabulated throughout the discussion section of this paper.
6. Discussion
33
21
22
24
18-20
21-23
24-27
28-30
74
26
Female
Male
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As seen in appendix 1, the first question within the questionnaire was which genres
of music would you say you mainly listen to?. This question was mainly written to
establish an answer to the previous is pop a genre argument proposed within the
literature review. Pop was the second most popular answer, after rock,
demonstrating that respondents do believe pop to be a real genre, unlike Grove
and Fuller-Maitland. Some respondents chose another genre which was not listed,
giving them free reign to answer with more alternative genres. These extra genres
included, but werent limited to;
Acoustic
Folk
Country
Classical
Jazz
Math Rock
Reggae
Trance
This showed the wide spectrum of music that could be contained within the
alternative category.
As mentioned in the literature review, mainstream music is the meant to be regarded
as normal and conventional (Oxford Definitions, 2014), therefore the results found in
the questionnaire issued to 100 18-30 year olds should reflect this, and there should
be a majority sway of positive attitudes surrounding the genre, yet as shown in the
results from question two - how would you define mainstream music? - (as shown
in appendix three) a third of all responses were very strongly negative. A few of the
more severe are as shown below;
Respondent Number
Response
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5 Music that is listened to by the majority. Music that is designed just for the purpose of making a lot of money.
26 Pop is over produced and no longer authentic 37 Chart music. Major labels paying radio stations to play their
bands songs every 3 hours.
39 Mainstream music is music manufactured for the masses by pressing a series of buttons and not putting any thought in
to it. Also it's the Simon Cowell generation.
41 Music that is replayed on all the radio stations repeatedly 45 Boring, over-produced and all-too-similar. 47 Repetitive and based more on sampling and patterns than
music thats actually performed (unless its a manufactured
group or X Factor/pop stars whatever act then its even
worse)
59 Not authentic: manufactured for a set audience, usually by a few "writers"
Recycled music
More promo than actual music
60 Corrupted 62 Dull, loud, nonsense 63 "Bubble-gum music"- music with a catchy beat and tune but
not memorable enough to stick. With artists in mainstream
music it's too much about image.
69 Mainstream music is defined by DJs pushing the same songs down the radio over and over until you are forced to
like it. It is, on several occasions, a 'brand'. It is sheep
following sheep because it is seen as 'cool'
71 Music that follows a popular pattern, when a certain type of song is successful, a vast amount of music follows said
patterns, be it type of chorus, certain hooks, rhythms, or
borrowing/cannibalising another genre. Dub step is a prime
example of a type of music that has been completely
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cannibalised by pop music.
74 X Factor about sums it up. 78 Pop music, much of which sounds very similar. Over
produced. Sounds less like real instruments and more like
noises from a computer. Often involving lyrics about bums
at the moment.
79 Repetitive, never changing, similar 84 Cheap 93 Horrifically overplayed and commercialised
Respondent 60 defined mainstream as corrupted. Teamed with the idea of losing
authenticity by losing your roots (as proposed by Pettit), mainstream musics
supposed manufactured themes (as mentioned by respondents 39, 47, 59, 76 and
87) may be a reason for mainstream losing its credibility within the wider world.
Respondent 26 stated a lack of authenticity within the mainstream music industry yet,
if Fornas is correct, then authenticity is a construction we place upon what we
perceive (Fornas, 1995, p.275), and cannot be fully validated. To quote Pettit, the
perception of change is generally enough to tarnish any counterculture reputation
associated with what will now be defined as mainstream, watered-down and lacking
in real cool (Pettit, 2014). Barker and Taylor have documented that the music
industry with its rejection of music that is labelled contrived, pretentious, artificial or
overly commercial, has played a major role in forming musical tastes (Barker and
Taylor, 2007, p.ix) has led to this prejudice and high regard for third person
authenticity (Moore, 2002, p.214). Take, for example, respondent 39s definition of
mainstream which they see as manufactured for the masses by pressing a series of
buttons and not putting any thought in to it. Yes this can be the thoughts of many
when we live in a Simon Cowell generation (respondent 39) where the Christmas
number one is now almost The X Factor award, but many forget that it is not
impossible for manufactured bands to write their own music and play their own
instruments, such as the critically acclaimed Beatles, therefore not all manufactured
acts should be written off straight away upon revealing this supposed immediate lack
of authenticity. Manufactured bands may have been brought together, but they can
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still retain a first person authenticity through their lyrics as they can then speak the
truth of their (and others) situations (Gilbert and Pearson, 1999, p.164). Some
respondents actually mentioned lack of authenticity within their response, showing
that it is more than just an academic term and is known of by the general public.
Authenticity is valued differently according to genres (Frith, 1998, p.90) though,
hence the lack of interest in authenticity by those who identify themselves as
mainstreamers as opposed to the alternatives who mock the mainstreamers for this
deficiency.
Respondent 69 mentioned the sheeple wanting to seem cool. As Dar-Nimrod and
Hansens cool study found out, social desirability is often confused with the notion of
someone being cool (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012, p.178), therefore rather than
people being cool for the sake of being cool, are people being cool merely to be
socially wanted? Is this the reason the masses accept mainstream music or is this
the reason the alternatives accept nothing other than the anti-norm?
Positive responses were in limited supply with three respondents (48, 54 and 57)
simply answering with good - a far cry from the lengthy and punctuation filled
answers from those who felt negatively towards mainstream music. All other
responses were descriptive, such as chart music or top 40. A running theme
throughout the negative responses is the overplayed nature of mainstream music. In
a theoretical sense, this could relate to Bulmer and Katz Uses and Gratification
theory where individuals merely gather what they need from various mediums and
then switch off. The constant repetition of music deemed to be mainstream on
various radio stations and television music channels does not fulfil the need of the
user, therefore they have a negative attitude towards it.
When ranking musical tastes on a scale from 1-7, with 1 being very alternative and 7
being very mainstream, the majority of respondents gave an answer of 4 -
sometimes alternative, sometimes mainstream, which was somewhat shocking in
comparison to the strong views shown in question two. As stated previously in the
literature review, to oppose the norm, or in this case, mainstream, either leads to
extreme exile or an air of authority over those with the mind of the masses, so this
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neutral response may be an instinct as an individual may not want to see too
mainstream or too alternative. Of the thirty-six respondents who answered with a
neutral response, 22% of them replied with negative statements when defining
mainstream music. This may imply that although mainstream itself has negative
connotations, the music itself is somewhat catchy, as remarked in the survey
results by seven respondents, creating a guilty pleasure aspect to mainstream.
Thirty-five respondents saw their preferences as more along the alternative end of
the spectrum, with sixteen of the twenty-five male respondents (64%) answering in
this way (as shown in appendix 7) - only two male respondents were in the
5+/mainstreamer category and of the three respondents who identified themselves
as 1 - very alternative, two were male, suggesting that the alternative scene may be
more male dominated. The remaining female respondent and one of the males were
both within the 18-20 category while the other male was in the 28-30 category,
suggesting that extreme alternative taste can be prevalent at any age.
Respondents were then asked to elaborate on their response, in their own words, if
they answered anything other than neutrally. Of the thirty-five would were in the 1-
3/alternatives category, 43% of those respondents enjoying seeing their tastes as
alternative, using comments such as;
Respondent Number
Response
10 Yes as I prefer having my own taste in music and not paying attention to what the majority listens to and
conforming to what's deemed 'normal'
19 Yes, alternative music should seek to subvert the mainstream. If possible frighten it. Hippies, Punk Acid
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House and Hip Hop all challenged the mainstream before
their music became part of it.
21 Yes, I like to know I'm listening to music that I put time and effort into finding out about
29 Yes, because whats in the charts sounds the same now 32 I do, as it's a good way to identify with a distinct sub-group
of people. At the same time, I don't like to be out of touch,
but I can't help not knowing every 1D song.
35 Yes I do, whether consciously or subconsciously we all enjoy being seen as unique from time to time.
37 Yes. More unique and isnt force fed to me. Have to look for true talent
44 Yes I do enjoy seeing them as alternative as I don't like to be like everyone else, unique is better.
45 I see my choice as meaning I have explored other avenues of music which in turn increase my variety.
52 Yes, as a big fan of drum n bass, I prefer the music not to be mainstream or it becomes watered down, cheesy and
generic.
63 I like to be different. I don't like being classed as part of the crowd, because then where is individuality. A lot of
teenagers dress the same, listen to the same music. It's
hard to find people with the same tastes as you, when you
listen to such alternative music, but at the same time,
that's absolutely ok. I don't wish to be a sheep.
78 I appreciate the odd catchy pop tune, but yes I do enjoy seeing my preferences as alternative. It kind of infers that I
have gone out of my way to find music that isn't constantly
being rammed down our ears on TV/radio etc.
94 I wouldn't say I enjoy it but I'm proud of the music I listen to. I don't take pride in not listening to mainstream music
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Again, the notion of an air of authority while deviating from the norm my come in to
context here when the alternatives - those who identify themselves as alternative -
find comfort in seeing their choices as against the mainstream as they see
themselves as having more supreme music tastes. The idea of being force fed
mainstream music and a want to be individual or unique were noted as some of the
more common driving forces for enjoying more alternative acts. Respondent 94 also
mentioned a send of pride in finding an act that isnt on the radio, which was also
mentioned by respondent 100, who said they would rather my music choices were
on the radio/TV more often, suggesting that alternative fans enjoy the act of looking
for the music instead of being handed in, almost as though there is a sense of
accomplishment and ownership when that act then does well within the industry. As
mentioned previously, acts need to be careful of not selling out (Pennycook, 2007,
p.14) or they risk a lack of first person authenticity (Pettit, 2014). This is, of course,
more imperative in some genres, such as hip hop and indie rock, in comparison, to
others such as teeny-bopper-pop, as previously identified by Pettit.
Within the 5+/mainstreamer category, only 24% of respondents enjoyed seeing
their tastes as mainstream, mainly commenting upon the ease of access to the music
they like (respondents 4, 56, 57, 96). Although a further 55% had a neutral stance
towards their attitudes, the remaining 21% did not enjoy seeing their preferences as
mainstream;
Respondent Number
Response
54 No, boring to be mainstream 65 No, but its whats more accessible (i.e. the radio etc.) 82 No. It's not nice knowing I'm portrayed as everyone else in
that category however it's the music that's more accessible
83 No, people think if you have mainstream music taste that you are boring, follow the crowd and are a bit dumb
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So does this mean that ease of access is now a bad thing as fans of mainstream
appear to be somewhat lazy? While the alternative crowd revolt and lean towards
Bulmer and Katz Uses and Gratification theory, as mentioned previous, do
mainstream listener adhere more to the Hypodermic Needle model and just accept
what is given to them? This seems to be an underlying attitude of both the alternative
and some of the more mainstream loving respondents.
To further confirm the ease of access premise, when answering question six - Do
you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as
up and coming acts or lesser known bands)? If you do/dont, why? - many
respondents mentioned access but with varying outlooks. As shown in the findings
section of this study, 27% of respondents said that they do consciously steer away
from mainstream.
When predicting the outcome of this questionnaire through previous exploration and,
in hindsight, slight prejudice, it was assumed that alternatives sway away from
mainstream to be cool rather than just because they dont like it and we can see from
the above, almost half of those rating themselves as alternative do consciously steer
away from mainstream music. Reasons given included;
Alternative48%
Neutral30%
Mainstream22%
"Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser
known bands)?" combined with musical preference previously stated
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Respondent Number
Response
10 Because most of my favourite bands Ive discovered from finding out about unsigned bands. Also, if you like
undiscovered music then it's always so easy to go and see
them live because it's so cheap!
29 It always exciting to discover new things. 32 Everybody just wants to be the guy that can say 'I was
listening to these from the start'. I want to know new bands
so I can broaden my pallet, so to speak, not really a
conscious effort to be alternative.
37 So much music out there, not just the 10 songs on repeat on radio one
45 Because it's all over-produced trash, sung mostly by people with no true talent.
55 I don't like having my ears bleed 60 The mainstream music industry artists are the devils pawns.
It's full of corruption, lies and to put it bluntly pure
fuckeries...!!
61 Nice to hear something that's not over killed by the radio/ music channels and most of the time fits to my preference in
music anyway
68 Want to experience different sounds, and therefore different feelings.
69 I like discovering new artists. I have a lot of friends in bands and I like supporting local acts or smaller upcoming acts,
but I listen to what I like and a lot of the time that isn't
classed as mainstream. The UK is very narrow minded
when it comes to music whereas the rest of Europe is far
more accepting of alternative music
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Respondent 32 referred to everyone just wanting to be the guy that can say 'I was
listening to these from the start' but why is this? This respondent was a 21-23 year
old male with self-confessed slightly alternative taste in music, so is this merely an
wannabe alpha male trait, or the views of the public as a whole - just wanting to
have that slight upper hand over their peers? As stated previously, people like
finding things that other people have not got (House of Commons Culture, Media
and Sport Committee, 2007, p.221). Of the mainstream fans who do still try to steer
away from mainstream occasionally, some responded with the want to be a bit
hipster by discovering new bands (respondent 77), while others commented upon
the price of seeing mainstream acts in comparison to alternative ones. So does this
further confirm that there is still a hunter-gatherer element in all of us? Seeking
music before our peers get there. Or is it more of an individual want to find things to
make use chemically happy, something which is hard to control? Could this be the
underlying reason as to why mainstream listeners are seen as lazy, as previously
commented? This creates an argument as to whether the alternatives are actually
cooler than the mainstreamers. One the one hand, the superiority projected by the
alternatives, would make them fall in to the category of contrarian cool (Dar-Nimrod
and Hansen, 2012, p.183) which should be seen as uncool as it appears to be a
detachment from the mainstream. By wanting to be a bit hipster, an individual is,
according to Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, theoretically wanting to be uncool. By being
uncool, an individual would inadvertently become cool in certain social circles
through new cool, as explained previously in the literature review. However the
activity of discovering new music would be seen as active cool as it is expressive
and ambitious as the alternatives seek out the lesser known. Too much ambition
though is seen as too try hard which is seen as uncool, which is why hipsters are
viewed in this way as they are so image-conscious that they live in fear of being or
doing anything remotely uncool (Wylie, 2012).
Finally, respondents were asked if others thinking their musical preference is
mainstream (even if they dont believe it is) have an affect on them. Findings have
shown the 66% of respondents disagreed with this concept. 43% of those 65
respondents have previously identified themselves as part of the alternatives who 35 | P a g e
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are completely comfortable with seeing their taste in this way (as shown in appendix
8). So does this mean that the personal feelings regarding taste have more of an
impact than that of our peers judging it? If those 43 of 66 were fine with being
alternative, before anyone hypothetically thought it was mainstream, they would still
be fine as they simply enjoy the music for what it is, however most of these
alternatives have been criticising those who they consider mainstreamers for
lacking authenticity within their musical tastes, so why do people judge others
musical tastes on a different scale to themselves? From opinion based answers we
have seen before, the notion of I found them first does seem to play a part, even if it
isnt a primary thought. Does this first finder/hunter-gatherer aspect of musical
tastes play a part for the 10% who agreed with the statement, and 24% who stated
potentially?
Of those who said that the thoughts of others would affect them, 20% were male and
80% were female, reflecting the views of 2 out of 26 total male respondents and 8
out of 74 the total female respondents. So this larger percentage of males, may
correlate to the primal instinct of not being seen as weak which we have seen
mainstream tastes mirrored with earlier on in this research - words such as lazy and
dumb. Of the eight female respondents, 50% of those were aged 28-30 suggesting
that older women find the idea of peers thinking they like mainstream music more
threatening than younger women. In contrast, the two males who responded yes
were in the mid age ranges for this questionnaires, being in the 21-23 and 24-27 age
categories, suggesting it may be more acceptable when youre younger due to
naivety, and acceptable when youre older due to more self-assurance.
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7. Conclusion
7.1. Key Findings
Within the literature review at the beginning of this study, it was said that some argue
cool resists linear structures (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), there is no straightforward
way to achieve a cool status therefore no distinct features of the phenomenon. Cool
is most certainly not what it was during Dar-Nimrod and Hansens study period only 3
years ago: no more James-Dean-cool, less impact from friendly cool and more
onus on our projected tastes to be up to the required standards. As shown during the
discussion, there is now new cool to add to the mix. With all these extra types of
cool, is cool even important anymore? Social desirability no longer appears to
include the idea of cool; it seems to show more importance around similar interests
and outlooks rather than this cool hierarchy.
From this study, it is fair to conclude that there is an obvious rift between alternative
lovers and the mainstream music industry with its overplayed and manufactured
finish. The range of genres themselves that are being listened to have expanded
hugely over the past few decades - math rock, folktronic and whatever Enter Shikari
fit in to. While some alternative people hold Simon Cowell and his brainwashed
generation responsible for the steady decline of class within the music industry,
some mainstream music can still contain meaning and provoke deep emotions for
listeners. One respondent went as far as to define mainstream music as corrupted.
This idea needs to be abolished if there is any hope of getting a bigger and wider
audience for this type of music. Alternative music has always been pushed by
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sources such as NME, who named the epitome of the mainstream music industry
One Direction as Villains of the year, but now it might be time to encourage
alternative music not by undermining mainstream, but by promoting alternative acts
unique selling points.
The study has however also shown the other side of mainstream - the lovers of this
type of music who find no harm in accepting their musical tastes for what they like,
along with the derogatory label of mainstream. Findings showed that instead of
being musically inferior to the alternatives, the mainstreamers are in fact aware of the
lack of authenticity, overplayed and manufactured nature of their musical
preferences, yet still choose to listen regardless. As Frith said, authenticity is valued
differently according to genres (Frith, 1998, p.90). The general public because so
conscious of authenticity and what it means to be authentic was a bit of a surprise
compared to the rest of the studys findings as this topic is usually spoken. Not only
does mainstream appear to lack of first and third person authenticity, acts cannot
even convince their audience of meta-authenticity - bands and artists need to be able
to convey emotion through their lyrics and actions, and if that isnt there then no
amount of impressive light shows at live concerts will be able to compensate for this.
7.2. Limitations
One obviously limitation is although there was an ample amount of respondents, 100
people do not fully represent the views of the general public as a whole, especially
with the sizable gender sway within the respondents. This study was somewhat
financially limited as gathering more than 100 responses through SurveyMonkey.com
cost. With future studies, a different data collection service would be recommended -
other services are developing to have up to 250 responses for free.
If this study were to be repeated, more methods of data collection would be used
such as focus groups and individual interviews. This would have given more
background and in depth exploration for certain questions, allowing respondents to
go on a tangent to the questionnaires set questions.
If repeated, basic quantitative questions would remain in the questionnaire, but focus
groups and individual interviews would consist on the qualitative questions so the
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researcher could ask more dependent on the respondents reply. This may have its
drawbacks though as sometimes people are not as truthful in person as they would
be when completing an anonymous questionnaire.
7.3. Future Research Possibilities
Development of this current study would require a wider pool of participants with a
more even gender split. As shown in the limitations, focus groups and individual
interviews would be a good source for further information which the study could not
obtain through questionnaires alone.
Additional questions could include;
List at least one positive aspect of mainstream music
How do you consciously steer away from mainstream music to head to
alternative music?
Why do you feel mainstream music is so overplayed? (i.e. are there not
enough playable artists? are there not enough avenues for exposure for
smaller acts?)
Further development to this study could involve a deeper delving into the thoughts of
mainstream lovers, as this study has a more alternative outlook. Additional studies
could be how do we improve the ease of access to alternative music?, is
authenticity down to the act themselves or the music industry as a whole?, how
does our musical stance affect how others see our cool factor? and is cool as
important as it once was?. With further development, maybe mainstream lovers will
show a way to improve upon the thoughts alternative lovers have towards the music
of the masses.
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9. Appendices
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9.1. Blank Questionnaire
*Q1. Which genres of music would you say you mainly listen to?
Pop
Punk
Rock
Metal
RnB
House
Hip Hop
Drum and Bass
Other (please specify)
*Q2. How would you define mainstream music?
*Q3. On a scale from 1-7, how mainstream would you define your musical preferences?
1. Very alternative
2. Quite alternative
3. Slightly alternative
4. Sometimes alternative, sometimes mainstream
5. Tending towards mainstream
6. Quite mainstream
7. Very mainstream
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Q4. If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible.
Q5. If you answered between 5-7, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as mainstream? Please explain you answer if possible.
Q6. Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser known bands)?
Yes
Sometimes
No
Q7. If you do consciously steer away, why? If you dont, why not?
*Q8. Would others thinking your musical preference is mainstream (even if you dont believe it is) have an affect on you?
Yes
Potentially
No
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Q9. Which of these age categories do you fit in to?
18-20
21-23
24-27
28-30
*Q10. Which gender do you identify yourself as?
Male
Female
9.2. Genres listed in the Other category
Respondent Number Response 1 Range of all Radio 1 7 Acoustic
Folk 19 Techno
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23 Country 26 Classical
Jazz 31 90s - 2000s Dance music 32 Math Rock 40 Dream Pop
Alternative Rock 42 EDM
Reggae Electronic Dubstep Trance
43 Dubstep 59 Reggae 61 Rock n Roll alternatives 63 Ska
Northern Soul 69 Jazz
Classical 71 Chill
Acoustic IDM Trip Hop Folktronic Ambient Classical Indie Indie Hip Hop Minimalist Landscape
72 Classical 76 Reggae
Dubstep Jungle
88 Classical Jazz Big Band
93 Hardcore Whatever category Enter Shikari fit as, let's be honest... it's a bit hard to put them into a single genre
94 Ska 95 Opera
Classical 98 Folk Rock
9.3. How would you define mainstream music? full responses
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Respondent Number Response 1 repetitive songs (songs being brought out sounding the
same) 2 Regular top 40, easy to listen to, not challenging 3 Something widely known and liked with regards to the
current population; a band that everybody knows or has heard of.
4 Current chart 5 Music that is listened to by the majority. *Music that is
designed just for the purpose of making a lot of money. 6 If it's in the charts 7 Pop. 8 Popular Music 9 Music that is being played on main radio stations eg
BBCR1 10 Rubbish 11 The most downloaded popular music 12 Current chart 13 I would define mainstream music as something I can hear
on a daily basis, easily, *music that is put in front of me through radio etc. usually well known artists in the music charts
14 Music that is really popular. Clue is in the title - *music that is mainly streamed I.e most popular
15 On popular radio stations by youngsters. 16 Chart music, music played a lot on the radio. Usually
catchy RnB or pop. 17 Stuff you hear on the radio 18 Popuilar music, top 40 hits - well known 19 Pop Rock. Easy listening 20 Pop, R'n'B, Indie 21 UK Official top 40 chart 22 Something that is current and in the top 40 23 Official top 40 chart 24 What the radio play 25 music played on the radio or just very well known 26 Pop is over produced and no longer authentic 27 Music that is played on the standard radio stations -
Radio1, CapitalFM etc.. 28 Fun, easy to listen to 29 The most popular genre of music at a given time 30 Whatever is the most popular 31 What's in the charts 32 Whatever's in the charts (not necessarily just Pop music). 33 Charts-uk top 40 34 Pop/Charts 35 Music listened to by mass society, high output of exposure
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within the media. 36 Pop 37 Chart music. Major labels paying radio stations to play
their bands songs every 3 hours. 38 Stuff that other people listen to 39 Mainstream music is music manufactured for the masses
by pressing a series of buttons and not putting any thought in to it. Also it's the Simon Cowell generation.
40 Chart music 41 Music that is replayed on all the radio stations repeatedly 42 Mainstream music is what is in the charts 43 Pop/chart 44 Chart music like big top 40 or music played on radio
stations like capital or kiss 100. 45 Boring, over-produced and all-too-similar. 46 Chart music 47 Repetitive and based more on sampling and patterns than
music thats actually performed (unless its a manufactured group or x factor/popstars whatever act then its even worse)
48 Good 49 Catchy, music to sing to 50 Lot of it is pretty similar 51 Catchy pop inspired music 52 Predictable 53 Chart music 54 Good 55 Trash 56 Chart music 57 Good 58 Music thats in the UK top 40 59 - Not authentic: manufactured for a set audience, usually
by a few "writers" - Recycled music - More promo than actual music
60 Corrupted 61 Music played in the charts, not very good 62 Dull, loud, nonsense 63 "Bubblegum music"- music with a catchy beat and tune
but not memorable enough to stick. With artists in mainstream music it's too much about image.
64 Anything played on Capital FM or Radio 1 65 Pop 66 Commerical and chart music 67 Pop 68 All starting to sound the same, easy listening but not
inspirational. 69 Mainstream music is defined by dj's pushing the same
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songs down the radio over and over until you are forced to like it. It is, on several occasions, a 'brand'. It is sheep following sheep because it is seen as 'cool'
70 Some good, some bad & cheesy 71 Music that follows a popular pattern, when a certain type
of song is successful, a vast amount of music follows said patterns, be it type of chorus, certain hooks, rhythms, or borrowing/cannabilising another genre. Dub step is a prime example of a type of music that has been completely cannabilised by pop music.
72 Stuff played on radio 1 73 Music that's get regular AirPlay on major radio stations ie
capital kiss radio 1 74 "Xfactor" about sums it up. 75 Chart music? 76 Popular music, generally in the charts due to being
bought/downloaded the most, and played on mainstream radio stations and music channels
77 Music listened to by everyone, no matter what age... things played on the radio etc
78 Pop music, much of which sounds very similar. Over produced. Sounds less like real instruments and more like noises from a computer. Often involving lyrics about bums at the moment.
79 Repetitive, never changing, similar 80 Music played on commercial radio 81 Generic pop music for kids 82 Music that's in the charts and stereotypically everyone
knows 83 Anything that is always on the radio and everyone listens
to. Or lots of songs that "all sound the same" or are "all about the same thing"
84 Cheap 85 At the moment, quite good. I think artists have to be more
credible these days than they used to be. A lot of the bands and groups from the nineties wouldn't have a sniff now.
86 Catchy tunes, a wide mix of genres 87 Manufactured pop 88 It is whatever genre of music that is currently trending with
popular masses. 89 Catchy and annoying 90 Music on tv, and pop culture 91 Hit and miss 92 Whatever is constantly on the radio or in the top 10 93 horrifically overplayed and commercialised 94 Fairly awful 95 Most listened type of music
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96 Music that appears in charts, performs on basic tv channels (itv bbc).
97 I suppose easy listening radio tunes? 98 Foot-tapping rhythms with a catchy tune. 99 Top 40 pop
100 Overplayed
9.4. If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible. full responses
Respondent Number Response 3 I don't enjoy or dislike that my musical preference isn't
"mainstream", I just listen to it because I enjoy it. 5 Not bothered really... It's just what I like to listen too.
10 Yes as I prefer having my own taste in music and not paying attention to what the majority listens to and conforming to what's deemed 'normal'
16 Sometimes, I like the fact it's easier to get gig tickets to less mainstream acts.
19 Yes, alternative music should seek to subvert the mainstream. If possible frighten it. Hippies, Punk Acid House and Hip Hop all challenged the mainstream before their music became part of it.
21 Yes, I like to know I'm listening to music that I put time and effort into finding out about
29 Yes, because whats in the charts sounds the same now 32 I do, as it's a good way to identify with a distinct sub-group
of people. At the same time, I don't like to be out of touch, but I can't help not knowing every 1D song.
34 It doesn't bother me whether the music I like is classed as mainstream or alternative. I like what I like.
35 Yes I do, whether consciously or subconsciously we all enjoy being seen as unique from time to time.
37 Yes. More unique and isnt force fed to me. Have to look for true talent
42 I just listen to what I like, whether it's seen as mainstream or alternative, mass or niche market, it doesn't really matter.
44 Yes I do enjoy seeing them as alternative as I don't like to be like everyone else , unique is better.
45 I see my choice as meaning I have explored other avenues of music which in turn increase my variety.
47 There is no Alternative, just shit music and non shit music. I'll listen to almost any genre except R&B as its a bastardised Rythm and blues and most dance music as its only good in clubs.
52 Yes, as a big fan of drum n bass, i prefer the music not to be mainstream or it becomes watered down, cheesy and
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generic. 55 Not really, it should be seen as actual music considering it
actually uses instruments not autotune 60 Not bothered either way! 61 Don't really mind either way 63 I like to be different. I don't like being classed as part of the
crowd, because then where is individuality. A lot of teenagers dress the same, listen to the same music. It's hard to find people with the same tastes as you, when you listen to such alternative music, but at the same time, that's absolutely ok. I don't wish to be a sheep.
68 Yes I suppose, it's nice to talk to people about new or unusual bands.
69 No. I like discovering talented people and music. I listen to a wide variety