Settling the Pop Score

Settling the Pop Score contributes to a growing number of studies that address the interpretation of popular music within the framework of musicology. Suggesting various approaches for the musicological analysis of pop artists and their music, Stan Hawkins explores how pop music functions within a constantly shifting social context, especially in terms of music's role as a means of shaping personal and group identity. The artists chosen as case studies have been selected for their continuing relevance and participation in the popular music world: Madonna, Morrissey, Annie Lennox, The Pet Shop Boys and 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince'.

Stan Hawkins is Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Oslo, Norway.