an essay on pop music

Friday essay: the quest for legacy – how pop music is embracing high art

Lecturer in Journalism, Communications and New Media, Thompson Rivers University

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Blair McDonald does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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From stadiums to galleries, the new frontier for today’s mega pop star is high art. Mass popularity has its charms – sales, world tours, legions of followers – but the legacy-conferring power of art is now the ultimate sign of one’s status within Western culture.

The rallying cry of “witness me, the artist” is the new mantra of pop royalty – from Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga to Kanye, and even Rihanna. Still, is this embrace of high art a phenomenon worth celebrating? Or, might it be seen more cynically, as a case of superstars using art to bestow credibility on their work in defiance of their own mass appeal?

Admittedly, there has never been a clear, dividing line between the pop and art world – and why should there be? Some of the most creative musicians in recent memory – David Bowie, Keith Richards, David Byrne, Brian Eno to name a few – began to study or pursued training in the visual arts.

In Australia, members of the 80’s band Mental as Anything met at art school in Sydney and Nick Cave studied painting before pursuing his music. More recently, Sia, the daughter of Adelaide artist and art lecturer, Leone Furler, has become recognisable for the giant wigs that cover her face, her remarkable voice and her artful music videos featuring various dance collaborations.

Nor can we overlook the phenomenon of art rock that emerged in the sixties. Some of the most remarkable turning points in music history have been credited to the artistic turn in the work of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (1966), The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and The Velvet Underground & Nico’s eponymous (1967) album under the influence of Andy Warhol’s New York Factory scene.

While the emergence of the concept album took hold in the 70s, the pioneers of the music video age – Madonna, Michael Jackson and even Prince – understood the visual possibilities of the pop song better than many of their contemporaries. Their work endures for its blend of powerful music and evocative storytelling through videos such as Like a Prayer, Thriller, and When Doves Cry.

But today, the story is different. A song, mostly, is not enough. This is not to say that image is everything, but rather that one’s stake in the pop world depends on musical and visual novelty. For today’s pop leaders, this increasingly means sidestepping the boardrooms of marketing professionals in search of the artistic underground.

Making art out of Lemonade

Beyoncé’s high-concept visual album Lemonade , for instance, takes listeners on a bold new form of musical storytelling in the style of Prince’s Purple Rain (1984), Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1988) or, perhaps more recently Kanye West’s 35 minute film Runaway (2010) and Lana Del Rey’s Tropico (2013).

For years, Beyoncé has been consciously attempting to shed herself of her Destiny’s Child/Top 40 persona. Lemonade accomplishes that. Equal parts high-art and high-profile, it tackles the personal and the political, solitude and sisterhood and the emotional wounds of infidelity against the backdrop of race in America today.

A tapestry of song, visuals and locales, Beyoncé plays the survivor, a women-in-healing, trying to come to terms with the emotional aftermath of a love gone wrong. With cinematic grandeur, the album swims in evocative visuals of nature’s mysterious powers (which have drawn comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick ), and spoken word narratives, including the poetry of London-based, Kenya-born Somali writer Warsan Shire .

References to high art abound. Beyoncé infamous baseball bat wielding sequence in the song Hold Up pays homage to the work of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, whose 1997 video installation Ever is Over All featured a woman walking down a street smashing car windows. Some have accused Beyoncé of appropriation rather than homage .

Last year, such concerns were expressed about Drake’s video for Hotline Bling which was strikingly similar to the light installation pieces of American artist, James Turell.

Beyoncé also collaborated with Nigerian visual artist Laolu Senbanjo, whose sacred body painting features in the film.

Observant Instagram followers of Queen Bey, meanwhile, will have noticed signs earlier this year of her increasing contact with the high art world. In collaboration with Swiss-born, New York-based Urs Fischer and Garage magazine ( Spring/Summer 2016 edition ), Beyoncé offered her thoughts on art via the magazine’s app. On its cover, she was photographed with cornrows, amidst a thick swirl of pastels painted by Fischer. In the interview, she discussed Andy Warhol and her interest in modern art, name-dropping some of her favourite artists (Tracey Emin, Kara Walker, Aaron Young and Donald Judd).

What’s interesting about this new period of Beyoncé’s work is that she has reinvented herself as the Benjamin Button of the pop world – apparently becoming younger, less bourgeois and more defiant with age.

While most have certainly embraced her newly, empowered voice, other fans, however, wonder if the less complicated, radio-friendly Beyoncé will ever return.

Yellow Basquiat in my kitchen corner

In his own plea for artistic cred on his 2013 album, Magna Carta, Holy Grail, Beyoncé’s husband Jay Z’s hyper-capitalist dreams come to the fore. In the song Picasso Baby, Jay name-drops icons of the art world (Rothko, Bacon, Basquiat etc).

In homage to the reigning queen of performance art herself, Marina Abramovic, Jay adapted her (2010) MoMA installation, The Artist is Present – in which she sat six days a week, seven hours a day in a chair for a “silent opera”.

Jay did a six-hour performance of his Picasso Baby at at Pace Gallery in NYC. In the video of this, directed by Mark Romanek (who also did his “99 Problems” video and is one of the directors of Beyoncé’s Lemonade), Jay raps to a room full of carefully selected artistic and cultural leaders ranging from actor/director Judd Apatow to filmmaker Jim Jarmusch to artist Andreas Serrano to Abramovic herself.

Both Jay-Z and Abramovic were on good terms, until in an interview with Spike magazine, she accused Jay of not meeting his end of the business deal – namely, a sizable donation to her new Marina Abramovic institute of performance art in upstate New York. The mutually-contrived deal turned into an awkward PR debacle for both camps . (Jay-Z’s people later confirmed that a donation had, in fact, been made and Abramovic apologized for the oversight.)

What’s unique (but slightly predictable) about Jay’s celebration of the art world is how he fantasies about it. Picasso Baby is less homage to great art for art’s sake, more reverence of the reckless spoils of the “good” life. Art is worshipped as a sign of cultural power and extreme wealth:

Yellow Basquiat in my kitchen corner Go ahead lean on that shit Blue, you own it.

While some might argue that Picasso Baby is a “gateway hit” that opens younger fans up to the history of art, ultimately, the song never really embraces it as anything other than “art consumed by consumerism,” as one NPR commenter suggested.

We are not far away here from 19th century British cultural critic Matthew Arnold’s observations about the elitism of high culture. It is valued, he wrote, out of,

sheer vanity or else as an engine of social or class distinction separating its holder like a badge or title, from other people who have not got it.

From Queen Bey to Rhi Rhi

Recently, Barbadian bad-girl Rihanna has also thrown herself into the art game. On her latest effort, Anti (2016), the art partnerships are numerous: Israeli-born artist Roy Nachum and poet Chloe Mitchell worked on the liner notes, and there were enough producers and writers to staff their own soccer team.

The lead single, Work, was highly anticipated and ultimately a head scratcher. Her canoodling with Drake in the song’s video was predictably sexy but missed the feverish mystery suggested by the very powerful Antigone/Oedipal hallucination of the cover art . (On the album, a young Rihanna – eyes covered by a crown too big for her head – holds a balloon and is smothered by a blood red stain that she cannot see).

With songs like Woo and Work there’s a blatant disconnect between the music and imagery. Arguably, Rhianna appears to be swimming in artistic waters well over her head and not satisfying her Top 40 fan base either .

Still, the recently released video for Needed Me, (directed by indie art renegade Harmony Korine ) has a Springbreakers meets Scarface meets Viceland in Miami documentary feel to it, making Korine the perfect accomplice to Rihanna’s nihilistic turn. With a simple, yet devilishly dark storyline, Rihanna plays the elegant, savage murderess, taking care of business the only way she knows how.

Pablo does Picasso

Then there’s Kanye. The insufferable “think” pieces on his latest album, The Life of Pablo (2016), the Twitter meltdowns and ego-mania have reached peak decibel level, but it should be noted that as a former art school student, Kanye embodies the “child-like curiosity” that German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche discusses so fondly in many of his aphorisms on art and creation .

In interviews, it would appear that he can’t get his dreams on paper – or into the factory – fast enough. He has also suggested that the paintings of Picasso, Matisse have inspired his work. In a 2013 interview Behind Kanye’s Mask with The New York Times, discussing his recent love for the history of architecture, he refers to himself as “a minimalist in a rapper’s body.”

West’s art idols are a unique blend of European and American artists/innovators (Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, George Condo, Pablo Picasso, Marco Brambilla, Vanessa Beecroft, just to name a few – and let’s not forget his collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami during his Graduation period either).

For a recent collaboration with filmmaker Steve McQueen, West opened up about having his work seen primarily as art , adding:

I would trade all my Grammys – or, maybe, two Grammys – to be able to be in an art context.

For his new album, he collaborated with relatively unknown Belgian artist Peter de Potter for the cover art. West’s artistic influences, fashion tastes (Givenchy, Balmain, Raf Simons) and interests in design, (The UK’s Daily Mail caught him returning from a meeting with IKEA in Sweden earlier this month ), suggest an explorer’s spirit and a sense of genuine creative experimentation.

Vanessa Beecroft, one of West’s collaborators for his recent fashion/performance pieces, (the Adidas Yeezus fashion shows, the Yeezus tours, and some Art Basel projects) has spoken positively of the artistic freedom he allows on their projects . Indeed American fashion has been revitalised by his street style alone. Consider the week-long lineup outside any store releasing new editions of his Adidas Yeezus shoes.

West’s tireless quest for artistic perfection and new forms of visual expression is a welcome wake-up call to the increasingly blasé world of both high art and mainstream rap. Even if he raps about anal bleaching and “fame-thirsty” New York models, his obsession with garnering high-art legitimacy has generated some of the most interesting fusions of art, fashion and music in recent years.

When Koons met Gaga met Botticelli

Of course it would be impossible to discuss recent pop/high art collaborations without mentioning Lady Gaga’s undervalued 2013 release ARTPOP. The album’s cover art featured a prominent collaboration with Jeff Koons, with fractured pieces of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1484-6) spliced into the background.

In interviews, Gaga appears to be highly articulate on the subject of artistic processes and influences.

She cites Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet as a major source of artistic inspiration and has a quote of his about the necessity of making art tattooed on her upper left forearm. With ARTPOP, her intention was to bridge the world of pop and art in ways that mass culture has never seen before.

Her powerful and unique songs, such as Artpop and Venus realised the goal. However, sales were lacklustre. Critics questioned whether her “art game” was as strong as her marketing prowess , with some all-too-literal songs such as “Donatella” and “Fashion”.

Legacy building

Artistic legacy is clearly pop’s new watchword. Still, today’s pop stars might want to pay heed to Aristotle, whose observations about the process of artistic creation still ring true. “The aim of art,” he wrote, “is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”.

History teaches us that many artistic experiments flourish and fade. The true artists of our day (regardless of the medium) create works that connect with the complexities of the human soul in ways that crass materialism and persona-mongering cannot.

No amount of artistic referencing or posturing will take the place of original, inspired and soul-searching work.

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Guide on How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples

Let's Understand What is Music Essay

You know how some school assignments are fun to write by default, right? When students see them on the course syllabus, they feel less like a burden and more like a guaranteed pleasure. They are about our interests and hobbies and therefore feel innate and intuitive to write. They are easy to navigate, and interesting topic ideas just pop into your head without much trouble.

Music essays belong to the category of fun essay writing. What is music essay? Anything from in-depth analysis to personal thoughts put into words and then to paper can fall into a music essay category. An essay about music can cover a wide range of topics, including music history, theory, social impact, significance, and musical review. It can be an analytical essay about any music genre, musical instruments, or today's music industry.

Don't get us wrong, you will still need to do extensive research to connect your opinions to a broader context, and you can't step out of academic writing standards, but the essay writing process will be fun.

In this article, our custom essay writing service is going to guide you through every step of writing an excellent music essay. You can draw inspiration from the list of music essay topics that our team prepared, and later on, you will learn what an outstanding essay on music is by an example of a music review essay.

What are Some Music Topics to Write About

There are so many exciting music topics to write about. We would have trouble choosing one. You can write about various music genres, be it country music or classical music; you can research music therapy or how music production happens.

Okay, forgive us for getting carried away; music makes us enthusiastic. Below you will find a list of various music essay topics prepared from our thesis writing service . Choose one and write a memorable essay about everyone's favorite art form.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

Music essays can be written about an infinite number of themes. You can even write about performance or media comparison.

Here is a list of music argumentative essay topics. These edge-cutting topics will challenge your readers and get you an easy A+.

• Exploring the evolution of modern music styles of the 21st century
• Is it ethical to own and play rare musical instruments?
• Is music therapy an effective mental health treatment?
• Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Creativity in electronic music
• The Relevance of traditional music theory in modern music production
• The Role of musical pieces in the Transmission of cultural identity
• The value of historical analysis in understanding the significance of music in society
• How does exposing listeners to different genres of music break down barriers
• Exploring the cognitive effects of music on human brain development
• The therapeutic potential of music in treating mental disorders

Why is Music Important Essay Topics

Do you know which essay thrills our team the most? The importance of music in life essay. We put our minds together and came up with a list of topics about why music is so central to human life. Start writing why is music important essay, and we guarantee you that you will be surprised by how much fun you had crafting it.  

• Popular Music and its Role in shaping cultural trends
• Music as a metaphorical language for expressing emotions and thoughts
• How music changes and influences social and political movements
• How the music of different countries translates their history to outsiders
• The innate connection between music and human beings
• How music helps us understand feelings we have never experienced
• Does music affect our everyday life and the way we think?
• Examining the cross-cultural significance of music in society
• How rock music influenced 70's political ideologies
• How rap music closes gaps between different racial groups in the US

Consider delegating your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers for crafting a perfect paper on any music topic!

Why I Love Music Essay Topics

We want to know what is music to you, and the best way to tell us is to write a why I love music essay. Below you will find a list of music essay topics that will help you express your love for music.

• I love how certain songs and artists evoke Memories and Emotions
• I love the diversity of music genres and how different styles enrich my love for music
• I love how music connects me with people of different backgrounds
• How the music of Linkin Park helped me through life's toughest challenges
• What does my love for popular music say about me?
• How the unique sounds of string instruments fuel my love for music
• How music provides a temporary Release from the stresses of daily life
• How music motivates me to chase my dreams
• How the raw energy of rock music gets me through my daily life
• Why my favorite song is more than just music to me

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Music Therapy Essay Topics

One of the most interesting topics about music for an essay is music therapy. We are sure you have heard all the stories of how music cures not only mental but also physical pains. Below you can find a list of topics that will help you craft a compelling music therapy essay. And don't forget that you can always rely on our assistance for fulfilling your ' write my paper ' requests!

• The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing stress and pain for cancer patients
• Does pop music have the same effects on music therapy as classical music?
• Exploring the benefits of music therapy with other genres beyond classical music
• The potential of music therapy in aiding substance abuse treatment and recovery
• The Role of music therapy in Addressing PTSD and Trauma in military veterans
• The impact of music therapy on enhancing social interaction and emotional expression in individuals with developmental disabilities
• The use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
• Does musical therapy help depression?
• Does music reduce anxiety levels?
• Is music therapy better than traditional medicine?

History of Music Essay Topics

If you love analytical essays and prefer to see the bigger picture, you can always write a music description essay. Below you can find some of the most interesting topics for the history of music essay.

• The Significance of natural instruments in music production and performance
• Tracing the historical development of Western music theory
• How electronic music traces its roots back to classical music
• How the music industry evolved from sheet music to streaming services
• How modern producers relate to classical composers
• The Origins and Influence of Jazz Music
• How folk music saved the Stories of unnamed heroes
• Do we know what the music of ancient civilizations sounded like?
• Where does your favorite bandstand in the line of music evolve?
• The Influence of African American Music on modern pop culture

Benefits of Music Essay Topics

If you are someone who wonders what are some of the values that music brings to our daily life, you should write the benefits of music essay. The music essay titles below can inspire you to write a captivating essay:

• How music can be used to promote cultural awareness and understanding
• The benefits of music education in promoting creativity and innovation
• The social benefits of participating in music groups
• The Impact of Music on Memory and Learning
• The cognitive benefits of music education in early childhood development
• The effects of music on mood and behavior
• How learning to play an instrument improves cognitive functions.
• How music connects people distanced by thousands of miles
• The benefits of listening to music while exercising
• How music can express the feelings words fail to do so 

Music Analysis Essay Example

Reading other people's papers is a great way to scale yours. There are many music essay examples, but the one crafted by our expert writers stands out in every possible way. You can learn what a great thesis statement looks like, how to write an engaging introduction, and what comprehensive body paragraphs should look like. 

Click on the sample below to see the music analysis essay example. 

How to Write a Music Essay with Steps

Writing music essays is definitely not rocket science, so don't be afraid. It's just like writing any other paper, and a music essay outline looks like any other essay structure.

• Start by choosing a music essay topic. You can use our list above to get inspired. Choose a topic about music that feels more relevant and less researched so you can add brand-new insights. As we discussed, your music essay can be just about anything; it can be a concert report or an analytical paper about the evolution of music.
• Continue by researching the topic. Gather all the relevant materials and information for your essay on music and start taking notes. You can use these notes as building blocks for the paper. Be prepared; even for short essays, you may need to read books and long articles.
• Once you have all the necessary information, the ideas in your head will start to take shape. The next step is to develop a thesis statement out of all the ideas you have in your head. A thesis statement is a must as it informs readers what the entire music essay is about. Don't be afraid to be bold in your statement; new outlooks are always appreciated.
• Next, you'll need a music essay introduction. Here you introduce the readers to the context and background information about the research topic. It should be clear, brief, and engaging. You should set the tone of your essay from the very beginning. Don't forget the introduction is where the thesis statement goes.
• One of the most important parts of essay writing is crafting a central body paragraph about music. This is where you elaborate on your thesis, make main points, and support them with the evidence you gathered beforehand. Remember, your music essay should be well structured and depict a clear picture of your ideas.
• Next, you will need to come up with an ideal closing paragraph. Here you will need to once again revisit the main points in your music essay, restate them in a logical manner and give the readers your final thoughts.
• Don't forget to proofread your college essay. Whether you write a long or short essay on music, there will be grammatical and factual errors. Revise and look through your writing with a critical mind. You may find that some parts need rewriting.

Key Takeaways

Music essays are a pleasure to write and read. There are so many topics and themes to choose from, and if you follow our How to Write a Music Essay guide, you are guaranteed to craft a top-notch essay every time.

Be bold when selecting a subject even when unsure what is research essay topic on music, take the writing process easy, follow the academic standards, and you are good to go. Use our music essay sample to challenge yourself and write a professional paper. 

If you feel stuck and have no time our team of expert writers is always ready to give you help from all subject ( medical school personal statement school help ). Visit our website, submit your ' write my research paper ' request and a guaranteed A+ essay will be on your way in just one click.

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FAQs on Writing a Music Essay

Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions. 

Should Artists' Music be Used in Advertising?

What type of music is best for writing an essay, why do people love music.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Pop Music — The Influence and Diversity of Pop Music

The Influence and Diversity of Pop Music

• Categories: Pop Music

About this sample

Words: 617 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 617 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

History of pop music, characteristics of pop music, influence of pop music, critiques and controversies surrounding pop music, pop music and diversity.

• "The Evolution and Influence of Pop Music." Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/evolution-influence-pop-music-80836/
• "The History of Pop Music." BBC Music. https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/17487da2-33d2-4ecb-b49e-8515097b333b
• "The Impact of Pop Music on Society." Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-music-moves-us/201702/the-impact-pop-music-society

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Diverse Music Essay Topics for Students and Music Enthusiasts

Table of contents

• 1 How to Write an Essay on Music
• 2.1 Argumentative Essay Topics about Music
• 2.2 Topics for College Essays about Music
• 2.3 Controversial Topics in Music
• 2.4 Classical Music Essay Topics
• 2.5 Jazz Music Essay Topics
• 2.6 Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics
• 2.7 Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Music is a magical world of different sounds and stories. When we talk about music, there are so many things we can explore. Writing essays about sound lets us share our feelings and thoughts about this wonderful art. In this collection, you will find 140 music essay topics.

These topics are carefully chosen to help you think and write about sound in many exciting ways. Whether you love listening to music or playing an instrument, these topics about music for an essay will spark your creativity. They cover everything, from your favorite songs to the history of music. So, get ready to dive into the sound world with these fun and interesting essay ideas!

How to Write an Essay on Music

Writing an essay about sound can be a fun and exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings about this amazing art form. Whether you are working on college essays about music, or research paper topics on music, here are some steps to help you create a great piece of writing.

• First, choose a topic that you are passionate about. It could be anything from your favorite musician to a specific sound genre. For a college essay about sound, you might want to share a personal story about how music has impacted your life. For argumentative essay topics about sound, consider issues like the importance of sound education or the effects of music on the brain. If you’re working on a research paper on sound, explore the history of a certain music style or the role of sound in different cultures.
• Once you have your topic, start with some research. Look for interesting facts, stories, and opinions about your topic. This will give you many ideas and help you understand your topic better.
• Next, create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep your writing clear and focused. Start with an introduction that introduces your topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Then, write a few paragraphs that explain your main points. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. In your writing, explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences.
• Also, try to include examples and personal experiences to make your essay more interesting and relatable.

Need help with essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

List of Topics about Music for an Essay – 40 words

Discover a world of music topics to write about in this list! From fun ideas to controversial topics in music, these essay suggestions will inspire you to explore the diverse and exciting universe of music.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Music

Dive into the world of melodies and rhythms with these essay topics about music! Whether you’re passionate about different genres or curious about the impact of sound, these argumentative essay topics will guide you to explore and express your views on various musical aspects. So, let’s get ready to write and debate about the diverse and vibrant universe of sound.

• Is Melody Essential in Every School’s Curriculum
• The Impact of Melody on Mental Health
• Should There Be More Support for Local Musicians
• The Role of Songs in Cultural Preservation
• Does Modern Melody Lack Originality
• The Effects of Sound on Productivity
• Are Music Award Shows Biased
• The Importance of Lyrics in Songs
• Should Songs Be Used in Advertising
• The Influence of Music on Fashion Trends
• Does Melody Promote a Better Global Understanding
• Should Explicit Sound Be Censored
• Are Songs Festivals Beneficial for Local Communities
• The Role of Technology in Melody Production
• Is Classical Melody Still Relevant in the Modern Era
• The Impact of Social Media on Musicians’ Success
• Should Music Be Included in Workplace Settings
• The Role of Melody in Political Movements
• Are Music Streaming Services Fair to Artists
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody

Topics for College Essays about Music

Step into the rhythm of words with these research paper topics about music, perfect for college essays. These topics offer a wide range of ideas, from personal experiences to cultural impacts, inviting you to explore the profound influence of sound. They are designed to inspire deep thought and passionate writing, helping you connect your academic skills with your love for melody.

• How Sound Influences Fashion Trends
• The Role of Melody in Different Cultures
• Personal Growth Through Learning a Musical Instrument
• The Evolution of a Specific Melody Genre
• The Impact of Songs Streaming Services on Artists
• Music as a Form of Social Protest
• The Psychological Effects of Melody on the Human Mind
• The Importance of Songs Education in Schools
• The Relationship Between Melody and Memory
• How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Music
• The Representation of Women in Music
• Music’s Role in Personal Identity
• The Influence of Melody on Mood and Behavior
• The Resurgence of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age
• The Globalization of Music and Its Effects
• The Economic Impact of the Songs Industry
• Melody as a Tool for International Diplomacy
• The Ethics of Music Sampling and Remixing
• The Role of Melody in Film and Media
• The Future of Live Music Performances

Controversial Topics in Music

Embark on a journey through the provocative and often debated realms of music with these 20 topics on controversial topics in music. These topics are designed to stir thought and conversation, challenging you to explore the music world’s more contentious and complex aspects. From ethical dilemmas to cultural controversies, these subjects offer diverse perspectives for deep exploration and spirited discussion.

• The Impact of Song Piracy on the Industry
• Censorship in Songs and Its Effects on Artistic Freedom
• The Portrayal of Women in Popular Song Videos
• The Commercialization of Indie Melody Genres
• The Role of Auto-Tune in Modern Music
• Melody as a Tool for Political Propaganda
• The Influence of Corporate Sponsors in Melody Festivals
• The Ethical Considerations of Posthumous Melody Releases
• Cultural Appropriation in the Song Industry
• The Decline of Traditional Songs Forms
• The Relationship Between Melody and Substance Abuse
• The Effect of Digital Streaming on Melody Quality
• The Representation of Minority Groups in Mainstream Music
• The Debate Over Explicit Lyrics and Parental Advisory Labels
• The Rise of AI in Songs Creation
• The Impact of Reality Song Shows on the Industry
• The Role of Gender in Melody Award Nominations
• Melody and Its Influence on Youth Behavior
• The Sustainability of the Music Tour Industry
• The Shift in Melody Consumption From Albums to Singles

Classical Music Essay Topics

Go on an enlightening journey through the world of melodies and harmonies with these 20 music topics to research, perfect for crafting compelling college essays. These topics delve into music’s vast and varied dimensions, from its historical roots to its modern-day impact. They are designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire in-depth exploration, blending academic rigor with a passion for music.

• The Evolution of Melody Through the Decades
• The Influence of Classical Song on Modern Genres
• The Psychological Effects of Melody Therapy
• The Role of Women Composers in Song History
• The Impact of Social Media on Emerging Musicians
• The Significance of Folk Song in Cultural Heritage
• The Development of Electronic Melody and Its Future
• Melody Censorship and Its Implications for Artistic Expression
• The Role of Song in Film and Storytelling
• The Globalization of Songs Genres and Styles
• The Relationship Between Music and Fashion Trends
• The History of Rock Melody and Its Cultural Impact
• The Use of Songs in Advertising and Consumer Behavior
• The Effects of Song Streaming on the Melody Industry
• The Intersection of Melody and Political Movements
• The Role of Songs in Shaping Youth Culture
• The Cultural Significance of Melody Festivals Worldwide
• The Preservation and Revival of Indigenous Music
• The Impact of Technology on Songs Production and Distribution
• The Contribution of Music to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jazz Music Essay Topics

Step into the soulful and vibrant jazz world with these music topics for essays. Jazz, a genre rich in history and innovation, offers a treasure trove of fascinating themes for exploration. These essay topics will guide you through jazz’s intricate rhythms and stories, from its early beginnings to its modern interpretations. Delve into this mesmerizing music style’s legendary artists, iconic performances, and cultural impacts.

• The Origins of Jazz and Its Early Influences
• The Evolution of Jazz Through the 20th Century
• Key Figures in the Development of Jazz Music
• The Role of Improvisation in Jazz
• The Influence of Jazz on Other Melody Genres
• The Cultural Significance of Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
• The Globalization of Jazz Melody
• The Impact of Technology on Jazz Recording and Production
• The Fusion of Jazz With Other Musical Styles
• Jazz as a Form of Social and Political Expression
• The Portrayal of Jazz in Cinema and Literature
• The Future of Jazz in the Digital Age
• The Role of Jazz in Education and Music Therapy
• Women in Jazz: Contributions and Challenges
• The Jazz Scene in Different Parts of the World
• The Preservation of Classic Jazz in Modern Times
• The Influence of Jazz on Fashion and Lifestyle
• Jazz Clubs and Their Role in Cultural Development
• The Impact of Jazz Festivals on Local Communities
• The Relationship Between Jazz and Modern Dance Forms

Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics

Rock and pop music, with its pulsing rhythms and catchy melodies, have captivated audiences for decades. This collection of 20 unique essay topics explores the depth and diversity of these influential genres. From the electric energy of rock to the widespread appeal of pop, these topics invite you to delve into the history, evolution, and cultural significance of these dynamic music styles. Whether examining iconic artists, groundbreaking albums, or the social impact of these genres, each topic offers a fascinating avenue for exploration and discussion in your essays.

• The Evolution of Rock Songs From the 1950s to Today
• The Influence of Pop Melody on Global Culture
• The Role of Songs Videos in Shaping Rock and Pop
• The Impact of Digital Streaming on the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Significance of the Beatles in Music History
• The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
• The Role of Women in the Development of Pop Music
• The Influence of Rock Melody on Fashion Trends
• The Changing Face of Pop Songs in the 21st Century
• The Impact of Social Media on Rock and Pop Musicians
• The Fusion of Rock With Other Melody Genres
• The Role of Rock and Pop Music in Political Movements
• The Evolution of Live Performances in Rock and Pop
• The Significance of the Grammy Awards in Rock and Pop
• The Depiction of Rock and Pop Songs in Movies
• The Influence of Technology on the Production of Rock and Pop Music
• The Cultural Diversity in the Rock and Pop Melody Scenes
• The Role of Indie Labels in the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Impact of Fan Culture on Rock and Pop Song
• The Sustainability of Rock and Pop Songs in the Streaming Era

Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Take a trip through melody and argument with these 20 music-related persuasive essay topics. Each topic, chosen for its ability to inspire compelling arguments and deep research, falls under the umbrella of musical topics for research papers. These prompts will challenge you to explore various facets of music, from cultural significance to technological impacts. As you delve into these topics, you’ll be encouraged to form strong opinions and support them with well-researched evidence, making your essays informative and persuasive.

• The Necessity of Melody Education in Schools for Overall Development
• The Impact of Classical Songs on Cognitive Abilities
• Song Streaming Services and Their Effect on the Industry
• The Role of Melody in Maintaining Mental Health
• Songs as a Universal Language Bridging Cultural Divides
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody Forms
• Music’s Influence on Fashion and Lifestyle
• The Ethical Implications of Auto-Tune in Song Production
• The Role of Social Media in the Success of New Artists
• The Power of Songs in Social and Political Activism
• The Benefits of Attending Live Music Performances
• Songs as a Tool for Improving Concentration and Productivity
• The Evolution of Melody Genres and Its Cultural Impact
• The Effects of Background Song in Public Spaces
• The Role of Songs in Advertising Effectiveness
• Music’s Influence on Youth and Teen Development
• The Relationship Between Melody and Emotional Intelligence
• The Future of Virtual Reality Concerts in the Melody Industry
• The Impact of Songs Piracy on Artists and Producers
• The Role of Melody in Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

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67 Popular Music Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best popular music topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about popular music, ⭐ simple & easy popular music essay titles.

• The Concept of Pop Music Deriving from rock and roll, Pop music found its distinctiveness in the 1950s to not only become one of the world’s most listened style of popular music, but also one of the very few styles […]
• Korean Pop Music and Youth Identity Korean pop music has become a powerful genre that connects many youths to their counterparts in different parts of the world.
• History of Pop Music in the World: Cultural and Social Changes Later, following the evolvement of industries and development of urban centers, also the lifestyle of poor people improved considerably and this lead to the improvement of music among the poor and the rich.
• American Popular Music and Its Evolution Compared to the country blues popular in the 1900s, classic female blues combines its features with urban theater music, and “Crazy Blues” is one of the first songs of this genre.
• Roots of Contemporary Popular Music In conclusion, the popularity of R&B music is attributed to the fact that many young white listeners preferred this type of music over country music because it was more colorful and rhythmic than country music.
• The Evolution of Popular Music The economic evolution of consumerism in the late 19th century and the early 20th century was marked by the advent of credit and the growing popularity of consumer goods.
• The Influence of Radio on American Culture and Popular Music The rise of a national audience was one of the remarkable changes in popular music during the first half of the twentieth century.
• Social Commentary in Pop Music Industry Thus, using the emotional potential of music, a popular artist has the opportunity to give the listener a deeper sense of the problem underlying the message of the song.
• Popular Music at the Times of Racism and Segregation The following work will compare and contrast the compositions of Louis Armstrong and Scott Joplin and examine the impact of racism on popular music.
• Popular Music: Curtis Mayfield’s and Bob Marley’s Songs The most distinct feature that the songs “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield and Bob Marley’s One Love”, is the message that they are trying to communicate to the audience.
• The National Center for Popular Music This was due to the untimely closure of the National Centre for Popular Music. People referred to it as a museum, but in a real sense, it was not or it was because the music […]
• The National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield The design of the building, which has unusual features acquired a number of nicknames that are local like curling stones, drums and kettles as the drum tops that were to rotate in the wind no […]
• The Cultural Production of Popular Music While most people in this debate express their opinion that the role of digital technologies in the development of music is positive, there exists a category of participants who argue that digital technologies kill the […]
• Origins of Popular Music: Discussion The organization of listening in the correct room, along with the separation of music from medieval ritual, the development of specialist musicianship, commercial publishing and the invention of synoptic scores enshrined the individual performer or […]
• The Development of Artistic and Popular Music Through the Ages The development of modern music includes the introduction of synthesizers and computers to manipulate the sound thus giving the music a high quality compared to ancient times.
• History of Pop Music in the Early 20th Century Jansen has given a detailed analysis of the musical and the particular song and he suggests that the sheet music and the performance reveal a combination of different types of ragtime music.
• American Popular Music History It is only possible to produce it in economic industries, which look at the popular music in terms of monetary value in which it is considered as a commodity.
• The Dynamic Between the Popular Music’ Sound and Look The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamic between the sound and the look of two representatives of the Soul Jazz music genre Adele Laurie Blue Adkins and Amy Winehouse.
• Popular Music and Accompanying Visual Representation Essentially, popular music is the kind of music that is distributed to wide audiences through the music industry. To address the question, it is needed to explore the connection between music and visual representation.
• Disco, Rock, Jazz and Popular Music: Comparison With the support of God, the songs encourage the audience to believe in the power of God to overcome the unfortunate events.
• “Pop Music, Pop Culture” by Chris Rojek The title specifically prepares the reader for the interconnection between culture and popular music, as it is one entity that is a great part of human society and the music industry.
• Popular Music: Meaningful Contributions to Social and Political Change Music has different classifications depending on various factors including the period in which the music was developed, the type of instruments that the musicians use, the cultural identity of the society that subscribes to the […]
• Canuck Rock: A History of Canadian Popular Music Besides, the book helps one understand the evolution process of the Canadian music industry.”Canuck Rock” is a determined assessment of the inception and development of trendy music in Canada starting from the late 1950s to […]
• Popular Music in Uzbekistan It is aimed at demonstrating the wit of the participants to each other and the spectators. Apart from the folk music of Uzbek, modern pop music in the country is also significant.
• Pop Music Nature and History Classical music was for the high class, the affluent in the society, but the rapid urbanization brought by the industrial revolution came with a type of music popular to the middle and lower classes.
• Popular Music and Thinking Errors The message in the lyrics of rock songs is mostly that life is not worth living with the lyrics filled with numerous pessimistic and angry lines.
• Western Popular Music Influence in Asia
• Popular Music of the Chinese Culture
• Culture Industry: Avant-Garde Struggles in Popular Music
• Payola: The Dirty Side of Popular Music
• Sexuality and Gender: Popular Music and Cultural Identity
• Cultural Impact of Popular Music on Society
• The Driving Force Behind Popular Music
• Historical Relationship Between Art and Popular Music
• Popular Culture and History: Representations of the Past in British Popular Music
• Similarities Between Classical and Popular Music
• Today’s Pop Music May Have Too Much Sex, Not Enough Love
• Value Chain Envy: Explaining New Entry and Vertical Integration in Popular Music
• The Popular Music Culture of the 1980s
• Values Portrayed in Popular Music
• The Relationship Between Popular Music and Sexuality
• American Popular Music: A Wide Variety of Styles and Trends in Society
• The Most Important Impulses of the Popular Music Field
• Popular Music Encourages Recreational Drug Use Among Adolescents
• Consumer Choice and the Popular Music Industry: A Test of the Superstar Theory
• Popular Music: Theory, Method and Practise
• Popular Music and Populist Politics
• The Issues Surrounding the Attempts to Control the Content of Popular Music
• Courses on Popular Music, Film, Advertising and Television
• Vietnam War’s Effect on Popular Music
• Censoring Offensive Lyrics and Images Portrayed in Current Popular Music
• Production and Use of Contemporary Western Popular Music
• Economics and the Ecology of Creativity: Evidence From the Popular Music Industry
• Popular Music: The Creative Process
• Existentialism and Its Impact on Popular Music Essay
• Contrast Between Popular Music and Jazz
• Popular Music and a Political Position
• The Aesthetics for American Popular Music
• K-Pop and Korean Popular Music
• The Internet and Value Co-Creation: The Case of the Popular Music Industry
• Music and Modern Literature: Impact Literature at Popular Music
• Gender Stereotyping of the Women in American Popular Music
• Popular Music Perpetuates Rape Culture
• Bob Dylan and Popular Music
• Social Change and Popular Music
• Popular Music, Gender, Sexuality, and Cultural Identity
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Music Argumentative Essay Topics: 25+ Ideas for Inspiration

by  Antony W

April 21, 2023

Music is no doubt the best go-to stress buster for all of us. No wonder if you look around you, you’ll see people listening to music from all kinds of music devices you can name.

From Mp3 players and smartphones to PA systems and car stereos, the world around you is no doubt almost fully musical in form.

With news lyrics, celebrity gossips, artists, and new musical hits appearing on YouTube, Sound Cloud, and Spotify every day, there’s no limit to the number of argumentative essay topics on music.

From Robert Matthew Van Winkle fast rap to Dax hip-hop tunes, finding the right essay topic to explore just got easier. In this post, we give you a list of 30+ argumentative topics from which you can choose an appealing title to give your essay a fresh, breathtaking spin.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

The following is a list of 30+ music argumentative essay topics that you can consider if you have no idea where to start – or if you need a title to start working on right away:

• Is pop culture an evergreen vogue or a temporary fad?
• Can we term fusion music as actual music?
• White rappers are giving a bad name to the rap music genre
• Pop music is worthy enough for our ears than rap music
• Jazz music is dying out
• Can we use music as treatment for mental health disorder?
• Music influencers are a waste of time
• People should not allow the playing of music in the realm of politics and political campaign
• Digital music formats will completely wipe out physical copies from distribution
• It’s impossible to enjoy music without understanding the lyrics
• Metal music has a very bad influence on people’s behavior
• EMD is pure noise, not music
• One doesn’t need to have musical training to write lyrics and sing as natural talent is enough
• Should School students should study music instead of learning how to dance
• Is music an effective means of drawing in potential customers to a new product?
• Music has the power to increase an individual’s level of productivity
• Music isn’t as addictive as movies and television series
• Children can learn music faster than adults
• Music producers are not doing enough to promote musicians new to the industry
• Are parental warning labels on music videos really necessary?
• Music can’t affect a student’s ability to read and complete their homework
• Social media presence and celebrity stays hugely contributes to the rate of an artist’s success.
• Should companies incorporate music in their marketing campaigns?
• Existing laws cannot stop people from realistically copying music
• Music doesn’t help the world become a better place
• Do music award events influence the type of music that many people listen to?
• Music award shows create hostility among musicians more than they inspire creative art
• Music should be a mandatory subject in literary school
• Music producers are responsible for the moral degradation that stem from the production of explicit music
• Can the entertainment industry prevent
• Do certain genre of music, such as rap and hip-hop, generate violence?
• It’s unethical to copyright traditional music
• Can we borrow music from international artists without necessarily attributing their work?
• Should the social controversies about a musician influence our decision to listen to their music?
• Do musicians choose the genre of music depending on the instruments used?
• Movie and TV production industries pay musician more for continuous use of their work.
• Is music of the future generation will be more annoying than the current
• Music that’s used to present bad and harmful ideologies should be banned
• The advent of internet music has made physical music stores completely irrelevant
• Music can help a person to mediate and find a greater purpose in life
• Is listening to music more entertaining than watching movies or playing the 21st century video games?
• Music genre has a limited number of tune variation
• Is music without lyrics pure?
• Should YouTube ban the publication of X-rated music completely?
• Classical music is better than other music genres.
• Companies such as Spotify and Deezer should stop charging people a monthly subscription to listen to music.
• Offline music apps are a waste of time in the current internet-powered world.
• Are piano music sheets relevant in the production of modern music?
• Politicians use music as propaganda in political races.
• Music has a positive impact on modern society.
• Traditional old school music is better than modern music.
• The production of explicit music videos should banned.
• Is there a connection between different music genres?
• Classical music doesn’t play any significant role in the production of music today
• International music is better than local music
• Does the ability to play piano automatically makes one an expert in writing music sheets?
• There’s no connection between social class and music genre
• Does music have a negative influence on society?
• X-rated music has a negative effect on a listeners brain
• Music is way better than other types of media
• Music has more influence on culture than poetry does
• Is writing music an art?
• Writing music doesn’t reflect the way an artist thinks in their daily life
• Do women play an important role in the production of music?
• Women play a great role in the production of music
• Modern pop music is badly written compared to the pop music of the 60s.
• Celebrities who release music but have no musical talents should not be promoted to be as famous as professional musicians.
• Violent lyrics in music plays a role in building a violent society
• Are parental warning labels on music still relevant today?
• Music band that have been inactive for years should not come back

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Related Reading

• Technology Argumentative Essay Topics
• Argumentative Essay Topics on Racism
• Argumentative Essay Topics on Social Media

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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From the blues to The Beatles, some of the most important artistic statements have been wrapped up in the world’s most popular songs.

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There’s a brilliantly funny scene in Tom Stoppard’s play The Real Thing , where the character of Henry, an intellectual playwright, is invited to select his favorite music for BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs programme. Henry’s dilemma is over whether to choose the sort of music that he thinks his audience would respect him for, or whether to be honest and choose the pop music that he loves. “You can have a bit of Pink Floyd shoved in between your symphonies and your Dame Janet Baker,” Henry muses, “that shows a refreshing breadth of taste, or at least a refreshing candor – but I like Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders doing ‘Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um.’”

For an industry where image is key, pop music itself has got an image problem of its own. Many critics view it with disdain, while even fans of one sort of pop music consider other types of pop music to be beneath contempt – valueless and not worthy of being considered music, let alone art. But this is nothing new. In fact, this is a problem as old as pop music itself. For as far back as you care to look, poor old pop music has been bullied, belittled, and sneered at: “It’s not art, it’s just pop.”

In order to determine whether pop music is art, it is first necessary to understand what pop music actually is. And it’s at this, the most fundamental of steps, that most arguments begin. To some, pop music is considered disposable. They see it as commercially driven music designed by big business to be marketable to a teenage (or younger) audience who, in their eyes, know no better. They think of pop as being music that doesn’t have the credibility to be described as “rock,” “folk,” “jazz,” “indie” – or any one of a hundred other labels. To them, pop is the lowest-common-denominator stuff that no self-respecting music fan would be caught dead listening to. Essentially, pop as a genre of its own. To others, however, pop might refer to any number of styles down the decades, from Frank Sinatra through Elvis Presley to The Beatles , Madonna, and countless other household (and underground) names. Others still might have an even wider definition, thinking of pop music simply as music that isn’t classical: a catch-all for anything contemporary. And then there are even those who don’t consider anything “pop” to be music at all. At which point, for fear of going round in circles, it’s worth exploring the history of the very idea of “pop music.”

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‘pet sounds’: the beach boys’ masterpiece explained, john lennon’s ‘mind games’ to receive new ‘ultimate collection’ release, what is pop music.

Humans have been making music for as long as they’ve been around – longer, even. A flute found in a cave in northwestern Solvenia in 1995 has been dated to somewhere around 40,000 years ago. Whether it was made by Neanderthals or Cro-Magnons continues to be debated, but what it does show is quite how long we – or our ancestors – have been enjoying music. Over the ages, of course, the style of music has changed unimaginably, with new instruments still being invented and developed today, along with new ways of playing them, varying ways of vocalizing, and so on, as people have become more sophisticated.

So at what point on the timeline of human existence does music become “pop”? Pop, after all, originated as shorthand for “popular music,” the sounds that were being dug by whatever generation in whichever society. The broadside ballads popular in Tudor and Stuart times are sometimes referred to by historians as “early pop music.” These bawdy, comical, and sentimental songs of the streets and taverns were pedaled on sheet music by street vendors, and proved popular with landed gentry as much as serfs in the fields. In Victorian times, audiences would enjoy concerts by the German-born composer Sir Julius Benedict, billed as the London Popular Concerts.

However, most music historians would agree that pop music, as we know it, began with the dawning of the recording industry. To help make customers’ choices easier, record companies would color-code music of different genres. In the immediate post-war years, RCA Victor, for example, sold classical music on red vinyl, country and polka on green, children’s on yellow, and so on, with black the reserve of ordinary pop, a genre that covered a multitude of things, but essentially meant “anything else.”

Of course, many of the musical styles that came under different headings – jazz, blues, country, and so on – was simply the pop music of the time and place from which they originated. Today, it’s widely accepted that early jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald were artists of the highest caliber – likewise bebop musicians such as John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins. But at the time, many critics frowned upon such upstarts, leaping around with their blaring horns, making things up on the spot rather than sitting and playing notes that had been carefully written onto the page.

Similarly, blues musicians such as Howlin’ Wolf , Muddy Waters , and Sonny Boy Williamson were considered not just inferior musically, but weren’t even treated equally as people in the racially divided United States. Today, their work is enshrined in Smithsonian museums and the Library Of Congress.

The rock’n’roll explosion

It wasn’t until the mid-50s that pop music began to actually mean something in its own right. With the explosion of rock’n’roll music, the pop business built itself an empire. The songwriters in New York’s legendary Brill Building crafted their art, with producers headed by Phil Spector delivering three-minute pop symphonies as rich and multi-timbred as Wagner at his height. (In the following decade, Brian Wilson’s production and songwriting expanded on Spector’s template; in 1966, Pet Sounds, marked a creative high point for both Wilson and The Beach Boys .)

But until the emergence of The Beatles, pop had remained largely ignored by critics on any intellectual level, with the music papers generally existing to describe new discs and inform the public and industry alike of goings-on. But in 1963, the renowned English music critic William Mann wrote about the Fab Four in The Times , in a manner previously reserved for high art: “One gets the impression that they think simultaneously of harmony and melody, so firmly are the major tonic sevenths and ninths built into their tunes, and the flat submediant key switches, so natural is the Aeolian cadence at the end of ‘Not A Second Time’ (the chord progression which ends Mahler’s ‘Song Of The Earth’).” He spoke of “lugubrious music” and “pandiationic clusters,” and achieved dubious notoriety when he called Lennon and McCartney “the greatest songwriters since Schubert.” People who would not have been pop music fans were starting to sit up and take it seriously – perhaps not yet going as far as to call it art, but nonetheless applying the same critical analysis that would be applied to the more traditional arts.

But although The Beatles were certainly creating something new within pop music, this wasn’t so much a case of pop music finally elevating itself to the level of art, as it was the noise it was making became so deafening that it was no longer possible to ignore it. Pop, it seemed, was here to stay. And, if you can’t beat them…

Over the next two or three years, pop embraced art like never before. Let’s not forget that so many of the greatest pop acts come from art-college roots, from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones , The Who , David Bowie, Queen , REM , Blur, Pulp, Lady Gaga , and too many more to mention. And so the battle lines were being drawn. For pop’s elite in the mid-60s, you were either with them or against them. Fans of Bob Dylan, the darling of intellectual students who loved his political and protest songs, were shocked by what they saw as his “selling out” when he switched from acoustic to electric guitar. One disgruntled fan, Keith Butler, famously shouted “Judas” at him during a show at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in May 1966. Dylan replied contemptuously, “I don’t believe you.” When Butler was interviewed after the show, he sneered: “Any bloody pop group can do this rubbish!” The implication was that fans had come to see something of artistic merit – not pop music. But the times they were a-changin’.

The pop album itself was by now becoming a recognized art form, and groups were thinking about every aspect of their work, with the album cover being elevated from mere pretty packaging to pop-art itself. Groups and singers would hire the best photographers and graphic designers to create their record sleeves, and work alongside filmmakers to produce artful promo clips. Perhaps the most obvious example of this embracing of the art world is Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band , for whose cover The Beatles recruited the respected pop artist Peter Blake, but it’s worth noting that the idea for their “White Album” cover came out of conversations between McCartney and another respected pop artist, Richard Hamilton, who produced the poster inserted into the finished package.

Finally, pop had convinced the art world that the two camps were of a similar mind – pop was one of them. And yet it was in this very acceptance that a strange thing happened. With the launch of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967 came the beginning of serious pop criticism. Except it wasn’t called that; it was called rock criticism. Pop –short for “popular,” let’s remember – music was a catch-all term that became used to encompass whatever current styles were in vogue, be they the doo-wop of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, the rock’n’roll of Elvis Presley and Little Richard, the Merseybeat of Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas or The Searchers, or heartthrobs such as Ritchie Valens or Dion DiMucci. But now rock (without the roll) music was breaking away, distancing itself from pop as though in some way suggesting itself to be of a higher form. By 1968, you were either rock (alongside The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix) or pop (like Cliff Richard, Lulu or Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich). Rock had its music press, its critics and its intellectuals; pop was now strictly for little kids and squares. In the very instant that pop finally became accepted as the art that it was, a coup from within saw it banished to the bubblegum shelf.

Snobbery exists around any form of art, and pop would be no different in this respect. While the critics (not to mention many fans and even the artists themselves) sought to draw a line between the artistically credible (rock) and the commercial (pop), other artists refused to be pigeonholed. The reality is, as with all art, that there is good and bad pop music. What proved difficult in the late 60s – and remains tough today – is to explain exactly what makes something good and something else bad. Marc Bolan is a good example of an artist that crossed the divide between rock and pop. His original Tyrannosaurus Rex were an interesting group, certainly closer to the outsider edges of rock than commercial pop, with plenty to attract critics while also appealing to hippies and art students. But when Bolan followed Dylan’s lead and ditched his acoustic guitar in favor of an electric one, shortened the band’s name to T.Rex , and ended his partnership with Steve Peregrin Took, the result was a run of pop singles that brought him greater popularity than any British artist had known since the days of Beatlemania. Indeed, a new term was coined to describe the mania: T.Rextacy. It was clearly pop, very definitely art, and, crucially, extremely good.

Taking pop music to a new level

Sweden’s Eurovision winners ABBA are another interesting case study. Surely nothing in the pop world could be further from art than this annual Europe-wide songwriting competition? Added to this, ABBA’s records sold by the bucketload. That people who wouldn’t normally pay any mind to the pop charts were falling in love with their well-crafted slices of pop should have removed any chance of credibility for the Swedish fab four. And, at the time, that may well have been true. But today, they are lauded for taking pop music to a new level.

Through the 70s, accusations of snobbery were voiced by many young pop fans – notably towards the increasingly cerebral noodlings coming from the prog rock camp. In 1976, these shouts became a roar, as punk rock exploded onto the scene. Punks were determined to reclaim pop music for the masses, refusing to see it disappear up its own rear end in a flurry of intellectualized virtuosity. Pop was for everyone, regardless of talent. In a way that harked back to the skiffle groups that had sprung up all over the country in the late 1950s, leading to a wave of bands from The Beatles and the Stones, to The Animals, Kinks, and countless more, punk was about a look, an attitude, and expression, far more than it was about being able to play guitar. And both scenes took seed in Britain’s art schools.

Image is the key to success

Key to pop’s success has always been image. From Sinatra’s blue-eyed good looks through the dangerous sex appeal of Elvis to David Bowie’s androgynous attraction, how an artist presents him or herself is part of the package. While the music is clearly key, the visual effect is a huge part of pop – another tick in the Yes column in the old “is pop art?” debate. The art world embraced this notion with the pop art movement, but these artists could never present the full pop package in a gallery, however good their work was. As Pete Townsend of The Who explained to the Melody Maker in 1965, pop art was: “I bang my guitar on my speaker because of the visual effect. It is very artistic. One gets a tremendous sound, and the effect is great.”

The post-punk pop world embraced this same idea in the early 80s. Pop groups became more flamboyant than ever before, with each act presenting itself in its own distinct fashion. Whether this be Boy George ’s at-the-time shocking appearance in make-up and dresses, Adam Ant with his mini-movie pop videos and characters, or Martin Fry from ABC, wearing a gold lamé suit as he emerged from the dole in Sheffield. New romantics and new wave acts such as The Human League , Soft Cell, and Duran Duran exploited the value of image to enhance their music, creating a richly diverse pop scene that would sustain them for decades to come.

Meanwhile, American stars were similarly controlling every aspect of their presentation to ensure they were in control of their art. Michael Jackson’s videos became big-budget epics, rivaling Hollywood for their extravagance, while Madonna’s sexually charged performance elevated her stage shows to grand theatre.

This was the blueprint followed by Lady Gaga, who became an international superstar following her 2008 debut album, The Fame . A former student at New York’s Tisch School Of The Arts, Gaga fused her avant-garde electronic music with pop sensitivities, added a splash of Bowie/Bolan glam, and presented herself as a complete package of music backed up by flamboyant and provocative visuals. As she explained, “I am a walking piece of art every day, with my dreams and my ambitions forward at all times in an effort to inspire my fans to lead their life in that way.”

Whatever you call it, the music remains the same

Over the decades, the definition of pop has changed too many times to mention. In times of rude health, everyone wants to be associated with it, while in fallow times, artists have made great efforts to distance themselves from it. As we know, pop simply means “popular,” but it can also mean a style of popular music. The word is often used to describe music that has mass appeal, produced with a big budget, and intended to be commercially successful. And it’s this commercial success that alienates many who feel this aspect of the music business sets itself aside from the purists who consider their music to be art for its own sake. Rock fans would distance themselves from what they saw as disposable pop in the 80s, and yet the groups they loved used many of the same tools as their perceived enemies – image, flamboyance, and so on.

What exactly pop is will be different from one person to the next. Many people think of Motown as soul, but to the soul purist, Motown is pop, not soul. They view Motown as somehow inferior, due to the business-like nature of head-honcho Berry Gordy, producing a conveyor belt of hits. However, by the early 70s, Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye were firmly in charge of their own output, with albums like Gaye’s What’s Going On and Wonder’s Music Of My Mind as soulful as anything coming out of Memphis or Muscle Shoals. But at the same time, they remain some of the greatest pop records ever made.

When the great soul label Stax Records, home to Isaac Hayes , The Staple Singers and the late Otis Redding, invited the Reverend Jesse Jackson to open “the black Woodstock,” as their Wattstax festival was dubbed, he preached inclusiveness: “This is a beautiful day, it is a new day. We are together, we are unified and all in accord, because together we got power.” He continued, using music as a metaphor: “Today on this programme you will hear gospel, and rhythm and blues, and jazz. All those are just labels. We know that music is music.”

Whatever you call it, the music remains the same. The discussion is only about how we interpret it – and what it says about us. Do those who dismiss pop as having no value really just suffer from the snobbery of wanting others to think that they, like the playwright in Stoppard’s play, are above such childish things as pop music?

As Henry laments in The Real Thing , “I’m going to look a total prick, aren’t I, announcing that while I was telling the French existentialists where they had got it wrong, I was spending the whole time listening to The Crystals singing ‘Da Doo Ron Ron.’”

Listen to the Nonstop Pop! playlist on Spotify .

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Blog > Essay Advice , Personal Statement > How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

Ask any admissions officer if they’ve read a college essay about music, and they’ll definitely say yes. Between music extracurriculars and academic interests in music, it’s is one of the most common college essay topics.

So does that mean that you shouldn’t write your college essay about music?

Not necessarily. But as with any common college essay topic, some approaches are better than others.

Let’s get into it.

Why you should (and shouldn’t) write your Common App essay about music

As we explained in our Stanford Items exercise , writing your college essay on a common topic isn’t off-limits. In fact, most college essays share common topics and themes. Trying to find a completely unique, never-been-done-before topic is almost impossible. And writing about a quirky topic in hopes of coming across as unique usually backfires.

In other words, it’s likely that you’ll write about the same topic as someone else.

The problem arises, however, when you write about a common topic in a cliche way . Cliches are always a danger in college essays, but in especially college essay topics that tend to surface again and again.

To avoid cliches, your college essay about music needs to be deeply personal, specific, and meaningful. You’ll want to let go of any over-generalizations or truisms and focus on the details of your own story.

Because you’ll need to write meaningfully and vulnerably, you should only write your college essay about music if you have something genuine and significant to say.

The Best Ways to Approach Your College Essay about Music

College essays about music aren’t off the table, but you should be thoughtful in how you write about them. The following two approaches will help you avoid cliches and find an authentic, meaningful story that fulfills all the requirements of a personal statement .

Writing about music as an academic interest

If you’re interested in studying music in college, then you can consider writing your college essay about music as an academic interest. A college essay about your academic interest in music can show fantastic intellectual fit with a school.

Let’s say you want to study music theory or composition. You might write about a topic you find compelling, a problem you’ve solved, or even a recounting of your journey becoming interested in the subject.

Or maybe you’re an aspiring performer planning on studying music performance. As an admissions officer, I read outstanding essays about students performing their favorite pieces, creating emotional music projects, and teaching lessons to young children.

No matter your topic, your goal with this approach is to show an intellectual spark, a curiosity and passion that will demonstrate to your admissions officers that you’ll be a great addition to the music community on their campuses.

Writing poignantly about a deeply meaningful extracurricular

The previous approach is great if you want to study music, but what if music is just an extracurricular passion of yours? Don’t worry—you can still write about it.

In that case, the best way is to focus on meaning. Remember: personal statements should be deeply-meaningful reflections on your personal strengths.

To start, reflect on your music extracurricular. Is it playing guitar in a band? Playing trombone in your school’s symphony? Learning piano from your grandma? How your love of poetry turned into a love of songwriting?

Next, think about what strengths you have to showcase. If you play guitar in a band, maybe you want to highlight your collaborative spirit. If you love poetry and songwriting, perhaps you focus on your creativity.

Writing about your love of music in a way that draws upon your strengths will make sure that your Common App essay avoids the following two approaches and gives admissions officers a reason to admit you.

Approaches to Avoid

While the following two approaches aren’t necessarily bad, they are the most cliche ways of approaching a college essay about music. You might want to consider avoiding them.

An inauthentic tale of triumph

Let me tell you a cliche story.

When I was in fourth grade, I decided to join the school orchestra. I found it exceedingly difficult at first. No matter how hard I tried, I never could seem to place my fingers correctly on the fingerboard. Every sound I made mimicked a screeching cat. But I decided not to give up. I practiced every day after school and on the weekends. By the time I was in ninth grade, I had made it into my high school’s top orchestra.

Is that a lovely story? Yes, absolutely. Is it hearty enough for a college essay? No. While it tells a good narrative of growth and progress, it remains on the surface of the writer’s life. It comes across as a convenient way to brag about your strengths instead of exploring them in a genuine way. In this example, the story also focuses on events that happened way too far in the past.

A song that changed your life

This approach is by far the most common cliche in college essays about music. We’ve all been there: a favorite song that transports you to a moment in your life whenever you hear it. It makes sense that you’d want to write about yours.

But there’s a problem with this approach. Too often, it reads as trite or unoriginal, and the end result usually doesn’t say much about the writer. And when it does, the message an admissions officer gets doesn’t typically give them any more reason to admit you. Since you want your college essay to be meaningful, even vulnerable, and strengths-based, you’re better off choosing another topic that better speaks to who you are.

Key Takeaways + Examples

College essays about music aren’t for everyone. But when you get it right, you can strike the perfect chord with admissions officers (you’re welcome for the pun).

As you go, dig deep, find something genuinely personal, and try to avoid the most common and cliche ways of approaching the topic.

Want to see some examples of college essays about music before you get started? Check out our examples, The Time Machine and The Band .

Liked that? Try this next.

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Essay About Music for Any Student

• Essay Writing Guides

Our extensive article will walk you through the complex process of writing an essay about music. We’ll present you with a step-by-step guide on conveying the subtleties of music through writing, from picking an exciting topic and doing extensive research to dissecting musical aspects and adding personal observations.

Whether you’re analyzing the historical significance of a musical era, assessing the influence of a particular musician or band, or investigating the cultural and emotional aspects of music, our guide seeks to provide you with the fundamental knowledge and abilities required to write a well-reasoned essay. Come along on this journey with us as we explore the skill of turning music’s profound message into an engaging story.

Essays about Music: Importance and Impact

Music is a profound expression of human creativity, emotion, and culture that transcends cultural boundaries. It serves as a companion, providing solace and amplifying the human experience. Its influence extends beyond individuals, shaping the collective identity of communities and contributing to global culture.

To effectively explore the world of writing about music, one must first understand the fundamental elements that constitute this universal language. The music encompasses a vast array of sounds organized in a structured manner, from classical symphonies to contemporary pop hits, traditional folk tunes, and avant-garde experimental compositions. The diversity of musical forms reflects the kaleidoscope of human creativity, and understanding this diversity lays the groundwork for appreciating the nuanced aspects of different genres and styles.

Music’s emotional and cultural impact is remarkable, as it evokes feelings ranging from joy to sorrow, nostalgia to anticipation. It is a vessel for cultural narratives, preserving traditions and reflecting the spirit of an era. Exploring music’s emotional and cultural dimensions provides writers with a rich tapestry of motifs to weave into their essays about music, allowing for a more profound exploration of the human experience through the lens of musical expression.

Choose Essay Topics About Music

The essay-writing process involves selecting a topic that shapes the narrative and allows the writer to explore the intricacies of musical expression, history, and cultural impact. There are three main ways to choose essay topics about music:

• Selecting a specific genre or style: Each genre has unique characteristics, histories, and cultural contexts. For example, the evolution of hip-hop can be explored by examining its roots in African and African-American communities, its socio-political impact, and the artistic innovations that have shaped its trajectory over the decades.
• Exploring the historical significance of a musical era: Music has reflected societal changes, political movements, and cultural shifts throughout history. Writers can focus on a specific period, such as the Renaissance, the Roaring Twenties, or the counterculture movements of the 1960s, and analyze how the music of that era influenced and was affected by the broader socio-political landscape. For example, an essay could explore the impact of the Beatles during the tumultuous 1960s, examining how their music mirrored the cultural upheavals of the time and influenced popular music.
• Analyzing the impact of a particular artist or band: Focusing on the life and work of a specific artist or band allows for a detailed examination of their contributions to the musical landscape, unique style, artistic evolution, and lasting impact on music and society. For example, an essay focused on Bob Dylan’s impact could explore his role as a poet-prophet during the folk revival of the 1960s, his transition to electronic music, and his enduring influence on subsequent generations of musicians.

Understanding the background of the chosen topic is essential for providing readers with a comprehensive view of its development and significance. That’s what we are going to analyze further.

Understanding Music Essay Examples

In crafting an insightful essay about music, it is crucial to conduct thorough research. This involves using credible sources such as scholarly articles, books, academic journals, and reputable websites dedicated to music history, theory, and criticism. By drawing on authoritative sources, writers can ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information in their essays.

This involves delving into the historical evolution of the genre, key milestones, and cultural influences that shaped its trajectory. By studying the background, writers can contextualize the music within a broader historical narrative, unraveling the threads that connect artistic expression to the time’s social, political, and cultural landscapes. For example, if the essay focuses on the development of blues music, researching the historical roots in African American communities, migration patterns that spread the genre, and its evolution through different regions and eras would be integral to providing a nuanced understanding.

Understanding the cultural context of the music adds depth and richness to the narrative. Culture shapes and is shaped by music, and understanding this symbiotic relationship is crucial for a comprehensive analysis. Writers should explore the societal norms, values, and movements that influenced the creation and reception of the music they are examining. They should consider the cultural milieu, social dynamics, and even geographical influences that contributed to forming a particular musical style.

In conclusion, the research and information-gathering phase lays the groundwork for a well-informed and insightful exploration of the chosen music essay examples. By utilizing credible sources, studying the background, and understanding the cultural context, writers can embark on a journey that informs, captivates, and enriches the reader’s understanding of music in its multifaceted dimensions.

How to Write an Essay About Music – Valuable Insights

A well-structured essay about music is essential for capturing the reader’s attention and understanding of the subject matter. The essay should follow a structured approach, starting with an introduction about music essay that captures the reader’s attention with a compelling hook. This can be a thought-provoking question, anecdote, quote, or surprising fact. The thesis statement should clearly articulate the central argument or perspective of the essay, outlining the central theme and key points to be explored in subsequent sections.

The body paragraphs should be divided into distinct paragraphs dedicated to a specific aspect or point related to the thesis. Evidence and examples should be provided to support arguments, such as quoting lyrics, citing critical reviews, or referencing historical events. This helps provide a comprehensive understanding of the chosen topic.

Maintaining a logical flow between paragraphs is crucial, as it helps readers follow the logical progression of the essay and understand the relationships between different aspects of the topic. Transitional phrases and explicit connections between ideas help readers follow the logical progression of the essay.

In the conclusion, summarize critical points discussed in the body paragraphs, reinforcing the thesis statement and emphasizing how the evidence presented throughout the essay supports the overarching argument. This reinforces the central theme and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. In the Beatles essay, the conclusion might reiterate how their innovative approach to music defined a generation and left a significant mark on popular music history.

Lastly, the argumentative essay about music should leave a lasting impression on the reader by connecting the themes to broader cultural or societal implications or posing a thought-provoking question that encourages further reflection. In the case of the Beatles essay, the conclusion might invite readers to consider the ongoing impact of their music on contemporary artists or encourage reflection on the timeless nature of artistic innovation.

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Write a Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement is vital for a music essay, providing a clear roadmap for the writer and the reader. It defines the central argument or perspective, ensures clarity and relevance, and sets the tone for music essays. A concise and focused articulation of the central argument or perspective is essential, such as analyzing the cultural impact of a genre, the artist’s style evolution, or the societal resonance of a musical movement.

Clarity is paramount in a thesis statement, as it should convey the essay’s main idea in a way that the reader quickly understands. Avoiding vague or overly broad statements enhances clarity and relevance.

The thesis statement serves as the introductory handshake between the writer and the reader, setting the tone for the essay. Depending on the essay’s nature, it can range from analytical and objective to passionate and subjective. For example, if the essay explores the emotional impact of a specific genre, the thesis might set a tone of subjective reflection.

Incorporating Analysis and Critique

An essay about my favorite music requires a nuanced analysis and critique that delves into the intricacies of musical elements, assesses the impact on the audience, and allows the music writer to offer personal insights and interpretations. The music essay writing should evaluate the musical elements such as lyrics, melody, harmony, and rhythm, focusing on their poetic qualities, thematic depth, and storytelling capacity. It should also explore the symbiotic relationship between the music and its audience, exploring how the chosen music resonates with listeners, triggers emotional responses, and influences societal attitudes.

This may involve examining historical reactions, critical reviews, or audience testimonials. When you write an essay about music, you should also offer personal insights and interpretations, allowing the writer to inject their voice into the narrative and share their views of the music’s meaning. This multifaceted approach to analysis and critique enriches the narrative and encourages readers to engage with the music more profoundly, resulting in a lasting impact.

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111 Music Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Music is a universal language that has the power to evoke emotions, inspire creativity, and connect people from all walks of life. Whether you are a music student looking for essay topics, or simply someone who is passionate about music and wants to explore different aspects of it, we have compiled a list of 111 music essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started.

• The evolution of hip hop music in American culture
• The impact of technology on the music industry
• The influence of classical music on modern compositions
• The role of music in shaping identity and cultural heritage
• The psychology of music and its effects on the brain
• The power of protest music in social movements
• The significance of music festivals in contemporary society
• The role of music therapy in mental health treatment
• The representation of gender and sexuality in popular music
• The history and impact of rock and roll music
• The intersection of music and fashion in pop culture
• The globalization of music and its implications on cultural exchange
• The role of music education in fostering creativity and critical thinking
• The impact of social media on music promotion and distribution
• The relationship between music and politics in the 21st century
• The evolution of music genres over the decades
• The influence of African music on Western popular music
• The role of music in film and television soundtracks
• The impact of streaming services on the music industry
• The representation of race and ethnicity in music videos
• The role of music in religious and spiritual practices
• The history of music censorship and its implications on freedom of expression
• The impact of music on memory and cognitive function
• The representation of mental health issues in music lyrics
• The role of music in promoting social justice and equality
• The impact of music on consumer behavior and marketing strategies
• The influence of technology on music production and composition
• The relationship between music and dance in different cultures
• The impact of music on emotions and mood regulation
• The significance of live music performances in the digital age
• The role of music in creating a sense of community and belonging
• The representation of gender stereotypes in music lyrics
• The influence of music on language development and communication skills
• The impact of music on physical health and well-being
• The role of music in expressing and processing emotions
• The portrayal of love and relationships in music lyrics
• The influence of music on fashion trends and style
• The impact of music on social behavior and interpersonal relationships
• The significance of music in rituals and ceremonies
• The role of music in shaping national identity and patriotism
• The representation of violence and conflict in music lyrics
• The influence of music on memory and learning abilities
• The impact of music on mood regulation and stress management
• The role of music in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability
• The portrayal of social issues and injustices in music lyrics
• The influence of music on political activism and social movements
• The significance of music in cultural celebrations and traditions
• The role of music in fostering empathy and compassion
• The representation of mental health struggles in music lyrics
• The influence of music on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions
• The role of music in promoting diversity and inclusivity
• The portrayal of love and relationships in music videos
• The impact of music on cognitive development and problem-solving skills
• The significance of music in personal growth and self-discovery
• The role of music in promoting peace and reconciliation
• The representation of gender roles and stereotypes in music videos
• The influence of music on memory retention and recall
• The impact of music on emotional intelligence and social skills
• The role of music in promoting cultural exchange and understanding
• The portrayal of mental health issues in music videos
• The influence of music on physical coordination and motor skills
• The significance of music in spiritual practices and rituals
• The role of music in fostering creativity and innovation
• The representation of social injustices and inequalities in music lyrics
• The impact of music on mood regulation and emotional well-being
• The influence of music on decision-making and problem-solving abilities
• The role of music in promoting social cohesion and unity
• The portrayal of addiction and substance abuse in music videos
• The significance of music in fostering empathy and compassion
• The role of music in promoting mental health and well-being
• The impact of music on physical health and stress management
• The representation of social issues and injustices in music videos
• The significance of music in fostering creativity and innovation
• The portrayal of mental health struggles in music lyrics
• The impact of music on memory retention and recall

These are just a few examples of the countless music essay topics that you can explore. Whether you are interested in the history of music, its cultural significance, its impact on society, or its psychological effects, there is a wide range of topics to choose from. So pick a topic that resonates with you, conduct thorough research, and let your passion for music shine through in your writing. Happy writing!

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267 Music Essay Topics + Writing Guide [2024 Update]

Your mood leaves a lot to be desired. Everything around you is getting on your nerves. But still, there’s one thing that may save you: music. Just think of all the times you turned on your favorite song, and it lifted your spirits!

So, why not write about it in a music essay? In this article, you’ll find all the information necessary for this type of assignment:

• 267 brilliant music essay topics,
• a sample paper,
• a step-by-step guide and writing tips.

And don’t forget to bookmark  custom-writing.org  where you can find helpful essay tips in articles like this one.

🔝 Music Essay Topics: Top 10

• 🎵 Music Essay Definition
• 🎼 Essay Topics
• ✍️ How to Write
• 📑 Essay Sample

🔗 References

• Compare different recording formats.
• The purpose of music.
• Ternary and rondo: compare and contrast.
• Music as a lifestyle.
• The benefits of singing.
• Ethnomusicology as a career.
• Evolution of the radio.
• The importance of school musicals.
• Music as a tool for meditation.
• Music in sports.

🎵 Essays about Music: What Are They?

A music essay describes or analyzes a piece of music, its context, or one’s personal attitude towards it. This type of assignment requires a compelling primary argument and a clear structure.

To write well about music, you don’t have to be a professional musician. All you need is to be able to listen, understand, and evaluate it. You should also provide your interpretation and opinion on it.

Writing about Music: Assignment Types

An essay on music is a popular assignment in high school and college. However, many students find it hard to describe sounds in a written form. In this article, we will give you some tips on writing about music.

Here are the typical tasks that you might receive:

• Concert report. It requires describing the music you’ve heard using as many details and terms as you can.
• Historical analysis of a piece. Your aim is to describe the historical context of a piece or its relation to the historical setting. For this type of assignment, you may need to do some research.
• Song analysis. In this type of essay, you explore song lyrics’ meaning and show how they work together with the melody.
• Performance or media comparison. Here you need to compare several interpretations or performances of one piece of music.

All of these assignments require a different approach and topic. You will find topics for these types of tasks below.

How to Choose a Music Essay Topic

First things first, you need to find a suitable music essay topic. To accomplish this task, you might want to take the following steps:

• Analyze your relationship with music . What role does it play in your life? Your topic choice will be different if you are a musician or merely a listener.
• Think about how music influences your everyday life . For instance, you can study how listening to music affects our mental health. Impressing your readers with some historical facts from the world of music is also a great idea.
• Try reflecting on the role of different music genres in your life . Whether you prefer rap or classical music, exploring a genre is an excellent topic idea. Topics related to musical instruments are also worth attention.
• Narrow your topic down. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to focus your essay on just one idea.

🎼 Music Essay Topics List

The first thing you need to do is to choose your topic. We have prepared a variety of music topics perfect for research papers and short essays. You can also use them for speeches or college application essays.

Argumentative Essay about Music: Topics & Ideas

Argumentative essays about music are usually concerned with a specific music-related issue you choose to address. Just like with any other argumentative essay, you should present both sides of the topic. Also, reliable facts are a must for this type of essay.

• The influence of modern technologies on the music industry. Technologies allow artists to create and promote their songs independently. Because of this, record labels are less critical to musicians than before. However, the emergence of new technologies also gave rise to piracy. Do the positives outweigh the negatives? 
• What’s the effect of  pop music on the modern generation? Today’s pop songs are usually commercial . Because of this, some people say that pop has ruined the current generations’ perception of music. Others argue that contemporary pop music expanded the possibilities of the genre.  
• Rock music makes people more aggressive.  Some consider rock music merely an arrangement of aggressive tunes that foster violence. On the counter side, science has proven that people who prefer rock to other genres are calmer and more concentrated. Which position do you agree with? 
• Can people with hearing impairments become famous musicians?  Many believe that access to fame and fortune is limited for disabled people. The deaf may seem especially unsuited for the  music business . Yet, the examples of Beethoven, Neil Young, and Chris Martin show that hearing problems don’t have to be an issue.  
• Will  streaming  completely substitute physical copies?  Digitalization is on its way to replacing LPs and CDs. For most people, it’s simply more convenient. But their opponents claim that an MP3 file can never sound as good as a physical copy.
• Some music genres can be a catalyst for violence.  While their beats may be calm, hip-hop and rap’s  lyrics are often aggressive and brutal. Does it have adverse effects on a listener? 
• Can a person become addicted to music?
• Censorship on the radio: why stations shouldn’t bleep out obscenities. 
• Is mandatory musical education in high schools practical?
• The impact of Mozart’s music on toddlers.
• Should a musician’s personal life affect people’s perception of their art? 
• How susceptible are teenagers to political messages in songs?
• Music influences one’s mental and physical capabilities .
• Are children who listen to music more intelligent than others?
• Music genres are inherently dependent on musical instruments .
• Is music as an art form more popular than cinema ?
• Debate whether rap musicians promote a frivolous and careless lifestyle .
• Many musicians became famous only because they’ve had connections. 
• Music festivals are the best form of entertainment.
• Does music always sound better live than on records? 
• Is classical music better than modern genres?
• Is it justified that some religions view music as a sin?
• Typically, music defines a culture and its traditions: true or false? 
• Rap music has a strong connection to rebellious movements. 
• Jamaican music’s link to the stoner lifestyle is unjustified.
• Synesthesia: how is music related to visuals?

Opinion on Music: Essay Topics

Opinion essays about music might seem similar to the argumentative type. Here, you are expected to write your personal opinion on a topic. Naturally, you can have many opinions on musical topics. Why not broadcast them? Keep in mind that you also need to provide reasons for your point of view.

• Music therapy can help people with mental illnesses.  It’s a well-known fact that music affects the human brain. This ability makes it perfect for treating mental health problems. On the one hand, psychologists established that listening to classical music increases one’s  cognitive capacity . On the other hand, listening to heavy rock impacts responsiveness. 
• The questionable treatment of women in the  music industry .  While it may seem that both sexes are treated equally, women still earn much less than they deserve. Moreover, the extreme sexualization of girls persists as one of the most pressing problems in the industry. 
• Which musician or band impacted your worldview ? Discuss what makes your favorite artist special. Consider analyzing their lyrics, genre, and evolution. If you want to, add a review of one of their albums .
• What are the challenges of being an independent artist? Typically, independent artists deal with all the financial, promotional, and distributional affairs by themselves. In the increasingly complex music business, this is not an easy task.
• Is  social media  efficient for promotion?  Almost every modern artist uses social media to promote their albums or songs. Users often check their networks for updates, which increases the musician’s visibility. But do such methods help in the long run? 
• Passion is the essential personal quality for every musician . If an artist is not eager to continually produce high-quality output, they’re unlikely to succeed. However, qualities such as responsibility, honesty, hard work, and creativity are also vital.
• Is music good for stress relief? 
• How does music connect people ?
• Analyze qualities that good musicians shouldn’t have.
• Who are the most excellent musicians in the country genre ?
• Is it possible to live without interacting with music ?
• Choose three successful rappers and analyze their influence.
• How can a musician become famous without having money or connections? 
• What are the difficulties of being in a band? 
• Who impacted the development of indie music the most?
• Is pop music losing its popularity? If so, why?
• Three factors that affected your choice of a favorite genre .
• Which artists are the most prominent in power metal?
• Which record label is the most influential now? 
• Can Justin Bieber’s songs be considered legendary?
• Did Kanye West introduce a new kind of rap?
• Which rock bands lost their fame because of a scandal ? How did it happen?
• Discuss Dire Straits’ impact on music history .
• Who are currently the most successful women pop singers ?
• Why are some music genres more popular than others?
• What does success in the music world depend on? 

Topics for a Persuasive Essay about Music

Is there anything music-related you want to convince people of? A persuasive paper is your chance. Carefully craft your arguments to show your readers you’ve always been right about the beauty of cowbells. If it’s not your jam, consider these essay topics about music:

• A seven-string guitar is superior to a six-string one. The additional string gives more room for creativity. It might be challenging to master, but in the end, the music has a fuller sound . Do you think it’s worth the effort?
• The lyrics don’t matter as long as the melody is good. It’s possible to like songs from different countries, even if the listener doesn’t understand the language. The singing is simply part of the composition. Does this mean that what the vocalist says is unimportant?

• Most people living in big cities neglect country music. People from urban areas tend to think that country music is tasteless. For them, its tunes and lyrics sound too simple. Does the strong association with cowboys, farms, and long roads simply not appeal to the city lifestyle?
• Should rap music be performed only by black people?  The genre hosts a large portion of  African American artists . Not only that, but black rappers are widely considered the best of their craft. Do white artists do the genre justice? 
• Music that artists make merely to get money is soulless. Passion is a critical factor for every musician. If money is the primary driver for creating a song , the result is inevitably flawed. Do you agree?
• Pop music is undergoing a transformation. Listeners acknowledge pop as the primary genre of contemporary music . Yet, new musical instruments are changing the game. Even the lyrics touch on more serious topics than before.
• Indie is the new pop. Indie music is a relatively novel genre. Still, it continues to gain popularity. The light-hearted tunes paired with existential lyrics have captured the audience’s hearts. Is it possible to envision the future of music without bands such as Coldplay, The 1975, and the Arctic Monkeys?
• The meaning of freedom for jazz as a musical genre .
• Punk rock has recently witnessed a renaissance.
• Exposing plants to classical music makes them grow faster.
• Classical music: intellectually stimulating or relaxing ?
• Is it justified that some countries legally prohibit artists from performing?
• Is it easier for children to learn with music? 
• Can a person ever become a great artist without a natural talent ?
• Should workplaces allow their employees to listen to background music ?
• Jimi Hendrix’s guitar skills are still unmatched.
• The impact of pop music on European culture and trends.
• Kurt Cobain’s death should have been a wake-up call for the music industry .
• Why is music beneficial to society?
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s legacy can be felt even today.
• Nintendocore is a legitimate genre that the industry should take more seriously.
• Should you listen to a bands’ music even if you disagree with their opinions ?
• Musicians should receive more government support.
• Patriotic songs make people feel passionate and energetic about their country.
• Depressive and sad tunes can worsen a person’s mood.
• Doctors and therapists need to understand the importance of music. 

Music Evaluation Essay Topics

Do you want to know how to evaluate music? The point is to divide your overall impression into several parts. Music evaluation requires much attention and concentration, so try to do your best to stay focused while listening.

Use these criteria for evaluating music performances:

Now all you need to do is choose a topic and get down to writing!

• Discuss the rise and fall of hardcore punk. Many bands that started in the hardcore punk scene softened their sound over time. Why did this genre disappear from the mainstream?
• Copyright laws are going too far .  It’s getting increasingly difficult to use somebody else’s intellectual property. Creators on YouTube have to fear lawsuits for creatively repurposing copyrighted music. Moreover, laws such as the DMCA are frequently abused to generate revenues. 
• More bands should use their influence for political purposes. Renowned artists have a broad reach. Bands like Rise Against or Anti Flag use this influence to raise political awareness among their fans. Is it a fair approach?  
• Borrowing and plagiarism in contemporary music . New artists don’t emerge without having listened to other musicians. They draw inspiration from their predecessors. Thus, songs are always a mix of already existing tracks. In your essay, discuss the difference between homage and plagiarism.
• What are the similarities between poetry and song lyrics? Songs and poems are similar in that they deliver a message to the audience. Their creation demands extensive knowledge of rhyming, literary devices, and other components.
• Why do some musicians ask others to write lyrics for them? It is a common practice to have a crew of songwriters who create texts for performers. Sometimes it happens due to a lack of imagination or inspiration. Does finding out that your favorite artist doesn’t write their lyrics destroy the magic of their music?
• How can popular music diversify as a genre? Pop music reached its peak. Adding and borrowing elements from different genres can be one way to diversify a streamlined genre.
• The history of music as political propaganda. 
• Explain the difference between high and low contemporary music culture .
• How is contemporary music related to that from other periods?
• What are the connections between pop music and the hip-hop genre?
• What connects popular music and contemporary culture ?
• How does music in the United States relate to Spanish music ?
• Analyze the evolution of Indian music .
• Discuss why certain albums manage to climb to the top of the charts.
• The link between social classes and musical genres. 
• Differences and similarities of music and other art forms .
• How does a musical instrument’s origin influence its development?
• What is the role of traditional music today?

• What are the main processes in music production? 
• How is music theory relevant today?
• Analyze which contemporary artists’ albums had an effect comparable to that of Queen’s A Night at the Opera .
• Eurodance: Europe’s most extravagant genre.
• Songs and everyday life of Michael Jackson vs. Madonna: who wins the ultimate pop crown?
• What difficulties has Eminem faced throughout his career?
• Over-ear headphones provide a better sound experience than on-ear ones.

Topics for an Expository Essay on Music

An expository essay explains or describes a subject. In the colorful world of music, topics can range from the physics of sound waves to artists’ social impact.

• The importance of Blues music in the late 19 th  century and now.  Blues originated in the 19 th  century American South. It was an outlet for  African Americans to express their sorrows. Later, it exceeded by far the cultural boundaries that confined it. 
• The role of music in prison camps.  Singing was an essential part of life in the Nazi concentration camps. One of the most well-known songs of that time is called  Peat Bog Soldiers . In your expository essay, explore why prisoners started singing and how it developed.  
• How did Chester Bennington’s death impact the music industry? Linkin Park was a giant in the business for decades until depression made their lead singer take his own life. The event sparked debates surrounding mental health and pressure in the creative industry. What long-lasting effects did these discussions have?
• How did Baroque music reflect the zeitgeist? Compared to the Renaissance period, Baroque was in all aspects very pompous. The artists of the Sun King’s time didn’t shy away from the extravaganza. This ideal is especially prominent in architecture. How does music fit into the picture?
• Investigate the development of musical harmony. The Ancient Greeks already had an idea of some tones fitting together better than others. However, it wasn’t until the 1600s that tonality became a crucial part of music theory.
• Music in commercials: an analysis. Songs and jingles are commonplace in TV commercials. But what are they good for? In your essay, you can compare the success of advertisements with and without music.
• What causes music trends to change? It’s easy to define various eras of music . Naturally, the invention of new instruments has influenced this development. What other factors played a role in these transformations?
• Why is 4/4 a universal beat?
• Examine the origins of The Star-Spangled Banner .
• The effects of dissonance on the human mind .
• How do staccato, legato, and other forms of articulation influence the perception of a musical piece? 
• Discuss the significance of music in video games. 
• Music drives people’s motivation.
• Explain the calming effects of nature sounds .
• How does music influence literature? 
• Celtic music is known to have an extraordinary impact on the psyche. How does it work?
• How does music impact the discharge of hormones such as dopamine?
• Music therapy is suitable for those who have bipolar disorder. 
• What made Falco such a unique artist?
• How does the perception of a silent film differ from that of a movie with sound? 
• A rock concert by Kansas: How the relevance of live concerts changed over time. 
• Is being able to read music important for a composer ?
• How did Beethoven write music after losing his hearing?
• Should all songs have proper rhythm and structure?
• Why do so many indie artists become commercial? 
• Is it essential for song lyrics to rhyme?

History of Music: Essay Topics

If you’re interested in the evolution of music, you’ve come to the right section. Historical research reveals the significance of music throughout time. Unsurprisingly, songs and melodies have been part of human culture for centuries. Dive deeper into this exciting subject with one of the following ideas:

• How did the Catholic Church influence music development in Europe? During the Middle Ages , religious movements had a significant impact on music. Consequently, composers used to create more sacred music. It became a way of personal expression since it often contained religious texts. 
• The cultural meaning of Renaissance music and its influence on other styles . During the time of the Renaissance , sacred and secular music heavily impacted each other. As a result, more variety emerged. The chanson and madrigal, for example, became popular around Europe.
• Research archaeological findings of early musicality.  The search for the oldest musical instrument delivers thrilling insights. Archaeologists have excavated a flute made of ivory and bird bones, dating approximately 43,000 years ago. They found it in a cave in Germany where Neanderthals lived.  
• History of early music and appearance of  musical instruments.  The beginning of the human culture was the turning point of  musical instruments’ appearance. They were primarily used for spiritual rites; typically, they were horns or drums for ceremonies.
• Louis Armstrong’s contributions to the jazz world.  Jazz originated in  New Orleans and was a favorite among African Americans. Louis Armstrong’s improvisations forever changed the genre, making the soloist-improviser the center of the performance.
• The phenomenon of pop music and its origins. Popular music dates back to the second half of the last century. It comes from the US and the UK. Its main peculiarity lies in the variety of tunes and lyrics .
• Native American music before the discovery of the New World . Incas and Aztecs had particular styles of music. Findings show that these ancient civilizations used instruments for ceremonies. Researchers also discovered that various American cultures mingled, thus creating new techniques. 
• The use of string instruments in classical Greek songwriting.
• Famous composers of 18th century Italy and their influence. 
• Mozart vs. Beethoven: comparison of techniques.
• Deliver a thoughtful analysis of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony .
• What role do acoustic instruments play in jazz compositions?
• Explore the history of the Ocarina.
• Due to what circumstances did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart become one of the greatest musical geniuses in history?
• Influence of the Romantic period on modern music.   
• How and why were the swing era and jazz connected?
• Rock and roll as an international language in the 20th century.
• Explore the rise of techno music.
• Is there a historical connection between music and math? 
• How did music become a staple subject in many schools?
• The greatest musicians of World War I. 
• Industrialization and its effect on music development.
• How did female producers such as Kate Bush impact the music industry?
• Analyze Frédéric Chopin’s contribution to classical music .
• Music evolution in ancient Greece vs. the Roman Empire. 
• How does archeology help to uncover musical traditions ?
• Tupac’s influence on modern rap music .

Classification Essay about Music: Topic Ideas

In a classification essay, you explain how a whole relates to parts or vice versa. To do it, you need to divide one broad category into several subcategories. Each classification paragraph focuses on one subcategory, so you need to find a key feature that will be your basis of division. For example, you can divide music by genre, volume, musical instruments, etc.

Here is our list of musical topics for this essay type:

• The most popular types of alternative music among teenagers.  Naturally, teens like different kinds of rock and experimental music . Try to dig deeper and ask some teenagers about their preferences to get a clear picture.  
• Types of modern dance music . Describe the tendencies and popular genres. You can also focus on a specific country.
• The most popular types of jazz music in Europe.  Although jazz emerged in the United States, this genre became recognizable all over the world. You can analyze the most popular streamed songs, or the concerts and other mass events.
• Rock music in the ’70s.  You can describe the genres, styles, or types of performers. The concerts, clothes, and lifestyles are also suitable for this topic. 
• Blues musicians of different time periods. Analyze the lyrics, the musical instruments they used, and how long their careers lasted.
• Classification of music for children . Some of it can be for dancing, development, or just listening. Research the purposes of different kinds of music for children.
• Types of music used in films. The soundtrack is one of the main things we remember after watching a movie. There can be popular songs or tracks composed specifically for a film .
• Rock bands that represent different subgenres.
• Rap subgenres in the United States.
• Periods of classical music.
• What motivates people to start a musical career?
• Different kinds of music for relaxation.
• The industries where composers work .
• Types of opera singers and instrumental music. 
• Different professions in the music industry.  
• Unpopular genres of independent music.
• Different types of music listeners .

College Essay about Music: Topics

When you apply to your dream college, you need to write an impressive essay. Admissions officers pay attention not only to your grades and achievements but also to your personality. Your writing can indicate your motivation, academic interests, and how well you fit into the college.  Writing an essay about “music in my life” is a great way to demonstrate your passion and creativity.  

Choose one of these topics related to music for your college essay:

• The role of music in your life . Describe what music means to you, how often you listen to it, and how it helps you in life. For example, you can write about inspiration, motivation, or the sense of freedom that it gives you.
• What are the essential aspects of music for you? Try to write down everything you like about music. It might be melodies, lyrics, vocals, or mood. You can choose several aspects if you feel that you can’t decide.
• The time when music changed your life.  In this essay, you can pick one occurrence or describe how music changed your life gradually. It’s important to indicate where you started from and where it led you. 
• How do you see the future of the music industry? Demonstrate to the admissions officer how well you know the art and the business.
• Your  role model  in the music industry.  You may write about the qualities of the person you admire and why you want to develop them in yourself. Remember that admission officers want to read about you, not your idol.  
• How did your musical  taste change over the last ten years?  Describe the evolution of your preferences. Explain why you have changed some of your past choices. Do you think your musical taste has improved?  
• Your favorite musical genre .
• Does listening to music help to heal body and spirit?
• What is the best music performance you have ever seen?
• Why do people become fans of particular musicians?
• Your favorite song lyrics .
• Can people be judged by their musical taste?
• Why is music an essential part of human culture? 
• Quote about music that appeals to you the most. 
• How can music education help you in the future?
• Do you prefer listening to music or performing it? 
• How can music change your mood?
• Why you want to become a musician.
• Which culture has the most beautiful ethnical music?  
• Is music more of an art or business?
• What are the essential parts of musical education ?

Other Music Essay Topics

• Why do supermarkets play music? Think of the reasons why marketers use music in advertising and how it impacts customer behavior.
• An analysis of Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music . Evaluate how the director uses music to tell a story.
• The impact of music on the human brain.  Examine the latest research in the mental health field and how music therapy affects depression treatments. 
• The workings of the music industry . Assess how contemporary audio technology and touring lifestyle affect musicians.
• The role of music in different cultures. Choose and compare two countries to analyze their perspectives on the music industry.
• Music on television . Evaluate how the music of TV shows and movies impacts the audience’s feelings and behavior.
• Oliver Sacks’ contribution to music psychology. Explore the theories he discusses in Musicophilia and describe its influence on music psychology.
• Should all music be available for free download? Think about the ethical and legal aspects of this issue.
• How did music psychology help the development of music education ? Try to find a correlation between these two fields.
• Britney Spears and the adverse effects of teen popularity. Writing about this topic, you might want to focus on how her early fame affected her life. What happened after her famous breakdown in 2007?
• The half-life of one-hit-wonders. Focus your paper on quantitative research. How long do one-hit-wonders stay famous on average? Why do they fail to maintain their success?
• Journalism and the music industry. Examine the effects positive or negative press had on a musician of your choice.
• Festivals and sponsorship.  Discuss the benefits that corporate sponsors and the creators of music festivals gain from working together. 
• Rock songs and pessimistic lyrics.  Why do most popular rock songs have such sad and angry lyrics? 
• Discuss the development of your music taste. Write about what pushed you to change and how it influenced your life.
• The psychology of music.  Examine what someone’s favorite music genre can tell about their personality.
• Is ASMR music? ASMR artists make quiet sounds to soothe their audience. But can we really consider it music?
• A historical analysis of jazz. Explore how African Americans influenced the flourishing culture of jazz that has spread worldwide.
• The effect of classical music on children’s cognitive abilities. Supposedly, classical music is great for kids. Study this theory and make your conclusions.
• Discuss the characteristics of modern Latin American music . Dive into its diversity and describe the reasons for its popularity.
• How do Chinese artists make traditional music? Write about its complex creation process. Analyze the importance of articulation for composers.
• The history of music . With this essay, explore the six periods of music history. To top it off, you can predict what music will be like in the future.
• The music industry goes online. Discuss the importance of the internet for the industry and the challenges associated with it.
• The magic of instrumental music. Pick your favorite orchestra pieces and find unique features in each of them.
• Musical education: the sound of success?  Does everyone need a musical background?
• Explore the latest techniques in songwriting . Look into the song creation process of contemporary musicians. How do they get the audience to enjoy their art?
• Compare and contrast e-pianos and keyboards. In doing so, consider their structure, sound, and features. 
• The Woodstock festival as a game-changer. How has the Woodstock Music and Art Fair influenced the current state of the music industry? Additionally, investigate how current festivals hold up to the standards set by Woodstock.
• Music therapy for stroke patients . Find out whether incorporating elements of music therapy can support the treatment of patients who suffered a stroke.
• How do amplifiers work? If you’re a musician, you’ve likely used an amplifier before. Now it’s time to figure out what they are actually doing.
• The Killers’ contributions to indie rock. How would you define their style of music? What makes them a key player in indie music?
• Analyze the music in Grease . Pick some of the most popular songs from the musical and write about their influence on American culture.
• What’s the best way to interpret songs?  Describe methods to deconstruct songs and how the music style affects this process. 
• Teufel vs. Sennheiser: the ultimate comparison.  German sound equipment manufacturers are known for their cutting-edge technologies. But which brand is the best? 
• What role does harmony play in music composition? Choose several pieces of music and describe how the artists used harmony.
• How necessary are double bass drums? Do musicians place them on stage just to impress people, or do they have actual use?
• Compare regular festivals and free ones. Why spend hundreds of dollars on Coachella if you can go to Woodstock for free? In your essay, focus on the differences such as size, participating artists, and general entertainment .
• A historical analysis of choral music.  Singing in groups is a practice common across various cultures. You might choose one or two to work on.
• How did The Rolling Stones influence British culture? The Rolling Stones are one of the longest-standing rock bands of all time. Naturally, this left significant marks on their home country.
• How important are regional accents for English-language singers ? When working on this theoretical topic, include some examples and your personal opinion.
• The world of musical instruments: medieval music.  This fun essay can focus on different types of medieval instruments and their evolution. 
• Does the creative process differ for electronic and acoustic music? Look at how artists usually write songs. Do they start with the melody, the rhythm, or the lyrics? Does it depend on the medium? 
• The correlation between poems and medieval songs.  Find out how composers were reinventing poetry to create songs. 
• Hip-hop and gender equality . What is the role of women in the development of this music style? Don’t forget to give examples.
• When politics interferes with art: Eurovision. Analyze the role of the political situation in this song contest. Is there anything left of its original idea?
• How did Vladimir Vysotsky become a beloved musical figure outside of Soviet Russia? It’s unusual for Russian-language musicians to gain fame outside of their home country. Research how Vysotsky managed to mingle in the USA and have some of his work posthumously released in Europe.
• K-pop conquers the world .  You may narrow the topic down to a specific artist. Focus on the influence of Korean music in other cultures. 
• Music school students vs. amateurs. Discuss the different experiences and outcomes of music school students and those who learn to play instruments at home.
• Do music choices shape one’s identity , or is it the other way around? It’s an exciting question that lets you dig deep into the psychology of music.
• The music of dissents.  Energizing songs play an essential part in rebellions and revolutions. For example, analyze how protesters used music during the Arab Spring.
• The development and popularity of electronic music.  Starting from the early experiments, analyze the development of this style and its increasing influence 
• How do artists use social media to promote their music? You might want to choose one or two examples to illustrate the tools they use.
• Organum as one of the oldest written types of music . Study the development of this music style throughout various cultures.
• The appeal of Metallica’s  Nothing Else Matters. Many people consider the song one of their favorites. Examine its structure, melody, and lyrics. What makes it unique? 
• Africa’s hidden musical gems.   African  music is as diverse as its people. Pick two countries and compare their style. How do they differ from Western art? 
• Did people’s music  tastes improve compared to previous decades?  Here, you have the chance to express your views on the evolution of people’s music preferences.
• Is the life of pop stars as easy as people think? Share your thoughts on whether famous musicians and singers have a leisurely lifestyle.
• Physiological reactions to different types of music . Study how your body reacts to various beats and tones.
• Why do people tend to listen to specific songs on certain occasions? In your essay, ponder the effects of love songs or powerful anthems on one’s  mood . 
• What does someone’s ringtone say about their personality ? Think about how it affects your perception of a person.
• The impact of music on the individual’s  productivity .  Studies suggest a positive effect on people’s performance when they listen to something pleasant while working. But all the noise can get overstimulating. That’s why finding the balance is central. 
• Music is natural. In the depth of nature, there is music. Rain, a bird’s song, or the tapping of a squirrel’s feet melt together to create a beautiful composition. Music is everywhere—one only needs to listen carefully. 

If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to use our topic generator .

✍️ Music Essay: How to Write

So, you have chosen your essay title. Now it’s time to start writing! But before you begin, read the sections below and learn how to organize your work.

How to Describe Music in Writing

You might think that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Well, it is not an easy task, but we know how to cope with it.

Follow these tips while writing:

• Make a comparison.  Explain which characteristics of a piece remind you or are identical to those of another one. It’s better to avoid comparing music from different composers in this case. Instead, evaluate and analyze two musical pieces from the same composer.
• Describe the melody and dynamics.  You may want to use musical terms to show your knowledge and proficiency. Define the genre and what kind of instruments and tones are used.
• Explain how it makes you feel.  You can use basic human emotions to describe the feelings of a listener. For example, it can be anger, tenderness, irritation, excitement, or nostalgia.
• Use metaphorical language.  You may try using your imagination to create analogies. Be careful not to make your metaphors overcomplicated, as it may confuse the readers.

Essays about Music: Descriptive Words

Do you want your essay on music to be interesting and expressive? Then you may want to use descriptive vocabulary. Here are some of the terms that you can use in your essay to make it sound more professional:

• Tempo is the “speed” of music. There are fixed expressions to define tempo—for example, largo, moderate, or presto. You can also describe how fast the music feels.
• Timbre is the term that evaluates the “color” of music. Even if two instruments play the same note of the same volume, the sound is still different. This is how you can notice the color of the tone. For example, gentle, clear, heavy, or warm can be the adjectives to describe timbre.
• Dynamics define the volume levels of music. The volume can be the same all the time, for example loud or soft. If the volume of music changes, you can use such expressions as “gradually gets louder” “or suddenly becomes soft.”
• Harmony characterizes how all the notes and chords sound together. The sequence of chords—chord progression—defines how satisfying the melody is for the listener. For example, if the transitions are smooth, you can use such words as “relaxed” or “warm.”

Music Essay Outline

Like any other assignment, writing about music requires a proper essay outline that will guide you through the writing. The following sections will help you with that.

Before you start, here are some tips that will help you prepare for writing:

• Do some prior research. Try to learn as much as possible about the piece you will be writing about. It’s also helpful to listen to the music several times with headphones to notice more details.
• Don’t be afraid of asking questions. Consult your instructor if you’re unsure about your topic or the piece you have chosen.
• Choose the topic that you like. If you’re passionate about a subject, it is always easier to write about it. Who said that homework could not be interesting?
• Follow the recommendations that your instructor gives. It includes word limit, formatting style, deadline, and essay type.

Music Essay Introduction

The introduction is the section where you come up with a brief explanation of the topic. You may start it with a quotation, definition, or short statement that catches your reader’s attention and leads them to the essay subject.

A thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction that defines the content of body paragraphs. It needs to be specific and not longer than two sentences. If you decide to shift the focus of your essay while writing, it’s crucial to change your thesis too.

Different types of essays require different thesis statements. Let’s take a closer look:

Music Essay Body

Your essay’s body is the most significant part of your writing. Here, you provide evidence and explanations of your claims.

The typical body paragraph structure includes:

• A topic sentence explaining the argument for a particular paragraph.
• An introduction to the evidence you gathered to support an argument.
• Quotes and facts (don’t forget about proper citation!) and their explanation.
• A connection between the evidence and the essay topic.
• Paragraph transitions  leading your reader to the next section.

Topic Sentence about Music

Topic sentences can be used as a roadmap to writing your essay. Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that defines what the paragraph is about. It introduces the argument or main thought that will be explained. It’s also connected with the thesis statement.

It’s essential to make your thesis easy to understand, so it’s better not to overcomplicate it. For example, here’s an unsuccessful topic sentence with unnecessary words:

As stated above, the guitar is an essential musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Instead, you can formulate it like this:

The guitar is the most iconic musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Music Essay Conclusion

When writing a conclusion for your essay on music, you can use the following structure:

• Summarize the text in a few sentences.
• Review the key points of your paper.
• Paraphrase the thesis.

To make your essay conclusion more effective, avoid the following:

📑 What Music Means to Me: Essay Example

Now you know all about writing an essay on music! To make it even easier for you, we’ve prepared an essay sample that you can use for inspiration. Check it out:

Now all you need is to turn the music on and get down to writing! We hope you liked this guide. If you did, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

Further reading:

• How to Write a Good Critique Paper: Killer Tips + Examples
• How to Write an Art Critique Essay: Guidelines and Examples
• How to Write a Movie Critique Paper: Top Tips + Example
• Modern Fairy Tale Essay: How to Write, Topics and Ideas
• 200 Creative Topics for Opinion Essays
• 182 Free Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
• 180 Excellent Evaluation Essay Topics

✏️ Music Essay FAQ

Music is a vast topic. An essay might deal with anything ranging from trends in the 1950s to the best guitarists of all time. Writing an introduction to certain music styles or bands is also possible. In any case, the paper should be well-structured, logical, and cohesive.

Writing about music doesn’t necessarily require any specific skills. If you’re not familiar with the theory of music and can’t play musical instruments, you can just write about the music you like. Here are some topic ideas: favorite music band, style, or how you perceive music.

You can interpret music as a topic in various ways. If you are getting a degree in this field, you might want to write something more specific and technical. If your essay aims to merely inform and entertain, write about your favorite music style or band.

If you are writing an essay for school, a good choice would be an expository essay. It doesn’t require any specific knowledge of the music industry. Title suggestions might be: “My perception of music,” “My favorite band,” “How music can change the world.”

• What is the Music Industry? Definition and Facts: Study.com
• What Music Do You Write To?: Writers & Artists
• A Music Review: British Council
• Music: UNC Writing Center: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Sound and Sense: Writing about Music: Colorado State University
• Music analysis Research Papers: Academia.edu
• The Power of Music Therapy: Belmont University
• Musicology: Northwestern Bienen School of Music
• Musicology: Areas of Study: Indiana State University
• Music Facts: Facts.net
• Music History from Primary Sources: Library of Congress
• Music: Encyclopedia Britannica
• A History of Classical Music: Part 1: The List
• What Is Jazz: Smithsonian Institution
• The 50 Greatest Composers of All Time: Classical Music
• Musical Terms and Concepts: SUNY Potsdam
• Ethnomusicology: University of Oxford
• Music Research Process: Syracuse University
• Journal of Popular Music Studies: University of California Press
• The History of Pop Music in 5 Defining Decades: The Culture Trip
• Music of the 20 th Century: Lumen Learning
• Explainer: Indie Music: The Conversation
• Your Brain on Music: University of Central Florida
• Music and Health: Harvard University
• The Psychological Function of Music Listening: NIH
• Essays that Worked: Hamilton
• Writing in Music: Writing Thesis Statements: The City University of New York
• Academic Writing about Music: University of Denver
• How to Write Song Lyrics: Berklee
• Essay Introduction: University of Maryland
• Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue University
• Writing Body Paragraphs: Monash University
• Some Tips for Writing Efficient, Effective Body Paragraphs: University of California, Berkeley
• Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
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Thank you very much for this post on music essay writing! You don’t know how long I looked for the helpful information on writing music essays!

Music takes an important part in my life. I wake up and go to bed listening to music. And now when I’m writing my music essay, I also listen to music. And it’s also a pleasure to read an article on how to write an essay on music!

Essay on Music for Students and Children

500+ words essay on music.

Music is a vital part of different moments of human life. It spreads happiness and joy in a person’s life. Music is the soul of life and gives immense peace to us. In the words of William Shakespeare, “If music is the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.” Thus, Music helps us in connecting with our souls or real self.

What is Music?

Music is a pleasant sound which is a combination of melodies and harmony and which soothes you. Music may also refer to the art of composing such pleasant sounds with the help of the various musical instruments. A person who knows music is a Musician.

The music consists of Sargam, Ragas, Taals, etc. Music is not only what is composed of men but also which exists in nature. Have you ever heard the sound of a waterfall or a flowing river ? Could you hear music there? Thus, everything in harmony has music. Here, I would like to quote a line by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest musicians, “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.”

Importance of Music:

Music has great qualities of healing a person emotionally and mentally. Music is a form of meditation. While composing or listening music ones tends to forget all his worries, sorrows and pains. But, in order to appreciate good music, we need to cultivate our musical taste. It can be cited that in the Dwapar Yug, the Gopis would get mesmerized with the music that flowed from Lord Krishna’s flute. They would surrender themselves to Him. Also, the research has proved that the plants which hear the Music grow at a faster rate in comparison to the others.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Magical Powers of Music:

It has the power to cure diseases such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. The power of Music can be testified by the legends about Tansen of his bringing the rains by singing Raag Megh Malhar and lighting lamps by Raga Deepak. It also helps in improving the concentration and is thus of great help to the students.

Conclusion:

Music is the essence of life. Everything that has rhythm has music. Our breathing also has a rhythm. Thus, we can say that there is music in every human being or a living creature. Music has the ability to convey all sorts of emotions to people. Music is also a very powerful means to connect with God. We can conclude that Music is the purest form of worship of God and to connect with our soul.

FAQs on Essay on Music:

Q.1. Why is Music known as the Universal Language?

Ans.1. Music is known as the Universal language because it knows no boundaries. It flows freely beyond the barriers of language, religion, country, etc. Anybody can enjoy music irrespective of his age.

Q.2. What are the various styles of Music in India?

Ans.2. India is a country of diversities. Thus, it has numerous styles of music. Some of them are Classical, Pop, Ghazals, Bhajans, Carnatic, Folk, Khyal, Thumri, Qawwali, Bhangra, Drupad, Dadra, Dhamar, Bandish, Baithak Gana, Sufi, Indo Jazz, Odissi, Tarana, Sugama Sangeet, Bhavageet, etc.

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Pop Music (Essay Sample) 2023

Table of Contents

How Can I Get Essay For Free and Is it realistic to expect a low-cost, High-Quality Essay from a Cheap Paper Writing Service ?

Pop music is always around us. From the term itself, “pop” as in popular. These are the songs we hear daily, wherever they go. These are the ones that reach the top charts. Yet aside from the technical definition of being popular, the term pop is already considered as a quality of music. You can hear some people say “that song sounds so pop” which means that the song has a quality to it that may be upbeat or fun.

Pop music, whether people listen to it indirectly or not, is always on our minds. These are the tunes that we usually carry in our head that keep on playing even it was already hours after hearing it on the radio. The thing about pop music is the people who sing it. In the entertainment world, we have artists that are known to be icons of pop. Their images are the first one we imagine when we think of pop music. These personalities are of course branded to be easy on both the eyes and the ears. There are some icons who maintain their identities throughout many decades and some are just one hit wonders that we continue to involuntarily sing to every day.

Popular music is a part of popular culture. Popular culture is built on the interests of the people that is also linked on how it becomes a source of profit. Pop icons are known to be the richest in the industry because of how they focus on appearing on mainstream media. The quality of their music is easily appreciated by all which is why their album sales are always on the rise. At the end of the day, these pop icons are icons we always remember because pop music has the sense of being memorable.

The thing that is easy to notice is the themes that pop songs carry. The songs are diverse at best but some may have content that stand out among the rest. Love songs become easily famous because of the well thought lyrics and gentle melody. Some songs by boy bands get so famous because of the boy bands themselves. The band becomes an instrument in selling their own music and craft. People build great fan bases that become a space where people with the same interests meet. There are those who are called fan boys and fan girls that dedicate a big chunk of their lives in knowing the lives of those that they idolize. For every famous icon, there is a fan base that also serves as a support group for that artist. Aside from this, there are also pop songs that become controversial. It is because of the content or the image of the artist itself. There was a time that a song sparked outrage from the community. Apparently, the song was talking about non-consent among relationships and even the artist was no apologetic for it. One thing that is easy to remember in the pop music industry is that the artist and his work cannot be easily separated. The artist is a performer which is why he would always be subject to scrutiny.

All in all, popular music is not a bad thing. Despite it not being a cup of tea for everyone, the attention that is focused on it is undeniable. Pop music traverses all genres and forms of music as well as media. It is also translated in film and other things that we witness day by day. As artists continue to perform, pop music would always have its image that tries to be both pleasing and flashy in order to be easily remembered by all.a

All of Billie Eilish’s senses are alive on the ravishing ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’

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Billie Eilish has been singing about looking — and being looked at — for nearly half her life.

Now 22, she broke out at 13 when her song “Ocean Eyes” went viral on SoundCloud; “Bad Guy,” the smash single from her star-making 2019 debut album, scoffed at the suspicions of a crush’s girlfriend: “You said she’s scared of me? I mean, I don’t see what she sees.”

Eilish is still pondering the illusory nature of perception on “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her third studio LP in a career that’s already brought her nine Grammys, two Oscars and more than 100 million followers on Instagram. The album opens with “Skinny,” a breathy ballad in which she observes that “people say I look happy just because I got skinny.” Disappointed but not surprised, she’s continuing her thoughts on celebrity from 2021’s “ Happier Than Ever ,” which arrived as part of a wave of high-profile records (including ones by Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde) questioning the healthiness of pop’s social media era.

“The internet is hungry for the meanest kind of funny,” she sighs in “Skinny,” “And somebody’s gotta feed it.”

Yet as its title suggests, the ravishing “Hit Me Hard and Soft” moves beyond looking to explore the more tactile pleasures and risks of Eilish’s other senses. Sequenced intentionally, no doubt, right after “Skinny,” “Lunch” is a funky come-on about enjoying a woman’s body — “She dances on my tongue / Tastes like she might be the one” — while the rootsy “Wildflower” compares her involvement in a love triangle to the torture of being burned alive: “You say no one knows you so well,” she goes on, “But every time you touch me I just wonder how she felt.”

With 10 songs in just under 45 minutes — a study in crispness here in the age of “ Cowboy Carter ” and “ The Tortured Poets Department ” — Eilish’s album gives the impression of someone who’s accepted the unnatural demands of stardom and wants to figure out how to lead a full life in spite of them.

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“Hit Me Hard and Soft” mostly upholds Eilish’s signature electro-goth sound: the blend of folky guitars, glassy synths and programmed beats she’s been developing with her brother and producer, Finneas, since the two began making music in their parents’ house in Highland Park. But the newfound emotional liberation in her storytelling extends to the adventurous structures of tunes like “L’Amour de Ma Vie,” which starts out as a low-key soul shuffle before transforming into a propulsive rave jam, and “Bittersuite,” which makes good on its title with three distinct parts.

In an unusual decision for this proudly self-contained duo, Eilish and Finneas welcomed contributions in the studio from their touring drummer, Andrew Marshall, and the Attacca string quartet (though both fit seamlessly into the siblings’ established sonic universe). What registers as a bigger shift is the gutsiness of Eilish’s singing: Long known as a committed whisperer, she belts here in a way we’ve never heard from her before; it’s a total thrill to witness her climb up, up, up in “The Greatest,” a thrashing rock song about unrequited love in which she congratulates herself for surviving “all the times I waited for you to want me naked.”

That survivor’s chutzpah surfaces again in the skulking “The Diner,” which she narrates from the imagined perspective of a stalker; the song is filled with unnerving details: “I came in through the kitchen looking for something to eat / I left a calling card so they would know that it was me.” Yet Eilish, who presumably drew from real-life experiences she’s discussed, delivers the song with a smirk. She even offers her version of a breezy summertime bop in “Birds of a Feather,” with a promise of never-ending devotion over lush acoustic guitars set to an easygoing groove.

“I want you to see how you look to me,” she tells her lover — a fresh application for an old instinct.

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Noah Kahan Notches First Adult Pop Airplay Chart No. 1 With ‘Stick Season’

The song first hit No. 2 on Adult Alternative Airplay in 2022.

By Gary Trust

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Even with trees abloom and spring having sprung, Noah Kahan ’s “Stick Season” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard ’s Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated May 25).

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The track marks the Strafford, Vt., native’s first leader on the survey – after it first reached a No. 2 peak on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in November 2022 (two stick seasons ago). Kahan boasts two No. 1s on that tally: “Dial Drunk” for two weeks in September 2023, and “Northern Attitude,” with Hozier, for five weeks this January-February.

Trending on Billboard

This February, “Stick Season” became Kahan’s first Billboard Hot 100 top 10, rising to a No. 9 best in April. (He first hit the chart last June with “Dial Drunk,” which climbed to No. 25 in August.)

The new leader’s parent album of the same name, on Mercury/Republic Records, has maintained a steady presence on the Billboard 200 albums chart, boosted by multiple extended editions. It debuted at No. 14 in October 2022 and hit a No. 2 high this March. It has spent the past 19 weeks in the top 10, dating to the survey dated Jan. 13. To date, the set has earned 2.3 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate.

“It’s been an unbelievable year-and-a-half now … a whirlwind of attention and wonderful outpouring of love from fans,” Kahan told Billboard in September. Of crafting Stick Season through the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, “There was a feeling in the studio of, like, ‘Woah, this is something special.’ I felt so creatively in control … and I think, at the time, I couldn’t see that as a sign of success or relatability. It just felt so right for me that I was fine with whatever happened.”

All Billboard charts dated May 25 will update Tuesday, May 21, on Billboard.com.

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What is ChatGPT? Here's everything you need to know about ChatGPT, the chatbot everyone's still talking about

• ChatGPT is getting a futuristic human update. 
• ChatGPT has drawn users at a feverish pace and spurred Big Tech to release other AI chatbots.
• Here's how ChatGPT works — and what's coming next.

OpenAI's blockbuster chatbot ChatGPT is getting a new update. 

On Monday, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o for ChatGPT, a new version of the bot that can hold conversations with users in a very human tone. The new version of the chatbot will also have vision abilities.

The futuristic reveal quickly prompted jokes about parallels to the movie "Her," with some calling the chatbot's new voice " cringe ."

The move is a big step for the future of AI-powered virtual assistants, which tech companies have been racing to develop.

Since its release in 2022, hundreds of millions of people have experimented with the tool, which is already changing how the internet looks and feels to users.

Users have flocked to ChatGPT to improve their personal lives and boost productivity . Some workers have used the AI chatbot to develop code , write real estate listings , and create lesson plans, while others have made teaching the best ways to use ChatGPT a career all to itself.

ChatGPT offers dozens of plug-ins to those who subscribe to ChatGPT Plus subscription. An Expedia one can help you book a trip, while an OpenTable one will get nab you a dinner reservation. And last month, OpenAI launched Code Interpreter, a version of ChatGPT that can code and analyze data .

While the personal tone of conversations with an AI bot like ChatGPT can evoke the experience of chatting with a human, the technology, which runs on " large language model tools, " doesn't speak with sentience and doesn't "think" the way people do. 

That means that even though ChatGPT can explain quantum physics or write a poem on command, a full AI takeover isn't exactly imminent , according to experts.

"There's a saying that an infinite number of monkeys will eventually give you Shakespeare," said Matthew Sag, a law professor at Emory University who studies copyright implications for training and using large language models like ChatGPT.

"There's a large number of monkeys here, giving you things that are impressive — but there is intrinsically a difference between the way that humans produce language, and the way that large language models do it," he said. 

Chatbots like ChatGPT are powered by large amounts of data and computing techniques to make predictions to string words together in a meaningful way. They not only tap into a vast amount of vocabulary and information, but also understand words in context. This helps them mimic speech patterns while dispatching an encyclopedic knowledge. 

Other tech companies like Google and Meta have developed their own large language model tools, which use programs that take in human prompts and devise sophisticated responses.

Despite the AI's impressive capabilities, some have called out OpenAI's chatbot for spewing misinformation , stealing personal data for training purposes , and even encouraging students to cheat and plagiarize on their assignments. 

Some recent efforts to use chatbots for real-world services have proved troubling. In 2023, the mental health company Koko came under fire after its founder wrote about how the company used GPT-3 in an experiment to reply to users. 

Koko cofounder Rob Morris hastened to clarify on Twitter that users weren't speaking directly to a chatbot, but that AI was used to "help craft" responses. 

Read Insider's coverage on ChatGPT and some of the strange new ways that both people and companies are using chat bots: 

The tech world's reception to ChatGPT:

Microsoft is chill with employees using ChatGPT — just don't share 'sensitive data' with it.

Microsoft's investment into ChatGPT's creator may be the smartest $1 billion ever spent

ChatGPT and generative AI look like tech's next boom. They could be the next bubble.

The ChatGPT and generative-AI 'gold rush' has founders flocking to San Francisco's 'Cerebral Valley'

Insider's experiments: 

I asked ChatGPT to do my work and write an Insider article for me. It quickly generated an alarmingly convincing article filled with misinformation.

I asked ChatGPT and a human matchmaker to redo my Hinge and Bumble profiles. They helped show me what works.

I asked ChatGPT to reply to my Hinge matches. No one responded.

I used ChatGPT to write a resignation letter. A lawyer said it made one crucial error that could have invalidated the whole thing .

Read ChatGPT's 'insulting' and 'garbage' 'Succession' finale script

An Iowa school district asked ChatGPT if a list of books contains sex scenes, and banned them if it said yes. We put the system to the test and found a bunch of problems.

Developments in detecting ChatGPT: 

Teachers rejoice! ChatGPT creators have released a tool to help detect AI-generated writing

A Princeton student built an app which can detect if ChatGPT wrote an essay to combat AI-based plagiarism

Professors want to 'ChatGPT-proof' assignments, and are returning to paper exams and requesting editing history to curb AI cheating

ChatGPT in society: 

BuzzFeed writers react with a mix of disappointment and excitement at news that AI-generated content is coming to the website

ChatGPT is testing a paid version — here's what that means for free users

A top UK private school is changing its approach to homework amid the rise of ChatGPT, as educators around the world adapt to AI

Princeton computer science professor says don't panic over 'bullshit generator' ChatGPT

DoNotPay's CEO says threat of 'jail for 6 months' means plan to debut AI 'robot lawyer' in courtroom is on ice

It might be possible to fight a traffic ticket with an AI 'robot lawyer' secretly feeding you lines to your AirPods, but it could go off the rails

Online mental health company uses ChatGPT to help respond to users in experiment — raising ethical concerns around healthcare and AI technology

What public figures think about ChatGPT and other AI tools:

What Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and 12 other business leaders think about AI tools like ChatGPT

Elon Musk was reportedly 'furious' at ChatGPT's popularity after he left the company behind it, OpenAI, years ago

CEO of ChatGPT maker responds to schools' plagiarism concerns: 'We adapted to calculators and changed what we tested in math class'

A theoretical physicist says AI is just a 'glorified tape recorder' and people's fears about it are overblown

'The most stunning demo I've ever seen in my life': ChatGPT impressed Bill Gates

Ashton Kutcher says your company will probably be 'out of business' if you're 'sleeping' on AI

ChatGPT's impact on jobs: 

AI systems like ChatGPT could impact 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, with administrative and legal roles some of the most at risk, Goldman Sachs report says

Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill

Related stories

ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace.

AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes

It's not AI that is going to take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might, economist says

4 careers where workers will have to change jobs by 2030 due to AI and shifts in how we shop, a McKinsey study says

Companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Meta are paying salaries as high as $900,000 to attract generative AI talent

How AI tools like ChatGPT are changing the workforce:

10 ways artificial intelligence is changing the workplace, from writing performance reviews to making the 4-day workweek possible

Managers who use AI will replace managers who don't, says an IBM exec

How ChatGPT is shaping industries: 

ChatGPT is coming for classrooms, hospitals, marketing departments, and everything else as the next great startup boom emerges

Marketing teams are using AI to generate content, boost SEO, and develop branding to help save time and money, study finds

AI is coming for Hollywood. 'It's amazing to see the sophistication of the images,' one of Christopher Nolan's VFX guy says.

AI is going to offer every student a personalized tutor, founder of Khan Academy says

A law firm was fined $5,000 after one of its lawyers used ChatGPT to write a court brief riddled with fake case references

How workers are using ChatGPT to boost productivity:  

CheatGPT: The hidden wave of employees using AI on the sly

I used ChatGPT to talk to my boss for a week and she didn't notice. Here are the other ways I use it daily to get work done.

I'm a high school math and science teacher who uses ChatGPT, and it's made my job much easier

Amazon employees are already using ChatGPT for software coding. They also found the AI chatbot can answer tricky AWS customer questions and write cloud training materials.

How 6 workers are using ChatGPT to make their jobs easier

I'm a freelance editor who's embraced working with AI content. Here's how I do it and what I charge.

How people are using ChatGPT to make money:

How ChatGPT and other AI tools are helping workers make more money

Here are 5 ways ChatGPT helps me make money and complete time-consuming tasks for my business

ChatGPT course instruction is the newest side hustle on the market. Meet the teachers making thousands from the lucrative gig.

People are using ChatGPT and other AI bots to work side hustles and earn thousands of dollars — check out these 8 freelancing gigs

A guy tried using ChatGPT to turn $100 into a business making 'as much money as possible.' Here are the first 4 steps the AI chatbot gave him

We used ChatGPT to build a 7-figure newsletter. Here's how it makes our jobs easier.

I use ChatGPT and it's like having a 24/7 personal assistant for $20 a month. Here are 5 ways it's helping me make more money.

A worker who uses AI for a $670 monthly side hustle says ChatGPT has 'cut her research time in half'

How companies are navigating ChatGPT: 

From Salesforce to Air India, here are the companies that are using ChatGPT

Amazon, Apple, and 12 other major companies that have restricted employees from using ChatGPT

A consultant used ChatGPT to free up time so she could focus on pitching clients. She landed $128,000 worth of new contracts in just 3 months.

Luminary, an AI-generated pop-up restaurant, just opened in Australia. Here's what's on the menu, from bioluminescent calamari to chocolate mousse.

A CEO is spending more than $2,000 a month on ChatGPT Plus accounts for all of his employees, and he says it's saving 'hours' of time

How people are using ChatGPT in their personal lives:

ChatGPT planned a family vacation to Costa Rica. A travel adviser found 3 glaring reasons why AI won't replace experts anytime soon.

A man who hated cardio asked ChatGPT to get him into running. Now, he's hooked — and he's lost 26 pounds.

A computer engineering student is using ChatGPT to overcome learning challenges linked to her dyslexia

How a coder used ChatGPT to find an apartment in Berlin in 2 weeks after struggling for months

Food blogger Nisha Vora tried ChatGPT to create a curry recipe. She says it's clear the instructions lacked a human touch — here's how.

Men are using AI to land more dates with better profiles and personalized messages, study finds

Lawsuits against OpenAI:

OpenAI could face a plagiarism lawsuit from The New York Times as tense negotiations threaten to boil over, report says

This is why comedian Sarah Silverman is suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT

2 authors say OpenAI 'ingested' their books to train ChatGPT. Now they're suing, and a 'wave' of similar court cases may follow.

A lawsuit claims OpenAI stole 'massive amounts of personal data,' including medical records and information about children, to train ChatGPT

A radio host is suing OpenAI for defamation, alleging that ChatGPT created a false legal document that accused him of 'defrauding and embezzling funds'

Tips on how to write better ChatGPT prompts:

7 ways to use ChatGPT at work to boost your productivity, make your job easier, and save a ton of time

I'm an AI prompt engineer. Here are 3 ways I use ChatGPT to get the best results.

12 ways to get better at using ChatGPT: Comprehensive prompt guide

Here's 9 ways to turn ChatGPT Plus into your personal data analyst with the new Code Interpreter plug-in

OpenAI's ChatGPT can write impressive code. Here are the prompts you should use for the best results, experts say.

Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, has a global deal to allow OpenAI to train its models on its media brands' reporting.

Watch: What is ChatGPT, and should we be afraid of AI chatbots?

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