The Song Machine describes the development of modern pop music, with its "track and hook" composition technique (as opposed to the traditional "melody and lyrics" technique). I was struck by how the current approach, with behind-the-scenes artists building the songs and finding appropriate singers to perform them, is quite similar to how popular music has almost always been constructed (cf. Motown or the Brill Building). The singer-songwriter-musician model, which defines the rock era, is actually the exception.
In the "track and hook" era, a producer puts together a track -- the beat, chord progression, and instrumentation -- and hires one or more "topliners" to write the melody or melodies. The melody comes last instead of first. This approach originated with reggae, and you can see how it applies in rap and hip-hip too.
The book has a lot of insights about the art and business of (pop) music making, and how they have changed and/or stayed the same in the 21st century. These parts are very interesting and a nice companion to books about other musical genres like Rip It Up and Start Again about 1970s and 1980s post-punk. However, The Song Machine also has gossip-y, People Magazine-y stories about the top pop singers like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Rihanna (all women, you'll notice). The circumstances under which Chris Brown beat Rihanna or Kesha sued her producer don't really contribute to our understanding of the music or the music business.
In the "track and hook" era, a producer puts together a track -- the beat, chord progression, and instrumentation -- and hires one or more "topliners" to write the melody or melodies. The melody comes last instead of first. This approach originated with reggae, and you can see how it applies in rap and hip-hip too.
The book has a lot of insights about the art and business of (pop) music making, and how they have changed and/or stayed the same in the 21st century. These parts are very interesting and a nice companion to books about other musical genres like Rip It Up and Start Again about 1970s and 1980s post-punk. However, The Song Machine also has gossip-y, People Magazine-y stories about the top pop singers like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Rihanna (all women, you'll notice). The circumstances under which Chris Brown beat Rihanna or Kesha sued her producer don't really contribute to our understanding of the music or the music business.
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