An exploration into the attitudes towards mainstream music

Becci Hailey

A dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of requirements for award of the degree BA (Hons)

Music and Live Events Management of Buckinghamshire New University

29 April 2015

Acknowledgements

Writing this dissertation has been one of the biggest annoyances and yet sources of pride Ive had over my academic career, and Ive never been so happy to complete something.

Id like to thank;

my dissertation supervisor, Stan the man Erraught, for his continued support through panicky emails

my little sister, Rachel Hailey, for always calling this my dislotation which would make me smile

my mom, Alison Hailey, for the regular texts and FaceTime calls to preserve my sanity

my boyfriend, Lee Stevenson-Rose, for putting up with my random rants and emotional fits

my best friends, Chloe Glynn, Joelle Legrand, Jessica Reynolds and Becca Atherton, for asking me about my dissertation as if they cared

and finally to my Grandad, Peter Hailey, who still thinks my degree is pointless.

I love you all.

Contents 1. Abstract....1 2. Introduction..2 3. Literature Review5 3.1. Cool5 3.2. Authenticity.10 3.3. Mainstream.12 4. Methodology..16 4.1. Quantitative v Qualitative.16 4.2. Methodological Choice, Techniques and Procedures....19 4.3. Analysis of Data.20 5. Findings..21 6. Discussion.26 7. Conclusion.38 7.1. Key Findings..38 7.2. Limitations..39 7.3. Future Research40 8. Bibliography..41 9. Appendices45 9.1. Blank questionnaire..45 9.2. Genre of music full responses48 9.3. Define mainstream full responses..49 9.4. Enjoy seeing preferences as alternative full responses..52 9.5. Enjoy seeing preferences as mainstream full responses...54 9.6. Steer away from mainstream full responses.56 9.7. Cross tabulation of 1-7 response and gender..64 9.8. Cross tabulation of 1-7 response v opinions of others65 9.9. Signed ethics form66

1. Abstract BBC Radio 1, X Factor and MTV - Once loved sources of mainstream music for the

masses that have seen their highly regarded reputation turned in to one of producing,

playing and promoting corrupt and inauthentic rubbish.

This study commenced to understand the attitudes towards mainstream music from

those who hate it, those who love it, and some who just say they like what they like

regardless of labels and definitions. Through both quantitative and qualitative

research, opinions and statistical data were gathered in order to reach a conclusive

statement on the flaws and opportunities to improve upon mainstream music.

The data collected shows the alternative scene is more male dominated, with

mainstream being female dominated so this shows a potential starting point for the

industry to work on.

The impact of age is greater than it appears on first sight; it is more acceptable for

women to admit to enjoying mainstream music at a younger age, whereas men admit

to an enjoyment of mainstream music between the ages of 21 and 27, suggesting it

may be more acceptable when youre younger due to naivety, and acceptable when

youre older due to more self-assurance.

Authenticity and the overplayed nature appear to be the biggest problems for this

type of music, showing that maybe the listeners are more in touch with the deeper

elements of music than the industry thinks.

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2. Introduction

With the ever growing sway from mainstream music becoming more apparent within

the music industry, this paper will look in to whats wrong with mainstream and the

attitudes towards mainstream music. Although the transition away from the

mainstream is less subculture based and more mainstream vs alternative as a

whole, in that there is less distinction from the masses through style and faade etc.,

is there a notion of it just not being cool to be part of the mainstream? With social

media now making peoples musical tastes more and more public - your Spotify

choices are shown on Facebook, your last.fm is on Twitter - people naturally find

more to judge, as this is what connects us to our peers through friendship groups. It

is human nature to judge individuals and situations from a protective perspective - we

must find out all possible threats and uses of things before we take any further steps

- but this growing ease of access in order to judge new people in life is becoming

more harmful to the public, but a valuable resource for businesses trying to define

their target audience base.

This studys main objective is to discover what (if anything) is wrong with mainstream

and how peoples attitudes towards this institution become so negative. Over the

past few years, thats so mainstream has become a popular derogatory saying

amongst youth culture as alternative music, fashion and taste in leisure activities has

become more popular. Some believe that this is due to the prejudice towards people

who are part of mainstream culture for being seen as sheep who are susceptible to

good marketing and familiarity within musical structure or visual content such as X

Factor and Britains Got Talent. Manufactured bands and artists have led to the

downfall in credibility of Top 40 chart music as pop music today is seen as

inauthentic, causing music critics to sway towards more real, alternative musicians

making general music listeners feel pressured into doing the same due to the

musical taste hierarchy.

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To fully answer this question, sub-questions must also be answered:

Is anything wrong with mainstream?

o Surely its called mainstream for a reason? Or did its origins once bear a true meaning to its name and anything mainstream has slowly

become the alternative within the world today? Is it mainstream as a

culture as a whole - clothing, TV and memorabilia included - that is

causing such an uproar from those who do not like it, rather than just

the music alone?

Why has liking alternative music become cooler?

o Has it at all? Instead of having well defined and identifiable subcultures throughout our parents generations, have the 2000s brought us to a

new state of a collective, cooler alternative crowd vs the mainstream

lovers?

o Is mainstream music still relevant in todays society where there are so many different avenues of music to travel down? The weekly charts

listeners are slowly declining and the chart itself is showing tiny sales

figures in comparison to decades gone by, so does this show that our

tastes have expanded to more than just these selected 40 with their

constantly over-played nature? Although we now consume more music,

are the mainstream sales dwindling to compensate for our, now more

developed, love of all things alternative?

o Are hipsters to blame for this new cool that we see projected to the masses with their stark contrast from mainstream? Is an alternative

taste in music slowly turning in to an alternative lifestyle change, away

from the mainstream all together?

Has mainstreams authenticity become an issue to the masses?

o Manufactured acts appear to be taking over our radios, TVs and any other source of media we now own in this highly technological age. Is

this bombardment of lesser authentic musicians creating this negative

reputation surrounding mainstream? Is the problem with mainstream,

mainstream itself?

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o Do the alternatives, with their far higher regard of the authentic, mock the mainstreamers for not holding this trait in such a light?

o Mainstream music merchandise now contains logos from The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Blondie. With the ever rising Primark Culture

where iconic images that were once valued so highly can just be picked

up from the shelf by anyone regardless of whether they know a single

song or not, is mainstream ever authentic any more?

As shown above, there are a plethora of questions and therefore avenues this study

could choose to answer on topics such as;

Mainstream culture as a whole

Mainstream clothing and ephemera

Mainstream music vs traits of the enthusiast

However these topics have been researched previously, therefore this study will look

more in to comparing the attitudes of alternative lovers vs mainstream lovers

through the same questions.

Respondents will be found through social media as this is the only place the

questionnaire will be posted due to its wide reach of location, age and gender.

Facebook will be the primary platform as groups can be targeted easier through

pages and groups rather than individual profiles. Twitter will be the secondary source

as this is a widely used platform but doesnt have the group and page features that

Facebook does.

This study will advance, improve and identify the pitfalls within mainstream music

and the ways the mainstream music industry could seek to improve its current

reputation within the alternative world.

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3. Literature Review

3.1. Cool

Coolness is ubiquitous in 21st-century life (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012).

Cool, or hip as Sarah Thornton calls it, is not a unified style, nor is it captured

definitively by any one scene (Thornton, 1997, p.204). Although cool may appear to

be trivial (Pountain and Robins, 2000, p.9) and a lot of merely passing fads (ibid.,

p.10), Thornton states that the social logic of subcultural capital reveals itself most

clearly by what it dislikes (Thornton, 1997, p.208) therefore cool is more likely

defined by what is uncool, leaving all other items as cool complex to say the least.

The idea of cool can position you, as a member of society, away from the bottom

rung on some linear social ladder (ibid., p.208) or towards the top of this social

hierarchy. To oppose the norm, or in this case, mainstream, either leads to extreme

exile or an air of authority over those with the mind of the masses.

In Danesis eyes, coolness entails a set of specific behavioural characteristics that

vary in detail from generation to generation (Danesi, 1994, p.38) which others

believe is untrue. Many believe that coolness has staple trademarks, developing

throughout the ages, such as attire or memorabilia. In the case of this study,

coolness is defined in terms of musical knowledge and taste rather than physical

capital.

Many see the idea and development of cool originating during the United States

slavery period. Bortz-Bornstein sees cool as a classic case of resistance to

authority creativity and innovation...[cool] can turn people into untouchable objects

(Bortz-Bornstein, 2010). Cool enabled slaves to wear masks that said Im strong,

Im invincible, Im cool (Walker, 2012). Through the black musical journey, through

jazz and all the way through to the hip-hop of the 21st century, how did cool become

so ingrained in todays society? Black culture was heavily influenced by this notion,

promoting the predominantly black hip-hop culture to become the centre of a mega

music and fashion industry around the world (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), yet Walker

argues against this flamboyancy, stating that black cool is generated from a sense

of internal calm (Ogilvie, 2012). Hip-hop is, of course, just one of an array of cultures,

5 | P a g e

that fashion and music to their ideas of cool; Goths intense monochrome stance

through clothing and make-up, Punks antiestablishmentarianism shown through

song lyrics.

As individuals with more alternative taste have to seek out music which caters to

them more than someone with more mainstream tastes would, many argue that there

is a hunter-gatherer element to a love for the alternative, having to actively search

for the things you want within your tastes. Merely on a biological level, the substantia

nigra/ventral segmental area of the brain signals the rest of the brain to produce

dopamine, the happy chemical, when we find something new (Cooper, 2013),

making it naturally hard for us to be anything but happy when we find something

new. People like finding things that other people have not got (House of Commons

Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 2007, p.221), which therefore creates an air of

authority or added coolness about the said individual. Or does it?

As some argue cool resists linear structures (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), there is no

straightforward way to achieve a cool status therefore no distinct features of the

phenomenon. In 2012, Ilan Dar-Nimrod and Ian Hansen conducted three studies

under the umbrella Coolness: An Empirical Investigation siting that coolness is

ubiquitous in 21st-century life (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012, p.175). Their first

study, of 353 people, surrounded adjectives linked to the word cool with attributes

connected to friendliness and personal competence being the most popular (as

shown in table 1), contradicting Danesis idea of rough coolness (Danesi, 1994,

p.40) being predominately seen as the coolest.

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From study one, Dar-Nimrod and Hansen discovered that the concepts of coolness

and social desirability overlapped considerably (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012,

p.178). This study showed the confusion between social desirability and a traditional,

historical sense of cool. The participants seemed to view traits they find admirable as

traits linked to being cool.

Study two asked 508 applicants to rate the coolness of various characteristics.

Endorsing the results of study one, study two found a positive and significant

correlation between the characteristics rating of coolness and of social desirability

(ibid.) (as shown in table 2)

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.

Their third and final study compared the thoughts of 410 participants regarding

active cool being expressive verses contrarian coolness being withdrawn

and antisocial. The 410 were asked to answer a quantitative survey based on the

attributes of one of their friends such as their ambition and adventurous side (as

shown in table 4).

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It was established that cool friends fall in to one of two categories; friendly,

ambitious, charismatic, confident, attractive, personally competent and trendy or

ironic, rebellious, tough, party animal, confident and adventurous (ibid., p. 182).

From all three studies conducted, contrarian cool rebellious and detached-from-

the-mainstream (ibid., p. 183) seems to be the inferior perception of cool in todays

society compared to its superiority in the early 20th century.

To discuss cool, we must also include the ever growing world of hipsters. The term

hipster was coined in the 1940s to define someone who rejected societal norms

(Ferrier, 2014) and relates to people so image-conscious that they live in fear of

being or doing anything remotely uncool or unhip [] (they) worry about whether the

music they listen to is too mainstream (Wylie, 2012). Proto-Hipsters were seen as

connoisseurs in years gone by, however, these new hipsters want to appear a

certain way, to be seen to be doing certain things but without doing the research

(Ferrier, 2014). By rejecting this mainstream way of life and therefore what is seen as

cool by the masses, hipsters project a new cool. In opposition with the James-

Dean-tough-guy-cool, hipsters are more feminine in their ideals of cool yet still

possess the ruggedness. Normcore - which moves away from a coolness that

relies on difference to a post-authenticity that opts into sameness (ibid.) - and some

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would say therefore mainstream, rejects this countercultures ideas of cool due to its

anti-norm nature.

3.2. Authenticity

Authenticity is the degree of belief the audience has in its own fantasies (Fonarow,

2012).

Authenticity - of all the terms employed in music discourse, this is perhaps the most

loaded (Moore, 2002, p.209). In Western Society, sincerity is the most praiseworthy

trait (Trilling, 1972). Fabbri suggests that a musical genre [in this case, mainstream]

is a set of musical events whose course is governed by a definite set of socially

accepted rules (Fabbri, 1981, p.52). These rules include formal and technical,

semiotic, behavioural, social & ideological and economical & juridical (ibid., p. 57).

Approaches to the behavioural rule vary enormously (ibid., p.57). Once signed,

once labelled, musicians will there-after be expected to act and play and look in

certain ways (Frith, 1998, p.76). Behavioural rules dont just apply to musicians - the

audience also has psychological and behavioural reactions codified from genre to

genre (Fabbri, 1981, p.57). Behavioural rules are the disguise that musicians put

on to the public, regardless of reality (Frith, 1998, p.93). Some rule sets overlap -

vocabulary used in conversation, for example, could also been seen as part of the

semiotic rule set as it is a linguistic sign of which genre of music you listen to.

Behavioural, social and ideological rules overlap when they stand for how their

particular love and use of music informs their social ties (ibid., p.90). Authenticity is

integral to behavioural rules for distinguishing between genres - performers sincerity

is valued differently according to genres (Fabbri, 1981, p.57).

The quest for authenticity, for the real, has become a dominant factor in musical

taste [] the aesthetic of the authentic musical experience, with its rejection of

music that is labelled contrived, pretentious, artificial or overly commercial, has

played a major role in forming musical tastes and canons, with wide-ranging

consequences (Barker and Taylor, 2007, p.ix). This issue of real has caused

authenticity, or the lack of it, to appear to be the main discussion point of the

downfalls of mainstream: manufactured bands and artists who do not write their own

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music or lyrics, with an obvious exception in the form of The Beatles. This form of

inauthenticity is what Moore refers to as a lack of Third Person Authenticity (Moore,

2002, p.214).

As a by-product of the lack of authenticity within the music, it could be said that fans

of the mainstream culture have adopted this trait aswell. In Dick Hebdiges

Subculture: The Meaning of Style, he explains how all subcultural products have

now become a commodity (Hebdige, 1997, p.131) to the masses. Designer Betsy

Johnson created a line of safety pin chic inspired by Punks. Subcultures influencing

high street fashion was at first a compliment but now the creation and diffusion of

new styles is now inextricably bound up with the process of production, publicity and

packaging (ibid., p. 132), being able to buy a Run DMC or Beatles top in any

Primark branch whether the consumer is aware of their musical works or not. Like

Fabrri, Fornas proposes that authenticity can differentiate genres - since the 1960s,

a network of institutionalised voices have asserted and administered the sincerity,

legitimacy and hegemony or rock in opposition to the vulgarity of pop [or

mainstream] (Fornas, 1995, p.112). Fornas splits authenticity in to three categories;

subjective (first person), meta-authenticity (second person) and social (third person

authenticity) (ibid., p. 276).

Artists must speak the truth of their (and others) situations. Authenticity was

guaranteed by the presence of a specific type of instrumentation [the singers]

fundamental role was to represent the culture from which he comes (Gilbert and

Pearson, 1999, p.164). This is what Taylor describes as first person/subjective

authenticity (Taylor, 1997, p.21). The idea of selling out is a big issue within the

music industry - to sell out means to lose authenticity (Pennycook, 2007, p.14).

Artists, ranging from hip-hop to indie rock, often try to hold onto their local roots []

they might have to defend their cool street cred after selling out and singing a deal

with a big record label (Pettit, 2014).

Second person/meta-authenticity - where some listeners give value to some musical

experiences above others, depending on what music connotes or denotes; where

fans saw authenticity not by the past, but by the acts portrayal of the present (Moore,

2002, p.218). Take for example The Sex Pistols - they had a brilliant way of

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expressing how both themselves, and their fans, were feeling in response to the

tensions between the government and the public, despite Johnny Rotten (the lead

singer of The Sex Pistols) having a more aristocratic upbringing, and therefore not

fully experiencing that of their working class fan base in day-to-day life.

Finally there is third person authenticity, or social authenticity, which is ensured in

an act of judgement legitimate within a particular community (Moore, 2002, p.215). If

a manufactured act was told by management to create a different backstory to fit in

better within a genre, such as Lana Del Rey covering her upper class upbringing,

then this show a lack of authenticity but also how important music, as a business

rather than a hobby or interest, sees genre specific authenticity. Fornas provides a

theoretical side to this deception, stating that authenticity is essentially a construction

we place upon what we perceive (Fornas, 1995, p.275).

Since the 50s, popular culture has attempted more and me to align itself to notions

of authenticity (Wylie, 2012), but is mainstream music capable of being authentic in

todays music industry?

3.3. Mainstream

The perception of change is generally enough to tarnish any counterculture

reputation associated with what will now be defined as mainstream, watered-down

and lacking in real cool (Pettit, 2014).

Mainstream, also known as popular or mass culture, is described as the ideas,

attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or

conventional (Oxford Definitions, 2014). People, especially fans of different genres,

often draw strength and courage from their ability to identify themselves as a

member of a group who shared common interests and confronted common

problems (Jenkins, 1997, p.507). This insinuates that by being part of mainstream

culture you are, if mainstream is still considered the most popular lifestyle choice,

sharing the common interests of masses; you enjoy prime time TV programmes,

listen to Top 40 music and watch movies with the bigger Hollywood names. The

mass has been conceived as a body of rational individuals, responsible citizens who

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are able to form their own opinion and express it through officially recognised

democratic channels (Thornton, 1997, p.2).

The argument surrounding what attributes a song is required to have to be placed in

to the pop music genre, or whether pop even is a genre at all, has been fought for

many years by musical theorists. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music

and Musicians, pop music is the music since industrialization in the 1800's that is

most in line with the tastes and interests of the urban middle class. This would

include an extremely wide range of music from vaudeville and minstrel shows to

heavy metal (Grove and Fuller-Maitland, 1922) and the word pop is merely

shortened from the word popular (which is the essence of mainstream music),

making pop an audience created genre. However many believe that pop has a

structure; Intro, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Chorus (Haydock, 1996).

With the questionnaire produced alongside this study, a genre based question was

asked with the option of answering with pop, to determine whether the general

public see pop as a real genre or not.

In the 1930s, a study was conducted by the Payne Fund to analyse the impact of

motion pictures on children to see if a theory known as the Hypodermic Needle

Theory or Magic Bullet Theory was present and possibly even controllable

(Wartella and Reeves, 2006). This theory plays on the idea that the masses can be

shot or injected by mass media corporations, with appropriate messages designed

to trigger a desired response (University of Twente, 2010). Later in the 1930s, a

radio broadcast of Orson Welles War of the Worlds caused thousands of panic-

stricken Americans (Campbell, 2011) as some listeners tuned in part way through

the broadcast, therefore missing the explanation at the beginning clarifying that the

following broadcast was all a radio play. There was another clarification 40 minutes

in, but by this point, American listeners were in far too submerged in a wave of

anxiety to have stayed tuned in. The pre-existing fear of war in Europe travelling to

America was embedded in to most Americans subconscious and therefore a

potential reinforcement of such acts through the media does indeed endorse the

hypodermic needle theory. So although this theory focused predominantly at

broadcast and picture based media, what happens when it is transferred into the

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world of mainstream music? Music, with both its lyrical and melodically aspects, are

seen as huge potential forces within the manipulation and communication fields.

In contrast to the hypodermic need theory, McGuire suggests that the more subjects

are exposed to mild attacks of an idea or concept, the more they become resistant

to it, or see it as a day-to-day norm (McGuire, 1964). The theory, known as the

Inoculation Theory, was initially developed through Korean prisoners of war who

chose to stay with their captors after the Korean War was over. Although some

believed this was related to the later proposed Stockholm Syndrome (a theory

suggested by Kenneth Levin regarding a psychological symptom with creates

feelings of warmth from a hostage towards their captive), McGuires theory can be

relayed to situations regarding themes such as violence. Within the hip-hop world,

there are strong lyrical and attitudinal connotations towards crime, violence and a

general undermining of the law which many parents may find worrying as this is not

the ideals they would want their children to have, therefore this sort of philosophy

within mainstream hip-hop could be forced upon them unknowingly. This theory

relies upon the subjects being weak-willed and somewhat simple, therefore some

see it as outdated within the psychological world.

So is mainstream music becoming so overplayed that it is just seen as the norm

and the sheeple (the docile, foolish or easily led (Oxford Dictionaries, 2015)) enjoy

it because they think they should, or have the alternative crowd become so immune

to it that they now see mainstream as a derogatory term?

In 1974, Bulmer and Katz determined that people use various medias for their

personal gratification and that is all, i.e. no repercussions, as suggested in previous

theories - what people do with media rather than what media does to people (Katz

and Blulmer, 1974). This Uses and Gratification theory proposes that the subject

uses media content within four main areas;

Diversion

Personal Relationships

Personal Identity

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Surveillance

For example, if a subject is currently in love, they may search for music with romance

as the main concept, absorb what they need to and carry on with normal activities

completely unaffected but satisfied that they have obtained what they wanted from

the media type. As mainstream music caters for a wide range of emotions yet without

specific storylines, i.e. a song may be about falling in love with a girl but not state

too many specifics such as name, it is relatable to all consequently making it a mass

commodity.

Michel de Certeau indicates that the ordinary man has a set path in life - to be

duped, frustrated and forced to labour (Certeau, 1988, p.3) yet he does not

merely accept what he is given by the mass media, as Blulmer and Katzs theory

confirms. De Certeau sees the population as thinkers (ibid., p.3), a culture who are

able to stray away from previous theories because they can think for themselves -

adapting and subverting popular culture to their own ends.

With such varying views relating to mainstream and its mind controlling powers

(Ansary, 2012), is this why the term is slowly becoming more and more derogatory?

Although subcultures may not be as prominent now as they were in yesteryear, is it

now mainstream v alternative within societys music tastes?

4. Methodology

4.1. Quantitative v Qualitative

In many social sciences, quantitative orientations are often given more respect

(Berg, 2001, p.2). Quantitative research is defined as empirical research where the

data are in the form of numbers (Punch, 2014, p.3), but this isnt all that quantitative

is limited to; it is also classified as specific, well structured, has been tested for their

validity and reliability, and can be explicitly defined and recognised (Kumar, 2014,

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p.132). Quantitative data is far easier to determine patterns from and extract

statistical information (Ramona, 2011).

Quantitative data collation operates through correlation analysis, regression

analysis, mean, mode and median and others (Dudovis, 2015) through mainly

numerical or closed questioned answers, with the most popular collation techniques

including questionnaires, sample surveys and experiments.

The majority of the survey accompanying this study, six of ten set questions, were

quantitative based questions, but as this research is also about attitudes and

opinions, the remaining four required written responses of which the respondents

had free reign in their choice of words. Descriptive answers such as these fall in to

second research category qualitative.

Qualitative data is said to provide richer data about real life people and situations,

and being more able to make sense of behaviour within its wider context (de Vaus,

2014, p.6) with such research taking much longer, requiring greater clarity of goals

during design stages, and even when completed, the data cannot be analysed by

running computer programs (Berg, 2001, p.2). Information found through qualitative

is text-based and methods of data collection can consist of responses from open-

ended survey question, dialogue from a focus group, the answer to an essay

question, a term paper, or ideas brainstormed by a group (ACET Inc., 2013). There

is no single defined route to interpreting qualitative data, however, as Punch states,

any method used should be systematic, disciplined and able to be seen (Punch,

2014, p.195).

There is also a combination of the two methods, referred to mixed methods, which

contains a format known as Likert scales. Likert-type or frequency scales use fixed

choice response formats and are designed to measure attitudes or opinions

(Bowling, 2002, p.288) which gives a choice of five to seven or even nine pre-coded

responses with the neutral point being neither agree nor disagree (McLeod, 2008),

giving respondents an escape if they feel the question provokes a strong enough

reaction from the individual.

Quantitative Qualitative Mixed Method

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(mainly based upon Likert-Type Scale)

Pros In-depth exploration of

questions

(Dudovis, 2015)

Better

understanding of

underlying

behaviours

(Dudovis, 2015)

Usually can

implement with

staff (Dudovis,

2015)

The evaluation

and the results are

based on objective

methods

(Ramona, 2011)

Extremely efficient

for large group of

respondents

(ACET Inc., 2013)

Conclusive; its results

can be inferred to the

rest of the population

(Dudovis, 2015)

Better for costly

investment because it

measures degree and

frequency of

behaviours (Dudovis,

2015)

Contextual

information is

gathered when the

data is collected

(ACET Inc., 2013)

Respondents can

answer in any way

they would like (ACET

Inc., 2013)

Allow a degree of

opinion from

respondent

(McLeod, 2008)

Balances efficient

data collection and

analysis with

context (ACET Inc.,

2013)

Large amounts of

data can be

gathered (ACET

Inc., 2013)

Interpretation of

explored answers is

more effective to

overall results

explanation (ACET

Inc., 2013)

Simple (Johns,

2010)

Versatile (Johns,

2010)

Calculating mean

response can

eliminate dont

know responses

(Johns, 2010)

Cons No further Time consuming Need to find a

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explanation of why

select answers

were picked

(ACET Inc., 2013)

Respondents are

limited to a set of

responses (ACET

Inc., 2013)

Elements of bias

may be present if

not exhibited

correctly (Dudovis,

2015)

Research cannot

be inferred to the

population

(Dudovis, 2015)

(ACET Inc., 2013)

Bias could be

bestowed (Dudovis,

2015)

Could be costly if

travelling is necessary

(Dudovis, 2015)

It is possible that the

reality is not defined

correctly because of

the subjective

perspective of the

author (Ramona,

2011)

complimentary

balance of

quantitative and

qualitative (ACET

Inc., 2013)

Acquiescence

bias - a tendency

to agree with

statements, to

some extent

irrespective of their

content (Johns,

2010)

Labelling the

response options

effectively (Johns,

2010)

4.2. Methodological Choice, Techniques and Procedures

During this study, responses were gathered through an online questionnaire

comprised of both quantitative, qualitative and Likert-type scale questions. It was

issued to 100 respondents, both students and members of the public, aged between

18 and 30 years old. The survey contained 10 questions ranging from thoughts on

what mainstream is to the impact it has on their taste in music.

Of course, there are pros and cons of only using a questionnaire;

Questionnaires Pros Ease of data gathering

18 | P a g e

Minimal costs

Automation in data input and handling

Increase in response rate (due to ease of access)

Flexibility of design

Cons Absence of interviewer Inability to reach challenging population

Survey fraud

(All (Sincero, 2012))

4.3. Analysis of Data

As the questionnaire consisted of both qualitative and quantitative data collection,

respondents were profiled based on similar responses, including;

Those who defined mainstream music in a positive light v Those who defined

mainstream in a negative light

Those who saw their musical tastes as mainstream v Those who saw their

musical tastes as more alternative

Those who consciously avoided mainstream and their reasons surrounding v

Those who dont avoid mainstream and their reasons surrounding

This exploratory data was them analysed through looking for key words, trends,

themes or ideas in the data that help outline the analysis (Guest, MacQueen and 19 | P a g e

Namey, 2012, p.7). This thematic approach helps to analyse words in to themes, as

the name suggests, and codes (ibid., p. 9).

Cross tabulation - which provides a way of analysing and comparing the results for

one or more variables with the results of another (Wyse, 2012) - will be used

throughout my findings as this will be a useful tool for further investigation i.e.

whether males are more alternative in their musical tastes than females. This method

of categorical data analysis should help establish whether there are age, gender or

musical taste correlations to the respondents further outlook on mainstream music

as a whole.

5. Findings

A blank questionnaire can be found in Appendix 1.

Question 1 - Which genres of music would you say you mainly listen to?

20 | P a g e

Some respondents chose to answer with Other, which gave them the opportunity to

note the genres for themselves. Comments included genres such as Ska, Opera,

Classical and Folk Rock.

Full responses can be found in Appendix 2.

Question 2 How would you define mainstream music?

Answers ranged from The Simon Cowell generation to the more popularly coined

chart music/top 40 which 30% of respondents answered with. 35% openly

expressed a negative view towards mainstream music with phrases used such as

not authentic, repetitive and corrupted.

Full responses can be found in Appendix 3.

Question 3 - On a scale from 1-7, how mainstream would you define your musical preferences?

58

23

60

19

30

14

22

17

27

Pop

Punk

Rock

Metal

R 'n' B

House

Hip Hop

Drum and Bass

Other

21 | P a g e

Over one third of respondents gave a neutral response, with the remaining two thirds

consisting of an almost 50/50 positive to negative split.

Question 4 - If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible.

35% of respondents fit in to this category. With 43% of those respondents enjoying

seeing their tastes as alternative, with a similar amount (37%) had no strong feelings

towards their musical taste being seen as alternative. Surprisingly, 20% of

respondents who identified with the fact their taste was mainstream but didnt enjoy

seeing it that way. One respondent commented that they would rather my music

choices were on the radio/TV more often.

Full responses can be found in Appendix 4.

Question 5 - If you answered between 5-7, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as mainstream? Please explain your answer if possible.

3

14

18

36

14

9

6

1 - Very Alternative

2 - Quite Alternative

3 - Slightly Alternative

4 - Sometimes Alternative, Sometimes Mainstream

5 - Tending Towards Mainstream

6 - Quite Mainstream

7 - Very Mainstream

22 | P a g e

29% of respondents fit in to this category. Far fewer (24%) enjoyed seeing their

tastes as mainstream, with the majority (55%) stating they didnt have any strong

feelings towards their allegiance. Over a fifth of the respondents strongly

disapproved of seeing their views as mainstream, with one stating no, people think if

you have mainstream music taste that you are boring, follow the crowd and are a bit

dumb.

Full responses can be found in Appendix 5.

Question 6 - Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser known bands)?

Similarly to question 3, the majority of respondents gave a neutral response with the

remaining results being an almost 50/50 positive to negative split.

Question 7 - If you do consciously steer away, why? If you don't, why not?

There were a lot of varied responses for this question. Main themes including I just

like what I like and mainstream is easier to find. This later theme also appeared in

27

43

29

Yes

Sometimes

No

23 | P a g e

answers for question relating to enjoying your tastes being mainstream. Some

respondents with alternative tastes commented on a similar theme but seem to find

alternative bands rewarding to find.

Full responses can be found in Appendix 6.

Question 8 - Would others thinking your musical preference is mainstream (even if you dont believe it is) have an affect on you?

As shown, 66% of respondents answered with a disagree reaction with the lowest

percentage being given to the neutral answer. This is the first opinion based question

where the neutral response hasnt been the highest percentile.

Question 9 - Which of these age categories do you fit in to?

10

24

66

Yes

Potentially

No

24 | P a g e

Overall there is quite an even split between the age categories with a slight lean

towards the younger demographic.

Question 10 - Which gender do you identify yourself as?

Here we have a very high female to male ratio however results will be cross

tabulated throughout the discussion section of this paper.

6. Discussion

33

21

22

24

18-20

21-23

24-27

28-30

74

26

Female

Male

25 | P a g e

As seen in appendix 1, the first question within the questionnaire was which genres

of music would you say you mainly listen to?. This question was mainly written to

establish an answer to the previous is pop a genre argument proposed within the

literature review. Pop was the second most popular answer, after rock,

demonstrating that respondents do believe pop to be a real genre, unlike Grove

and Fuller-Maitland. Some respondents chose another genre which was not listed,

giving them free reign to answer with more alternative genres. These extra genres

included, but werent limited to;

Acoustic

Folk

Country

Classical

Jazz

Math Rock

Reggae

Trance

This showed the wide spectrum of music that could be contained within the

alternative category.

As mentioned in the literature review, mainstream music is the meant to be regarded

as normal and conventional (Oxford Definitions, 2014), therefore the results found in

the questionnaire issued to 100 18-30 year olds should reflect this, and there should

be a majority sway of positive attitudes surrounding the genre, yet as shown in the

results from question two - how would you define mainstream music? - (as shown

in appendix three) a third of all responses were very strongly negative. A few of the

more severe are as shown below;

Respondent Number

Response

26 | P a g e

5 Music that is listened to by the majority. Music that is designed just for the purpose of making a lot of money.

26 Pop is over produced and no longer authentic 37 Chart music. Major labels paying radio stations to play their

bands songs every 3 hours.

39 Mainstream music is music manufactured for the masses by pressing a series of buttons and not putting any thought in

to it. Also it's the Simon Cowell generation.

41 Music that is replayed on all the radio stations repeatedly 45 Boring, over-produced and all-too-similar. 47 Repetitive and based more on sampling and patterns than

music thats actually performed (unless its a manufactured

group or X Factor/pop stars whatever act then its even

worse)

59 Not authentic: manufactured for a set audience, usually by a few "writers"

Recycled music

More promo than actual music

60 Corrupted 62 Dull, loud, nonsense 63 "Bubble-gum music"- music with a catchy beat and tune but

not memorable enough to stick. With artists in mainstream

music it's too much about image.

69 Mainstream music is defined by DJs pushing the same songs down the radio over and over until you are forced to

like it. It is, on several occasions, a 'brand'. It is sheep

following sheep because it is seen as 'cool'

71 Music that follows a popular pattern, when a certain type of song is successful, a vast amount of music follows said

patterns, be it type of chorus, certain hooks, rhythms, or

borrowing/cannibalising another genre. Dub step is a prime

example of a type of music that has been completely

27 | P a g e

cannibalised by pop music.

74 X Factor about sums it up. 78 Pop music, much of which sounds very similar. Over

produced. Sounds less like real instruments and more like

noises from a computer. Often involving lyrics about bums

at the moment.

79 Repetitive, never changing, similar 84 Cheap 93 Horrifically overplayed and commercialised

Respondent 60 defined mainstream as corrupted. Teamed with the idea of losing

authenticity by losing your roots (as proposed by Pettit), mainstream musics

supposed manufactured themes (as mentioned by respondents 39, 47, 59, 76 and

87) may be a reason for mainstream losing its credibility within the wider world.

Respondent 26 stated a lack of authenticity within the mainstream music industry yet,

if Fornas is correct, then authenticity is a construction we place upon what we

perceive (Fornas, 1995, p.275), and cannot be fully validated. To quote Pettit, the

perception of change is generally enough to tarnish any counterculture reputation

associated with what will now be defined as mainstream, watered-down and lacking

in real cool (Pettit, 2014). Barker and Taylor have documented that the music

industry with its rejection of music that is labelled contrived, pretentious, artificial or

overly commercial, has played a major role in forming musical tastes (Barker and

Taylor, 2007, p.ix) has led to this prejudice and high regard for third person

authenticity (Moore, 2002, p.214). Take, for example, respondent 39s definition of

mainstream which they see as manufactured for the masses by pressing a series of

buttons and not putting any thought in to it. Yes this can be the thoughts of many

when we live in a Simon Cowell generation (respondent 39) where the Christmas

number one is now almost The X Factor award, but many forget that it is not

impossible for manufactured bands to write their own music and play their own

instruments, such as the critically acclaimed Beatles, therefore not all manufactured

acts should be written off straight away upon revealing this supposed immediate lack

of authenticity. Manufactured bands may have been brought together, but they can

28 | P a g e

still retain a first person authenticity through their lyrics as they can then speak the

truth of their (and others) situations (Gilbert and Pearson, 1999, p.164). Some

respondents actually mentioned lack of authenticity within their response, showing

that it is more than just an academic term and is known of by the general public.

Authenticity is valued differently according to genres (Frith, 1998, p.90) though,

hence the lack of interest in authenticity by those who identify themselves as

mainstreamers as opposed to the alternatives who mock the mainstreamers for this

deficiency.

Respondent 69 mentioned the sheeple wanting to seem cool. As Dar-Nimrod and

Hansens cool study found out, social desirability is often confused with the notion of

someone being cool (Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, 2012, p.178), therefore rather than

people being cool for the sake of being cool, are people being cool merely to be

socially wanted? Is this the reason the masses accept mainstream music or is this

the reason the alternatives accept nothing other than the anti-norm?

Positive responses were in limited supply with three respondents (48, 54 and 57)

simply answering with good - a far cry from the lengthy and punctuation filled

answers from those who felt negatively towards mainstream music. All other

responses were descriptive, such as chart music or top 40. A running theme

throughout the negative responses is the overplayed nature of mainstream music. In

a theoretical sense, this could relate to Bulmer and Katz Uses and Gratification

theory where individuals merely gather what they need from various mediums and

then switch off. The constant repetition of music deemed to be mainstream on

various radio stations and television music channels does not fulfil the need of the

user, therefore they have a negative attitude towards it.

When ranking musical tastes on a scale from 1-7, with 1 being very alternative and 7

being very mainstream, the majority of respondents gave an answer of 4 -

sometimes alternative, sometimes mainstream, which was somewhat shocking in

comparison to the strong views shown in question two. As stated previously in the

literature review, to oppose the norm, or in this case, mainstream, either leads to

extreme exile or an air of authority over those with the mind of the masses, so this

29 | P a g e

neutral response may be an instinct as an individual may not want to see too

mainstream or too alternative. Of the thirty-six respondents who answered with a

neutral response, 22% of them replied with negative statements when defining

mainstream music. This may imply that although mainstream itself has negative

connotations, the music itself is somewhat catchy, as remarked in the survey

results by seven respondents, creating a guilty pleasure aspect to mainstream.

Thirty-five respondents saw their preferences as more along the alternative end of

the spectrum, with sixteen of the twenty-five male respondents (64%) answering in

this way (as shown in appendix 7) - only two male respondents were in the

5+/mainstreamer category and of the three respondents who identified themselves

as 1 - very alternative, two were male, suggesting that the alternative scene may be

more male dominated. The remaining female respondent and one of the males were

both within the 18-20 category while the other male was in the 28-30 category,

suggesting that extreme alternative taste can be prevalent at any age.

Respondents were then asked to elaborate on their response, in their own words, if

they answered anything other than neutrally. Of the thirty-five would were in the 1-

3/alternatives category, 43% of those respondents enjoying seeing their tastes as

alternative, using comments such as;

Respondent Number

Response

10 Yes as I prefer having my own taste in music and not paying attention to what the majority listens to and

conforming to what's deemed 'normal'

19 Yes, alternative music should seek to subvert the mainstream. If possible frighten it. Hippies, Punk Acid

30 | P a g e

House and Hip Hop all challenged the mainstream before

their music became part of it.

21 Yes, I like to know I'm listening to music that I put time and effort into finding out about

29 Yes, because whats in the charts sounds the same now 32 I do, as it's a good way to identify with a distinct sub-group

of people. At the same time, I don't like to be out of touch,

but I can't help not knowing every 1D song.

35 Yes I do, whether consciously or subconsciously we all enjoy being seen as unique from time to time.

37 Yes. More unique and isnt force fed to me. Have to look for true talent

44 Yes I do enjoy seeing them as alternative as I don't like to be like everyone else, unique is better.

45 I see my choice as meaning I have explored other avenues of music which in turn increase my variety.

52 Yes, as a big fan of drum n bass, I prefer the music not to be mainstream or it becomes watered down, cheesy and

generic.

63 I like to be different. I don't like being classed as part of the crowd, because then where is individuality. A lot of

teenagers dress the same, listen to the same music. It's

hard to find people with the same tastes as you, when you

listen to such alternative music, but at the same time,

that's absolutely ok. I don't wish to be a sheep.

78 I appreciate the odd catchy pop tune, but yes I do enjoy seeing my preferences as alternative. It kind of infers that I

have gone out of my way to find music that isn't constantly

being rammed down our ears on TV/radio etc.

94 I wouldn't say I enjoy it but I'm proud of the music I listen to. I don't take pride in not listening to mainstream music

31 | P a g e

Again, the notion of an air of authority while deviating from the norm my come in to

context here when the alternatives - those who identify themselves as alternative -

find comfort in seeing their choices as against the mainstream as they see

themselves as having more supreme music tastes. The idea of being force fed

mainstream music and a want to be individual or unique were noted as some of the

more common driving forces for enjoying more alternative acts. Respondent 94 also

mentioned a send of pride in finding an act that isnt on the radio, which was also

mentioned by respondent 100, who said they would rather my music choices were

on the radio/TV more often, suggesting that alternative fans enjoy the act of looking

for the music instead of being handed in, almost as though there is a sense of

accomplishment and ownership when that act then does well within the industry. As

mentioned previously, acts need to be careful of not selling out (Pennycook, 2007,

p.14) or they risk a lack of first person authenticity (Pettit, 2014). This is, of course,

more imperative in some genres, such as hip hop and indie rock, in comparison, to

others such as teeny-bopper-pop, as previously identified by Pettit.

Within the 5+/mainstreamer category, only 24% of respondents enjoyed seeing

their tastes as mainstream, mainly commenting upon the ease of access to the music

they like (respondents 4, 56, 57, 96). Although a further 55% had a neutral stance

towards their attitudes, the remaining 21% did not enjoy seeing their preferences as

mainstream;

Respondent Number

Response

54 No, boring to be mainstream 65 No, but its whats more accessible (i.e. the radio etc.) 82 No. It's not nice knowing I'm portrayed as everyone else in

that category however it's the music that's more accessible

83 No, people think if you have mainstream music taste that you are boring, follow the crowd and are a bit dumb

32 | P a g e

So does this mean that ease of access is now a bad thing as fans of mainstream

appear to be somewhat lazy? While the alternative crowd revolt and lean towards

Bulmer and Katz Uses and Gratification theory, as mentioned previous, do

mainstream listener adhere more to the Hypodermic Needle model and just accept

what is given to them? This seems to be an underlying attitude of both the alternative

and some of the more mainstream loving respondents.

To further confirm the ease of access premise, when answering question six - Do

you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as

up and coming acts or lesser known bands)? If you do/dont, why? - many

respondents mentioned access but with varying outlooks. As shown in the findings

section of this study, 27% of respondents said that they do consciously steer away

from mainstream.

When predicting the outcome of this questionnaire through previous exploration and,

in hindsight, slight prejudice, it was assumed that alternatives sway away from

mainstream to be cool rather than just because they dont like it and we can see from

the above, almost half of those rating themselves as alternative do consciously steer

away from mainstream music. Reasons given included;

Alternative48%

Neutral30%

Mainstream22%

"Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser

known bands)?" combined with musical preference previously stated

33 | P a g e

Respondent Number

Response

10 Because most of my favourite bands Ive discovered from finding out about unsigned bands. Also, if you like

undiscovered music then it's always so easy to go and see

them live because it's so cheap!

29 It always exciting to discover new things. 32 Everybody just wants to be the guy that can say 'I was

listening to these from the start'. I want to know new bands

so I can broaden my pallet, so to speak, not really a

conscious effort to be alternative.

37 So much music out there, not just the 10 songs on repeat on radio one

45 Because it's all over-produced trash, sung mostly by people with no true talent.

55 I don't like having my ears bleed 60 The mainstream music industry artists are the devils pawns.

It's full of corruption, lies and to put it bluntly pure

fuckeries...!!

61 Nice to hear something that's not over killed by the radio/ music channels and most of the time fits to my preference in

music anyway

68 Want to experience different sounds, and therefore different feelings.

69 I like discovering new artists. I have a lot of friends in bands and I like supporting local acts or smaller upcoming acts,

but I listen to what I like and a lot of the time that isn't

classed as mainstream. The UK is very narrow minded

when it comes to music whereas the rest of Europe is far

more accepting of alternative music

34 | P a g e

Respondent 32 referred to everyone just wanting to be the guy that can say 'I was

listening to these from the start' but why is this? This respondent was a 21-23 year

old male with self-confessed slightly alternative taste in music, so is this merely an

wannabe alpha male trait, or the views of the public as a whole - just wanting to

have that slight upper hand over their peers? As stated previously, people like

finding things that other people have not got (House of Commons Culture, Media

and Sport Committee, 2007, p.221). Of the mainstream fans who do still try to steer

away from mainstream occasionally, some responded with the want to be a bit

hipster by discovering new bands (respondent 77), while others commented upon

the price of seeing mainstream acts in comparison to alternative ones. So does this

further confirm that there is still a hunter-gatherer element in all of us? Seeking

music before our peers get there. Or is it more of an individual want to find things to

make use chemically happy, something which is hard to control? Could this be the

underlying reason as to why mainstream listeners are seen as lazy, as previously

commented? This creates an argument as to whether the alternatives are actually

cooler than the mainstreamers. One the one hand, the superiority projected by the

alternatives, would make them fall in to the category of contrarian cool (Dar-Nimrod

and Hansen, 2012, p.183) which should be seen as uncool as it appears to be a

detachment from the mainstream. By wanting to be a bit hipster, an individual is,

according to Dar-Nimrod and Hansen, theoretically wanting to be uncool. By being

uncool, an individual would inadvertently become cool in certain social circles

through new cool, as explained previously in the literature review. However the

activity of discovering new music would be seen as active cool as it is expressive

and ambitious as the alternatives seek out the lesser known. Too much ambition

though is seen as too try hard which is seen as uncool, which is why hipsters are

viewed in this way as they are so image-conscious that they live in fear of being or

doing anything remotely uncool (Wylie, 2012).

Finally, respondents were asked if others thinking their musical preference is

mainstream (even if they dont believe it is) have an affect on them. Findings have

shown the 66% of respondents disagreed with this concept. 43% of those 65

respondents have previously identified themselves as part of the alternatives who 35 | P a g e

are completely comfortable with seeing their taste in this way (as shown in appendix

8). So does this mean that the personal feelings regarding taste have more of an

impact than that of our peers judging it? If those 43 of 66 were fine with being

alternative, before anyone hypothetically thought it was mainstream, they would still

be fine as they simply enjoy the music for what it is, however most of these

alternatives have been criticising those who they consider mainstreamers for

lacking authenticity within their musical tastes, so why do people judge others

musical tastes on a different scale to themselves? From opinion based answers we

have seen before, the notion of I found them first does seem to play a part, even if it

isnt a primary thought. Does this first finder/hunter-gatherer aspect of musical

tastes play a part for the 10% who agreed with the statement, and 24% who stated

potentially?

Of those who said that the thoughts of others would affect them, 20% were male and

80% were female, reflecting the views of 2 out of 26 total male respondents and 8

out of 74 the total female respondents. So this larger percentage of males, may

correlate to the primal instinct of not being seen as weak which we have seen

mainstream tastes mirrored with earlier on in this research - words such as lazy and

dumb. Of the eight female respondents, 50% of those were aged 28-30 suggesting

that older women find the idea of peers thinking they like mainstream music more

threatening than younger women. In contrast, the two males who responded yes

were in the mid age ranges for this questionnaires, being in the 21-23 and 24-27 age

categories, suggesting it may be more acceptable when youre younger due to

naivety, and acceptable when youre older due to more self-assurance.

36 | P a g e

7. Conclusion

7.1. Key Findings

Within the literature review at the beginning of this study, it was said that some argue

cool resists linear structures (Bortz-Bornstein, 2010), there is no straightforward

way to achieve a cool status therefore no distinct features of the phenomenon. Cool

is most certainly not what it was during Dar-Nimrod and Hansens study period only 3

years ago: no more James-Dean-cool, less impact from friendly cool and more

onus on our projected tastes to be up to the required standards. As shown during the

discussion, there is now new cool to add to the mix. With all these extra types of

cool, is cool even important anymore? Social desirability no longer appears to

include the idea of cool; it seems to show more importance around similar interests

and outlooks rather than this cool hierarchy.

From this study, it is fair to conclude that there is an obvious rift between alternative

lovers and the mainstream music industry with its overplayed and manufactured

finish. The range of genres themselves that are being listened to have expanded

hugely over the past few decades - math rock, folktronic and whatever Enter Shikari

fit in to. While some alternative people hold Simon Cowell and his brainwashed

generation responsible for the steady decline of class within the music industry,

some mainstream music can still contain meaning and provoke deep emotions for

listeners. One respondent went as far as to define mainstream music as corrupted.

This idea needs to be abolished if there is any hope of getting a bigger and wider

audience for this type of music. Alternative music has always been pushed by

37 | P a g e

sources such as NME, who named the epitome of the mainstream music industry

One Direction as Villains of the year, but now it might be time to encourage

alternative music not by undermining mainstream, but by promoting alternative acts

unique selling points.

The study has however also shown the other side of mainstream - the lovers of this

type of music who find no harm in accepting their musical tastes for what they like,

along with the derogatory label of mainstream. Findings showed that instead of

being musically inferior to the alternatives, the mainstreamers are in fact aware of the

lack of authenticity, overplayed and manufactured nature of their musical

preferences, yet still choose to listen regardless. As Frith said, authenticity is valued

differently according to genres (Frith, 1998, p.90). The general public because so

conscious of authenticity and what it means to be authentic was a bit of a surprise

compared to the rest of the studys findings as this topic is usually spoken. Not only

does mainstream appear to lack of first and third person authenticity, acts cannot

even convince their audience of meta-authenticity - bands and artists need to be able

to convey emotion through their lyrics and actions, and if that isnt there then no

amount of impressive light shows at live concerts will be able to compensate for this.

7.2. Limitations

One obviously limitation is although there was an ample amount of respondents, 100

people do not fully represent the views of the general public as a whole, especially

with the sizable gender sway within the respondents. This study was somewhat

financially limited as gathering more than 100 responses through SurveyMonkey.com

cost. With future studies, a different data collection service would be recommended -

other services are developing to have up to 250 responses for free.

If this study were to be repeated, more methods of data collection would be used

such as focus groups and individual interviews. This would have given more

background and in depth exploration for certain questions, allowing respondents to

go on a tangent to the questionnaires set questions.

If repeated, basic quantitative questions would remain in the questionnaire, but focus

groups and individual interviews would consist on the qualitative questions so the

38 | P a g e

researcher could ask more dependent on the respondents reply. This may have its

drawbacks though as sometimes people are not as truthful in person as they would

be when completing an anonymous questionnaire.

7.3. Future Research Possibilities

Development of this current study would require a wider pool of participants with a

more even gender split. As shown in the limitations, focus groups and individual

interviews would be a good source for further information which the study could not

obtain through questionnaires alone.

Additional questions could include;

List at least one positive aspect of mainstream music

How do you consciously steer away from mainstream music to head to

alternative music?

Why do you feel mainstream music is so overplayed? (i.e. are there not

enough playable artists? are there not enough avenues for exposure for

smaller acts?)

Further development to this study could involve a deeper delving into the thoughts of

mainstream lovers, as this study has a more alternative outlook. Additional studies

could be how do we improve the ease of access to alternative music?, is

authenticity down to the act themselves or the music industry as a whole?, how

does our musical stance affect how others see our cool factor? and is cool as

important as it once was?. With further development, maybe mainstream lovers will

show a way to improve upon the thoughts alternative lovers have towards the music

of the masses.

39 | P a g e

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9. Appendices

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9.1. Blank Questionnaire

*Q1. Which genres of music would you say you mainly listen to?

Pop

Punk

Rock

Metal

RnB

House

Hip Hop

Drum and Bass

Other (please specify)

*Q2. How would you define mainstream music?

*Q3. On a scale from 1-7, how mainstream would you define your musical preferences?

1. Very alternative

2. Quite alternative

3. Slightly alternative

4. Sometimes alternative, sometimes mainstream

5. Tending towards mainstream

6. Quite mainstream

7. Very mainstream

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Q4. If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible.

Q5. If you answered between 5-7, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as mainstream? Please explain you answer if possible.

Q6. Do you ever consciously steer away from mainstream and head for other music (such as up and coming acts or lesser known bands)?

Yes

Sometimes

No

Q7. If you do consciously steer away, why? If you dont, why not?

*Q8. Would others thinking your musical preference is mainstream (even if you dont believe it is) have an affect on you?

Yes

Potentially

No

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Q9. Which of these age categories do you fit in to?

18-20

21-23

24-27

28-30

*Q10. Which gender do you identify yourself as?

Male

Female

9.2. Genres listed in the Other category

Respondent Number Response 1 Range of all Radio 1 7 Acoustic

Folk 19 Techno

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23 Country 26 Classical

Jazz 31 90s - 2000s Dance music 32 Math Rock 40 Dream Pop

Alternative Rock 42 EDM

Reggae Electronic Dubstep Trance

43 Dubstep 59 Reggae 61 Rock n Roll alternatives 63 Ska

Northern Soul 69 Jazz

Classical 71 Chill

Acoustic IDM Trip Hop Folktronic Ambient Classical Indie Indie Hip Hop Minimalist Landscape

72 Classical 76 Reggae

Dubstep Jungle

88 Classical Jazz Big Band

93 Hardcore Whatever category Enter Shikari fit as, let's be honest... it's a bit hard to put them into a single genre

94 Ska 95 Opera

Classical 98 Folk Rock

9.3. How would you define mainstream music? full responses

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Respondent Number Response 1 repetitive songs (songs being brought out sounding the

same) 2 Regular top 40, easy to listen to, not challenging 3 Something widely known and liked with regards to the

current population; a band that everybody knows or has heard of.

4 Current chart 5 Music that is listened to by the majority. *Music that is

designed just for the purpose of making a lot of money. 6 If it's in the charts 7 Pop. 8 Popular Music 9 Music that is being played on main radio stations eg

BBCR1 10 Rubbish 11 The most downloaded popular music 12 Current chart 13 I would define mainstream music as something I can hear

on a daily basis, easily, *music that is put in front of me through radio etc. usually well known artists in the music charts

14 Music that is really popular. Clue is in the title - *music that is mainly streamed I.e most popular

15 On popular radio stations by youngsters. 16 Chart music, music played a lot on the radio. Usually

catchy RnB or pop. 17 Stuff you hear on the radio 18 Popuilar music, top 40 hits - well known 19 Pop Rock. Easy listening 20 Pop, R'n'B, Indie 21 UK Official top 40 chart 22 Something that is current and in the top 40 23 Official top 40 chart 24 What the radio play 25 music played on the radio or just very well known 26 Pop is over produced and no longer authentic 27 Music that is played on the standard radio stations -

Radio1, CapitalFM etc.. 28 Fun, easy to listen to 29 The most popular genre of music at a given time 30 Whatever is the most popular 31 What's in the charts 32 Whatever's in the charts (not necessarily just Pop music). 33 Charts-uk top 40 34 Pop/Charts 35 Music listened to by mass society, high output of exposure

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within the media. 36 Pop 37 Chart music. Major labels paying radio stations to play

their bands songs every 3 hours. 38 Stuff that other people listen to 39 Mainstream music is music manufactured for the masses

by pressing a series of buttons and not putting any thought in to it. Also it's the Simon Cowell generation.

40 Chart music 41 Music that is replayed on all the radio stations repeatedly 42 Mainstream music is what is in the charts 43 Pop/chart 44 Chart music like big top 40 or music played on radio

stations like capital or kiss 100. 45 Boring, over-produced and all-too-similar. 46 Chart music 47 Repetitive and based more on sampling and patterns than

music thats actually performed (unless its a manufactured group or x factor/popstars whatever act then its even worse)

48 Good 49 Catchy, music to sing to 50 Lot of it is pretty similar 51 Catchy pop inspired music 52 Predictable 53 Chart music 54 Good 55 Trash 56 Chart music 57 Good 58 Music thats in the UK top 40 59 - Not authentic: manufactured for a set audience, usually

by a few "writers" - Recycled music - More promo than actual music

60 Corrupted 61 Music played in the charts, not very good 62 Dull, loud, nonsense 63 "Bubblegum music"- music with a catchy beat and tune

but not memorable enough to stick. With artists in mainstream music it's too much about image.

64 Anything played on Capital FM or Radio 1 65 Pop 66 Commerical and chart music 67 Pop 68 All starting to sound the same, easy listening but not

inspirational. 69 Mainstream music is defined by dj's pushing the same

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songs down the radio over and over until you are forced to like it. It is, on several occasions, a 'brand'. It is sheep following sheep because it is seen as 'cool'

70 Some good, some bad & cheesy 71 Music that follows a popular pattern, when a certain type

of song is successful, a vast amount of music follows said patterns, be it type of chorus, certain hooks, rhythms, or borrowing/cannabilising another genre. Dub step is a prime example of a type of music that has been completely cannabilised by pop music.

72 Stuff played on radio 1 73 Music that's get regular AirPlay on major radio stations ie

capital kiss radio 1 74 "Xfactor" about sums it up. 75 Chart music? 76 Popular music, generally in the charts due to being

bought/downloaded the most, and played on mainstream radio stations and music channels

77 Music listened to by everyone, no matter what age... things played on the radio etc

78 Pop music, much of which sounds very similar. Over produced. Sounds less like real instruments and more like noises from a computer. Often involving lyrics about bums at the moment.

79 Repetitive, never changing, similar 80 Music played on commercial radio 81 Generic pop music for kids 82 Music that's in the charts and stereotypically everyone

knows 83 Anything that is always on the radio and everyone listens

to. Or lots of songs that "all sound the same" or are "all about the same thing"

84 Cheap 85 At the moment, quite good. I think artists have to be more

credible these days than they used to be. A lot of the bands and groups from the nineties wouldn't have a sniff now.

86 Catchy tunes, a wide mix of genres 87 Manufactured pop 88 It is whatever genre of music that is currently trending with

popular masses. 89 Catchy and annoying 90 Music on tv, and pop culture 91 Hit and miss 92 Whatever is constantly on the radio or in the top 10 93 horrifically overplayed and commercialised 94 Fairly awful 95 Most listened type of music

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96 Music that appears in charts, performs on basic tv channels (itv bbc).

97 I suppose easy listening radio tunes? 98 Foot-tapping rhythms with a catchy tune. 99 Top 40 pop

100 Overplayed

9.4. If you answered between 1-3, do you enjoy seeing your preferences as alternative? Please explain your answer if possible. full responses

Respondent Number Response 3 I don't enjoy or dislike that my musical preference isn't

"mainstream", I just listen to it because I enjoy it. 5 Not bothered really... It's just what I like to listen too.

10 Yes as I prefer having my own taste in music and not paying attention to what the majority listens to and conforming to what's deemed 'normal'

16 Sometimes, I like the fact it's easier to get gig tickets to less mainstream acts.

19 Yes, alternative music should seek to subvert the mainstream. If possible frighten it. Hippies, Punk Acid House and Hip Hop all challenged the mainstream before their music became part of it.

21 Yes, I like to know I'm listening to music that I put time and effort into finding out about

29 Yes, because whats in the charts sounds the same now 32 I do, as it's a good way to identify with a distinct sub-group

of people. At the same time, I don't like to be out of touch, but I can't help not knowing every 1D song.

34 It doesn't bother me whether the music I like is classed as mainstream or alternative. I like what I like.

35 Yes I do, whether consciously or subconsciously we all enjoy being seen as unique from time to time.

37 Yes. More unique and isnt force fed to me. Have to look for true talent

42 I just listen to what I like, whether it's seen as mainstream or alternative, mass or niche market, it doesn't really matter.

44 Yes I do enjoy seeing them as alternative as I don't like to be like everyone else , unique is better.

45 I see my choice as meaning I have explored other avenues of music which in turn increase my variety.

47 There is no Alternative, just shit music and non shit music. I'll listen to almost any genre except R&B as its a bastardised Rythm and blues and most dance music as its only good in clubs.

52 Yes, as a big fan of drum n bass, i prefer the music not to be mainstream or it becomes watered down, cheesy and

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generic. 55 Not really, it should be seen as actual music considering it

actually uses instruments not autotune 60 Not bothered either way! 61 Don't really mind either way 63 I like to be different. I don't like being classed as part of the

crowd, because then where is individuality. A lot of teenagers dress the same, listen to the same music. It's hard to find people with the same tastes as you, when you listen to such alternative music, but at the same time, that's absolutely ok. I don't wish to be a sheep.

68 Yes I suppose, it's nice to talk to people about new or unusual bands.

69 No. I like discovering talented people and music. I listen to a wide variety