'As a friend, as a trend, as an old memory' : popular music, memory and power

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between memory and popular music. In order to make a claim for the validity of the field, popular music studies have often focused on the political and oppositional qualities of such music. It is argued in the thesis that although a form of popular culture such as grunge presents challenges to existing power relations, these challenges are often defused in the way grunge is remembered by the majority of fans. This is demonstrated through the examination of how collective memories are formed through the media, especially in dispersed groups, in contemporary societies. The formation of memory in this manner does not necessarily allow the media to control these memories or impose meaning, as memories are used to support and construct present identities. As a result, different groups may have different requirements of the past. The concept of memory is examined using the grunge musical 'movement' which was popular during the early 1990s. While exploring the sociology of memory, this thesis therefore also contributes to popular music studies, as few studies have investigated grunge in depth, or examined popular music retrospectively. The thesis uses interviews with grunge fans and content analysis of media articles about grunge as materials to explore the way popular culture is remembered. The main concepts used are collective memory, as theorised by Halbwachs and others, and Bourdieu's ideas of power, tastes and cultural fields. The thesis will use this context to demonstrate how gender roles can be reinscribed in retrospect, and how the life-stories of individuals can be used to reinforce prevailing myths and narratives within a society. It also suggests that class operates in a similar way through the influence that it has on tastes and lifestyles, as well as influencing what (and who) is remembered and the form that memory takes. Show more