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How Classical Music is Better than Popular Music

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2016

James O. Young
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Abstract

In at least one respect, classical music is superior to popular music. Classical music (understood as common practice composition) has greater potential for expressiveness and, consequently, has more potential for psychological insight and profundity. The greater potential for expressiveness in classical music is due, in large part, to it greater harmonic resources. The harmonies in classical music are more likely to be functional, more contrary motion is employed, and modulation is more common. Although popular music employs rhythms not found in classical music, on the whole there is less rhythmic variety in popular music than there is in classical.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy , Volume 91 , Issue 4 , October 2016 , pp. 523 - 540
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Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 2016 

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References

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37 An earlier version on this essay was written for a panel on popular art organised by Stephanie Ross and held on 19 February 2015 at the American Philosophical Association Central Division meeting in St. Louis. Subsequent versions were presented at the Dubrovnik Philosophy of Art Conference, 24 April 2015 and the American Society for Aesthetics Conference, Savannah, Georgia, 15 November 2015. Audience members at these talks, particularly Ted Gracyk and Stephen Davies, provided valuable comments. In the course of writing this paper, I profited from discussions with Craig Derksen.