ARE BLACKNESS AND WHITENESS USEFUL CONCEPTS IN THE STUDY OF POPULAR MUSIC?

“Blackness” and “whiteness” are important concepts in studying the development of popular music, but have become so intertwined today that it is nearly impossible to separately study each. Barry Shank gives testament to the importance of white fascination with black music when discussing the transformation of popular music to rock and roll. The success Mamie Smith’s recording of Crazy Blues after the advertisement of her being a black woman shows how race played an important role in the development of the popular music market. Because of this change, the music which was originally thought of as “black” or “white” has become melded together into most popular music. For example, rap which originated as a “black” music form now has white and Latino artists such as Eminem and Pitbull. Without studying the “blackness” and “whiteness” factors which popular music today developed from, audiences cannot understand its importance and transformation.