Q and The Face
Narratives of consumption in the UK music press in the 1980s
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.v1i2.189Keywords:
UK music press, consumerismAbstract
This article challenges the view that the use of consumer-based vocabulary in the music press is at odds with valuing popular music qualitatively. This is placed in the context of those who have written specifically on the music press including Forde (2001), Strachan and Leonard (2003) and John Stratton (1982) as well as some of the key figures in Popular Music Studies: from Adorno (1942) and Reisman (1950) to Goodwin (1988), Grossberg (1993) and Negus (1996). The piece focuses in detail on The Face and Q during the 1980s and includes a resume of the personnel and institutions involved. However, the main focus of the article is the textual analysis of both titles and, in particular, the interpretation of this in light of Pierre Bourdieu’s work in Distinction (1979). It is argued that while education and cultural taste are integral parts in the function of the music press, it is the reflexive construction of the self that is primary in the judgements made about popular music.
References
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Barthes, Roland. 1993. ‘Death of the Author’ (1968). In Image, Music, Text. Repr. London: Fontana Press [1977].
Baudrillard, Jean. 1998. ‘Simulacra and Simulations’. In Selected Writings, ed. Mark Poster, 166– 84. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Blake, Andrew. 1999. ‘Making Noise—Notes from the 1980s’. In Living Through Pop. Routledge, London.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 2000. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. London: Routledge [1979].
Coates, Norma. 1997. ‘Revolution Now’. In Sexing the Groove—Popular Music and Gender, ed. Sheila Whitely. London: Routledge.
Corner, John, and Sylvia Harvey. 1991. Enterprise and Heritage: Crosscurrents of National Culture. London: Routledge.
Davies, Helen. 2001. ‘All Rock and Roll is Homosocial: The Representation of Women in the British Rock Music Press’. Popular Music 20, no. 3.
Ewan, S. 1988. ‘All Consuming Images: The Politics of Style in Contemporary Culture’. In Literary Theory: An Anthology, ed. J. Rivkin et al. Oxford: Blackwell.
Faludi, Susan. 1992. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women. London: Vintage.
Forde, Eamonn. 2001. ‘From Polygottism to Branding: On the Decline of Personality Journalism in the British Press’. Journalism 2, no. 1.
Frith, Simon. 1996. ’Common Sense and the Language of Criticism’. In Performing Rites. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gaar, Gillian G. 1992. She’s a Rebel. London: Pub Group West.
Goodwin, Andrew. 1988. ‘Sample and Hold—Pop Music in the Digital Age of Reproduction’. In On Record: Rock, Pop and the Written Word, ed. Simon Frith and Andrew Goodwin. London: Routledge, 1990. Originally appeared in Critical Quarterly 30, no. 3.
Gorman, Paul. 2001. In Their Own Words—Adventures in the Music Press. London: Sanctuary Publishing, 2001.
Grossberg, Lawrence. 1992. We Gotta Get Out of this Place: Popular Conservatism and Postmodern Culture. London: Routledge.
—1993. ‘The Media Economy of Rock Culture—Cinema, Postmodernity and Authenticity’. In Sound and Vision: The Music Video Reader, ed. Simon Frith, Andrew Goodwin and Lawrence Grossberg. London: Routledge, 1993.
Gudmundsson, Gestur, Ulf Lindberg, Morten Michelsen and Hans Weisethaunet. 2002. ‘Brit Crit: Turning Points in British Rock Criticism, 1960–1990’. In Steve Jones, Pop Music and the Press. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Harron, Mary. 1990. ‘McRock: Pop as a Commodity’. In Facing The Music: Essays on Pop, Rock and Culture, ed. Simon Frith. London: Madarin, 1990.
Hebdige, Dick. 1984. Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge.
—1988. ‘The Bottom Line on Planet One: Squaring Up to The Face’. In Hiding in the Light. London: Routledge.
Higson, Andrew. 1993. ‘Re-presenting the National Past: Nostalgia and Pastiche in the Heritage Film’. In British Cinema and Thatcherism, ed. Lester Friedman. London: UCL Press.
Jameson, Frederic. 1991. Postmodernism or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. London: Verso Press.
Miller, Daniel. 1993. Consumption as the Vanguard of History. London: Routledge.
Mort, Frank. 1996. Cultures of Consumption. London: Routledge.
Negus, Keith. 1996. Popular Music in Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Nixon, Sean. 1996. Hard Looks: Masculinity, Spectatorship and Contemporary Consumption. London: UCL Press.
O’Brien, Lucy. 1996. She Bop: The De?nitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul. London: Continuum.
Radway, Janice. 1984. Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature. Carolina: University of North Carolina Press.
Railton, Diane. 2001. ‘The Gendered Carnival of Pop’. Popular Music 20, no. 3.
Rimmer, Dave. 1985. Like Punk Never Happened: Culture Club and the New Pop. London: Faber & Faber.
Salewicz, Chris. 1986. 'Interview with Paul McCartney'. London: Q 1 Emap.
Sontag, Susan. 1966. 'Notes on Camp' (1964) featured in Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag. New York: Farrar Straus.
Strachan, Robert, and Marion Leonard. 2003a. ‘Music Press’. In The Continuum Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 1: Media Industry and Society, ed. David Horn, Dave Laing and John Shepherd. London: Continuum.
—2003b. ‘Journalistic Practices’. In The Continuum Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 1: Media Industry and Society, ed. David Horn, Dave Laing and John Shepherd. London: Continuum.
Stratton, John. 1982. ‘Between Two Worlds: Art and Commercialism in the Record Industry’. The Sociological Review 30.
Toynbee, Jason. 1993. ‘Policing Bohemia, Pinning Up Grunge: The Music Press and Generic Change in British Pop and Rock’. Popular Music 12, no. 3: 289–300.
Winship, Janice. 1987. Inside Women’s Magazines. London: Pandora Press.
Barthes, Roland. 1993. ‘Death of the Author’ (1968). In Image, Music, Text. Repr. London: Fontana Press [1977].
Baudrillard, Jean. 1998. ‘Simulacra and Simulations’. In Selected Writings, ed. Mark Poster, 166– 84. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Blake, Andrew. 1999. ‘Making Noise—Notes from the 1980s’. In Living Through Pop. Routledge, London.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 2000. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. London: Routledge [1979].
Coates, Norma. 1997. ‘Revolution Now’. In Sexing the Groove—Popular Music and Gender, ed. Sheila Whitely. London: Routledge.
Corner, John, and Sylvia Harvey. 1991. Enterprise and Heritage: Crosscurrents of National Culture. London: Routledge.
Davies, Helen. 2001. ‘All Rock and Roll is Homosocial: The Representation of Women in the British Rock Music Press’. Popular Music 20, no. 3.
Ewan, S. 1988. ‘All Consuming Images: The Politics of Style in Contemporary Culture’. In Literary Theory: An Anthology, ed. J. Rivkin et al. Oxford: Blackwell.
Faludi, Susan. 1992. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women. London: Vintage.
Forde, Eamonn. 2001. ‘From Polygottism to Branding: On the Decline of Personality Journalism in the British Press’. Journalism 2, no. 1.
Frith, Simon. 1996. ’Common Sense and the Language of Criticism’. In Performing Rites. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gaar, Gillian G. 1992. She’s a Rebel. London: Pub Group West.
Goodwin, Andrew. 1988. ‘Sample and Hold—Pop Music in the Digital Age of Reproduction’. In On Record: Rock, Pop and the Written Word, ed. Simon Frith and Andrew Goodwin. London: Routledge, 1990. Originally appeared in Critical Quarterly 30, no. 3.
Gorman, Paul. 2001. In Their Own Words—Adventures in the Music Press. London: Sanctuary Publishing, 2001.
Grossberg, Lawrence. 1992. We Gotta Get Out of this Place: Popular Conservatism and Postmodern Culture. London: Routledge.
—1993. ‘The Media Economy of Rock Culture—Cinema, Postmodernity and Authenticity’. In Sound and Vision: The Music Video Reader, ed. Simon Frith, Andrew Goodwin and Lawrence Grossberg. London: Routledge, 1993.
Gudmundsson, Gestur, Ulf Lindberg, Morten Michelsen and Hans Weisethaunet. 2002. ‘Brit Crit: Turning Points in British Rock Criticism, 1960–1990’. In Steve Jones, Pop Music and the Press. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Harron, Mary. 1990. ‘McRock: Pop as a Commodity’. In Facing The Music: Essays on Pop, Rock and Culture, ed. Simon Frith. London: Madarin, 1990.
Hebdige, Dick. 1984. Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge.
—1988. ‘The Bottom Line on Planet One: Squaring Up to The Face’. In Hiding in the Light. London: Routledge.
Higson, Andrew. 1993. ‘Re-presenting the National Past: Nostalgia and Pastiche in the Heritage Film’. In British Cinema and Thatcherism, ed. Lester Friedman. London: UCL Press.
Jameson, Frederic. 1991. Postmodernism or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. London: Verso Press.
Miller, Daniel. 1993. Consumption as the Vanguard of History. London: Routledge.
Mort, Frank. 1996. Cultures of Consumption. London: Routledge.
Negus, Keith. 1996. Popular Music in Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Nixon, Sean. 1996. Hard Looks: Masculinity, Spectatorship and Contemporary Consumption. London: UCL Press.
O’Brien, Lucy. 1996. She Bop: The De?nitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul. London: Continuum.
Radway, Janice. 1984. Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature. Carolina: University of North Carolina Press.
Railton, Diane. 2001. ‘The Gendered Carnival of Pop’. Popular Music 20, no. 3.
Rimmer, Dave. 1985. Like Punk Never Happened: Culture Club and the New Pop. London: Faber & Faber.
Salewicz, Chris. 1986. 'Interview with Paul McCartney'. London: Q 1 Emap.
Sontag, Susan. 1966. 'Notes on Camp' (1964) featured in Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag. New York: Farrar Straus.
Strachan, Robert, and Marion Leonard. 2003a. ‘Music Press’. In The Continuum Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 1: Media Industry and Society, ed. David Horn, Dave Laing and John Shepherd. London: Continuum.
—2003b. ‘Journalistic Practices’. In The Continuum Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 1: Media Industry and Society, ed. David Horn, Dave Laing and John Shepherd. London: Continuum.
Stratton, John. 1982. ‘Between Two Worlds: Art and Commercialism in the Record Industry’. The Sociological Review 30.
Toynbee, Jason. 1993. ‘Policing Bohemia, Pinning Up Grunge: The Music Press and Generic Change in British Pop and Rock’. Popular Music 12, no. 3: 289–300.
Winship, Janice. 1987. Inside Women’s Magazines. London: Pandora Press.
Published
2004-02-10
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Hill, S. (2004). Q and The Face: Narratives of consumption in the UK music press in the 1980s. Popular Music History, 1(2), 189-212. https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.v1i2.189
