What is "American Music"? Before someone can properly analyze an aspect of a culture they must first define what the aspect is. Is American music the music that is produced by Americans or is it music that is popular in America? Assuming that it is the former, there is no true genre that defines a nation's music and this is especially true with America due to its especially colourful spectrum of genres. Not only are there a myriad of genres but a huge fan base that have eclectic tastes, therefore it is almost impossible to categorize individuals into discernible groups based solely on their taste in music. I believe this is reflective of our culture and it is strikingly symbolic of how there is not a "typical" or "generic" American. There are racial differences, spiritual differences, class differences, occupational differences, and even differences in musical or entertainment preference. These differences allow for hundreds of thousands of possible alignments which make a splendidly odd and eccentric rainbow of citizens. Living in America forces one to encounter hordes of these creatures, these citizens on a daily basis and forces one to observe their lives and characters. Hence, meeting new and different people often, if not everyday, is part of the American Experience.
But not all music listened to by Americans is considered popular. There are musical trends that exist and some genres are more popular than others. Most if not all trending music is part of the "pop" genre. It seems like the "pop" genre has assimilated the most popular American songs from the most popular American artists from the various sub-genres into itself. A nation's "pop" music is not what defines that nation's taste, but it certainly gives outsiders an image of said nation's culture. What does popular American music say about American culture? Americans should have these questions lingering in their minds...
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