Analysing Popular Music

A definitive guide to issues of textual analysis, representation and semiotics in popular music. Informed, instructive and refreshingly accessible; it boasts a host of original examples, exercises and invaluable resources
Bill Osgerby
London Metropolitan University

David Machin has the gift of explaining complex ideas in clear and direct language that will engage students and enrich their experience of music
Theo Van Leeuwen
University of Technology Sydney

A comprehensive and innovative addition to the literature on the analysis of popular music. Scholars and students will find this an essential reference text for future work
Brian Longhurst
University of Salford

David Machin′s book will be invaluable for anyone who wants to systematically analyse the way that popular music is meaningful in the media. He provides clear, accurate, explanations of the ideas of other writers, and sets out helpful approaches to analysing popular music as a modern form of visual and sound communication. The book will now be on my recommended reading lists for both undergraduate and postgraduate students
Tim Wall
Birmingham City University

In this innovative and invaluable book, David Machin has attempted to address the areas of representation, textual analysis and semiotics in popular music. He presents complex ideas in a way that will be useful to students of media, culture and communications and to any scholars with an interest in why music is made meaningful but with no background in musicology... I would strongly recommend this book for any music and media students, and for anyone with an interest in developing a deeper understanding of popular music
Martin James, Southampton Solent University
THE Textbook Guide

Equipped with theories, specific examples, detailed analysis and a useful and concise glossary, Machin′s Analysing Popular Music is a useful, practical and manageable toolkit for students with no prior musical knowledge who are interested in multimodal discourse, and for students in sociology, media and communication studies to analyse and appreciate popular music. -- Haicui Zheng
This book presents an extremely interesting model for a multimodal analysis of music as a complex text. Machin′s examination of the many layers of meanings generated by musical products is original and effective. This will be a very useful resource for students of media and cultural studies, particularly those who are not familiar with the topic. The book will also provide a starting point for reflecting on popular music from a different angle. -- Dr Chiara Minestrelli * drupal *
Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound and Text is a book the methods of which is tried at tested with the students who inspired in at the University of Leicester. If you are teaching music to students who have no formal training in musicology but who love the sounds and sights of music, this is the one to have!

Dr. E. Anna Claydon
University of Leicester -- Dr E Claydon * drupal *
This textbook covers a very contentious debate about the relationship between: (a) popular music &; (b) youth issues. It clearly exposes the strength of such a relationship & discusses ways in which popular music can play a highly positive role in addressing (& overcoming) many problems which many young people can encounter throughout their adolescence, -- Dr John Stitt * drupal *
Recommended for the following modules:

BA - 2nd year Marcoms
BA - 3rd year Advertising
BA - 3rd year Branding

MA - Marcoms, Branding and Advertising

An interesting and insightful book, which will help students to consider the role of music in depth. Of particular use to dissertation students -- Dr Jonathan Wilson * drupal *
This book is engaging and informative, and should provide students with an analytical ′tool-kit′ to improve their understanding of the complexities of popular music. -- Dr Lyvinia Elleschild * drupal *
This book will definitely be added to the bibliography of the module. -- Dr Magali Peyrefitte * drupal *
The book seems to fit perfectly into our course "The Aesthetics of Popular Culture in the 20th Century" (undergraduate course for international students); we are, however, planning to construct a new course with special focus on music and popular culture in intermedia studies (also for international students). The new course is due spring 2011. Intermedia studies focus on how meaning is constructed, which means that in order to analyse e.g. musical meaning one has to consider the way music is presented to us (the context); music is almost always multi- and intermedial (even so-called instrumental classical music). That′s why Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound and Text is a book fits into intermedia studies. -- Dr Mats Arvidson * drupal *
I consider this to be an original and useful text for the study of popular music. It is written in a language that is easy to understand (for both musicians and non musicians alike) and has many incredibly useful concepts to inspire future research. I will be asking my library to include the text as supplementary reading on the course, and I will certainly be using the text in my lecture series next semester. -- Dr Paul Carr * drupal *
I found this book an excellent stimulus for the cross-curricular teaching of popular music. The analysis of the artwork on album covers connected popular music to art, advertising, literacy and different cultures. The analysis of the music itself was clear and accessible, particularly to those who may not have a background in musical theory. -- Gillian Jack * drupal *
Very good, well written, clear and as close to ′relevant′ as any printed book can be nowadays! -- Mr Alex Germains * drupal *
Clear and accessible introduction to approaches and methods for the analysis of popular music. -- Mr Anders Hansen * drupal *
This is an accessible and informative text, which introduces students to key concepts through the use of varied and relevant contemporary examples. -- Mr David Surridge * drupal *
An excellent book which provides in-depth examples of how to ′do′ textual analysis with popular music texts. Written in a clear and engaging manner throughout and supported with good examples, this book should prove to be a valuable resource for tutors, researchers and students working in the field of popular music studies. -- Mr Liam French * drupal *
This is a well informed and clearly structured book with some useful insights that could act as a springboard for further classroom discussions. A really useful book that combines both the musicological and cultural aspects of popular music to enable a well rounded analysis of the form. -- Mr Matt Grimes * drupal *
The course is structured around three major visual communication domains: political campaigning, conflict reporting, and advertising/PR. "Analysing Popular Music" is an essential reading for the sessions dedicated to analyzing music videos as well as viral videos distributed online. It is also most students′ first encounter with multimodal analysis." -- Mr Ognyan Seizov * drupal *
Good starting pint for students trying to understand how to analyse popular music. -- Ms Illydea Ishak * drupal *
Just perfect on every level but particularly well broken down and accessible -- Ms Paula Hearsum * drupal *
fine for beginners! -- Professor Dr. Christoph Jacke * drupal *
Excellent source for students who elect to work on popular music within the course of Cultural Studies, or for those who want to specialize in popular music for their thesis. -- Professor Mathieu De Wasseige * drupal *