Popular Music Matters

This collection explores why Simon Frith's work remains foundational to popular music studies, tracing his influential career from his seminal 1978 book, The Sociology of Rock, to his contemporary analysis of the UK's live music scene. Frith's core mission—to take popular music seriously as a subject of academic and cultural inquiry—has made him one of the most cited scholars in the field. The essays here dissect his unique dual perspective, forged through decades of work as both a respected academic and a practicing music critic for major publications.

What makes this volume compelling is its focus on a thinker who successfully bridged the often-separate worlds of scholarly analysis and mainstream music journalism. Readers interested in cultural studies, music criticism, and the sociology of art will find a rich examination of how popular music functions as more than just entertainment. The book effectively argues that Frith's interdisciplinary approach provides the essential tools for understanding why the music we love matters on a deeper, societal level.