Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

It can be said that popular music owes much of it's existence to technology, the invention of the microphone and the amplifier has greatly impacted the way in which music is heard; it has taken music from small intimate groups to vast stadiums. Without these two technologies it is unlikely that popular music would exist in the way in which we currently recognise it. It is also possible that it wouldn't exist in the mainstream and remain the preserve of trained musicians. This would also mean that the recording industry would not exist and would therefore prevent millions of people from hearing popular music. Even 'unplugged' gigs are not 'unplugged', as it would not be possible for the majority of the audience to hear the music. Popular music can never truly be unplugged as it's use of technologies is one of the foundations of popular music at it exists today.

What is Popular Music?

The word 'popular' is one that cannot be concisely defined, this is why the term 'popular music' often means different things to different people. The word originally comes from a legal term 'popularis' meaning 'to favour the people.' The term has come to encapsulate music that is 'widely favoured' or is seen as a synonym for 'good music'; although there is an element of truth in this statement it is not always the case as many shocking examples in the UK charts will demonstrate. Burnett discusses the idea that popular music is “commercially oriented” whilst there are plenty of examples in which this is true it can't always be said that the primary intention of the artist is to make money. Popular music could be considered as music which is released to or heard by a mainstream audience often for, but not exclusively to, economic gain.