Week 7 - Can popular music be a genuine force for political change?

Pop music is marketed and consumed by so many people that it definitely has some sort of influence on society. This is why is it now commonly used as a way to express ideas, beliefs and opinions on political issues. Pop music that is used for a political agenda definitely attracts attention and raises awareness. The pop artists who create the songs are often famous, publicly admired and therefore attract a lot of publicity with the message they are conveying in their music. When pop songs with a political message are banned, the media attention surrounding them allows it to raise even more public awareness.
An example of where popular music does make a change is with prestigious awareness projects and concerts such as Live Aid. The awareness of the poverty issue and money raised to help definitely makes a huge difference. However, it can be argued that these concerts have become more of a publicised, media fuelled event that do not focus entirely on the political message. So although it can be said that popular music can raise awareness of political issues, whether it is a genuine force for political change is not so easy to see. The public attention on the songs, artists and concerts often mean that the message does not take priority and can be forgotten over time. This is what Shuker calls conscious rock. In conclusion, although pop music is a powerful way to help raise awareness and motivation towards political issues, there is little evidence to prove that it can make a long term change.