Pop Cult: Religion and Popular MusicAt a time when fundamentalism is on the rise, traditional religions are in decline and postmodernity has challenged any system that claims to be all-defining, young people have left their traditional places of worship and set up their own, in clubs, at festivals and within music culture. Pop Cults investigates the ways in which popular music and its surrounding culture have become a primary site for the location of meaning, belief and identity. It provides an introduction to the history of the interactions of vernacular music and religion, and the role of music in religious culture. Rupert Till explores the cults of heavy metal, pop stars, club culture and virtual popular music worlds, investigating the sex, drug, local and death cults of the sacred popular, and their relationships with traditional religions. He concludes by discussing how and why popular music cultures have taken on many of the roles of traditional religions in contemporary society. |
Contents
Pop Cults and New Religious Movements | 1 |
Sex Cults of Popular Music | 11 |
Drug Cults of Popular Music | 34 |
Personality Cults of the Sacred Popular | 46 |
Local Cults of Popular Music | 74 |
Virtual Cults of Popular Music | 94 |
Death Cults of Popular Music | 108 |
Possession Trance Cults of Electronic Dance Music | 131 |
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African American album associated audience Beatles became become behaviour belief blues British Britpop cartoon Christian church club clubbers cock rock consciousness created cults of popular David Bowie death described developed disco discussed divine drug taking ecstasy EDMC electronic dance music elements Elvis Presley example experience fans featured fictional film focused Gorillaz gospel gospel music guitar human imagery implicit religion individual influenced involved Jimi Hendrix Led Zeppelin Little Richard live Madchester Madonna mainstream mediapheme metal Monkees Mötley Crüe music culture music industry music scenes musicians participants performance played pop cults pop stars popular culture popular icons popular music popular music cults postmodernity presented Prince Prince’s punk record references religious rhythm ritual rock music rock'n'roll sacred popular secular Sex Pistols sexual similar singer singing social society song soul spirituality subculture television traditions trance Whitesnake young