A rockist is someone who reduces rock 'n' roll to a caricature, then uses that caricature as a weapon. Rockism means idolizing the authentic old legend (or underground hero) while mocking the latest pop star; lionizing punk while barely tolerating disco; loving the live show and hating the music video; extolling the growling performer while hating the lip-syncher.

Definitely one of the arguments we made in the Bubblegum book. Goes back to the age-old valuation of what's "authentic" - even though time and again that's proven to be a false and indefensible virtue.

Still...

You can argue that the shape-shifting feminist hip-pop of Ms. Aguilera is every bit as radical as the punk rock of the 1970's (and it is),

I think this overstates Christina's value as a pop creator and/or icon.

And let's stop pretending that serious rock songs will last forever, as if anything could, and that shiny pop songs are inherently disposable, as if that were necessarily a bad thing. Van Morrison's "Into the Music" was released the same year as the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"; which do you hear more often?

This seems a little specious. Van's Astral Weeks is about 35 years old and it is still a consistent seller. That's eons in pop terms. "Rapper's Delight" was a signal event in pop music - it probably gets played as much for its iconic value as it does for its own "pop" qualities. And Van's "Brown Eyed Girl" was a near-perfect pop song. Right down to the Sha la las.

Ms. Aguilera's work is feminist?

Sanneh seems to paint things into two opposite corners where music is really a continuum.

She makes some good points, but then throws in stupid comments like "There's a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for doo-wop groups and folk singers and disco queens and even rappers - just so long as they, y'know, rock."

Uhh... it's the ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame, not the Music hall of fame.

Fair enough, I look forward to someone started the doo-wop hall of fame!

There is actually now a dance music hall of fame, and no doubt a hip-hop one won't be far behind.

I guess, though, the point is that because rockists treat rock music as the paradigm case of all popular music, rival institutions will inevitably be treated as marginal by the music press and so on. But I'm pretty suspicious of any attempt to institutionalise a popular music canon, so personally I'd bomb the lot of them.

I found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to be scary.

I found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to be scary.

What specifically about it?

Too slick and corporate.

Not that there's anything wrong with that - just not my personal preference.

I've no use for the R&R Hall of Fame either. It's still a stupid comment.

But the basic point still stands -- most music writers are rock biased, which makes them unable to appreciate a lot of current pop culture, which makes them actually unqualified for their so-called jobs.

Agreed Rio. I think some of her examples are just a little bit strange, like if you want to pick a pop song from 1979 that would have been considered "disposable" at the time in comparison to Van Morrison and is now an unimpeachable classic, I'd have gone for "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough".

t edit Actually, it appears the author is a man. So make that "his examples".