Frith (1985), "Afterthoughts"

Frith's (1985) follow-up to his 1978 essay with McRobbie qualifies the claim that rock is inherently masculinist. Instead, Frith (1985) argues that rock should be studied within the cycle of production. Masculinist leanings in rock are part of a cyclical ideology. Frith (1985) therefore argues that analyses of rock and its audiences should be mindful of the ideological context in which production and consumption take place.

Frith and McRobbie (1978), "Rock and Sexuality"

1. Rock music pushes women into private sphere fantasies and men in public sphere fantasies.

Frith and McRobbie (1978) argue that the "cock rock" singer elicits identification by performing exaggeratedly masculine movements. In a culture of repressed female sexuality, women can't perform in this way. Without women performing as stars, female consumers have no outlet for identification. The female music consumer is pushed toward the domestic,l fantasizing about marriage and motherhood as partner to the star rather than fame and success as a star. Rock and pop thus create a gendered dichotomy in which men's contributions are a matter of public praise while women are relegated to the private sphere.

2. Rock music may also create a positive space for women.

Rock music may open up a space in which an exclusively female community can be built. though the space often revolves around male stars, it is importantly one of the few opportunities for girls to come together in the public sphere.

Hall and Whannel (1964), "The Young Audience"

Hall and Whannel (1964) focus on youth culture and its interaction with popular music. The impetus for their essay is their perception that rifts in economic and social structures have produced discontent among British teens. They see this discontent as directly influencing teens consumption of popular music.

1. The beat of popular music reflects teen angst.

Hall and Whannel (1964) parallel popular music's tempo and beat with the energy and frustration of teenage years. They argue that the beat of the music helps teens structure their identity development.

2. Ethnographic methods can help researchers capture this identity development process.

Hall and Whannel (1964) emphasized the cultural role of music, and therefore pushed for music scholarship based in ethnography and participant observation. This methodological preference is clear in their choice not to include any specific examples of the type of music they are describing.

Riesman (1950), "Listening to Popular Music"

Early studies of popular music were often concerned with the cultures surrounding music's consumption. Riesman (1950) writes about this topic, and he focuses primarily on youth as a target market for popular music.

1. Most teens are conservative, but a minority will rebel against authority.

Riesman (1950) argues that the "majority" of teens are likely to follow conservative social norms, while a "minority" many question adult authority and act in more rebellious ways. Riesman (1950) sees popular music as a hub around which these groups gather to form communities.

2. We should interview popular music fans.

Since popular music facilitates community building, Riesman (1950) argues that scholars should attempt to infiltrate the community hub to understand how this happens. Riesman (1950) acknowledges that lyrical analysis is easier, but he believes that popular music's culture function resists understanding through texts alone.