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126 Rock Music Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Rock music has been a powerful force in the music industry for decades, influencing countless artists and capturing the hearts of millions of fans around the world. With its high-energy beats, electrifying guitar solos, and raw, emotive lyrics, rock music has the ability to evoke strong emotions and create lasting memories.

If you're a student or writer looking for inspiration for your next essay on rock music, look no further. In this article, we have compiled a list of 126 rock music essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started on your next writing project. Whether you're interested in exploring the history of rock music, analyzing the impact of a specific band or artist, or discussing the cultural significance of rock music, there's a topic on this list to suit your interests.

• The origins of rock music
• The evolution of rock music genres
• The influence of blues music on rock music
• The impact of the Beatles on rock music
• The rise of punk rock in the 1970s
• The role of women in rock music
• The cultural significance of rock music in the 1960s
• The influence of technology on rock music production
• The role of social media in promoting rock music
• The impact of rock music on youth culture
• The legacy of Jimi Hendrix in rock music history
• The influence of psychedelic rock on modern music
• The rise of grunge music in the 1990s
• The impact of MTV on the popularity of rock music
• The role of rock music in political activism
• The influence of folk music on rock music
• The impact of drugs and alcohol on rock music culture
• The role of fashion in rock music
• The evolution of rock music festivals
• The influence of hip-hop on rock music
• The rise of garage rock bands in the 2000s
• The impact of streaming services on the rock music industry
• The role of nostalgia in the popularity of classic rock music
• The influence of electronic music on rock music production
• The legacy of Kurt Cobain in rock music history
• The rise of indie rock bands in the 2010s
• The impact of social movements on rock music lyrics
• The role of gender and sexuality in rock music
• The influence of world music on rock music
• The evolution of rock music album covers
• The impact of music videos on the success of rock bands
• The role of radio in promoting rock music
• The influence of literature on rock music lyrics
• The rise of alternative rock in the 1980s
• The impact of commercialism on rock music
• The role of record labels in shaping the sound of rock music
• The influence of technology on live rock music performances
• The legacy of David Bowie in rock music history
• The rise of emo rock bands in the 2000s
• The impact of music streaming platforms on the rock music industry
• The role of fan communities in supporting rock bands
• The influence of fashion on rock music culture
• The evolution of rock music merchandise
• The impact of social media influencers on the success of rock bands
• The role of nostalgia in the popularity of classic rock bands
• The legacy of Freddie Mercury in rock music history
• The rise of pop rock bands in the 2010s
• The legacy of Jim Morrison in rock music history
• The rise of punk rock bands in the 2000s
• The legacy of Janis Joplin in rock music history
• The rise of folk rock bands in the 2010s
• The rise of indie rock in the 1980s
• The legacy of Amy Winehouse in rock music history
• The rise of metalcore bands in the 2000s
• The legacy of Prince in rock music history
• The rise of synth-pop bands in the 2010s
• The rise of post-punk bands in the 1980s
• The rise of pop punk bands in the 2000s
• The legacy of Elvis Presley in rock music history
• The rise of Americana bands in the 2010s
• The rise of new wave bands in the 1980s
• The legacy of Michael Jackson in rock music history

Whether you're writing an essay for a music history class, a blog post for a music website, or simply exploring your own passion for rock music, these 126 topic ideas and examples are sure to inspire you to delve deeper into the world of rock music. So pick a topic that interests you, grab your favorite rock album, and get ready to rock out with your writing!

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267 Music Essay Topics + Writing Guide [2024 Update]

Your mood leaves a lot to be desired. Everything around you is getting on your nerves. But still, there’s one thing that may save you: music. Just think of all the times you turned on your favorite song, and it lifted your spirits!

So, why not write about it in a music essay? In this article, you’ll find all the information necessary for this type of assignment:

• 267 brilliant music essay topics,
• a sample paper,
• a step-by-step guide and writing tips.

And don’t forget to bookmark  custom-writing.org  where you can find helpful essay tips in articles like this one.

🔝 Music Essay Topics: Top 10

• 🎵 Music Essay Definition
• 🎼 Essay Topics
• ✍️ How to Write
• 📑 Essay Sample

🔗 References

• Compare different recording formats.
• The purpose of music.
• Ternary and rondo: compare and contrast.
• Music as a lifestyle.
• The benefits of singing.
• Ethnomusicology as a career.
• Evolution of the radio.
• The importance of school musicals.
• Music as a tool for meditation.
• Music in sports.

🎵 Essays about Music: What Are They?

A music essay describes or analyzes a piece of music, its context, or one’s personal attitude towards it. This type of assignment requires a compelling primary argument and a clear structure.

To write well about music, you don’t have to be a professional musician. All you need is to be able to listen, understand, and evaluate it. You should also provide your interpretation and opinion on it.

Writing about Music: Assignment Types

An essay on music is a popular assignment in high school and college. However, many students find it hard to describe sounds in a written form. In this article, we will give you some tips on writing about music.

Here are the typical tasks that you might receive:

• Concert report. It requires describing the music you’ve heard using as many details and terms as you can.
• Historical analysis of a piece. Your aim is to describe the historical context of a piece or its relation to the historical setting. For this type of assignment, you may need to do some research.
• Song analysis. In this type of essay, you explore song lyrics’ meaning and show how they work together with the melody.
• Performance or media comparison. Here you need to compare several interpretations or performances of one piece of music.

All of these assignments require a different approach and topic. You will find topics for these types of tasks below.

How to Choose a Music Essay Topic

First things first, you need to find a suitable music essay topic. To accomplish this task, you might want to take the following steps:

• Analyze your relationship with music . What role does it play in your life? Your topic choice will be different if you are a musician or merely a listener.
• Think about how music influences your everyday life . For instance, you can study how listening to music affects our mental health. Impressing your readers with some historical facts from the world of music is also a great idea.
• Try reflecting on the role of different music genres in your life . Whether you prefer rap or classical music, exploring a genre is an excellent topic idea. Topics related to musical instruments are also worth attention.
• Narrow your topic down. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to focus your essay on just one idea.

🎼 Music Essay Topics List

The first thing you need to do is to choose your topic. We have prepared a variety of music topics perfect for research papers and short essays. You can also use them for speeches or college application essays.

Argumentative Essay about Music: Topics & Ideas

Argumentative essays about music are usually concerned with a specific music-related issue you choose to address. Just like with any other argumentative essay, you should present both sides of the topic. Also, reliable facts are a must for this type of essay.

• The influence of modern technologies on the music industry. Technologies allow artists to create and promote their songs independently. Because of this, record labels are less critical to musicians than before. However, the emergence of new technologies also gave rise to piracy. Do the positives outweigh the negatives?
• What’s the effect of pop music on the modern generation? Today’s pop songs are usually commercial. Because of this, some people say that pop has ruined the current generations’ perception of music. Others argue that contemporary pop music expanded the possibilities of the genre.
• Rock music makes people more aggressive. Some consider rock music merely an arrangement of aggressive tunes that foster violence. On the counter side, science has proven that people who prefer rock to other genres are calmer and more concentrated. Which position do you agree with?
• Can people with hearing impairments become famous musicians? Many believe that access to fame and fortune is limited for disabled people. The deaf may seem especially unsuited for the music business. Yet, the examples of Beethoven, Neil Young, and Chris Martin show that hearing problems don’t have to be an issue.
• Will streaming completely substitute physical copies? Digitalization is on its way to replacing LPs and CDs. For most people, it’s simply more convenient. But their opponents claim that an MP3 file can never sound as good as a physical copy.
• Some music genres can be a catalyst for violence. While their beats may be calm, hip-hop and rap’s lyrics are often aggressive and brutal. Does it have adverse effects on a listener?
• Can a person become addicted to music?
• Censorship on the radio: why stations shouldn’t bleep out obscenities.
• Is mandatory musical education in high schools practical?
• The impact of Mozart’s music on toddlers.
• Should a musician’s personal life affect people’s perception of their art?
• How susceptible are teenagers to political messages in songs?
• Music influences one’s mental and physical capabilities.
• Are children who listen to music more intelligent than others?
• Music genres are inherently dependent on musical instruments.
• Is music as an art form more popular than cinema?
• Debate whether rap musicians promote a frivolous and careless lifestyle .
• Many musicians became famous only because they’ve had connections.
• Music festivals are the best form of entertainment.
• Does music always sound better live than on records?
• Is classical music better than modern genres?
• Is it justified that some religions view music as a sin?
• Typically, music defines a culture and its traditions: true or false?
• Rap music has a strong connection to rebellious movements.
• Jamaican music’s link to the stoner lifestyle is unjustified.
• Synesthesia: how is music related to visuals?

Opinion on Music: Essay Topics

Opinion essays about music might seem similar to the argumentative type. Here, you are expected to write your personal opinion on a topic. Naturally, you can have many opinions on musical topics. Why not broadcast them? Keep in mind that you also need to provide reasons for your point of view.

• Music therapy can help people with mental illnesses. It’s a well-known fact that music affects the human brain. This ability makes it perfect for treating mental health problems. On the one hand, psychologists established that listening to classical music increases one’s cognitive capacity. On the other hand, listening to heavy rock impacts responsiveness.
• The questionable treatment of women in the music industry . While it may seem that both sexes are treated equally, women still earn much less than they deserve. Moreover, the extreme sexualization of girls persists as one of the most pressing problems in the industry.
• Which musician or band impacted your worldview? Discuss what makes your favorite artist special. Consider analyzing their lyrics, genre, and evolution. If you want to, add a review of one of their albums.
• What are the challenges of being an independent artist? Typically, independent artists deal with all the financial, promotional, and distributional affairs by themselves. In the increasingly complex music business, this is not an easy task.
• Is social media efficient for promotion? Almost every modern artist uses social media to promote their albums or songs. Users often check their networks for updates, which increases the musician’s visibility. But do such methods help in the long run?
• Passion is the essential personal quality for every musician. If an artist is not eager to continually produce high-quality output, they’re unlikely to succeed. However, qualities such as responsibility, honesty, hard work, and creativity are also vital.
• Is music good for stress relief?
• How does music connect people ?
• Analyze qualities that good musicians shouldn’t have.
• Who are the most excellent musicians in the country genre?
• Is it possible to live without interacting with music?
• Choose three successful rappers and analyze their influence.
• How can a musician become famous without having money or connections?
• What are the difficulties of being in a band?
• Who impacted the development of indie music the most?
• Is pop music losing its popularity? If so, why?
• Three factors that affected your choice of a favorite genre.
• Which artists are the most prominent in power metal?
• Which record label is the most influential now?
• Can Justin Bieber’s songs be considered legendary?
• Did Kanye West introduce a new kind of rap?
• Which rock bands lost their fame because of a scandal ? How did it happen?
• Discuss Dire Straits’ impact on music history .
• Who are currently the most successful women pop singers ?
• Why are some music genres more popular than others?
• What does success in the music world depend on?

Topics for a Persuasive Essay about Music

Is there anything music-related you want to convince people of? A persuasive paper is your chance. Carefully craft your arguments to show your readers you’ve always been right about the beauty of cowbells. If it’s not your jam, consider these essay topics about music:

• A seven-string guitar is superior to a six-string one. The additional string gives more room for creativity. It might be challenging to master, but in the end, the music has a fuller sound . Do you think it’s worth the effort?
• The lyrics don’t matter as long as the melody is good. It’s possible to like songs from different countries, even if the listener doesn’t understand the language. The singing is simply part of the composition. Does this mean that what the vocalist says is unimportant?

• Most people living in big cities neglect country music. People from urban areas tend to think that country music is tasteless. For them, its tunes and lyrics sound too simple. Does the strong association with cowboys, farms, and long roads simply not appeal to the city lifestyle?
• Should rap music be performed only by black people? The genre hosts a large portion of African American artists. Not only that, but black rappers are widely considered the best of their craft. Do white artists do the genre justice?
• Music that artists make merely to get money is soulless. Passion is a critical factor for every musician. If money is the primary driver for creating a song, the result is inevitably flawed. Do you agree?
• Pop music is undergoing a transformation. Listeners acknowledge pop as the primary genre of contemporary music. Yet, new musical instruments are changing the game. Even the lyrics touch on more serious topics than before.
• Indie is the new pop. Indie music is a relatively novel genre. Still, it continues to gain popularity. The light-hearted tunes paired with existential lyrics have captured the audience’s hearts. Is it possible to envision the future of music without bands such as Coldplay, The 1975, and the Arctic Monkeys?
• The meaning of freedom for jazz as a musical genre.
• Punk rock has recently witnessed a renaissance.
• Exposing plants to classical music makes them grow faster.
• Classical music: intellectually stimulating or relaxing ?
• Is it justified that some countries legally prohibit artists from performing?
• Is it easier for children to learn with music?
• Can a person ever become a great artist without a natural talent ?
• Should workplaces allow their employees to listen to background music?
• Jimi Hendrix’s guitar skills are still unmatched.
• The impact of pop music on European culture and trends.
• Kurt Cobain’s death should have been a wake-up call for the music industry .
• Why is music beneficial to society?
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s legacy can be felt even today.
• Nintendocore is a legitimate genre that the industry should take more seriously.
• Should you listen to a bands’ music even if you disagree with their opinions?
• Musicians should receive more government support.
• Patriotic songs make people feel passionate and energetic about their country.
• Depressive and sad tunes can worsen a person’s mood.
• Doctors and therapists need to understand the importance of music.

Music Evaluation Essay Topics

Do you want to know how to evaluate music? The point is to divide your overall impression into several parts. Music evaluation requires much attention and concentration, so try to do your best to stay focused while listening.

Use these criteria for evaluating music performances:

Now all you need to do is choose a topic and get down to writing!

• Discuss the rise and fall of hardcore punk. Many bands that started in the hardcore punk scene softened their sound over time. Why did this genre disappear from the mainstream?
• Copyright laws are going too far. It’s getting increasingly difficult to use somebody else’s intellectual property. Creators on YouTube have to fear lawsuits for creatively repurposing copyrighted music. Moreover, laws such as the DMCA are frequently abused to generate revenues.
• More bands should use their influence for political purposes. Renowned artists have a broad reach. Bands like Rise Against or Anti Flag use this influence to raise political awareness among their fans. Is it a fair approach?
• Borrowing and plagiarism in contemporary music . New artists don’t emerge without having listened to other musicians. They draw inspiration from their predecessors. Thus, songs are always a mix of already existing tracks. In your essay, discuss the difference between homage and plagiarism.
• What are the similarities between poetry and song lyrics? Songs and poems are similar in that they deliver a message to the audience. Their creation demands extensive knowledge of rhyming, literary devices, and other components.
• Why do some musicians ask others to write lyrics for them? It is a common practice to have a crew of songwriters who create texts for performers. Sometimes it happens due to a lack of imagination or inspiration. Does finding out that your favorite artist doesn’t write their lyrics destroy the magic of their music?
• How can popular music diversify as a genre? Pop music reached its peak. Adding and borrowing elements from different genres can be one way to diversify a streamlined genre.
• The history of music as political propaganda.
• Explain the difference between high and low contemporary music culture .
• How is contemporary music related to that from other periods?
• What are the connections between pop music and the hip-hop genre?
• What connects popular music and contemporary culture ?
• How does music in the United States relate to Spanish music ?
• Analyze the evolution of Indian music .
• Discuss why certain albums manage to climb to the top of the charts.
• The link between social classes and musical genres.
• Differences and similarities of music and other art forms .
• How does a musical instrument’s origin influence its development?
• What is the role of traditional music today?

• What are the main processes in music production?
• How is music theory relevant today?
• Analyze which contemporary artists’ albums had an effect comparable to that of Queen’s A Night at the Opera .
• Eurodance: Europe’s most extravagant genre.
• Songs and everyday life of Michael Jackson vs. Madonna: who wins the ultimate pop crown?
• What difficulties has Eminem faced throughout his career?
• Over-ear headphones provide a better sound experience than on-ear ones.

Topics for an Expository Essay on Music

An expository essay explains or describes a subject. In the colorful world of music, topics can range from the physics of sound waves to artists’ social impact.

• The importance of Blues music in the late 19 th century and now. Blues originated in the 19 th century American South. It was an outlet for African Americans to express their sorrows. Later, it exceeded by far the cultural boundaries that confined it.
• The role of music in prison camps.  Singing was an essential part of life in the Nazi concentration camps. One of the most well-known songs of that time is called  Peat Bog Soldiers . In your expository essay, explore why prisoners started singing and how it developed.  
• How did Chester Bennington’s death impact the music industry? Linkin Park was a giant in the business for decades until depression made their lead singer take his own life. The event sparked debates surrounding mental health and pressure in the creative industry. What long-lasting effects did these discussions have?
• How did Baroque music reflect the zeitgeist? Compared to the Renaissance period, Baroque was in all aspects very pompous. The artists of the Sun King’s time didn’t shy away from the extravaganza. This ideal is especially prominent in architecture. How does music fit into the picture?
• Investigate the development of musical harmony. The Ancient Greeks already had an idea of some tones fitting together better than others. However, it wasn’t until the 1600s that tonality became a crucial part of music theory.
• Music in commercials: an analysis. Songs and jingles are commonplace in TV commercials. But what are they good for? In your essay, you can compare the success of advertisements with and without music.
• What causes music trends to change? It’s easy to define various eras of music. Naturally, the invention of new instruments has influenced this development. What other factors played a role in these transformations?
• Why is 4/4 a universal beat?
• Examine the origins of The Star-Spangled Banner .
• The effects of dissonance on the human mind .
• How do staccato, legato, and other forms of articulation influence the perception of a musical piece?
• Discuss the significance of music in video games.
• Music drives people’s motivation.
• Explain the calming effects of nature sounds .
• How does music influence literature?
• Celtic music is known to have an extraordinary impact on the psyche. How does it work?
• How does music impact the discharge of hormones such as dopamine?
• Music therapy is suitable for those who have bipolar disorder.
• What made Falco such a unique artist?
• How does the perception of a silent film differ from that of a movie with sound?
• A rock concert by Kansas: How the relevance of live concerts changed over time.
• Is being able to read music important for a composer?
• How did Beethoven write music after losing his hearing?
• Should all songs have proper rhythm and structure?
• Why do so many indie artists become commercial?
• Is it essential for song lyrics to rhyme?

History of Music: Essay Topics

If you’re interested in the evolution of music, you’ve come to the right section. Historical research reveals the significance of music throughout time. Unsurprisingly, songs and melodies have been part of human culture for centuries. Dive deeper into this exciting subject with one of the following ideas:

• How did the Catholic Church influence music development in Europe? During the Middle Ages , religious movements had a significant impact on music. Consequently, composers used to create more sacred music. It became a way of personal expression since it often contained religious texts. 
• The cultural meaning of Renaissance music and its influence on other styles . During the time of the Renaissance, sacred and secular music heavily impacted each other. As a result, more variety emerged. The chanson and madrigal, for example, became popular around Europe.
• Research archaeological findings of early musicality. The search for the oldest musical instrument delivers thrilling insights. Archaeologists have excavated a flute made of ivory and bird bones, dating approximately 43,000 years ago. They found it in a cave in Germany where Neanderthals lived.
• History of early music and appearance of musical instruments. The beginning of the human culture was the turning point of musical instruments’ appearance. They were primarily used for spiritual rites; typically, they were horns or drums for ceremonies.
• Louis Armstrong’s contributions to the jazz world. Jazz originated in New Orleans and was a favorite among African Americans. Louis Armstrong’s improvisations forever changed the genre, making the soloist-improviser the center of the performance.
• The phenomenon of pop music and its origins. Popular music dates back to the second half of the last century. It comes from the US and the UK. Its main peculiarity lies in the variety of tunes and lyrics .
• Native American music before the discovery of the New World. Incas and Aztecs had particular styles of music. Findings show that these ancient civilizations used instruments for ceremonies. Researchers also discovered that various American cultures mingled, thus creating new techniques.
• The use of string instruments in classical Greek songwriting.
• Famous composers of 18th century Italy and their influence.
• Mozart vs. Beethoven: comparison of techniques.
• Deliver a thoughtful analysis of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony .
• What role do acoustic instruments play in jazz compositions?
• Explore the history of the Ocarina.
• Due to what circumstances did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart become one of the greatest musical geniuses in history?
• Influence of the Romantic period on modern music.
• How and why were the swing era and jazz connected?
• Rock and roll as an international language in the 20th century.
• Explore the rise of techno music.
• Is there a historical connection between music and math?
• How did music become a staple subject in many schools?
• The greatest musicians of World War I.
• Industrialization and its effect on music development.
• How did female producers such as Kate Bush impact the music industry?
• Analyze Frédéric Chopin’s contribution to classical music.
• Music evolution in ancient Greece vs. the Roman Empire.
• How does archeology help to uncover musical traditions ?
• Tupac’s influence on modern rap music.

Classification Essay about Music: Topic Ideas

In a classification essay, you explain how a whole relates to parts or vice versa. To do it, you need to divide one broad category into several subcategories. Each classification paragraph focuses on one subcategory, so you need to find a key feature that will be your basis of division. For example, you can divide music by genre, volume, musical instruments, etc.

Here is our list of musical topics for this essay type:

• The most popular types of alternative music among teenagers. Naturally, teens like different kinds of rock and experimental music . Try to dig deeper and ask some teenagers about their preferences to get a clear picture.
• Types of modern dance music . Describe the tendencies and popular genres. You can also focus on a specific country.
• The most popular types of jazz music in Europe. Although jazz emerged in the United States, this genre became recognizable all over the world. You can analyze the most popular streamed songs, or the concerts and other mass events.
• Rock music in the ’70s. You can describe the genres, styles, or types of performers. The concerts, clothes, and lifestyles are also suitable for this topic.
• Blues musicians of different time periods. Analyze the lyrics, the musical instruments they used, and how long their careers lasted.
• Classification of music for children . Some of it can be for dancing, development, or just listening. Research the purposes of different kinds of music for children.
• Types of music used in films. The soundtrack is one of the main things we remember after watching a movie. There can be popular songs or tracks composed specifically for a film.
• Rock bands that represent different subgenres.
• Rap subgenres in the United States.
• Periods of classical music.
• What motivates people to start a musical career?
• Different kinds of music for relaxation.
• The industries where composers work.
• Types of opera singers and instrumental music.
• Different professions in the music industry.
• Unpopular genres of independent music.
• Different types of music listeners.

College Essay about Music: Topics

When you apply to your dream college, you need to write an impressive essay. Admissions officers pay attention not only to your grades and achievements but also to your personality. Your writing can indicate your motivation, academic interests, and how well you fit into the college. Writing an essay about “music in my life” is a great way to demonstrate your passion and creativity.

Choose one of these topics related to music for your college essay:

• The role of music in your life.  Describe what music means to you, how often you listen to it, and how it helps you in life. For example, you can write about inspiration, motivation, or the sense of  freedom  that it gives you.  
• What are the essential aspects of music for you? Try to write down everything you like about music. It might be melodies, lyrics, vocals, or mood. You can choose several aspects if you feel that you can’t decide.
• The time when music changed your life. In this essay, you can pick one occurrence or describe how music changed your life gradually. It’s important to indicate where you started from and where it led you.
• How do you see the future of the music industry? Demonstrate to the admissions officer how well you know the art and the business.
• Your role model in the music industry. You may write about the qualities of the person you admire and why you want to develop them in yourself. Remember that admission officers want to read about you, not your idol.
• How did your musical taste change over the last ten years? Describe the evolution of your preferences. Explain why you have changed some of your past choices. Do you think your musical taste has improved?
• Your favorite musical genre.
• Does listening to music help to heal body and spirit?
• What is the best music performance you have ever seen?
• Why do people become fans of particular musicians?
• Your favorite song lyrics .
• Can people be judged by their musical taste?
• Why is music an essential part of human culture?
• Quote about music that appeals to you the most.
• How can music education help you in the future?
• Do you prefer listening to music or performing it?
• How can music change your mood?
• Why you want to become a musician.
• Which culture has the most beautiful ethnical music?
• Is music more of an art or business?
• What are the essential parts of musical education ?

Other Music Essay Topics

• Why do supermarkets play music? Think of the reasons why marketers use music in advertising and how it impacts customer behavior.
• An analysis of Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music . Evaluate how the director uses music to tell a story.
• The impact of music on the human brain. Examine the latest research in the mental health field and how music therapy affects depression treatments.
• The workings of the music industry . Assess how contemporary audio technology and touring lifestyle affect musicians.
• The role of music in different cultures. Choose and compare two countries to analyze their perspectives on the music industry.
• Music on television . Evaluate how the music of TV shows and movies impacts the audience’s feelings and behavior.
• Oliver Sacks’ contribution to music psychology. Explore the theories he discusses in Musicophilia and describe its influence on music psychology.
• Should all music be available for free download? Think about the ethical and legal aspects of this issue.
• How did music psychology help the development of music education? Try to find a correlation between these two fields.
• Britney Spears and the adverse effects of teen popularity. Writing about this topic, you might want to focus on how her early fame affected her life. What happened after her famous breakdown in 2007?
• The half-life of one-hit-wonders. Focus your paper on quantitative research. How long do one-hit-wonders stay famous on average? Why do they fail to maintain their success?
• Journalism and the music industry. Examine the effects positive or negative press had on a musician of your choice.
• Festivals and sponsorship. Discuss the benefits that corporate sponsors and the creators of music festivals gain from working together.
• Rock songs and pessimistic lyrics. Why do most popular rock songs have such sad and angry lyrics?
• Discuss the development of your music taste. Write about what pushed you to change and how it influenced your life.
• The psychology of music. Examine what someone’s favorite music genre can tell about their personality.
• Is ASMR music? ASMR artists make quiet sounds to soothe their audience. But can we really consider it music?
• A historical analysis of jazz. Explore how African Americans influenced the flourishing culture of jazz that has spread worldwide.
• The effect of classical music on children’s cognitive abilities. Supposedly, classical music is great for kids. Study this theory and make your conclusions.
• Discuss the characteristics of modern Latin American music. Dive into its diversity and describe the reasons for its popularity.
• How do Chinese artists make traditional music? Write about its complex creation process. Analyze the importance of articulation for composers.
• The history of music . With this essay, explore the six periods of music history. To top it off, you can predict what music will be like in the future.
• The music industry goes online. Discuss the importance of the internet for the industry and the challenges associated with it.
• The magic of instrumental music. Pick your favorite orchestra pieces and find unique features in each of them.
• Musical education: the sound of success? Does everyone need a musical background?
• Explore the latest techniques in songwriting. Look into the song creation process of contemporary musicians. How do they get the audience to enjoy their art?
• Compare and contrast e-pianos and keyboards. In doing so, consider their structure, sound, and features.
• The Woodstock festival as a game-changer. How has the Woodstock Music and Art Fair influenced the current state of the music industry? Additionally, investigate how current festivals hold up to the standards set by Woodstock.
• Music therapy for stroke patients. Find out whether incorporating elements of music therapy can support the treatment of patients who suffered a stroke.
• How do amplifiers work? If you’re a musician, you’ve likely used an amplifier before. Now it’s time to figure out what they are actually doing.
• The Killers’ contributions to indie rock. How would you define their style of music? What makes them a key player in indie music?
• Analyze the music in Grease . Pick some of the most popular songs from the musical and write about their influence on American culture.
• What’s the best way to interpret songs? Describe methods to deconstruct songs and how the music style affects this process.
• Teufel vs. Sennheiser: the ultimate comparison. German sound equipment manufacturers are known for their cutting-edge technologies. But which brand is the best?
• What role does harmony play in music composition? Choose several pieces of music and describe how the artists used harmony.
• How necessary are double bass drums? Do musicians place them on stage just to impress people, or do they have actual use?
• Compare regular festivals and free ones. Why spend hundreds of dollars on Coachella if you can go to Woodstock for free? In your essay, focus on the differences such as size, participating artists, and general entertainment.
• A historical analysis of choral music. Singing in groups is a practice common across various cultures. You might choose one or two to work on.
• How did The Rolling Stones influence British culture? The Rolling Stones are one of the longest-standing rock bands of all time. Naturally, this left significant marks on their home country.
• How important are regional accents for English-language singers? When working on this theoretical topic, include some examples and your personal opinion.
• The world of musical instruments: medieval music. This fun essay can focus on different types of medieval instruments and their evolution.
• Does the creative process differ for electronic and acoustic music? Look at how artists usually write songs. Do they start with the melody, the rhythm, or the lyrics? Does it depend on the medium?
• The correlation between poems and medieval songs. Find out how composers were reinventing poetry to create songs.
• Hip-hop and gender equality. What is the role of women in the development of this music style? Don’t forget to give examples.
• When politics interferes with art: Eurovision. Analyze the role of the political situation in this song contest. Is there anything left of its original idea?
• How did Vladimir Vysotsky become a beloved musical figure outside of Soviet Russia? It’s unusual for Russian-language musicians to gain fame outside of their home country. Research how Vysotsky managed to mingle in the USA and have some of his work posthumously released in Europe.
• K-pop conquers the world . You may narrow the topic down to a specific artist. Focus on the influence of Korean music in other cultures.
• Music school students vs. amateurs. Discuss the different experiences and outcomes of music school students and those who learn to play instruments at home.
• Do music choices shape one’s identity , or is it the other way around? It’s an exciting question that lets you dig deep into the psychology of music.
• The music of dissents. Energizing songs play an essential part in rebellions and revolutions. For example, analyze how protesters used music during the Arab Spring.
• The development and popularity of electronic music. Starting from the early experiments, analyze the development of this style and its increasing influence
• How do artists use social media to promote their music? You might want to choose one or two examples to illustrate the tools they use.
• Organum as one of the oldest written types of music . Study the development of this music style throughout various cultures.
• The appeal of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. Many people consider the song one of their favorites. Examine its structure, melody, and lyrics. What makes it unique?
• Africa’s hidden musical gems. African music is as diverse as its people. Pick two countries and compare their style. How do they differ from Western art?
• Did people’s music tastes improve compared to previous decades? Here, you have the chance to express your views on the evolution of people’s music preferences.
• Is the life of pop stars as easy as people think? Share your thoughts on whether famous musicians and singers have a leisurely lifestyle.
• Physiological reactions to different types of music. Study how your body reacts to various beats and tones.
• Why do people tend to listen to specific songs on certain occasions? In your essay, ponder the effects of love songs or powerful anthems on one’s mood .
• What does someone’s ringtone say about their personality ? Think about how it affects your perception of a person.
• The impact of music on the individual’s productivity . Studies suggest a positive effect on people’s performance when they listen to something pleasant while working. But all the noise can get overstimulating. That’s why finding the balance is central.
• Music is natural. In the depth of nature, there is music. Rain, a bird’s song, or the tapping of a squirrel’s feet melt together to create a beautiful composition. Music is everywhere—one only needs to listen carefully.

If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to use our topic generator .

✍️ Music Essay: How to Write

So, you have chosen your essay title. Now it’s time to start writing! But before you begin, read the sections below and learn how to organize your work.

How to Describe Music in Writing

You might think that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Well, it is not an easy task, but we know how to cope with it.

Follow these tips while writing:

• Make a comparison.  Explain which characteristics of a piece remind you or are identical to those of another one. It’s better to avoid comparing music from different composers in this case. Instead, evaluate and analyze two musical pieces from the same composer.
• Describe the melody and dynamics.  You may want to use musical terms to show your knowledge and proficiency. Define the genre and what kind of instruments and tones are used.
• Explain how it makes you feel.  You can use basic human emotions to describe the feelings of a listener. For example, it can be anger, tenderness, irritation, excitement, or nostalgia.
• Use metaphorical language.  You may try using your imagination to create analogies. Be careful not to make your metaphors overcomplicated, as it may confuse the readers.

Essays about Music: Descriptive Words

Do you want your essay on music to be interesting and expressive? Then you may want to use descriptive vocabulary. Here are some of the terms that you can use in your essay to make it sound more professional:

• Tempo is the “speed” of music. There are fixed expressions to define tempo—for example, largo, moderate, or presto. You can also describe how fast the music feels.
• Timbre is the term that evaluates the “color” of music. Even if two instruments play the same note of the same volume, the sound is still different. This is how you can notice the color of the tone. For example, gentle, clear, heavy, or warm can be the adjectives to describe timbre.
• Dynamics define the volume levels of music. The volume can be the same all the time, for example loud or soft. If the volume of music changes, you can use such expressions as “gradually gets louder” “or suddenly becomes soft.”
• Harmony characterizes how all the notes and chords sound together. The sequence of chords—chord progression—defines how satisfying the melody is for the listener. For example, if the transitions are smooth, you can use such words as “relaxed” or “warm.”

Music Essay Outline

Like any other assignment, writing about music requires a proper essay outline that will guide you through the writing. The following sections will help you with that.

Before you start, here are some tips that will help you prepare for writing:

• Do some prior research. Try to learn as much as possible about the piece you will be writing about. It’s also helpful to listen to the music several times with headphones to notice more details.
• Don’t be afraid of asking questions. Consult your instructor if you’re unsure about your topic or the piece you have chosen.
• Choose the topic that you like. If you’re passionate about a subject, it is always easier to write about it. Who said that homework could not be interesting?
• Follow the recommendations that your instructor gives. It includes word limit, formatting style, deadline, and essay type.

Music Essay Introduction

The introduction is the section where you come up with a brief explanation of the topic. You may start it with a quotation, definition, or short statement that catches your reader’s attention and leads them to the essay subject.

A thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction that defines the content of body paragraphs. It needs to be specific and not longer than two sentences. If you decide to shift the focus of your essay while writing, it’s crucial to change your thesis too.

Different types of essays require different thesis statements. Let’s take a closer look:

Music Essay Body

Your essay’s body is the most significant part of your writing. Here, you provide evidence and explanations of your claims.

The typical body paragraph structure includes:

• A topic sentence explaining the argument for a particular paragraph.
• An introduction to the evidence you gathered to support an argument.
• Quotes and facts (don’t forget about proper citation!) and their explanation.
• A connection between the evidence and the essay topic.
• Paragraph transitions  leading your reader to the next section.

Topic Sentence about Music

Topic sentences can be used as a roadmap to writing your essay. Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that defines what the paragraph is about. It introduces the argument or main thought that will be explained. It’s also connected with the thesis statement.

It’s essential to make your thesis easy to understand, so it’s better not to overcomplicate it. For example, here’s an unsuccessful topic sentence with unnecessary words:

As stated above, the guitar is an essential musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Instead, you can formulate it like this:

The guitar is the most iconic musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Music Essay Conclusion

When writing a conclusion for your essay on music, you can use the following structure:

• Summarize the text in a few sentences.
• Review the key points of your paper.
• Paraphrase the thesis.

To make your essay conclusion more effective, avoid the following:

📑 What Music Means to Me: Essay Example

Now you know all about writing an essay on music! To make it even easier for you, we’ve prepared an essay sample that you can use for inspiration. Check it out:

Now all you need is to turn the music on and get down to writing! We hope you liked this guide. If you did, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

Further reading:

• How to Write a Good Critique Paper: Killer Tips + Examples
• How to Write an Art Critique Essay: Guidelines and Examples
• How to Write a Movie Critique Paper: Top Tips + Example
• Modern Fairy Tale Essay: How to Write, Topics and Ideas
• 200 Creative Topics for Opinion Essays
• 182 Free Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
• 180 Excellent Evaluation Essay Topics

✏️ Music Essay FAQ

Music is a vast topic. An essay might deal with anything ranging from trends in the 1950s to the best guitarists of all time. Writing an introduction to certain music styles or bands is also possible. In any case, the paper should be well-structured, logical, and cohesive.

Writing about music doesn’t necessarily require any specific skills. If you’re not familiar with the theory of music and can’t play musical instruments, you can just write about the music you like. Here are some topic ideas: favorite music band, style, or how you perceive music.

You can interpret music as a topic in various ways. If you are getting a degree in this field, you might want to write something more specific and technical. If your essay aims to merely inform and entertain, write about your favorite music style or band.

If you are writing an essay for school, a good choice would be an expository essay. It doesn’t require any specific knowledge of the music industry. Title suggestions might be: “My perception of music,” “My favorite band,” “How music can change the world.”

• What is the Music Industry? Definition and Facts: Study.com
• What Music Do You Write To?: Writers & Artists
• A Music Review: British Council
• Music: UNC Writing Center: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Sound and Sense: Writing about Music: Colorado State University
• Music analysis Research Papers: Academia.edu
• The Power of Music Therapy: Belmont University
• Musicology: Northwestern Bienen School of Music
• Musicology: Areas of Study: Indiana State University
• Music Facts: Facts.net
• Music History from Primary Sources: Library of Congress
• Music: Encyclopedia Britannica
• A History of Classical Music: Part 1: The List
• What Is Jazz: Smithsonian Institution
• The 50 Greatest Composers of All Time: Classical Music
• Musical Terms and Concepts: SUNY Potsdam
• Ethnomusicology: University of Oxford
• Music Research Process: Syracuse University
• Journal of Popular Music Studies: University of California Press
• The History of Pop Music in 5 Defining Decades: The Culture Trip
• Music of the 20 th Century: Lumen Learning
• Explainer: Indie Music: The Conversation
• Your Brain on Music: University of Central Florida
• Music and Health: Harvard University
• The Psychological Function of Music Listening: NIH
• Essays that Worked: Hamilton
• Writing in Music: Writing Thesis Statements: The City University of New York
• Academic Writing about Music: University of Denver
• How to Write Song Lyrics: Berklee
• Essay Introduction: University of Maryland
• Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue University
• Writing Body Paragraphs: Monash University
• Some Tips for Writing Efficient, Effective Body Paragraphs: University of California, Berkeley
• Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
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Thank you very much for this post on music essay writing! You don’t know how long I looked for the helpful information on writing music essays!

Music takes an important part in my life. I wake up and go to bed listening to music. And now when I’m writing my music essay, I also listen to music. And it’s also a pleasure to read an article on how to write an essay on music!

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Music Argumentative Essay Topics: 25+ Ideas for Inspiration

by  Antony W

June 24, 2024

Music is no doubt the best go-to stress buster for all of us. No wonder if you look around you, you’ll see people listening to music from all kinds of music devices you can name.

From Mp3 players and smartphones to PA systems and car stereos, the world around you is no doubt almost fully musical in form.

With news lyrics, celebrity gossips, artists, and new musical hits appearing on YouTube, Sound Cloud, and Spotify every day, there’s no limit to the number of argumentative essay topics on music.

From Robert Matthew Van Winkle fast rap to Dax hip-hop tunes, finding the right essay topic to explore just got easier. In this post, we give you a list of 30+ argumentative topics from which you can choose an appealing title to give your essay a fresh, breathtaking spin.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

The following is a list of 30+ music argumentative essay topics that you can consider if you have no idea where to start – or if you need a title to start working on right away:

• Is pop culture an evergreen vogue or a temporary fad?
• Can we term fusion music as actual music?
• White rappers are giving a bad name to the rap music genre
• Pop music is worthy enough for our ears than rap music
• Jazz music is dying out
• Can we use music as treatment for mental health disorder?
• Music influencers are a waste of time
• People should not allow the playing of music in the realm of politics and political campaign
• Digital music formats will completely wipe out physical copies from distribution
• It’s impossible to enjoy music without understanding the lyrics
• Metal music has a very bad influence on people’s behavior
• EMD is pure noise, not music
• One doesn’t need to have musical training to write lyrics and sing as natural talent is enough
• Should School students should study music instead of learning how to dance
• Is music an effective means of drawing in potential customers to a new product?
• Music has the power to increase an individual’s level of productivity
• Music isn’t as addictive as movies and television series
• Children can learn music faster than adults
• Music producers are not doing enough to promote musicians new to the industry
• Are parental warning labels on music videos really necessary?
• Music can’t affect a student’s ability to read and complete their homework
• Social media presence and celebrity stays hugely contributes to the rate of an artist’s success.
• Should companies incorporate music in their marketing campaigns?
• Existing laws cannot stop people from realistically copying music
• Music doesn’t help the world become a better place
• Do music award events influence the type of music that many people listen to?
• Music award shows create hostility among musicians more than they inspire creative art
• Music should be a mandatory subject in literary school
• Music producers are responsible for the moral degradation that stem from the production of explicit music
• Can the entertainment industry prevent
• Do certain genre of music, such as rap and hip-hop, generate violence?
• It’s unethical to copyright traditional music
• Can we borrow music from international artists without necessarily attributing their work?
• Should the social controversies about a musician influence our decision to listen to their music?
• Do musicians choose the genre of music depending on the instruments used?
• Movie and TV production industries pay musician more for continuous use of their work.
• Is music of the future generation will be more annoying than the current
• Music that’s used to present bad and harmful ideologies should be banned
• The advent of internet music has made physical music stores completely irrelevant
• Music can help a person to mediate and find a greater purpose in life
• Is listening to music more entertaining than watching movies or playing the 21st century video games?
• Music genre has a limited number of tune variation
• Is music without lyrics pure?
• Should YouTube ban the publication of X-rated music completely?
• Classical music is better than other music genres.
• Companies such as Spotify and Deezer should stop charging people a monthly subscription to listen to music.
• Offline music apps are a waste of time in the current internet-powered world.
• Are piano music sheets relevant in the production of modern music?
• Politicians use music as propaganda in political races.
• Music has a positive impact on modern society.
• Traditional old school music is better than modern music.
• The production of explicit music videos should banned.
• Is there a connection between different music genres?
• Classical music doesn’t play any significant role in the production of music today
• International music is better than local music
• Does the ability to play piano automatically makes one an expert in writing music sheets?
• There’s no connection between social class and music genre
• Does music have a negative influence on society?
• X-rated music has a negative effect on a listeners brain
• Music is way better than other types of media
• Music has more influence on culture than poetry does
• Is writing music an art?
• Writing music doesn’t reflect the way an artist thinks in their daily life
• Do women play an important role in the production of music?
• Women play a great role in the production of music
• Modern pop music is badly written compared to the pop music of the 60s.
• Celebrities who release music but have no musical talents should not be promoted to be as famous as professional musicians.
• Violent lyrics in music plays a role in building a violent society
• Are parental warning labels on music still relevant today?
• Music band that have been inactive for years should not come back

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Related Reading

• Technology Argumentative Essay Topics
• Argumentative Essay Topics on Racism
• Argumentative Essay Topics on Social Media

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Rock Music Research Paper Topics for All Students

To the question, “What is rock music?” you can hear many answers. Some will talk about drunken youth with long hair, others will recall the legendary Beatles, others will pronounce the well-known phrase, “sex, drugs, rock and roll.” Rock is a popular musical direction, and it is an interesting topic to write about for students. If we talk about paper writing, then it is great to check out some research topics on rock music.

Rock music topics for research papers

• Does rock music help you study?
• Why rock music is beneficial to society.
• The decline of rock music in public schools.
• Differences between pop and rock music.
• Differences in rock music between China and Japan.
• Rock music history.
• Impact of rock music on the youth.
• The definition of rock music and comparison between pop and rock music in the US.
• Domestic violence within rock music lyrics.
• Deaths in the rock music industry.
• Domestic violence in rock music and television dramas.
• Health problems and injuries of rock musicians.
• Elvis Presley’s impact on music.
• Rock music in our culture in the last 5 years.
• Sexualization of women in the rock music industry.
• Rock music consumption trends in the last 100 years.
• From Facebook to Twitter: analyzing the content posted by rock musicians on social media.
• Gender inequality in the rock music industry.
• Beatles movies and music.
• Exploring the impact of African American music on popular music: the birth of Rock’n’Roll.
• Bob Dylan’s protest music of the 1960s.
• The history of metal music and how it was created.
• The culture of how women are portrayed in rock music videos.
• Rock music and how it impacts society’s norms.
• Would the British band Sharks write essays about sharks ?
• Finding research paper topics in the rock songs of the 90s.
• Examples of comparative and qualitative research topics stemming from social criticism in rock music.
• Finance research topics : Are all rockstars really rich beyond belief?
• Taylor Swift and her personal battle: An eating disorder essay

Argumentative rock music paper topics

• How is rock music changing the industry?
• How does rock music help the economy of a country?
• How has the appearance of social media influenced the rock music industry?
• How did Queen influence the development of modern music?
• Does rock music have more impact on buying behavior?
• What is the reason you listen to rock music?
• How has rock music evolved in the past decade?
• Does rock music allow enough artistic expression for the artist to effectively cope with their depression/negative feelings?
• Why should we be able to listen to rock music in classrooms?
• Why is punk rock the best music genre?
• Are today’s rock music tracks educational or meaningful at all?
• How did technology change rock music in the 20th century?
• Will independent music dominate tomorrow’s musical industry?
• Does rock music prove that the “American Dream” is worth it?
• Can rock music represent definite emotions?
• What is the worst rock music known to man?
• How has drug and alcohol addiction been portrayed in rock music lyrics in the past 10 years?
• How does singing and listening to rock music influence our mood?
• The 1960s was the most influential decade in rock music history due to its social and political protest songs.
• How does rock music develop in other countries?
• How might either the performance or appreciation of rock music contain a cultural element?
• How does rock music improve health?
• Does rock music create/increase violence?
• How has technology changed the way we enjoy rock music?
• Use the emergence of rock and roll music in the 1950s to illustrate how this musical form was built from music that came before it, but also explain how it was different. How does the story of rock and roll show the link between culture and social class?
• Why should teachers play heavy metal music when students are taking tests?
• Why is rock and metal superior to mainstream music?

Research topics about rock music effects

• Does rock music affect your mood?
• How rock music affects propaganda: why is it so important?
• 10 magical effects when you listen to rock music.
• The effect of rock music on mood and emotions or music therapy.
• The effect of rock music on improving motor function of stroke patients.
• How does rock music negatively affect the younger generations?
• Rock music of the 1980s and its effect on modern society.
• How does rock music affect classical music?
• Rock music in American culture and how it affects our kids.
• Positive effects of rock music on society.
• How does rock music affect emotion and memories?
• Discuss gender roles in rock music you access today. How has feminism affected these roles? What parallels and differences do you notice between modern and historical trends?
• How does rock music affect humans?
• What is the effectiveness of rock music in influencing political change?
• Discuss the role of rock musicians in affecting the lives of others.
• The effect of digitization on the commerce of rock music.

Even if you have rock music research topics at your disposal, you may still have problems with writing. All these topics are great only if you know how to write papers. EssayShark can help you with creating your paper. If you’ve been struggling with your writing for a long time, request write my essay online and we will gladly help you!

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Diverse Music Essay Topics for Students and Music Enthusiasts

Table of contents

• 1 How to Write an Essay on Music
• 2.1 Argumentative Essay Topics about Music
• 2.2 Topics for College Essays about Music
• 2.3 Controversial Topics in Music
• 2.4 Classical Music Essay Topics
• 2.5 Jazz Music Essay Topics
• 2.6 Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics
• 2.7 Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Music is a magical world of different sounds and stories. When we talk about music, there are so many things we can explore. Writing essays about sound lets us share our feelings and thoughts about this wonderful art. In this collection, you will find 140 music essay topics.

These topics are carefully chosen to help you think and write about sound in many exciting ways. Whether you love listening to music or playing an instrument, these topics about music for an essay will spark your creativity. They cover everything, from your favorite songs to the history of music. So, get ready to dive into the sound world with these fun and interesting essay ideas!

How to Write an Essay on Music

Writing an essay about sound can be a fun and exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings about this amazing art form. Whether you are working on college essays about music, or research paper topics on music, here are some steps to help you create a great piece of writing.

• First, choose a topic that you are passionate about. It could be anything from your favorite musician to a specific sound genre. For a college essay about sound, you might want to share a personal story about how music has impacted your life. For argumentative essay topics about sound, consider issues like the importance of sound education or the effects of music on the brain. If you’re working on a research paper on sound, explore the history of a certain music style or the role of sound in different cultures.
• Once you have your topic, start with some research. Look for interesting facts, stories, and opinions about your topic. This will give you many ideas and help you understand your topic better.
• Next, create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep your writing clear and focused. Start with an introduction that introduces your topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Then, write a few paragraphs that explain your main points. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. In your writing, explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences.
• Also, try to include examples and personal experiences to make your essay more interesting and relatable.

Need help with essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

List of Topics about Music for an Essay – 40 words

Discover a world of music topics to write about in this list! From fun ideas to controversial topics in music, these essay suggestions will inspire you to explore the diverse and exciting universe of music.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Music

Dive into the world of melodies and rhythms with these essay topics about music! Whether you’re passionate about different genres or curious about the impact of sound, these argumentative essay topics will guide you to explore and express your views on various musical aspects. So, let’s get ready to write and debate about the diverse and vibrant universe of sound.

• Is Melody Essential in Every School’s Curriculum
• The Impact of Melody on Mental Health
• Should There Be More Support for Local Musicians
• The Role of Songs in Cultural Preservation
• Does Modern Melody Lack Originality
• The Effects of Sound on Productivity
• Are Music Award Shows Biased
• The Importance of Lyrics in Songs
• Should Songs Be Used in Advertising
• The Influence of Music on Fashion Trends
• Does Melody Promote a Better Global Understanding
• Should Explicit Sound Be Censored
• Are Songs Festivals Beneficial for Local Communities
• The Role of Technology in Melody Production
• Is Classical Melody Still Relevant in the Modern Era
• The Impact of Social Media on Musicians’ Success
• Should Music Be Included in Workplace Settings
• The Role of Melody in Political Movements
• Are Music Streaming Services Fair to Artists
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody

Topics for College Essays about Music

Step into the rhythm of words with these research paper topics about music, perfect for college essays. These topics offer a wide range of ideas, from personal experiences to cultural impacts, inviting you to explore the profound influence of sound. They are designed to inspire deep thought and passionate writing, helping you connect your academic skills with your love for melody.

• How Sound Influences Fashion Trends
• The Role of Melody in Different Cultures
• Personal Growth Through Learning a Musical Instrument
• The Evolution of a Specific Melody Genre
• The Impact of Songs Streaming Services on Artists
• Music as a Form of Social Protest
• The Psychological Effects of Melody on the Human Mind
• The Importance of Songs Education in Schools
• The Relationship Between Melody and Memory
• How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Music
• The Representation of Women in Music
• Music’s Role in Personal Identity
• The Influence of Melody on Mood and Behavior
• The Resurgence of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age
• The Globalization of Music and Its Effects
• The Economic Impact of the Songs Industry
• Melody as a Tool for International Diplomacy
• The Ethics of Music Sampling and Remixing
• The Role of Melody in Film and Media
• The Future of Live Music Performances

Controversial Topics in Music

Embark on a journey through the provocative and often debated realms of music with these 20 topics on controversial topics in music. These topics are designed to stir thought and conversation, challenging you to explore the music world’s more contentious and complex aspects. From ethical dilemmas to cultural controversies, these subjects offer diverse perspectives for deep exploration and spirited discussion.

• The Impact of Song Piracy on the Industry
• Censorship in Songs and Its Effects on Artistic Freedom
• The Portrayal of Women in Popular Song Videos
• The Commercialization of Indie Melody Genres
• The Role of Auto-Tune in Modern Music
• Melody as a Tool for Political Propaganda
• The Influence of Corporate Sponsors in Melody Festivals
• The Ethical Considerations of Posthumous Melody Releases
• Cultural Appropriation in the Song Industry
• The Decline of Traditional Songs Forms
• The Relationship Between Melody and Substance Abuse
• The Effect of Digital Streaming on Melody Quality
• The Representation of Minority Groups in Mainstream Music
• The Debate Over Explicit Lyrics and Parental Advisory Labels
• The Rise of AI in Songs Creation
• The Impact of Reality Song Shows on the Industry
• The Role of Gender in Melody Award Nominations
• Melody and Its Influence on Youth Behavior
• The Sustainability of the Music Tour Industry
• The Shift in Melody Consumption From Albums to Singles

Classical Music Essay Topics

Go on an enlightening journey through the world of melodies and harmonies with these 20 music topics to research, perfect for crafting compelling college essays. These topics delve into music’s vast and varied dimensions, from its historical roots to its modern-day impact. They are designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire in-depth exploration, blending academic rigor with a passion for music.

• The Evolution of Melody Through the Decades
• The Influence of Classical Song on Modern Genres
• The Psychological Effects of Melody Therapy
• The Role of Women Composers in Song History
• The Impact of Social Media on Emerging Musicians
• The Significance of Folk Song in Cultural Heritage
• The Development of Electronic Melody and Its Future
• Melody Censorship and Its Implications for Artistic Expression
• The Role of Song in Film and Storytelling
• The Globalization of Songs Genres and Styles
• The Relationship Between Music and Fashion Trends
• The History of Rock Melody and Its Cultural Impact
• The Use of Songs in Advertising and Consumer Behavior
• The Effects of Song Streaming on the Melody Industry
• The Intersection of Melody and Political Movements
• The Role of Songs in Shaping Youth Culture
• The Cultural Significance of Melody Festivals Worldwide
• The Preservation and Revival of Indigenous Music
• The Impact of Technology on Songs Production and Distribution
• The Contribution of Music to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jazz Music Essay Topics

Step into the soulful and vibrant jazz world with these music topics for essays. Jazz, a genre rich in history and innovation, offers a treasure trove of fascinating themes for exploration. These essay topics will guide you through jazz’s intricate rhythms and stories, from its early beginnings to its modern interpretations. Delve into this mesmerizing music style’s legendary artists, iconic performances, and cultural impacts.

• The Origins of Jazz and Its Early Influences
• The Evolution of Jazz Through the 20th Century
• Key Figures in the Development of Jazz Music
• The Role of Improvisation in Jazz
• The Influence of Jazz on Other Melody Genres
• The Cultural Significance of Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
• The Globalization of Jazz Melody
• The Impact of Technology on Jazz Recording and Production
• The Fusion of Jazz With Other Musical Styles
• Jazz as a Form of Social and Political Expression
• The Portrayal of Jazz in Cinema and Literature
• The Future of Jazz in the Digital Age
• The Role of Jazz in Education and Music Therapy
• Women in Jazz: Contributions and Challenges
• The Jazz Scene in Different Parts of the World
• The Preservation of Classic Jazz in Modern Times
• The Influence of Jazz on Fashion and Lifestyle
• Jazz Clubs and Their Role in Cultural Development
• The Impact of Jazz Festivals on Local Communities
• The Relationship Between Jazz and Modern Dance Forms

Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics

Rock and pop music, with its pulsing rhythms and catchy melodies, have captivated audiences for decades. This collection of 20 unique essay topics explores the depth and diversity of these influential genres. From the electric energy of rock to the widespread appeal of pop, these topics invite you to delve into the history, evolution, and cultural significance of these dynamic music styles. Whether examining iconic artists, groundbreaking albums, or the social impact of these genres, each topic offers a fascinating avenue for exploration and discussion in your essays.

• The Evolution of Rock Songs From the 1950s to Today
• The Influence of Pop Melody on Global Culture
• The Role of Songs Videos in Shaping Rock and Pop
• The Impact of Digital Streaming on the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Significance of the Beatles in Music History
• The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
• The Role of Women in the Development of Pop Music
• The Influence of Rock Melody on Fashion Trends
• The Changing Face of Pop Songs in the 21st Century
• The Impact of Social Media on Rock and Pop Musicians
• The Fusion of Rock With Other Melody Genres
• The Role of Rock and Pop Music in Political Movements
• The Evolution of Live Performances in Rock and Pop
• The Significance of the Grammy Awards in Rock and Pop
• The Depiction of Rock and Pop Songs in Movies
• The Influence of Technology on the Production of Rock and Pop Music
• The Cultural Diversity in the Rock and Pop Melody Scenes
• The Role of Indie Labels in the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Impact of Fan Culture on Rock and Pop Song
• The Sustainability of Rock and Pop Songs in the Streaming Era

Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Take a trip through melody and argument with these 20 music-related persuasive essay topics. Each topic, chosen for its ability to inspire compelling arguments and deep research, falls under the umbrella of musical topics for research papers. These prompts will challenge you to explore various facets of music, from cultural significance to technological impacts. As you delve into these topics, you’ll be encouraged to form strong opinions and support them with well-researched evidence, making your essays informative and persuasive.

• The Necessity of Melody Education in Schools for Overall Development
• The Impact of Classical Songs on Cognitive Abilities
• Song Streaming Services and Their Effect on the Industry
• The Role of Melody in Maintaining Mental Health
• Songs as a Universal Language Bridging Cultural Divides
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody Forms
• Music’s Influence on Fashion and Lifestyle
• The Ethical Implications of Auto-Tune in Song Production
• The Role of Social Media in the Success of New Artists
• The Power of Songs in Social and Political Activism
• The Benefits of Attending Live Music Performances
• Songs as a Tool for Improving Concentration and Productivity
• The Evolution of Melody Genres and Its Cultural Impact
• The Effects of Background Song in Public Spaces
• The Role of Songs in Advertising Effectiveness
• Music’s Influence on Youth and Teen Development
• The Relationship Between Melody and Emotional Intelligence
• The Future of Virtual Reality Concerts in the Melody Industry
• The Impact of Songs Piracy on Artists and Producers
• The Role of Melody in Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

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Black Women’s Role in Rock Music’s Evolution Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

In Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll, the author, NYU music professor Mahon argues that black women have played a significant role in rock music’s evolution. He gives examples of famous artists like Tina Turner, who played an instrumental role in bridging pop, Rock, and RnB. An example is Patti LaBelle, an African American woman singer who was a successful singer until the 1960s when she was absorbed in an upcoming girl group, made one hit song, “Lady Marmalade,” and then considered an outlier. “The result was a more accessible album and a number one pop hit with “Lady Marmalade,” the group’s first Top 30 single in more than a decade.” (pg 200). African American women have been used as background singers to provide their authenticity for white rock singers.

The author has used a pool of scholarly articles to support the book. For instance, the author has used an article by Adult Ulrich, “Germany Gets the Blues: Negotiations of ‘Race’ and Nation at the American Folk Blues Festival.” The article shows the lives of different singers, including Memphis Slim, a blues African American woman artist who decided to settle in France after performing a show and being treated better than in her hometown Chicago. Whereas in Chicago, she was only compensated for rent and food, in France, she was offered a six-room apartment and other amenities that fitted her fame. In referring to the article, Mohan adds to the knowledge that African American women rappers are marginalized not only in Rock but also in other music genres.

The book’s organization follows a logical order where the author introduces the problem statement, gives substantial evidence, and then concludes by making final personal remarks on the topic. In the introduction, the author starts by showing sentiments by Santi White, stating, “It’s totally racist.” (pg1). The singer adds, “Why does R&B keep coming into my interviews? (pg1)” In the body, the author gives examples of many Rock artists, such as Rocking and Rolling With Big Mama, Shirelles, and Tina Turner. The author concludes by giving their sentiment that Rock music marginalizes African American women.

The book uses a wide range of materials which range from books, articles, archival materials, interviews, recordings, and films. Books, articles, and archival materials were used to learn what previous researchers had funded. Interviews and audio recordings were used in the book to provide first-person experience about rocks and other forms of music. Films were used to archive information and confirm various facts used by the author.

The main argument the author tries to pass to the audience is that African American women are marginalized in Rock music despite playing a key role in its evolution. Mohan gives various examples of African American women who have been very instrumental in the evolution of Rock music, such as Betty Davis, LaVern Baker, Big Mama Thornton, and Merry Clayton. “I’ve been singing way before Elvis Presley was born, and he jumps up and becomes a millionaire before me… off of something that I made popular. They gave him the right… now, why do they do that?” (pg38). In this question, Thornton shows how she has been discriminated against, and someone she taught music became a millionaire before her to demonstrate marginalization.

One of the key takeaways from this author is how to argue a problem statement in a whole book systematically. The author has effectively articles the main point and has shown much proof, which makes much sense. In addition, I have learned that it is important to use other forms of evidence, such as audio and interviews, to ensure that readers get the main point. Finally, I have learned about African American women’s marginalization in Rock and other music genres.

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IvyPanda. (2024, March 29). Black Women’s Role in Rock Music’s Evolution. https://ivypanda.com/essays/black-womens-role-in-rock-musics-evolution/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Black Women’s Role in Rock Music’s Evolution." March 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/black-womens-role-in-rock-musics-evolution/.

How to Write a Music Essay with Examples

Writing an essay about music encourages you to think about how music influences emotions and behavior. Did you know that certain types of music can alter brain activity, influence memory, or even change how we perceive time? This kind of analysis can reveal insights that go unnoticed in everyday listening.

In this article, our custom essay writing service will walk you through the process of crafting an exceptional music essay. We've curated a list of thought-provoking topics to spark your inspiration. And to give you a clearer picture of what a stellar music essay looks like, we'll share a sample music paper.

What is Music Essay

A music essay goes beyond just describing your favorite songs or artists. It can merge analysis with personal reflection, allowing you to connect abstract musical concepts to real-world effects.

What makes an essay on music unique is its ability to dissect not just the sound but the meaning and context behind it. For instance, when analyzing a piece of classical music, you might consider how its composition reflects the political climate of the time or how it challenges traditional structures in music theory. If you're writing about a modern genre like hip-hop, you might explore its roots in social movements and how it has evolved as a voice for marginalized communities.

Related : Check our special guide on what is research essay .

Special Features of Writing About Music

Writing about music doesn't require you to be an expert in this field. The key is to listen attentively, reflect on what you hear, and share your unique insights. Like any effective paper, a strong music essay requires a clear thesis, logical structure, well-supported arguments, and polished writing. What makes essays about music distinct is the blend of specific musical analysis with imaginative language that brings the music to life.

Technical vs. Everyday Language

While technical terms can be useful for describing intricate details, they aren't always necessary. If you're not deeply familiar with musical terminology or if you're writing for a broad audience, focus on describing the music in your own words. The aim is to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely without overwhelming your readers with complex jargon.

For example, in discussing Debussy's Clair de Lune , you might say: "The melody flows gently, like moonlight shimmering on a calm lake. It's serene, yet there's a quiet intensity beneath the surface." Notice how this description uses everyday language to convey the piece's emotional atmosphere.

Metaphors can be especially powerful in illustrating the emotional impact of music. For instance, you might describe a jazz improvisation as "a spontaneous conversation between old friends, full of unexpected turns and familiar comfort." This metaphor helps readers visualize the music and grasp its underlying mood.

Well-chosen metaphors not only enhance your argument but also make your writing more engaging. However, it's important to ensure your metaphors are precise and relevant to the music you're describing. Always connect them to specific musical elements so that your readers can clearly understand your interpretation.

Note : Remember to use our medical school personal statement school help for your unique academic adventures.

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How to Write a Music Essay in 7 Steps

Now, follow these 7 easy steps to understand how to write an essay about music. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create an engaging and insightful paper.

Meanwhile, you can always leave your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers and get a flawless music essay on any topic!

1. Listen and Note Initial Impressions

The first step in writing a music essay is to listen to the piece multiple times. Pay close attention to the music, noting your immediate feelings and reactions. What emotions do you experience? Are there any specific moments that stand out?

Here are some questions to consider:

• How does the music make you feel? Are there moments of joy, sadness, anger, or peace?
• What instruments are being used? How do their sounds contribute to the overall atmosphere?
• Is there a strong melody or rhythm? How do these elements shape the piece?
• Are there any recurring motifs or themes? What do they symbolize?

These observations will help you identify the key elements of the music and develop a deeper understanding of its meaning.

2. Analyze the Musical Elements

Once you've noted your initial impressions, analyze the various musical elements that contribute to its overall effect. Instead of simply listing the elements, try to understand how these elements work together to create a cohesive composition. For example:

• Melody and Harmony: How does the melody interact with the harmony? Does the melody follow the harmonic progression, or does it create tension and resolution?
• Rhythm and Timbre: How does the rhythm influence the timbre of the instruments? Do certain instruments accentuate the rhythmic patterns or create a sense of counterpoint?
• Form and Structure: How is the piece organized? Are there any recurring sections or themes? How does the form contribute to the overall narrative or meaning of the music?

3. Organize Observations Clearly

Afterward, organize your observations in a way that makes your essay easy to follow. Start by grouping similar ideas together. For instance, if you notice patterns in rhythm, melody, or instrumentation, keep those observations together in your essay.

Next, decide on the order in which you want to present these points. A logical progression usually works best—move from broader observations to more specific details. This structure guides your reader smoothly through your analysis, making it easier for them to understand your perspective.

Lastly, make sure each section of your essay transitions well into the next. Use connecting phrases or sentences to link your ideas so the essay reads like a continuous narrative rather than a series of disjointed points.

4. Develop a Strong Thesis

To develop a strong thesis, start by reflecting on your observations and analysis. What is the key insight or argument you want to convey?

Your thesis should be specific and debatable, not just a statement of fact. For example, instead of saying, "The music uses interesting rhythms," try something more pointed like, "The unconventional rhythmic patterns in this composition challenge traditional notions of time signature, creating a unique auditory experience that reflects the artist's innovative approach."

Make sure your thesis is focused and manageable. Throughout your essay, continually refer back to this thesis to ensure your analysis remains relevant and cohesive.

5. Add Historical Context

To add historical context, start by researching the time period and cultural background in which the music was created. Consider factors like the social, political, and musical trends of the time.

For example, if you're writing about a jazz piece from the 1920s, mention the impact of the Jazz Age on the music's style and composition. How did historical events or cultural shifts influence the artist's work?

Incorporate this context into your essay to show how the music fits into a larger narrative. Explain how historical events or cultural movements shaped the music and how it, in turn, reflects or challenges those influences.

6. Link Music to Broader Themes

Connecting the music to broader themes helps to show its relevance and significance beyond its immediate context. To do this, identify the larger ideas or issues that the music touches on. For instance, if the piece reflects themes of rebellion or innovation, explain how these themes relate to broader cultural or societal movements.

Start by examining how the music aligns with or challenges prevailing trends, beliefs, or experiences of its time. For example, if a piece explores themes of personal struggle, link it to universal experiences or social issues, such as mental health or resilience.

Additionally, consider how the music fits into larger artistic or cultural movements. Does it reflect or influence trends in its genre, or does it contribute to a broader dialogue about art and society?

7. Synthesize Into a Cohesive Narrative

To synthesize your analysis into a cohesive narrative, revisit your main points and ensure they align with your thesis.

Structure your essay so that each section flows logically into the next. Begin with an introduction that outlines your thesis and the main points you will cover. Follow this with a body where you present your observations and analysis, organized by theme or aspect of the music. Ensure each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next, maintaining a clear connection to your central argument.

In your conclusion, summarize how your analysis supports your thesis and highlight the broader significance of the music. Reinforce the key themes and insights you've discussed, showing how they come together to form a complete picture.

Music Essay Topics

When choosing a topic for your essay, consider your interests and the specific piece of music you want to analyze. Here are 15 potential music topics to write about:

• What is the relationship between musical form and narrative structure in Beethoven's symphonies?
• Discuss how music contributes to the storytelling and emotional impact of films or television shows.
• How opera reflects socio-political issues of its time.
• The Beatles' Influence on Rock Music: A look at their lasting impact.
• How does the concept of "syncopation" contribute to the rhythmic complexity of jazz music?
• What makes a song a classic?
• Discuss the issues surrounding music copyright and the fair use of copyrighted material.
• How has music been used to represent and challenge national identity in post-colonial contexts?
• What is the role of nostalgia in our appreciation of music, and how does it differ across cultures?
• The use of classical music in 20th-century film scores
• How does Mozart's use of coloratura singing enhance the dramatic impact of his operatic characters?
• Examine the connections between music and literary works, such as novels, poetry, or plays.
• Trace the development of rock over time.
• How does music help us cope with grief and loss, and what are the psychological mechanisms involved?
• Speculate on the future of the music industry and the potential impact of emerging technologies.

Got your essay topic ready? Don't wait around—just click ' write my paper ' and let the experts handle it!

Music Essay Examples

Here are the samples that illustrate writing about music examples and bring our earlier tips to life. Crafted by our thesis writing service , they show you how to explore music, develop your arguments, and spotlight key details effectively.

The Bottom Line

Writing an essay about music can be both fun and rewarding. With so many topics to explore, just follow our guide to create a standout essay every time. Be adventurous with your topic, keep the writing process straightforward, and stick to academic standards. Use our music essay samples as a model to craft your own polished paper.

Remember, if you're feeling stuck or short on time, our expert writers are here to help. Simply visit our website, submit a ' write my research paper' request, and get a custom-written essay with just a click!

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Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions. 

What is Music Essay?

How to start an essay on music, how does music affect your mood essay.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

• Updated writing steps, essay topics and FAQs
• Added new essay samples

Writing about Music: A Guide to Writing in A & I 24 . (n.d.). https://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/files/hwp/files/ai_24_guide_to_print.pdf

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Blog > Essay Advice , Personal Statement > How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

Ask any admissions officer if they’ve read a college essay about music, and they’ll definitely say yes. Between music extracurriculars and academic interests in music, it’s is one of the most common college essay topics.

So does that mean that you shouldn’t write your college essay about music?

Not necessarily. But as with any common college essay topic, some approaches are better than others.

Let’s get into it.

Why you should (and shouldn’t) write your Common App essay about music

As we explained in our Stanford Items exercise , writing your college essay on a common topic isn’t off-limits. In fact, most college essays share common topics and themes. Trying to find a completely unique, never-been-done-before topic is almost impossible. And writing about a quirky topic in hopes of coming across as unique usually backfires.

In other words, it’s likely that you’ll write about the same topic as someone else.

The problem arises, however, when you write about a common topic in a cliche way . Cliches are always a danger in college essays, but in especially college essay topics that tend to surface again and again.

To avoid cliches, your college essay about music needs to be deeply personal, specific, and meaningful. You’ll want to let go of any over-generalizations or truisms and focus on the details of your own story.

Because you’ll need to write meaningfully and vulnerably, you should only write your college essay about music if you have something genuine and significant to say.

The Best Ways to Approach Your College Essay about Music

College essays about music aren’t off the table, but you should be thoughtful in how you write about them. The following two approaches will help you avoid cliches and find an authentic, meaningful story that fulfills all the requirements of a personal statement .

Writing about music as an academic interest

If you’re interested in studying music in college, then you can consider writing your college essay about music as an academic interest. A college essay about your academic interest in music can show fantastic intellectual fit with a school.

Let’s say you want to study music theory or composition. You might write about a topic you find compelling, a problem you’ve solved, or even a recounting of your journey becoming interested in the subject.

Or maybe you’re an aspiring performer planning on studying music performance. As an admissions officer, I read outstanding essays about students performing their favorite pieces, creating emotional music projects, and teaching lessons to young children.

No matter your topic, your goal with this approach is to show an intellectual spark, a curiosity and passion that will demonstrate to your admissions officers that you’ll be a great addition to the music community on their campuses.

Writing poignantly about a deeply meaningful extracurricular

The previous approach is great if you want to study music, but what if music is just an extracurricular passion of yours? Don’t worry—you can still write about it.

In that case, the best way is to focus on meaning. Remember: personal statements should be deeply-meaningful reflections on your personal strengths.

To start, reflect on your music extracurricular. Is it playing guitar in a band? Playing trombone in your school’s symphony? Learning piano from your grandma? How your love of poetry turned into a love of songwriting?

Next, think about what strengths you have to showcase. If you play guitar in a band, maybe you want to highlight your collaborative spirit. If you love poetry and songwriting, perhaps you focus on your creativity.

Writing about your love of music in a way that draws upon your strengths will make sure that your Common App essay avoids the following two approaches and gives admissions officers a reason to admit you.

Approaches to Avoid

While the following two approaches aren’t necessarily bad, they are the most cliche ways of approaching a college essay about music. You might want to consider avoiding them.

An inauthentic tale of triumph

Let me tell you a cliche story.

When I was in fourth grade, I decided to join the school orchestra. I found it exceedingly difficult at first. No matter how hard I tried, I never could seem to place my fingers correctly on the fingerboard. Every sound I made mimicked a screeching cat. But I decided not to give up. I practiced every day after school and on the weekends. By the time I was in ninth grade, I had made it into my high school’s top orchestra.

Is that a lovely story? Yes, absolutely. Is it hearty enough for a college essay? No. While it tells a good narrative of growth and progress, it remains on the surface of the writer’s life. It comes across as a convenient way to brag about your strengths instead of exploring them in a genuine way. In this example, the story also focuses on events that happened way too far in the past.

A song that changed your life

This approach is by far the most common cliche in college essays about music. We’ve all been there: a favorite song that transports you to a moment in your life whenever you hear it. It makes sense that you’d want to write about yours.

But there’s a problem with this approach. Too often, it reads as trite or unoriginal, and the end result usually doesn’t say much about the writer. And when it does, the message an admissions officer gets doesn’t typically give them any more reason to admit you. Since you want your college essay to be meaningful, even vulnerable, and strengths-based, you’re better off choosing another topic that better speaks to who you are.

Key Takeaways + Examples

College essays about music aren’t for everyone. But when you get it right, you can strike the perfect chord with admissions officers (you’re welcome for the pun).

As you go, dig deep, find something genuinely personal, and try to avoid the most common and cliche ways of approaching the topic.

Want to see some examples of college essays about music before you get started? Check out our examples, The Time Machine and The Band .

Liked that? Try this next.

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

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Writing About Music

Academic writing

Essay paper writing

Music as art appeared at the dawn of humanity. The gradual development of music and the changes in its genres reflects the significant number of historical events that society has experienced. The music captures the life of particular groups of people, the thoughts and aspirations of individuals, as well as different social processes. If you’re looking for unique ways to start music essay, state that the main merit of music is that at all times, it has revealed a complicated spiritual world of humans with extraordinary precision and depth. Probably, this exact property of music as capable of reflecting feelings, aspirations, and moods, can explain the fact that it still accompanies people both in sorrow and joy. No event, be it a wedding, birthday, or some other celebrations, would be complete without the performance of any musical pieces.

History of Music Essay

It would be appropriate to start essays about music with a history of different genres. Let’s begin with ethnic music. Ethnic music belongs to the folklore legacy of every nation. In this article, some types of ethnic music in different countries are discussed. Also, a few facts will be presented about the history of their development.

Flamenco is a musical genre that has originated in southern Andalusia. It became a unique phenomenon belonging to the musical legacy of Spain. Even though flamenco is a mixture of rhythms and melodies of Arab, Gypsy, Jewish, and Christian cultures, it rightfully can be called original. The full name of the genre is cante flamenco. Interestingly, cante means “singing” in Spanish, although flamenco also includes singing, dancing, and playing the guitar and covers all manifestations of the flamenco style. It would be great to mention these features in your folk music essay. The first documentary reference of flamenco was found in 1780 in Andalusia. This genre was gaining popularity within deprived village areas, and until the last third of the twentieth century, it was unknown outside the narrow circle of amateurs. This genre began to gain popularity during the national fests, attracting more and more admirers to its side, and at the same time, the number of cantors also grew. Gradually, flamenco became a profession and a way to make a living. This fact may be added to the argumentative essay about music.

Finally, one more fact for you: the bulk of Spaniards learned about flamenco only with the advent of special artistic cafes, cafe cantante, where the singers performed. So, looking for music essay topics, feel free to choose flamenco as this genre will be definitely interesting for your readers.

The richness of folk music had a great influence on music as an art form in general. This genre is especially popular in English-speaking countries (for example, the USA and Great Britain), where folk songs are sung not only in the family circle, at a wedding, or a birthday party, but also performed in front of a broad audience. Creating the music then and now essay, it is worth mentioning that such singers as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins were and still are the most famous American folk music representatives. At the same time, performing folk music, singers had an opportunity to bring to the world their poetry, in which they reflected their political, economic, and other views.

While writing the instrumental music essay, one may mention that in the 1960s, country singers used a minimum of musical instruments, mainly acoustic guitar and vocals. However, by the end of the 1960s, folk was losing its popular position, with fewer and fewer musicians working in this style. After listening to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and The Doors, the public demanded a new approach to folk and music in general.

In the country music essay, you may also include some information about Tim Buckley, who worked in the psychedelic folk genre in the United States in 1960-1970s. He had a unique voice, and it made his performance challenging to understand for an ordinary American listener. Perhaps, his talent would be appreciated much higher abroad as compared to the USA, where the number of singers in the same genre was high. However, it is necessary to pay tribute to this singer as his albums Goodbye and Hello, Happy Sad, and others are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

The birthplace of another famous folk singer, Leonard Cohen, is Canada, but his successful career began in the United States. Surprisingly, Leonard Cohen is the only representative of the American folk, whose popularity in the UK and Europe was noticeably higher than at home. So he is an interesting person to describe in American music essay. By the way, he began his professional path as a novelist and poet and launched his successful music career only at the age of 33. 

Composing a “my favorite music” essay, you may indicate that the flourishing of English folk came five years later as compared to the American one, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In England, the approach to the music of this style was fundamentally different. Very few musicians played an acoustic guitar, which is a classical folk music instrument. The most famous folk group was the Incredible String Band, which played in the genre of psychedelic folk.

The most famous folk-rock band in the UK is the Fairport Convention. The musicians, having joined in 1967, quickly gained fame thanks to the original combination of folk melody with the stirring vocals of lead singer Sandy Denny. The Irish band Clannad may also be considered as one of the leading folk-rock groups. By the way, country folk has many new substyles nowadays. For instance, if you’re writing a Norwegian folk music essay, you are welcome to state that Wardruna is one of the new Norwegian musician groups who play in the genre of folk-metal.

Ska is a national form of Jamaican music that appeared at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. It has been developed by Jamaican jazz musicians, who decided to remake the American rhythm and blues and rock and roll genres, heard by them on the radio, to make it close to the national mood. The result of their experiments was the ska style, which is a mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms, exotic Caribbean sound, and rock and roll harmonies. This genre could be added to the evolution of music essay. The very word “ska” means a somewhat jerky and sonorous guitar sound. A characteristic feature of ska-compositions is a powerful bass. The rhythmic basis of ska is represented by a four-beat rhythm with emphasis on weak parts (small drum beats, guitar accents, etc.). Jamaican vocalists usually deliberately distort English words, which also brings its zest to ska-style. The first known performers of ska were Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, and Laurel Aitken. However, the true progenitor of ska music is the Jamaican group The Skatalites, which included jazz musicians of world class. Although the group existed a little more than a year (1964-1965), its influence on the development of music as a whole was enormous. Ska music was very popular in the homeland: it sounded in ballrooms, clubs, and parties. In 1964, another music style was formed based on ska – rocksteady. The latter, in turn, was the progenitor of reggae. In the mid-1960s, Jamaican immigrants, seeking work and migrating to England, brought their musical culture there. As a result, recording studios focused on ska and reggae also began to develop in Britain; for example, the famous Iceland Records firm. The ska style became unusually popular in the history of pop music but later went to the shadow, giving way to other musical genres. However, even nowadays, ska music has not lost its attractiveness.

If you are looking for interesting world music essay topics, raï may be the option. Raï is a traditional national style of Algerian music, which appeared not so long ago. Its native land is called the western Algerian port of Oran, where Arab, Turkish, Spanish, and French influences were mixed. Raï, as a rule, is characterized by a unique vocal style, differing in the abundance of eastern melismatic and vibrato, voice tension, and passion for performance. The themes of the raï songs remain relevant at all times since there are compositions about unhappy love and disappointments among them. Creating the advantages and disadvantages of music essay, you can supplement the fact that raï songs are top-rated among youth circles, but Islamic activists in Algeria sharply criticize them. Over time, the raï has absorbed Egyptian and European musical traditions, making acoustic instruments replaced by modern electric ones. Composing the essay on music, note that mass migration of the Algerian population to France made this style popular in Europe, where it was influenced by chanson, as well as fashionable dance styles. Now, both Europeans and Algerians enjoy this genre.

In the music essay introduction, it is essential to note that the country style is a harmonious mix of ethnic music of England, Ireland, and Scotland. The first immigrants from Europe brought to America their songs, motives, manner of performance, and passed it from generation to generation. Religious music, especially hymns and various ritual songs, were also part of what later became known as country music. Over time, the genre has changed, becoming popular in the eastern, western, and southern states by the end of the twentieth century.

In the outline for music essay, it worth mentioning that the first documented country song in the world was The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane, created in 1871 by Will Hays. Fifty-three years later, it was recorded by Fiddlin John Carson, a well-known radio host. In 1922, Eck Robertson recorded the song Sallie Gooden, which was also referred to as the country style.

It is noteworthy that in the 1920s, the musical form of the country was called in a different way – the Hillbilly. One may state in country music essay that the opening of the Grand Ole Opry show festival in November 1925 was a remarkable event in the country music evolution. Uncle Jimmy Thompson, an 85-year-old violin fiddle player, was the first participant of this show. The subsequent period (from 1927 to 1943) was called the Golden Age of Country Music. By the end of the Second World War, more than 50,000 performers participated in various radio shows and released their records. The most popular radio shows were WLS National Barn Dance, Louisville's Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Richmond, Virginia's Old Dominion Barn Dance, and Shreveport Louisiana.

In the history of country music essay, one may also mention that in 1955, Owen Bradley founded the studio and since 1960, produced a large number of hit country records together with Chet Atkins. The popularity of the country style did not decrease in the 1970s as well. The film named Urban Cowboy was released in the 1980s and caused a new wave of increased attention to country music. As a result, the performers had the opportunity to present their records to a broader audience. However, in the next decade, interest in this genre was noticeably reduced, which was associated with the emergence and flourishing of other musical styles.

Nevertheless, performers such as George Strait, Randy Travis, Clint Black, and of course, Garth Brooks did everything to make country one of the most popular styles of music. Finally, in the classification of several kinds of music essay, it is necessary to explain that, in addition to the mentioned country styles, some experts also distinguished cowboy music, bluegrass, country pop, etc.

Cowboy Music

If you want to compose a short essay on music, cowboy music might be a good topic for it. Cowboy music is one of the popular and well-known country music styles in the US, which later became one of the most favorite genres among country poets. Many country artists have been working in this style since 1908 when Nathan Howard (Jack Thorp) recorded a composition called Songs of the Cowboys. Cowboy music, which was performed in the mid-1920s, eventually became known as western music. The first singing cowboy was Ken Maynard, the actor who starred in the movie The Wagon Master, released in the 1930s. In this picture, he performed his songs The Lone-Star Trail and Cowboy Lament.

While composing what is music essay introduction, one may state that with the development of the Western culture, cowboys have become one of Hollywood symbols. The first person who managed to make cowboy music truly popular was Gene Autry, who starred in 90 films. Gene Autry’s voice was regularly heard on the radio, thanks to the fact that for 17 years, he had been acting as one of the main characters of the radio show Melody Ranch. The most famous songs that Gene Autry performed were Cowboy Yodel, Back in the Saddle Again, etc. In general, the list of all singers who have ever performed cowboy songs is quite extensive. Here are just some of the most famous names from it: Johnny Bond, Jimmy Wakely, Merle Travis, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, etc.

One more interesting fact is that singing cowboys, as a rule, performed old songs that became an integral part of the folklore of immigrants. In the why I love music essay, you may indicate that Johnny Cash, for example, recorded “country relics” such as Bury Me Not on the Lone Prarie and The Streets of Laredo on his Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West record. He played these songs in the television shows The Rebel-Johnny Yuma and Bonanza, as well as on the Ring of Fire record.

Even though Western-style films are not so popular nowadays, there are still people and even entire organizations interested in preserving these movies, which is an important fact to include in the influence of music essay. The Warner Western company continues to produce various records of different samples of cowboy music. The first release was the record of Don Edwards Songs of the Trail, in 1992. Since then, this studio has produced a large number of recordings of various bands and performers such as Sons of the San Joaquin, Waddie Mitchell, Riders in the Sky, etc. It should be noted that at present, this style remains quite popular in the US and Western Europe, and many musicians try their hand in it.

Creating what is music essay, you may also define the bluegrass. The recognized king of the bluegrass music is William Smith Monroe, whose name became famous thanks to the string band, which he created. The group’s compositions were original and close in sounding to what was known as bluegrass later. This is a good thesis statement for a music essay. It is noteworthy that this name of the style of music arose from the name of William Monroe’s group, The Blue Grass Boys, whose first records at the studio Columbia refer to 1946.

While working on my favorite kind of music essay, please add more info about the most popular performers, whatever your most beloved genre is. For instance, if one adores the Stanley Brothers, they may include some information about the band. They began the career of musicians in 1947, after the success of the William Monroe group. Their popularity was brought by the classic composition of bluegrasses called Molly and Tenbrooks, but almost immediately after its recording, the band faced hard times, eventually compelling them to stop performing in concerts in 1951. However, nine years later, the musicians reunited, and their song How Far to Little Rock took 17th place in the country hit chart of the Billboard magazine.

In the expository essay on music, it is worth stating that the brothers Jim and Jesse McReynolds from Virginia were the creators of another famous band playing bluegrass music. Jim was a tenor-vocalist and guitarist, and Jesse owned an excellent technique of playing the mandolin called cross-picking. Jim and Jessie recorded at the Capitol studio between 1952 and 1956, but none of their songs were released until 1958 because rock and roll genre, which became popular at that time, did not leave artists of other styles either one chance of success. Fame came to McReynolds after they made a tour over the Far East and released a second record called Jim and Jesse-Live in Japan.

So this was information about one of the country music sub-genres. By the way, currently, thanks to the efforts of members of the groups The Whites and Union Station, bluegrass remains popular among fans of country music.

Honky tonk is an early style of black piano jazz, formed in the early twentieth century. In the traditional music essay, you may add that the origins of it should be sought in roadside South American bars. It should be noted that the term “honky-tonk” denotes not only a particular style of music but also a precise sound reminiscent of the voice of an old poorly tuned piano. Honky-tonk was played a little rough; with the left hand, the pianist repeated the syncopated figures of accompaniment, and the right one was used for improvisation. Although the honky-tonk tradition is primarily associated with instrumental performance, the singer’s vocal also played a significant role. Honky-tonk songs tell what surrounds the author in life: endless parties and what happens the next morning, a loyal company of friends, what the unhappy love is, and which religious feelings the singer experiences. Often, these songs were the whole stories.

Composing the passion for music essay, you may claim that country music performers showed great interest in the honky-tonk in the 1940s-1950s. Such famous musicians as Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, George Jones were among them. However, with the advent of rock and roll and rockabilly, honky-tonk began to lose popularity, but its influence can be found in the works of many contemporary country performers.

Country Gospel

Country music has a Christian background due to the fact that most of the settlers were believers and mainly protestants. That is why almost every country performer has an album of religious hymns in his or her discography. Over time, all these hymns, as well as the manner of performing them, became the basis of the country-gospel style formation. This information will make your gospel music essay interesting. The Carter Family was the first popular country band who attempted to use the gospel motives in their work. In 1928, they recorded a song called Keep on the Sunny Side of Life. Their another song, Can the Circle Be Unbroken, recorded in 1935, was so popular that after a lapse of 37 years, it was sung by the band Nitty Gritty Dirt. In the 1930s, gospel quartets traveling around the country, such as the Swanee River Boys, contributed to the popularization of this style. Those groups were supported by various companies that published and sold religious literature to enhance people’s interest. Thus, many Christian anthems have become an integral part of the country genre, which is interesting enough to be included in the power of music essay. As a proof of this, the following examples can be cited: the song I’ll fly away, recorded in 1932 by a performer named David Brumley, is still a ‘classic’ song that is surely performed at a concert by any singer.

While working on the music essay topics for students, you should consider writing about the significance of religion in country music. Indeed, country songs with religious context did not lose their popularity in the 1960s. Carl Perkin’s song Daddy Sang Bass, recorded by Johnny Cash, was hitting parades in 1968 in the US. In 1970, Glen Campbell recorded the song Oh Happy Day, one more popular Christian hymns. In the 1970s, the country-gospel songs always occupied positions in several categories at once. In the same year, 1973, Glen Campbell was in hit the parades with the song I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Superstar). Versions of Larry Gatlin’s song Help Me were in the hit parade twice: in 1974 performed by Elvis Presley and in 1977 by Ray Price.

The descriptive essay about music may include the fact that in 1976, Bobby Bair hit parades with his version of the song Drop Kick Me, Jesus. The next year was marked by the appearance of a recording of another hit song May the Force Be with You, which was later used in the famous movie Star Wars. The song performed by Chris Kristofferson They Killed Him, dedicated to Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, also ranked high in several categories of the hit parade in 1987.

Currently, the main themes of songs in the style of the country gospel are the fight against drugs and alcohol. For example, the death that occurred as a result of taking large doses of alcoholic beverages is described in Chris Kristofferson's song Sunday Morning Comin' Down. This song was performed by Johnny Cash and took the first place in the hit parade in 1969. One may include this to the essay about music in my life, as it is noticeable that various music styles influence people in different ways and reflect the problems and hardships one may face on their life path. The song Sam Stone, recorded by John Prine in 1971, tells of such evil as drug addiction. The style of country gospel gradually began to fade in the early 1990s. The festival The Friday Night Opry had lost its popularity, and there was only one gospel radio station WSM Grand Ole Gospel Time.

The origins of reggae, one of the Jamaican national forms of pop music, are to be found in folk as well as rhythm and blues genres. This combination emerged in the 1960s as an attempt of Jamaican musicians to combine New Orleans rhythm and blues dongs with folk music. In the importance of music essay, it should be noted that the term reggae means not only music but also a certain worldview. Jamaican reggae musicians are deeply religious people. Their religion is called Rastafarian. Let us explain what it is. The fact is that most of the inhabitants of Jamaica are descendants of Africans who were exported during the Middle Ages to the New World as slaves by Americans and Europeans. At the same time, apparently, in their midst, there was a legend about the emperor of Ethiopia, named Ras (meaning a duke or prince) Tafari Makonnen, who, according to the prediction, was to bring freedom to all suffering and help them return to their homeland, liberated Africa. So, Rastaman music is a reggae style, the historical precursor of which is ska.

Among the performers of reggae music, you should firstly name Lee Scratch Perry, Elton Ellis, and of course, Bob Marley, who is a recognized classic of reggae movement. It was he who managed to create such reggae music that, while remaining danceable, at the same time reflected the mood of the society of that time. Bob Marley died in 1981, but his unreleased records are still coming out. This can be a good conclusion for music essay: for many people, Bob Marley is not just a poet and musician, but also a prophet.

Among the significant figures of the reggae movement, it is also necessary to mention Peter Tosh, who started his career together with Marley in the band called The Wailers, and Linton Kwesi Johnson, who invented dub-poetry, according to which a poetic text monotonously read over the rhythm of reggae. In the 1970s, reggae music began to spread across Europe and America. Bob Marley gave concerts in London; his records occupied high positions in the US music charts. In 1976, the artist was forced to leave Jamaica, fleeing persecution, and move to England. In the persuasive essay about music, you can say that reggae quickly gained popularity in the UK. In 1983, the Jamaican band called Black Uhuru was awarded the Grammy Award as the best reggae group. Since then, many musicians experiment with reggae. Over time, there was an electronic version of this style called dub.

Blues is the genre of African-American folk music, which arose in the second half of the XIX century. Researchers noted that the blues was born as music of social and racial inequality, a song of an oppressed African-American population, so, one may touch upon this style in the rebel music essay. The homeland of blues is the delta of the Mississippi River. The earliest forms of blues-delta, or rural blues, were played by musicians such as Charlie Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson. In the 1920s, on the wave of mass migration of black people to cities in search of work, the so-called classical or urban blues was formed. In connection with this direction, it would be great to mention the legacy of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. There are also the following types of blues: Texas blues, Chicago-blues, jump-blues, country blues, soul blues, west-side blues, light blues, etc.

Initially, the blues compositions were performed mainly accompanied by acoustic instruments (guitar, often homemade, banjo, etc.). In the 1930s, power tools and ensembles with pianos and drums appeared, and it should be mentioned in the piano music essay as well. More intense, powerful, and vigorous sounding form of this genre – rhythm and blues, found its spread in the post-war period. Representatives of this direction are Muddy Waters, BB King, Buddy Guy, and others. Experiments of white musicians, among whom it is necessary to mention Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, with black blues led to the appearance of rock and roll in the early 1960s, and in the 1960s, it was followed by a wave of the so-called white rhythm and blues.

If you cannot find any proper ideas for what music means to me essay, you may consider writing about the essence of the musical styles. The blues served as the basis for hard rock. Moreover, the close connection between jazz and blues seems much more evident than in the case of other styles. The reasons for this are a direct coincidence of a number of their most essential features, such as the use of bluestones in melody, harmonious specificity, rhythmic freedom, and an expressive manner of performing. By the way, one more fact: the essence of blues is manifested only in a live performance when the listener can enjoy it fully. You can assert this fact in the benefits of music essay.

Those who think that rock is just a musical direction are very mistaken. Rock refers to youth culture, the way of self-expression of the younger generation, denial, and revision of the moral and material values ​​of the world. Throughout its history, rock shows the unsolvable relationship problem of parents and children. The emergence of rock is closely related to technical, economic, political, and social development. Moreover, technological progress also contributed to the introduction of this genre. This is confirmed by the fact that rock flourished only in the most developed countries.

If you decided to create music essay questions, it is important to explain the fact that the first electronic musical instrument was not a guitar but a termenvox, created in 1920 by an engineer named Lev Termen. This instrument worked in the following way: the pitch was changed by approaching the antenna or removing the artist’s hand from it. In the future, the inventors came up with many tools, which used electricity, such as trautonium and violin. These facts are unknown to many people. In the 1930s, the first electric guitars appeared, but they had little in common with the modern one. This fact can be included in the evolution of rock music essay as well.

One of the distinctive features of hard rock, which you may add to the rock music essay, is a specific sound. The fact is that hard rock broke the tradition of musical perception, demanding a certain change from the musicians and listeners. The sound of hard rock is characterized by a noticeable weight, high density, and an increase in the metro rhythmic principle, which has become a rigid basis for virtuosic improvisation. The queen of hard rock is an electric guitar, while the king of guitar playing is considered Jimi Hendrix. Among the first hard rock albums, it is necessary to name Led Zeppelin II (1969) of the Led Zeppelin group and In Rock (1970) by Deep Purple. This is good material for college essays about music. The Gold fund of hard rock consists of all the discs of Led Zeppelin, the work of Black Sabbath in 1970-1976, the Deep Purple albums of 1970-1973, and most records of the American Grand Funk band. In the first half of the 1970s, British bands Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Budgie, Scottish Nazareth, Irish Thin Lizzy, American Blue Oyster Cult, and Canadian Guess joined the hard rock clan. Approximately at the same time, independent style varieties of hard rock began to appear. These include heavy rock-roll (Geordie, Aerosmith, AC / DC), heavy boogie (Status Quo), Melodic hard rock, or soft-hard (Scorpions, Mountain, Cheap Trick), etc. In the history of pop music essay, you should also mention the fact that rock was once considered pop music.

Heavy Metal

In the heavy metal music essay, one may indicate that heavy metal singers distinguished the following qualities: hard sounding, polyphonic texture, more exalted vocal style (especially appreciated strong, well-placed tenors, although there is also a falsetto), and masterly soloing. Instrumentation of heavy metal bands included only electric guitars and percussion instruments. Today the sound of many heavy metal bands seems somewhat archaic, but at one time, they made a real revolution in music. The theme of the songs was appropriate: a cult of strength and aggression, heroics, fantasy-like stories, mythological motifs, and love. The image of the musicians was shocking: leather clothes, iron chains, long hair, some people appeared even in animal skins, etc.

Creating the psycho music essay, the writer should remind the readers that heavy metal influenced the formation of almost all styles of metal of the 1980s: speed metal, thrash metal, power metal, glam metal, as well as black metal.

If you decided to write the pop music essay, it is important to remember that it is customary to call pop music the combination of various trends in mass musical culture. The concept of pop music is a shortened version of English ‘popular music’, which in translation means ‘public music.’ The name is given by the analogy with the pop art concept, translated as ‘public art.’

In the essay about music, note that the term ‘pop music,’ which appeared in the 1950s, was first used to designate only rock music. At present, it is customary to refer to all the phenomena of the commercial music and entertainment industry to pop music. Pop music includes styles and directions of heterogeneous origin: folk and country (traditional musical folklore of the US rural population); soul, in which the elements of rhythm and blues are combined with the traditions of religious chanting gospel and spiritual songs; funk, which is a gospel mix with dance music of African descent; reggae (with the elements of traditional music of the people of the Caribbean); disco (dance tunes of European discos); rock music, as well as many other mixed styles (jazz-rock, etc.). Currently, rock music does not belong to pop music and is an independent musical direction.

Another direction of pop music is soul, in which the rhythm-blues elements are organically combined with the traditions of religious songs in the gospel and spiritual styles. By the way, if you are creating the historical context of hip hop music essay, you should say that soul, together with jazz and funk, were the main bases for the hip-hop origin. The poetic spiritual, which is one of the genres of American spiritual music, imbued with moods of tragic loneliness and absorbed the best traditions of African and Anglo-Celtic musical folklore, differs somewhat from the gospel-spiritual music of African-Americans, performed accompanied by a piano or instrumental ensemble. Like the religious composition, the gospel is an evangelical non-cult solo song, written for a specific spiritual purpose. In the 1960s, the most famous people working in this genre were the composer Tommy Dorsey and the poet Langston Hughes. The soul is a powerful music genre; it is understandable even to people who do not speak English and are not versed in the subtleties of African American slang as it tells not only about the love of God, but also about the feeling inherent in everyone –  the love of a man and woman. Add this fact to your popular music essay.

The term jazz first appeared in the middle of the 1910s. At that time, this word served to denote the small orchestras and music that they performed. The main features of jazz are non-traditional methods of sound extraction and intonation, improvisational nature of melody transmission, as well as its development, constant rhythmic pulsation, and emotionality. Jazz has several styles, the first of which was formed in the period from 1900 to 1920. This style, called New Orleans, is characterized by the collective improvisation of the melodic band of the orchestra (cornet, clarinet, trombone) against the background of the four-legged accompaniment of the rhythm group (percussion, wind or string, bass, banjo, and in some cases pianoforte). 

In your jazz music essay, state that in the early 1930s, a new jazz style appeared, called swing. It was bound with the musical activity of large orchestras – big bands. The number of musicians in this orchestra is 10-20 people. The music of the swing testifies to the strengthening of the role of the arrangement, where four or five saxophones, three or four pipes, and the same number of trombones are contrasted or combined with the rhythm group performing dance rhythm formulas. By the way, if you are writing what is Broadway music essay, you may state that jazz was often played on the Broadway stage.

Rap is a kind of music, which is characterized by uneven rhythm, simple and clear harmonies, and short musical phrases, enclosed in a continuous line. The vocal in rap is absent, and its role is played by a recitative placed on pre-recorded instrumental tracks. In the mid-1980s, the synthesis of rap became widespread, and its connections with thrash and punk-rock also appeared. These facts may be included in the classification of music essay. Soon all of them turned into independent directions. Classical compositions in the style of rap assume the mandatory use of a turntable with a set of vinyl records as an additional tool of the rhythm section. In the evolution of rap music essay, you may state that rap texts should express the desire of black youth for the ideals of freedom and equality, but actually, this is sometimes expressed only in the use of informal vocabulary. Rap was introduced in the mid-1970s in New York disco clubs for blacks. At that time, the performance of rap music did not require any complicated skills.

If you still don’t know how to write music essay, consider including some info about techno, which is one of the most popular music genres nowadays. Unlike rock music, which has a rich history, techno has appeared relatively recently. The German group Kraftwerk owns the right to be called its founder. In the late 1960s, the repertoire of most of the pop singers in Germany consisted of American and English hits. Such a state of affairs outraged some young musicians. To create an entirely new, unlike the English-language music samples, they turned to national traditions. Groups such as Faust, Can, Tangerine Dream, and Kraftwerk (their members had classical music education) began to create works that differ in structure and differ from those that filled the first lines of top charts. This style shares some common features with the rock, so the British music press called it krautrock. Soon, the forenamed bands became a role model for many other German groups.

When one is speaking of techno, it is impossible to forget about house music, especially if a person is choosing the topics about electronic dance music essay. The origin of the term House music comes from the name of the Chicago club The Warehouse, where this music was born. From 1977 to 1983, DJ Frankie Knuckles was the club president. His music was a mixture of underground disco, funk, and soul. To make music more danceable, he used the drum machine called Roland 909, which accompanied the recording of a song and helped highlight the rhythm. Another extremely effective reception by Frankie is the mixing of compositions with a synthesized rhythm, produced with the help of a simple multi-channel tape recorder, as a result of which one track flowed into the other, and the process was completely unnoticed by the listener.

Music Essay Topic Ideas

If you are searching for good and meaningful music essay themes, you may consider writing about classical Baroque music and its most prominent representatives. Let’s start with the Baroque genre. 

Baroque is one of the main style trends in European and American culture of the late XVI-XVIII century. Characteristic features of the art of this period are grandeur, splendor, and dynamism, as well as passion for spectacular spectacles, combining imaginary and real, and sharp contrasts of scales and rhythms, materials, and textures, light and shadow. Baroque music is also characterized by contrast, tension, dynamic images, gravitation towards majestic splendor, and a combination of reality and fiction. In the baroque music essay, it is recommended to describe several genius representatives of the Baroque period.

Claudio Monteverdi is one of the first composers whose work led to the development of a musical drama that was introduced in Italy in the second half of the 16th century. In orchestration, Monteverdi applied such sound effects as tremolo and pizzicato for stringed instruments for the first time in the history of music and enriched the orchestra with new orchestral combinations. The most outstanding works written by Monteverdi, which one should mention in the opera music essay, are the operas Orpheus, Ariadne, Stolen Proserpine, Return of Ulysses, and The Coronation of Poppea.

Writing the classical music essay, you may mention the brightest representatives of the era. The great French composer Jean Baptiste Lully was born in 1632 in Florence in the family of a miller. Lully made an invaluable contribution to the development of musical art, being the first musician to establish the form of the overture. He also introduced a new instrument into the orchestra – timpani. Besides, Lully is considered the founder of the French national opera.

In the comparison and contrast of baroque and classical music essay, you can mention that the work of the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was the pinnacle of the heyday of classical music. 1802 marked the beginning of a new stage in the composer’s work, whose talent reached the peak of its heyday. In the next decade, he wrote many of the best pieces, among which the overtures, such as Egmont, Coriolanus, Appassionata, and Kreutzer Sonata for violin and piano should be named.

To sum up, it is worth to say that classical music remains popular till now. In the Disney music essay, one may say that the Walt Disney company often used piano music, including famous classical compositions, in their films.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Pop Music — The Influence of Pop Music: An Argumentative Exploration

The Influence of Pop Music: an Argumentative Exploration

• Categories: Music Industry Pop Music

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Words: 507 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 507 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Shaping cultural identities, shaping the music industry, debate on artistic merit, conclusion: navigating pop music's impact.

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