Adorno And Horkheimer's Theory

Adorno and Horkheimer made a theory which stated that songs as well as artists are becoming predictable and that products which are be produced within the culture industry are being exhibited with standardised features. This means that songs and artists were being based around repetitive sequences that have already happened and that already exist. For example with X factor all of the winners are practically the same and are inseparable with minimal differences between all of them. This is done for commercial reasons, so that song would imprint itself on the mind of the audiences and would then provoke the listener into a purchase. The same goes with the artists now that there are so many artists in the world, we find that Adorno and Horkheimer stated that songs and artists are becoming typical as they think the audiences are not expecting anything new or spectacular (unique) and are happy with the what the music industry is feeding them with regards to the same repetitive songs and artists. To Adorno songs had become manipulatitave motivated by commercial gain, meaning that no artists were doing it for the passion anymore but just for the money.

It is easier to find an artist that fits Adorno and Horkheimer's theory than it is to find an artists that goes against it. There are many artists and bands that fit the theory such as One Direction, Westlife, JLS, Enqrique Englasias, Justin Bieber, Pixie Lott, and perhaps Shakira. All of the artists in one way or another have been influenced in a way to produce music that they know that the audience will like, these artists are also in the music business for the commercial gain as they are part of the recurring system that sees them gain from the cycle of the culture industry with regards to the products sold through their name.

It is extremely hard to find a band or artists that goes against this theory, but their are some artists to some extent that goes against their theory such as Lady Gaga, Amy Whinehouse, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Pink. These artists who in my opinion all go against the theory set in place by Adorno and Horkheimer. With regards to Lady Gaga and Amy Whinehouse, we know they are unique but with regards to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran questions could be raised but I believe they have not been swayed in any way by the music industry and the audiences expectations and have wrote the music that they wanted to. Anther example why Ed Sheeran belongs in this group is that at a music awards ceremony where everyone was smartly dressed, he was in his same jeans, 'hoody' and print design t-shirt showing that he wont change his style in order to fit in with the crowd, he wants to stand out. You may think that Pink surely can't be in this group and that she abides by what people tell her to do and how to look in order to attract the audience but she is unique as she has gone from being at the very top to being that forgotten someone but she never stopped writing music and she wrote it from what she believed and had a passion for music. Also what made me believe that she was unique is that when asked if she 'would prefer all the money in the world or to be back at the top of the charts again with her hit single, she chose the hit single' also when asked what would she rather be doing for the rest of her life 'making hit singles and number one ablumns or performing live for her audience.' She chose performing live for her audience and to me this shows just exactly who she is and what she stands for and this is why I believed she belongs in this group as she is unique. Even though I have stated quite a few unique artists here who go against Adorno and Horkheimer's theory of corruption to gain money, if you wish to find the true unique artists and bands who do it purely for the fans and are not changed in anyway by image for the audience, it is the independent bands who perhaps don't have a record deal yet or perhaps do but haven't been given the chance yet to become famous, my example of this is The View who are a Scottish band from Dundee who play gigs in small arenas such as shepherds bush in London, the genre of this band is soft rock/ indie.