Analysing Popular Music

David Machin is Lecturer in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Leicester. He is co-editor of the journal Social Semiotics and has written five other books, including Introduction to Multimodal Analysis (Hodder, 2007), and News Production (Routledge, 2006), as well as co-editing the Media Audiences major work with Barrie Gunter.

• IntroductionDiscourses of Popular MusicAlbum Iconography: Postures, Objects, SettingsVisual Composition: Typeface and ColourAnalyzing Lyrics: Values, Participants, AgencySemiotic Resources in Sound: Pitch, Melody and PhrasingSound Qualities: Arrangement and RhythmAnalyzing Genre: The Sounds of BritpopAnalyzing Music in FilmAnalyzing Music in Video and TelevisionConclusion

A definitive guide to issues of textual analysis, representation and semiotics in popular music. Informed, instructive and refreshingly accessible; it boasts a host of original examples, exercises and invaluable resourcesBill OsgerbyLondon Metropolitan UniversityDavid Machin has the gift of explaining complex ideas in clear and direct language that will engage students and enrich their experience of musicTheo Van LeeuwenUniversity of Technology Sydney A comprehensive and innovative addition to the literature on the analysis of popular music. Scholars and students will find this an essential reference text for future workBrian LonghurstUniversity of Salford David Machin′s book will be invaluable for anyone who wants to systematically analyse the way that popular music is meaningful in the media. He provides clear, accurate, explanations of the ideas of other writers, and sets out helpful approaches to analysing popular music as a modern form of visual and sound communication. The book will now be on my recommended reading lists for both undergraduate and postgraduate studentsTim WallBirmingham City University In this innovative and invaluable book, David Machin has attempted to address the areas of representation, textual analysis and semiotics in popular music. He presents complex ideas in a way that will be useful to students of media, culture and communications and to any scholars with an interest in why music is made meaningful but with no background in musicology... I would strongly recommend this book for any music and media students, and for anyone with an interest in developing a deeper understanding of popular musicMartin James, Southampton Solent UniversityTHE Textbook Guide