WouldntULike2Know Habermas

"Of course, whatever can survive time has always been considered to be a classic. But the emphatically modern document no longer borrows this power of being a classic from the authority of past epoch: instead, a modern work becomes a classic because it has once been authentically modern." (99)

After reading this I began to relate this notion to music. The genre of "Classic Rock" was given that name for a reason. My mother tells the story of her freshman year of college at the University of Tennessee. As she was walking through the quad, surrounded on all four sides by dormitorys, she vividly remembers blaring out every open window REO Speedwagons "Keep On Lovin You." Since its release in March of 1981 and considered then, a modern song, "Keep on Lovin you" remains popular, a classic. I have to question if songs like Britney Spears' "Gimme More" or Akon's "Smack That" will be just as popular 28 years from now. Yesterday in class we discussed that in order to make popular art that will be well received by the public, you have to produce what they want at that time. Perhaps being appreciated in your time will do just that and only that. I question the length of these current artists careers who sing about smacking asses and supermanning hoes. Whats sad is that this modern music is reflective of the time period in which it was created. Sadly, this speaks volumes about our current culture values. But artists like Zepplin, REO, and The Eagles have accomplished being well received well beyond their time and proves that this pop music may just be a fad, one that I hope ends soon.