The Routledge Reader on the Sociology of Music

"Shepherd and Devine have done a signal service for anyone interested in the sociology of music, making the most important writing in the field available in one volume." – Howard S. Becker, author of Art Worlds

"Ranging from seminal classics to the most up-to-date ideas and debates, this book gives the reader everything she needs to know about the sociological study of music. It is an indispensable guide to understanding the multiple ways in which music is socially structured and how music in turn impacts upon human societies." – David Inglis, University of Exeter, UK

"Is there life after the death of the social? Is there anything left to say about music and society after Max Weber or Theodor W. Adorno? This collection of classic texts and new work shows that the inquiry into the social life of music and the musical life of society is not only alive and well, it is also more diverse, more interdisciplinary, more theoretical - and perhaps also less 'sociological' - than ever. Musicologists, ethnomusicologists, media theorists, sociologists, anthropologists - read up!" –Veit Erlmann, University of Texas at Austin

"The state of the art in the sociology of music. It combines insights from past and present, from musicology and sociology, all in one place. The Reader to own." – Ron Eyerman, Yale University

"The sociology of music has come a long way since the days of the Frankfurt School and the Birmingham School, and this comprehensive Reader—the first of its kind—reveals the distance travelled. It includes some influential early texts as milestones, before proceeding to explore the role of music in social interaction, identity formation, politics, and industrial processes. The combination of senior scholars and those of a younger generation provides an overview of the field that could scarcely be bettered." – Derek B. Scott, University of Leeds, author of Sounds of the Metropolis

"The Routledge Reader on the Sociology of Music is an important contribution to the area. Shepherd and Devine have created a volume that respects the multiple and varied interests that sociology brings to the study of music, music-making and the experience of music more generally. This volume provides the readers with classic theoretical statements in the area, more recent debates and essays that address current substantive issues. It is the sort of collection that readers will find to be of value for years to come." – Scott Grills, Brandon University