| This dissertation examines the history of music criticism, specifically the growth of rock criticism, at the Village Voice between 1955, the paper's first year, and 1972. I argue that this criticism deserves to be considered as a crucial aspect in the history of how popular culture gained acceptance as a valid topic for serious intellectual scrutiny. Rock critics at the Voice used their journalism as a means of intervening into the journalistic, political, and cultural debates of the period, and were adamant about the importance of sharing their views with a wide audience, infusing their prose with verve and eros and creating a way to appreciate and think about this music. To do this, my research traces the history of the Voice in relationship to the tradition of bohemian intellectualism in the Village, the rise of new forms of music in the mid-20th century and their companion criticism, and the economic, social, and cultural shifts that impacted criticism as it professionalized. I treat the Voice as a case study to examine how these dynamics transpired over the "long sixties," but also see the paper as a unique publication that fostered these potentialities. Rather than focus on what criticism did for music, the interest of this project lies in considering how rock critics utilized music as an entry point into wider sociopolitical debates. |
