Abstract

Popular music can have a function in the creation of boundaries betweengroups, particularly regarding race and ethnicity. Music genres such as rockor hip-hop do not only reflect ethno-racial groups, but are often structuredalong ethno-racial lines. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysisof 577 rock music album reviews, this article investigates (i) to what extentethno-racial boundaries are (re)produced and/or contested in the critical andconsumer reception of rock music in the Netherlands and the United Statesbetween 2003 and 2013, (ii) to what extent professional reviewers andconsumer reviewers differ from each other regarding ethno-racial classificationsin their reception of rock music, and (iii) whether there is a differencebetween the ethno-racial context of the Netherlands and the United States.Albums by non-white artists tend to receive lower evaluations than thoseby white artists, particularly when reviewed by consumer critics. Althoughboth types of reviewers often ignore talking about race – echoing a colourblindideology, professional critics are more explicit and colour-consciousregarding non-white participation in rock music. Furthermore, five differentmechanisms are employed by reviewers as part of ethno-racial boundarywork: (i) ethno-racial comparisons, (ii) inter-genre comparisons, (iii) positiveethno-racial marking, (iv) negative ethno-racial marking and (v) minimizationand irony.

How to Cite:

Schaap, J. & Berkers, P., (2018) “De nieuwe Hendrix. Witheid als scheidslijn in de evaluatie van rockmuziek in Nederland en de Verenigde Staten.”, Sociologie 14(2-3), 119–145. doi: https://doi.org/10.5117/SOC2018.2/3.004.SCHA