Art Quote by David Bennun
“Pop music, across its countless iterations, is a vast, amazing, thrilling art form. All life is in it. It stands for itself. The same is true of literature, but nobody feels compelled to toss Philip Roth a grammy just to prove it.”
About This Quote
Pop music, like literature, is a dynamic, thrilling art form that reflects life, yet its artistic value is often overlooked.
In simple terms: Pop music is vibrant and reflects life.
Key Takeaway
Recognize pop music’s artistic depth.
Themes
art
music
culture
expression
Mood
analytical
enthusiastic
Type
critical
celebratory
When to use this quote
- music appreciation
- creative writing
- media criticism
Key Concepts
aesthetics
cultural studies
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we undervalue popular art?
- How can we broaden artistic appreciation?
A Different Perspective
Pop may be dismissed as shallow.
![“There's no reason - not yet, anyway - to believe [Bob] Dylan himself endorses such an attitude; or that he would think of himself as a more profound and worthy recipient than, for instance, any of the brilliant Motown or girl-group lyricists who are more likely to be awarded a Nobel prize for…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4bb/david-bennun-25818_abba_there-s-no-reason-not-yet-anyway-to-beli_130714.jpg)
![“Without music, there is not the faintest chance [Bob Dylan] words would now be garlanded as they are.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e12/david-bennun-25818_bob_without-music-there-is-not-the-faintest_295494.jpg)
![“[Bob Dylan] is principally a recording artist, and if he weren't, it is unthinkable he would have had such an impact. He is to be heard first and read second. Well, what about plays, you could reasonably ask. Is [William] Shakespeare not great literature? Yes, obviously: but his work is great…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0dd/david-bennun-25818_art_bob-dylan-is-principally-a-recording-art_442460.jpg)
![“The [Nobel] prize is for literature.[Bob] Dylan is a songwriter. Here is where the argument starts to get interesting, because here is where it is no longer a question of either cultural orthodoxy or personal taste.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfa/david-bennun-25818_argument_the-nobel-prize-is-for-literature-bob-dy_729655.jpg)
![“The general sentiment among the Yeas is, no accolade is too high for their man; and the Nobel being, literally, the gold standard among prizes, it is surely his [Bob Dylan] due.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b4/david-bennun-25818_accolades_the-general-sentiment-among-the-yeas-is_1029179.jpg)
![“First of all, there are those who simply don't care for [Bob] Dylan, or at least, don't think he's that great. Some of the former sound very much as if they are afflicted with the kind of contrarianism inevitably bred by cultural orthodoxy - Dylan is overwhelmingly rated a giant and a marvel, the…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/799/david-bennun-25818_bob_first-of-all-there-are-those-who-simply_1193536.jpg)
![“I have seen quite a few folk whom I know to be both fair minded and, as it happens,[Bob] Dylan fans, take up cudgels for this position. To them, it's not necessarily that Dylan doesn't merit the highest honour. It's that he doesn't merit this specific highest honour [Nobel prize], in the way a…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/423/david-bennun-25818_bob_i-have-seen-quite-a-few-folk-whom-i-know_1379291.jpg)
![“The question now becomes about defining your terms. What is literature? Unless we allow it to encompass the oral tradition from which it grew, which means taking it back to Homer and beyond, it demands the written word - poetry and prose. [Bob] Dylan is no slouch at the written word, both in its…” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/44f/david-bennun-25818_bob_the-question-now-becomes-about-defining_1554900.jpg)
![“The point is not that [Bob] Dylan doesn't need a Nobel to attest to how good he is (although he doesn't.) It's that pop music, pop music of any kind, doesn't need the Nobel committee to damn it with the faint praise of such an award to its sole chosen representative.” quote by David Bennun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fee/david-bennun-25818_awards_the-point-is-not-that-bob-dylan-doesn-t_1685357.jpg)
