Task #3

• How is it similar/different to your main text?

This historical text is a British musical television program for Popular music artists of the time. This episode of Top Of The Pops is different from the main and minor texts as they are all music videos. The band/artist are shown playing on a stage in front of a studio audience. However, it is known that the artist is mostly, if not always, playing along/lip-syncing to the studio track. This is what makes this historical text similar to the music videos of the main texts. This show can be seen as one enormous music video. An advertisement for the band and their new song. This has since changed as during Christmas, the BBC shows a Christmas special with that years most popular music. It is seen that the artists do in fact play live now making the show more into a concert for television rather than an elongated music video. The year reflects the types of music shown as today's Top of the Pops would sound relatively similar throughout the program.

• How does this show how the genre/society/issue has changed?

At the time of this show (1978), music videos were very highly regarded by artists as the main marketing tool to be used to get their music out there to the masses. Furthermore, it was thought that if a band is seen on TOTP, then they have made it to the preferred stages of stardom. A UK-based bands main goal would be to get onto the show as this guaranteed sales. However, as new media was introduced and technology developed increasingly, there became more methods of advertising and informing the audience of the 'new album' or 'new single'. This included online advertising using social media (Twitter has aided tremendously) and making the music available through online means. This has reduced the need for the music video and is not regarded as the best way to show audiences new music any more. Websites such as YouTube and Vimeo have tried to keep this marketing device afloat, but there is no helping a dying market. Consequently, budgets have decreased dramatically for music videos, except for the established, world-known bands/artists, who have not much need for them.