Mr. Sink’s Sociology– Unit 2: What Makes You Who You Are? Lab Project #2

OVERVIEW:

Music has been a basic part of adolescence for generations. Through the years adolescents have found it very important to listen to the latest hits and own the hottest albums despite the fact that the technology they use to access their music has changed drastically. In fact, recent studies have shown that American teenagers on average listen to music from 1.5 to 2.5 hours a day (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics).

Though love of music has been a norm amongst the adolescents of all generations, it has equally been common for the adults of one generation to regard the music of the younger generation with suspicion, and in some casescontempt. As a result, adults often blame popular music for corrupting the youth and promoting anti-social behavior. Yet, one has to wonder just how different popular music is today when compared to that of older generations? This lab seeks to provide an answer to that question. Just follow the directions below to find out!

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Got to the following website that provides Billboard’s Year-End Top 100 songs and find the top 100 songs for the most recent year. (
  1. Find out what year a parent or guardian graduated high school. Using the same website provided above, identify Billboard’s Year-End Top 100 songs.
  1. Listen to the Billboard top 100 songs from both years featured in your research ( If the YouTube video does not include the lyrics you may want to read them to give you a clearer idea of the main theme of the song (
  1. Analyze all 200 songs by completing two song analysis charts – one for the most current year and one from your parents’ generation. For each song you listen to, fill in the following information in the chart given you in class …
  • What is the name of the song?
  • What artist performed it?
  • What genre of music does the song represent?(See back of this handout)
  • What is the main theme of the song? (See back of this handout)

  1. When you are finished with your research you must use your data to create the following charts and graphs …
  • A BAR GRAPH that comparesthe themes of the top 100 songs from both years.
  • TWOPIE CHARTS, one from the current song list and one from your parent’s/guardian’s graduation year list, that compare the most popular genres of music featured in both song lists.
  • A TABLE that compares most popular theme(s) by genre from both song lists.
  1. Once you have your data, graphs and charts, you must type up your conclusions. Answer the following questions in a short paper. One-page minimum for each part. (Remember to use data from your study to support your answers!)

a)THEMES: Compare the themes that appeared most frequently in the songs featured in both song lists. Did it confirm your original hypothesis? How might you explain these similarities and/or differences in theme? How do your results on theme reflect changes and/or continuities in youth culture across the generations?

b)GENRES: Compare the most popular genres of music from both today and the past. Was your hypothesis confirmed? How might you explain these similarities and/or differences in genre(s)? How do your results on genre reflect changes and/or continuities in youth culture across the generations?

c)THEMES BY GENRE: Did the most popular themes by genre change over time or did they stay consistent? How does your resulting data on this topic reflect changes and/or continuities in society across the generations?

d)STUDY CRITIQUE: Do you think the methods you used to obtain your data in this study yielded reliable data? Why or why not? Use specific examples of methods that you believe were effective and/or ineffective.

e)FINAL ANALYSIS: Do you think that the music adolescents listen to today deserve the scorn and criticism often levied on it by older generations? Do you think it promotes negative or positive values amongst teens that listen to it? Do you think it influences the way teens act for better or worse? Explain