Is Classical Music Superior to Pop Music? On the Structure of the Evaluation of Music

The question whether classical music is superior to pop music is discussed in everyday life, it is socially relevant regarding funding issues, and it is debated in the philosophy of music. The aim of this paper is to lay out the general structure of the evaluation of music and to show how classical music is superior to pop music. Its four main points are: (1) Musical works/styles/genres can be evaluated comparatively if we presuppose a purpose that is pursued with listening to that music. (2) A musical work is more suitable for a purpose than another musical work because of their musical properties and because of the properties of the listener. (3) A purpose of listening to music is the mirroring of the listener’s personality. With regard to this purpose, classical music is more suitable than pop music. (4) Classical music is suitable for this purpose because it is sufficiently complex and it is ideally listened to in a focused manner. ' Keywords: aesthetics of music, evaluation of music, instrumentalism, aesthetic value, aesthetic relativism