The Routledge companion to popular music and humor

An essential part of human expression, humour plays a role in all forms of art, and humourous and comedic aspects have always been part of popular music.

This title draws together scholarship exploring how the element of humor interacts with the artistic and social aspects of the musical experience.

Discussing humour in popular music across eras from Tin Pan Alley to the present, and examining the role of humour in different musical genres, case studies of artists, and media forms, this volume is a groundbreaking collection that provides a go-to reference for scholars in music, popular culture, and media studies.

While most scholars, when considering humour's place in popular music, tend to focus on more 'literate' forms, the contributors in this collection seek to fill in the gaps by surveying all kinds of humour, critical theories, and popular musics.