Regardless if you are enrolled in Berklee College of Music or want to write an essay about rock music, the chances are high that you will require a competitive subject that will stand out from the rest. It is exactly why our experts came up with a list of music essay topics to guarantee you professional help with essay work. When you choose an essay subject for something creative and challenging, the trick is to have a look at several ideas as it will boost your thoughts in a positive way. Writing about music, you have to inspire and let your audience see why something is important as they learn and see that you know what you write about.
How to Write an Essay On Music?
Writing an essay always starts with a carefully chosen topic that reflects your main thesis statement. In simple terms, if you want to write about the history of hip-hop music, it is necessary to reflect the background of the music style, key personalities, socio-cultural points, and several examples that are worth hearing. Things will change a little bit if you choose to write about the life of a famous composer or a particular modern performer. For this purpose, you should consider looking up biography facts and creating an outline. The typical music essay structure will look this way:
- Intro (background information, introduction of your subject, explanation of the importance).
- Thesis Statement (your main argument or an idea that you will develop in an essay).
- Three to Five Body Paragraphs (this is where you should develop your ideas by using topic sentences).
- Counter-arguments Paragraph (if you plan to explore opposite opinions, include it here).
- Conclusion (it requires summing things up by pointing out all the key points).
At the same time, it is always possible to compose your essay in free form, yet the structure above will help you to keep focused and follow an academic writing style. It also helps to highlight your arguments. Learn how to write an argumentative essay first if it sounds unclear to you because it will be of help as you compose your essay's structure.
How to Choose Music Essay Topic Ideas?
The majority of college professors dealing with music and arts will request music argumentative essay topics, which is why one should consider exploring general argumentative essay topic ideas before adjusting things to a musical subject. The necessity of argumentation is paramount for every essay type. Moreover, your essay should develop an idea.
- Why is the topic important for you and the academic community?
- Should it make a claim or act as an explanatory piece of writing?
- Will it be possible to support a certain subject with sources?
- Is it relevant for your course and/or the prompt provided?
- What kind of research methodology can be reflected by the chosen topic?
When you are in doubt, always start by searching the web for similar essays that deal with your subject or by reading reviews of live concerts, performances, or particular classical recordings to learn how to maintain an academic style even when you talk about rap music or rave parties of the 90s.
🎵 50 Music Essay Topics
Here is the list of topics about music for an essay that is not necessarily dealing with music per se but studies Education, Sociology, Special Education, Psychology, Healthcare, Fashion Studies, and Culture. Since music has entered our lives since the very beginning of humanity via the beats and primordial motives, there is a multitude of academic courses where these music topic ideas will be helpful:
- The history of American Southern Rock music.
- Genesis as the pioneers of progressive rock.
- Romantic nature of Antonio Vivaldi's music.
- How has rap music affected modern social movements?
- The perceptions of music by the dolphins.
- The use of classical music when teaching autistic children.
- Does metal music lead to violent behavior?
- How can playing a musical instrument help a person's mental state?
- The use of neuroscience in the creation of synthesized music.
- The role of AI-based tools in the creation of musical instruments.
- The heritage of Baroque composers.
- The role of music education in the United States.
- The perception of music by the modern youth.
- How can cultural conflicts be settled down with the help of music.
- Hans Zimmer - the peculiarities of cinematic soundscapes.
- Nirvana and Soundgarden: the history of grunge music.
- How the music tastes of our parents and grandparents shaped our taste.
- The protest music of Northern Ireland.
- Elvis Presley's cultural heritage.
- The perception of music by infants.
- The role of musical collaborations during pandemic times.
- How has rock music changed since the 70s?
- The college underground bands (choose any example).
- Exploring the culture of punk rock in the United Kingdom.
- The tones and scales of Middle Eastern music.
- Why is “praise and worship” a separate genre of music?
- The most popular misconceptions about country music in the United States.
- How do modern college students perceive classical composers?
- John Lennon: from children of the flowers to strong political statements.
- The songs of war and protest in the United States.
- The use of music for rehabilitation purposes.
- Military matters: the presence of music in the military.
- Popular music and its effect on the distorted body image model.
- Copyright issues and protection of intellectual property.
- Has the role of record companies become obsolete?
- Why are the physical mediums to produce music still important?
- The stress relief through the lens of extreme styles of metal music.
- The use of music education in elementary school curriculums.
- The sounds of nature for treatment of mental health conditions.
- Should music created by the computer be considered art?
- The use of music in political campaigns.
- Can a person's character be identified by their musical tastes?
- Does playing a musical instrument lead to better writing skills?
- Trap music: analysis of the subculture.
- Dance and music.
- The history of garage rock in the United States.
- The history of Moog synthesizer.
- Why are Gibson guitars so popular among American youth?
- The ethics in the production of music albums.
- The use of profanity in rap vs rock music.
Essay Examples Relevant to 🎵 Music
☝️ Music Argumentative Essay Topics
Since the importance of argumentation has already been mentioned, these essay topics on music that pose a clear argument will help you choose something challenging, yet inspiring and competitive:
- Can rock stars be a positive influence on young people?
- The influence of record companies on the quality of music.
- Does social media ruin music?
- Does listening to music via streaming services actually help the artists?
- K-Pop leads to equality for female and male performers.
- The use of vocaloids in music eliminates the necessity for vocals per se.
- Hard rock has its roots in classical music.
- Should students be provided with assistance when starting a college band?
- Should radio stations ban performers with negative and aggressive lyrics?
- Christian metal music: pros and cons.
Essay Examples Relevant to ☝️ Music Argumentative Topics
❓ Interesting Music Essay Questions
It is also possible to ask your readers a question as you start with exploration. It can be basically anything related to music, even if it takes a deeper scientific approach. Here are some music essay topic ideas to consider:
- Do flowers and plants react to particular styles of music differently?
- Can Bono of U2's fame be considered an ambassador of peace via music?
- Is the role of rap music becoming overrated?
- How should one start a career in music today?
- Does the use of automation in electronic music take away the creative aspect?
- Can listening to music be of help with college assignments?
- Can sad music help people overcome heartbreak?
- Is playing guitar having the same importance for male and female performers?
- Is hip-hop music all about fashion?
- Do we automatically copy the music we hear even if it does not match our style?
🌎 World Music Essay Topics
Those who would like to focus on music research paper topics can consider this helpful list:
- The peculiarities of Middle Eastern Maqam in music.
- The history of blues music and the African American heritage.
- The religious significance of Oud for Muslim culture.
- Unique rhythmic patterns in South African jazz music.
- Sufi music: the devotional aspect.
- Percussion and harmonium of music and poetry.
- The use of music in Hindi cinema.
- Balkan Gypsy performers: from tribal music to modern times.
- The history of Klezmer music.
- The use of AI-based tools in sampling the world's instruments.
Essay Examples Relevant to 🌎 World Music
▶️ Hip Hop Essay Topics
People always argue about the similarity of hip hop to rap and define it as a sub-genre, yet since its birth in the 1970s, hip hop became a genre of its own by implementing more of disco music than rap alone. Therefore, the subjects that you choose should cover these aspects as well. Here are some bright ideas to consider:
- The differences in rapping styles implemented by hip-hop artists.
- The importance of clothes for the hip-hop music style.
- Old school rap vs modern hip hop.
- The culture of graffiti and dance.
- How has hip hop shaped the youth of the 90s in the United States?
- Commercial success vs staying true to the culture of hip hop.
- Is hip-hop music suitable for younger children?
- The role of rapping in hip hop music: not an obligatory element.
- Hip-hop music as a way to overcome insecurities and low self-esteem.
- Distribution of hip-hop music across the world.