PhillyPOP Discussion #1: The Music of Philadelphia

PhillyPOP is a meetup group for discussing popular music–it’s like a book club for playlists. We meet roughly once a month and every meeting has a playlist of songs on a given theme. Participants listen to the playlist in advance and discuss it at the meeting. It’s a great way to connect with local music superfans and hear stuff you wouldn’t have otherwise. You can find more info on what we’re about here. If you’d like to be notified about future PhillyPOP events, make sure to check the box marked “Keep me updated on more events and news from this event organizer” when you RSVP through Eventbrite.

Our city has long been a center of musical excellence, from the heyday of Philly soul in the 60s and 70s to today’s contemporary sounds. I’ve put together a playlist of some of my favorite songs from Philly-based artists to get the conversation started. If you’d like to add anything, feel free to send a song or two and I’ll add them. Here are some potential topics of conversation:

• What artists and songs best represent “Philly” to you?
• How would you compare Philly’s music scene to that of other major cities (NYC, LA, Chicago, etc.)
• How has Philly music changed over the years?
• What types of music do you think outsiders most associate with Philly?
• What lesser-known historical and contemporary Philly artists do we need to know about?
• What recurring themes or musical features seem to characterize Philly music across genres?

Visit the Eventbrite page to check out the playlist, submit songs, and RSVP for the meeting.