Some Remarks on the Epistemological Basis for a Musicology of Popular Music

his article aims to test the musicological resilience, and possibly probe the limits, of the epistemological field identified by the notion of "popular music" as an object of study. Starting with an examination of the nomothetic value of this formula, it will therefore discuss the conditions of feasibility of this field as an autonomous and distinct entity within the topology of musical experiences and systems. Secondly, it aims to explore the epistemic consistency and methodological effectiveness of academic disciplines that are proposed as the privileged, if not exclusive, instruments of study of this field. The critical orientations that coalesce in "popular music studies" and in the more recent "popular musicology" will thus be verified as to their academic assumptions and their heuristic potential in relation to traditional musicological and ethnomusicological disciplines. This analysis will highlight a few critical factors and problematic issues for which appropriate indications for research and further in-depth study will be provided.