Each year, millions
of people purchase compact discs (CDs), cassettes, and music videos that
represent a variety of music genres. The purpose of this activity is to
have students explore the popularity of several styles of music.
(a) Survey
students in your class about their musical preferences. What is their
favorite type of music? What is their least favorite? Which artists are
the most popular? Graph the results of the surveys and compare them with
those of other classes or other grades. Post the results in the school.
(b) Collect
comparable information from parents, teachers, or other adults. How do
these results differ from the students' surveys?
1. Teachers Notes:
Are You My Type?
 (a)
The Recording Industry Association of America's 2000 U.S. Consumer Trends
showed how much of the total revenue was generated from each major musical
genre: rock--24.8%, rap/hip hop--12.9%, pop--11%, country--10.7%, rhythm
and blues/urban--9.7%, religious--4.8%, and jazz--2.9%. Were the musical
tastes of the students or their parents closer to this national
set of results?
(b) Students might be interested to know how musical tastes in the
United States have changed between 1990 and 2000. For example, in 1990,
36.1% of the revenues were from rock music, but that number dropped to
a low of 24.8% in 2000. Country music accounted for only 9.6% of the sales
in 1990 but peaked at 18.7% in 1993, falling to just 10.7% by 2000. Classical
music accounted for 3.7% of sales in 1992 and 1994 but dropped to 2.7%
in 2000. Ask older students to consider what happens when the percent
of the market share for a particular music genre doubles. Do the actual
revenue dollars necessarily increase? | 
