The Sound of a City: A Study of the Phenomenon Through the Example of the Minneapolis Sound

The sound of a city is a cultural phenomenon based on the characteristic relationship between music and the cultural specificity of a given urban area. It occurs when artists from a region create music, which is so unique, it becomes indisputably linked with its place of origin in the public discourse. The link becomes so strong, the phenomenon’s name derives from the name of the city. There were numerous examples of such sounds in popular music history, including the Nashville Sound with its specific country music, the psychedelic rock of the San Francisco Sound, Prince’s the Minneapolis Sound, or the Seattle Sound is also known as grunge. This publication explains the terms in which we should research, analyze, interpret, and define the sound of a city.

Maciej Smólka holds a PhD in culture and religion studies from Jagiellonian University and is a scholar specializing in popular music, popular culture and American studies. His studies concern music localities and identities, the music industry, and the specificities of contemporary popular culture.