Defied Expectations but Satisfactory Results: How Recording Industry Contributions Influenced the Reception of Popular Music during WWII

Within recent scholarship on wartime propaganda, music’s position as a device remains examined and debated. Along with uncovering new domains, this critical academic conversation also invites musicology to continue exploring the lesser-known areas within the pre-existing scholarship. It remains understood that many aspects of the relationship between war and music have yet to be discovered and shared. This thesis holds to this idea and examines the reception of World War II war music and joins in a body of work dedicated to understanding the cultural trends and social tendencies of the United States during this significant conflict. While previous research has explored the exchange of WWII war music in relation to the musical artists themselves and the expectations of governmental institutions, the relationship between the technology and the production of war music still has much to offer. The rise of the recording industry in the early part of the twentieth century establishes a dialogue between the serious needs of war and the lighter side of popular entertainment. Recognizing this call and need for further investigation into technology’s role in producing satisfactory WWII music, it is through the provided information and examples, along with supporting reflection and interpretations, that this thesis offers a finer tuned perspective on the overlooked area of the recording industry’s role in facilitating the United States’ needs of war and entertainment.masters, M.A., Music -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2022-0