Mass music as a cultural phenomenon of the XX century

The article considers mass music as a socio-artistic phenomenon in the culture of the XX century. The article
covers the issues of socio-cultural and technological factors that contributed to the development of music as a
mass phenomenon in the XX century. The phenomenon of mass music is interpreted in comparison with the elite,
academic direction in music, and the features of the social customer are studied. Evaluation of mass music as an
artistic and social phenomenon leads to the conclusion that entertainment, as its main function, has a number of
features over the course of the century: from the emphasized relaxation dance in the modern era to the concept of
play, outrage, and theatricality in the postmodern era.
Analyzes the characteristics of mass music as «product of the era of consumption» in the modern art market,
which has a «life cycle», and in the conditions of the competition task creators, it is not the embodiment of values
and meanings, and their use for the long-term profit. The article also explores the aspects of musical and artistic
specificity of the considered direction.