Jacques Attali's Concept of the Political Economy of Music in the Context of the Recording Industry in Former Yugoslavia

Abstract

This text examines the concept of the political economy of music first discussed by French economist and theorist Jacques Attali in his book Noise: The Political Economy of Music.The concept is observed here in the context of the recording industry in former Yugoslavia. Attali’s thesis and one particular part of his narrative, focused on the problem of repetition and related to the condition of the recording industry in general are presented. Brief examples of classical music and mass songs recordings are offered in the closing section.