Music critic says "pop music is the music that critics aren't very good at talking about." In his book, "Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres," Sanneh takes on that challenge, exploring the lineage of morphing and meshing rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance and pop. The New Yorker staff writer spoke with Steve Paulson for "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" about what we can learn about ourselves through the music we choose. This interview transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.

https://www.ttbook.org/interview/pop-punk-shaping-our-musical-identities

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