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Open research questions in Music History and Culture

428 gap statements mined from Music History and Culture papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,103 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Music History and Culture? See the ranked Social Science journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • Research on the relationship between identification factors and musical preference show contradictory results.

    Social identity, collective self-esteem, and musical preferences in electronic dance music culture: The role of emotions · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the music production imagination in songwriting.

    Back to the Future · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a clear model for artists to function as multi-hyphenate entities. The need for a shift in the artist's role in a post-gatekeeper music economy.

    The Sovereign Sound: An Autotheory of the Transposable Artist and the Independent Center · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore how the concept of digital diaspora can be used to understand other musical genres and their intersection with social issues. Future research could examine how music can be used as a tool for social change and community building. Future research could investigate the relationship between music and crime in other contexts.

    “Far Away from Home,” yet “Live and Direct from Nordvästra” · 2026 · DOI

  • The article highlights the need to consider the artistry present in the gangsterrap subgenre and the Swedish societal discourse on fear and uncertainty regarding organised crime.

    “Far Away from Home,” yet “Live and Direct from Nordvästra” · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for further research into the use of melodic maths and arrangement architecture in contemporary Pop songwriting.

    Melodic Maths: Hook Construction and Listener Engagement in Contemporary Pop Songwriting · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of critical analysis of Del Rey's work through a settler colonial lens. The need to consider the impact of cultural productions on marginalized communities.

    “I Just Ride" · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper is limited by its scope and time constraints. The paper does not provide a roadmap for implementation. The paper highlights the need for further research and analysis.

    Punk Science: A Proposal of a Method of Resistance to an Increasingly Hostile World · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the development of new poetic styles that integrate elements of jazz and improvisation. The paper suggests that further study is needed on the significance of surrealism and automatic writing in modern literature. The work can inform the development of new artistic movements that combine music and literature.

    BETWEEN MUSICAL IMPROVIZATION AND AUTOMATIC WRITING: “JAZZIFYING” THE POETIC STYLE BY ROBERT GOFFIN · 2026 · DOI

  • The work highlights the need for further research on the influence of jazz on European culture and literature.

    BETWEEN MUSICAL IMPROVIZATION AND AUTOMATIC WRITING: “JAZZIFYING” THE POETIC STYLE BY ROBERT GOFFIN · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited to an analysis of Akhenaton's music and does not explore other artists or genres. The paper focuses on a specific aspect of Akhenaton's work, namely his use of autofiction. The study does not provide a comprehensive overview of Akhenaton's entire discography.

    “I COUNT/RECOUNT MY EXPERIENCES AS A RAIN OF BLOWS”: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTOFICTION AND RAPPER AKHENATON’S WORKS · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the concept of autofiction in other artists and genres. The study suggests that a comparative analysis of autofiction in different musical genres could provide further insights. The paper highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between music and identity.

    “I COUNT/RECOUNT MY EXPERIENCES AS A RAIN OF BLOWS”: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTOFICTION AND RAPPER AKHENATON’S WORKS · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for a critical understanding of the boundaries between aesthetics and ethics after the Holocaust.

    Music in the Face of the Holocaust: A Critical Reflection on Culture and the Experience of Concentration Camps · 2026 · DOI

  • The research highlights the need to examine how sadness is performed and commodified by female artists.

    PERFORMING SADNESS. A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF “SAD GIRL” MUSIC · 2026 · DOI

  • The distinction between new release and catalogue recordings in the streaming economy has received limited attention. The impact of streaming on new music revenues in Australia has not been thoroughly studied.

    Down, and Under Pressure: The Decline of the New Music Economy in Australia 2000–2024 · 2026 · DOI

  • The research must consider the subjective nature of emotional responses to music. The study needs to address the potential bias introduced by the small sample size and purposive sampling.

    Semantic Exploration of Emotional Contrast in “Last Christmas” by Wham! · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the application of conceptual metaphor theory to other songs and genres. The study's findings can be used to inform the development of music-based interventions for emotional expression and regulation. Further research can investigate the impact of music on emotional experience in different contexts.

    Semantic Exploration of Emotional Contrast in “Last Christmas” by Wham! · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests that future research should consider the implications of different approaches to philosophy of music education. It may involve exploring the role of redemption in the field. Further study could examine the impact of embattlement and schism on music education practice.

    Embattlement, Schism, and Redemption in the Doing of Philosophy of Music Education · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the implementation of queer narrative structures in show choir performance and adjudication. It can investigate the impact of attending to queerness on the musical and relational experiences of ensemble members.

    Straightforward? Queering High School Show Choir · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of how heteronormative foundations of show choir performance and adjudication can be problematized. It highlights the need for more inclusive music education practices that support broader forms of musical and relational expression.

    Straightforward? Queering High School Show Choir · 2026 · DOI

  • It suggests that the field has been dominated by embattlement and schism. The author's own work and participation in an international community offer a new perspective.

    Embattlement, Schism, and Redemption in the Doing of Philosophy of Music Education · 2026 · DOI

  • The present study further delves into that controversy in the understudied context of Electronic Dance Music (EDM).

    Social identity, collective self-esteem, and musical preferences in electronic dance music culture: The role of emotions · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study of the music production imagination in different genres and styles. Exploration of the role of technology in shaping the music production imagination.

    Back to the Future · 2026 · DOI

  • The assumption that popular music is intrinsically populist is not necessarily true - There is a need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between music…

    Our People’s Voice? Populism and Popular Music · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the role of music in the Creative Europe program. The study identifies a gap in the analysis of the concept of the de-articulation of music.

    Collaborating across Borders: Music within the Creative Europe Transnational Projects · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Music History and Culture

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of understanding of the music production imagination in songwriting (“Back to the Future”, 2026); (2) The lack of a clear model for artists to function as multi-hyphenate entities (“The Sovereign Sound: An Autotheory of the Transposable Artist and the…”, 2026); (3) Future research could explore how the concept of digital diaspora can be used to understand other musical genres and their intersection with social issues (““Far Away from Home,” yet “Live and Direct from Nordvästra””, 2026); (4) The lack of critical analysis of Del Rey's work through a settler colonial lens (““I Just Ride"”, 2026); (5) Future research can explore the development of new poetic styles that integrate elements of jazz and improvisation (“BETWEEN MUSICAL IMPROVIZATION AND AUTOMATIC WRITING: “JAZZIFYING” THE POETIC…”, 2026). 428 gap statements have been mined from Music History and Culture papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,103 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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