Abstract

This article discusses the formation of canons of Polish popular music after the Second World War. It presents the main actors of canonization and discusses how the politics of canons changed over time, what types of musicians it benefitted in terms of genres and gender, and how the canonization process in Poland was similar and different from that which took place in the West. It argues that during the state socialist period, Polish professional canonizers showed preference to high-brow subgenres of popular music, such as jazz, symphonic rock and sung poetry. This tendency resulted in the canon being biased towards male musicians, as Polish jazz and rock were dominated by men. There was also a tendency to honour musicians who penned their own repertoire over those who relied on material provided by professionals, disadvantaging pop singers. This tendency was criticized by ordinary listeners, who complained that their taste was not respected, and ‘ambitious songs’ were prioritized over catchy songs, enjoyed by large numbers of people.