
The Minneapolis Sound
City, Music, and Identity
Maciej Smolka(Author)
Intellect Books (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 20. November 2026
Book
Hardback
226 pages
978-1-83595-352-5 (ISBN)
Description
The Minneapolis Sound: The City, Music and Identity explores how a distinctive musical phenomenon shaped-and was shaped by-the urban, social, and cultural fabric of Minneapolis. Rather than focusing solely on Prince or his proteges, the book treats the Minneapolis Sound as a cultural phenomenon where geography, race, memory, and community intersect. Drawing from cultural geography, American studies, and popular music studies, The author analyzes how this locally rooted yet globally recognized sound became a symbol of place, pride, and identity.
Combining critical discourse analysis with five in-depth interviews with key local voices-including artists, scholars, and historians-the study situates the Minneapolis Sound within broader debates on music and place. Divided into three interconnected parts (The City, Music, and Identity) it traces the city's history and communities, the evolution of the Sound from its pre-Prince origins to the post-Prince era, and its ongoing cultural resonance in the wake of collective remembrance.
By rethinking what it means for a city to have a ""sound,"" the book proposes a new framework for understanding how music functions as a cultural phenomenon: a dynamic web of artistic, social, and spatial practices that continue to define both Minneapolis and its people."
Combining critical discourse analysis with five in-depth interviews with key local voices-including artists, scholars, and historians-the study situates the Minneapolis Sound within broader debates on music and place. Divided into three interconnected parts (The City, Music, and Identity) it traces the city's history and communities, the evolution of the Sound from its pre-Prince origins to the post-Prince era, and its ongoing cultural resonance in the wake of collective remembrance.
By rethinking what it means for a city to have a ""sound,"" the book proposes a new framework for understanding how music functions as a cultural phenomenon: a dynamic web of artistic, social, and spatial practices that continue to define both Minneapolis and its people."
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Intellect
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
4 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 170 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
369 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83595-352-5 (9781835953525)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Maciej Smolka, PhD, is a cultural studies scholar at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, specializing in the history of American popular music, local music scenes, and the specificities of contemporary popular culture. He is the author of "Say Yes! to Michigan", , "The Sound of a City", and "The Minneapolis Sound" (Intellect).
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The City
Minneapolis and Its History
Minneapolis and Its Communities
Minneapolis and Its Culture
Music
The Prehistory of the Minneapolis Sound: Pre-Prince Era
The Development of the Minneapolis Sound: Pre-Dirty Mind Era
The Evolution of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-Dirty Mind Era
The Late Period of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-1980s Era
The Present Time of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-Prince Era
Identity
Defining the Minneapolis Sound
Ambiguities of the Minneapolis Sound
Race, Otherness, and (Non-)Universal Experience of the Minneapolis Sound
Relationship Between the City and the Minneapolis Sound
Contemporary State of the Minneapolis Sound
Bibliography
Introduction
The City
Minneapolis and Its History
Minneapolis and Its Communities
Minneapolis and Its Culture
Music
The Prehistory of the Minneapolis Sound: Pre-Prince Era
The Development of the Minneapolis Sound: Pre-Dirty Mind Era
The Evolution of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-Dirty Mind Era
The Late Period of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-1980s Era
The Present Time of the Minneapolis Sound: Post-Prince Era
Identity
Defining the Minneapolis Sound
Ambiguities of the Minneapolis Sound
Race, Otherness, and (Non-)Universal Experience of the Minneapolis Sound
Relationship Between the City and the Minneapolis Sound
Contemporary State of the Minneapolis Sound
Bibliography