Snobbery has its place in music journalism, but pop should still have room to shine

It’s strange that certain pop acts have been given a stamp of approval by critics, as though they get to decide who’s ‘cool’

I didn’t used to like pop music. At university, I had a friend who was completely obsessed with One Direction, and I didn’t get it. “You’re 20 years old,” I said. “This music is for kids.”

Reader, I was a music snob. I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Patti Smith, Radiohead, Joy Division, Nirvana, Kate Bush, The Clash and The Kinks.

Not that my love for any of those artists has diminished. But over the years my taste has become far more wide-ranging. So too has my appreciation of pop’s appeal.