Should Students Study Pop Songs in English Class?

May 12, 2025

Are some popular songs works of art worthy of study? In 2016, Bob Dylan became the first and so far only musician to win the Nobel Prize in literature, and many have compared his lyrics to great poetry. But what about the songs of today’s pop artists? A growing number of high school English teachers and college professors are putting pop music on the syllabus alongside classic literary works. By treating song lyrics like poetry, some teachers say, students gain a new appreciation for both.

Others reject the idea that pop songs belong in the classroom. They argue that songs aren’t as complex in their use of language, nor do they expose students to the ideas and experiences of people who lived in different eras, an essential part of any education.

So should students study pop songs in English class? Two educators square off on the question.

Imagine walking into English class expecting to dive into another old poem or short story, and your teacher says, “Today we’re analyzing a Taylor Swift song.” Sounds a lot more interesting, right? But studying pop songs isn’t just about making English class fun—though that’s a bonus. It can actually teach you the same skills you’d learn from analyzing classic poetry or fiction.

Think about your favorite songs. How many times have you listened to them and caught a line that hit you emotionally? That’s because these songs are packed with literary devices, just like the classic works we read in class. In the song “All Too Well,” for instance, Swift uses imagery, metaphors, and personification to tell a story of heartbreak and memory:

And maybe we got lost in translation

Maybe I asked for too much

But maybe this thing was a masterpiece

‘til you tore it all up.

Sounds like something straight out of a poetry book. Breaking down lyrics like these teaches you how to uncover deeper meanings, identify patterns, and understand the emotions behind the words.

Studying pop songs makes class feel more relevant and personal.

Plus, pop songs aren’t just random tunes—they reflect real-life struggles, emotions, and even social issues. By studying them, we get to talk about things that actually matter to us right now, not just what mattered to people hundreds of years ago. It’s like bringing our world into the classroom, making everything feel more relevant and personal.

And let’s be real—who wouldn’t want to talk about their favorite artist’s lyrics in class? You already know the songs, so why not take it a step further and really dig into what they’re saying? By analyzing pop songs, we’re not just learning English; we’re also learning to think critically about the world around us. So, yeah, pop songs belong in the classroom. They help us connect what we love with what we learn and in the process make school a lot more meaningful. The question, as Swift asks in her song, is: Are you “Ready for It?”

—REBECCA RICE
Curriculum specialist, Founder of the Teacher Rewrite

Last spring, Swifties ushered in the era of The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, and the internet rushed to pick apart every literary reference in the pop star’s latest hits. But despite allusions to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Dylan Thomas, Swift’s lyrics are not quite literature themselves, nor should she appear alongside these literary greats—especially not in your high school English class.

Teaching pop lyrics has become the latest fad in American high schools. But in swapping out Shakespeare and Dickens for Swift and Kendrick Lamar, English teachers deprive their students of pivotal opportunities for intellectual growth.

Modern pop songs are everywhere—you hear them in coffee shops, on your friends’ playlists, in TikTok videos. In presenting lyrics that many students are likely to have memorized, English teachers miss a critical opportunity to foster intellectual growth through exposure to the unknown. The prose of Thomas Hardy or Virginia Woolf is unlikely to be replicated in popular media, and so it provides a thrilling intellectual challenge. These authors’ intricate sentences starkly contrast with Swift’s often simplistic lyrics and allow students to elevate their own writing styles as they become stronger communicators.

Literature challenges students to think critically.

Literature also poses timeless, universal questions that leave readers with a slice of the human condition to reflect on. Swift’s focus on failed relationships not only appeals to a narrower audience—many of them teenage girls—but also creates a myopic framework through which to understand the complexities of the human experience. Literature presents deeper questions that challenge students to think critically and reflect on their own societal roles, values, and identities.

No, pop songs should not be taught in English classrooms—not until we have encouraged students to revel in the likes of Shakespeare, Dickens, Chaucer, and many other literary greats who can help them to better understand themselves.