The politics of stardust or the politics of cool: Popular music and the British honours system

The bi-annual award of political honours to selected individuals by the British government is an established feature of the political calendar. In the twentieth century, the practice was expanded to include representatives of the general population as well as those from wealthy, aristocratic or military backgrounds and, over the last few decades, the inclusion of entertainers and sports personalities has become commonplace. This paper assesses the causes and consequences of the considerable, and continuing, increase in the number of popular musicians to have been honoured in this way.