For popular music to become unplugged, it would stop being what we consider "popular music". To be completely unplugged, no technology whatsoever, all we would be left with is a cappella singing as all instruments can be considered technology, but that takes the question beyond the necessary bounds. Even if we exclude instruments from technology and look at music sans microphone, amplifier, and recording equipment, we still wouldn't have popular music. Without the microphone, Bing Crosby cannot croon, thus no proximity effect, just operatic singing. Without amplification, the bass cannot be heard as individual instruments blend back into the overall sound. The electric guitar, so necessary to popular music according to Theberge, cannot exist and the genre with it. Besides, without recording equipment, there is no way to spread music for it to become popular.
Without technology, classical music, large jazz bands, and singer-songwriters all playing in small venues would come closest to what we might consider popular music, but certainly nothing that we see today could ever come into existence without electronics.
This is generally well written and intelligently expressed.
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