Imperial phase

The imperial phase is the period in which a musical artist is regarded to be at their commercial and creative peak simultaneously.^[1][2] The phrase was coined by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys to describe the group's feelings on their career circa "Domino Dancing" (1988).^[3]

Usage

"Imperial phase" has been applied by pop music critics and fans to the creative output of artists.^[4] While its original usage implied that an imperial phase was a one-time occurrence for a single artist, artists have been referred to ^[5] as having multiple imperial phases.^[6] The term may also be applied to non-musical entities, such as film studios.^[7]

Critic Tom Ewing described three criteria for defining an artist's imperial phase: "command, permission, and self-definition". He defined "command" as an artist's ability to push the boundaries of their medium in a way that produces lasting change. "Permission" is the public's goodwill toward and interest in the artist's work. Finally, "self-definition" is the concept that the imperial phase defines the rest of the artist's career; future works will be compared to those from the imperial phase.^[1]

Examples

• Led Zeppelin (Early 1970s)^{[citation needed]}
• Fleetwood Mac (Late 1970s)^{[citation needed]}
• Michael Jackson (1980s)^{[citation needed]}
• Madonna (1980s and late 1990s/Early 2000s)^{[citation needed]}
• Oasis (Mid 1990s)^{[citation needed]}
• Pink Floyd (1973–1979)^[8]
• Beyoncé (2010s)^{[citation needed]}
• Taylor Swift (2010s and 2020s)^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Zeitgeist