Beyond Memetic Theory: An Knowledge-Based Model of Evolutionary Success in Music
This article proposes employing the concept of "knowledge" as a more comprehensive analytical framework, replacing the concept of "memes" (Dawkins, 1976/2007) in cultural evolution theory, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the complex and multilayered nature of cultural processes. Although "memetic theory" fundamentally suggests that culture, akin to genetics, is based on mechanisms of variation, selection, and inheritance (Dennett, 1995; Blackmore, 2011), critics of the theory (Kauffman, 2019; Gould, 2020) point out that it is inadequate to explain culture's multilayered structure merely through singular "copyable units." The article emphasizes that the meme-centric, copying-focused approach has limitations in explaining cultural processes shaped by human creativity, social institutions, and technological factors.
In contrast, the concept of "knowledge" offers a multilayered framework that includes not only cognitive or textual content but also social, institutional, and technological interactions. The article argues that cultural evolution is not solely a matter of copying but also involves processes of interpretation, reproduction, and transformation within a dynamic network. This approach integrates the symbolic, emotional, embodied, and institutional dimensions of culture, holding the potential to develop a broader explanatory model.
The article proposes a model adapting the concept of "evolutionary success" to the cultural sphere, considering indicators such as the continuity, prevalence, reproducibility of works, and critical and institutional interest. Within this context, Queen's iconic 1975 song "Bohemian Rhapsody" is examined. The innovative structure of the song, its synthesis of various genres and styles (e.g., ballad, opera, rock), and its repeated revival over different periods have allowed it to continually be reproduced as a "cultural accumulation of knowledge." Furthermore, the media, music industry, and academic interest are observed to contribute significantly to the work's "evolutionary success."
In conclusion, while the study highlights the limitations of memetic theory in explaining the multidimensional nature of culture, it advocates that the concept of "knowledge," with its flexible and inclusive structure, can provide a more realistic analysis of cultural evolutionary processes. The case of "Bohemian Rhapsody" demonstrates that reproduction and permanence result not simply from copying but from creative adaptations, institutional support, and multilayered interactions. Thus, cultural evolution emerges as a collaborative product of individual and social creativity, technological diffusion, and critical attention, and these processes can be examined within a holistic framework through the concept of "knowledge."
Memetik Kuramın Ötesinde: Müzikte Bilgi Temelli Evrimsel Başarı Modeli
Bu makale, kültürel evrim teorisinde “mem” kavramının (Dawkins, 1976/2007) yerine daha kapsamlı bir analitik çerçeve olarak “bilgi” kavramını kullanmayı önererek, kültürel süreçlerin karmaşık ve çok katmanlı doğasını daha derinlemesine açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır. “Memetik kuram,” temelde genetiğe benzer biçimde kültürün de varyasyon, seçilim ve kalıtım mekanizmalarına dayandığı tezini öne sürse de (Dennett, 1995; Blackmore, 2011), söz konusu kuramın eleştirmenleri (Kauffman, 2019; Gould, 2020) kültürün çok katmanlı yapısının tekil “kopyalanabilir birimler” üzerinden açıklanmasının yetersizliğine işaret etmektedir. Makalede, memlerin kopyalama odaklı yaklaşımının, insan yaratıcılığı, toplumsal kurumlar ve teknolojik faktörlerin şekillendirdiği kültürel süreçleri açıklamakta sınırlı kaldığı vurgulanmıştır.
Buna karşılık “bilgi” kavramı, yalnızca bilişsel veya metinsel içeriği değil, aynı zamanda toplumsal, kurumsal ve teknolojik etkileşimleri de içine alan çok katmanlı bir çerçeve sunar. Makalede, kültürel evrimin yalnızca kopyalanma değil, aynı zamanda yorumlama, yeniden üretme ve dönüştürme süreçlerini de kapsayan dinamik bir ağ olduğu öne sürülmektedir. Bu yaklaşım, kültürün sembolik, duygusal, bedensel ve kurumsal boyutlarını bir arada değerlendirerek daha geniş bir açıklama modeli geliştirme potansiyeli taşır.
Makale, “evrimsel başarı” kavramını kültürel alana uyarlamak üzere bir model önerisinde bulunmuş ve bu modelde eserlerin sürekliliği, yaygınlığı, yeniden üretilebilirliği ile eleştirel ve kurumsal ilgi gibi göstergeler dikkate alınmıştır. Bu bağlamda Queen’in 1975 tarihli ünlü eseri “Bohemian Rhapsody” incelenmiştir. Şarkının yenilikçi yapısı, farklı tür ve biçemleri (örneğin balad, opera, rock) bir araya getirmesi ve çeşitli dönemlerde tekrarlanan canlanması onun bir “kültürel bilgi birikimi” olarak sürekli yeniden üretilmesini mümkün kılmıştır. Ayrıca, medyanın, müzik endüstrisinin ve akademik çalışmalardaki ilginin, eserin “evrimsel başarısına” katkıda bulunduğu gözlenmektedir.
Sonuç olarak, çalışma, memetik kuramın kültürün çok boyutlu doğasını açıklamada sınırlı kaldığına işaret ederken, “bilgi” kavramının esnek ve kapsayıcı yapısıyla kültürel evrim süreçlerini daha gerçekçi biçimde analiz edebileceğini savunmaktadır. “Bohemian Rhapsody” örneği, yeniden üretim ve kalıcılığın salt kopyalama değil, yaratıcı uyarlamalar, kurumsal destek ve çok katmanlı etkileşimlerle sağlandığını göstermektedir. Böylece kültürel evrim, bireysel ve toplumsal yaratıcılık, teknolojik yayılım ve eleştirel ilgi gibi farklı düzlemlerin ortak ürünüdür ve bu süreçler, “bilgi” kavramı üzerinden daha bütüncül bir çerçevede irdelenebilmektedir.
Recent scholarly debates have questioned whether Darwinian mechanisms of variation, selection, and inheritanceoriginally formulated to describe biological evolution (Darwin, 1859)—can also account for the evolution of nonbiological phenomena. Early frameworks such as Memetics (Dawkins, 1976/2007; Dennett, 1995; Blackmore, 2011) posited that cultural transmission proceeds via discrete replicators (“memes”) that behave analogously to genes. However, critical voices have highlighted conceptual and methodological limitations in memetic approaches, particularly regarding the complexity of cultural processes, the blurred boundaries of cultural units, and the active role of human agents in transforming the cultural elements they inherit (Gould, 2020; Hull, 2012; Kauffman, 2019). This paper proposes that “knowledge,” rather than “meme,” provides a more comprehensive analytical lens to investigate cultural evolution. By examining the case of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975), the study illustrates how a knowledge-based perspective can capture the multi-layered, dynamic, and continuously reconstructed nature of cultural products.
Background and Rationale
Memetic theory is grounded in Dawkins’ (1976/2007) proposition that there exist replicating cultural units—memes —capable of being selected, mutated, and passed on similarly to genes. These cultural replicators would ostensibly compete for mental space, driving cultural evolution through differential survival rates (Dennett, 1995). Although appealing in its simplicity, memetics faces significant critiques: it risks reducing culture to mere “viral” information (Blackmore, 1999), underplays the creative agency of individuals (Hull, 2012), and struggles to delineate or measure “memes” with scientific rigor (Bloch, 2000; Kuper, 2000). As cultural artifacts often emerge from complex interplay among cognition, social structures, economic forces, and institutional frameworks, the gene-like replicator model may be too restrictive to capture cultural richness.
In contrast, the concept of “knowledge” embraces multiple layers—cognitive, emotional, social, historical, and techno logical—through which cultural elements are formed, circulated, and reinterpreted (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Polanyi, 1966). Rather than viewing cultural evolution as a series of discrete units copying themselves with varying fidelity, a knowledge-based approach recognizes that transmission involves ongoing interpretation, creative adaptation, and dynamic transformation (Lave & Wenger, 1991). From this standpoint, cultural evolution does not simply revolve around “what is copied most” but rather how cultural products are continually shaped by—and shape—the contexts in which they are performed and received.
Knowledge as a Framework for Cultural Evolution
Knowledge, in this paper, is defined broadly to include representational structures (such as musical notation), embodied practices (performance, emotional engagement), institutional processes (music schools, media), technological networks (recording, streaming), and continuous feedback loops among creators, performers, and audiences (Tomasello, 1999; Hutchins, 1995). This multi-layered perspective aligns with Darwinian principles—variation, selection, inheritance—yet acknowledges a more fluid, socially embedded mode of transmission. Rather than locating cultural “fitness” in a narrow measure of replication success, “evolutionary success” can be understood as an artifact’s ability to endure, adapt, and resonate across changing historical, technological, and social contexts.
Evolving the Concept of “Evolutionary Success”
Drawing on cultural evolution theory (Boyd & Richerson, 1985; Mesoudi, 2011), the paper introduces “evolutionary success” as a heuristic to evaluate how cultural works survive and transform over extended periods. Specifically, “evolutionary success” entails:
• Temporal Continuity: The artifact’s capacity to remain relevant or recognized across multiple generations or historical epochs.
• Spatial Diffusion: Its dissemination across diverse geographical or cultural settings.
• Adaptive Reproduction: The artifact’s capacity to be rearranged, remixed, or reinterpreted in novel contexts without losing its core identity.
• Institutional and Media Support: The extent to which formal and informal institutions (music industry, academia, digital platforms) promote, archive, or critique the work. Case Study: “Bohemian Rhapsody”
• Enduring Critical and Public Engagement: Persistent scholarly interest, continuous media exposure, and ongoing reception by listeners, performers, and other stakeholders.
• This multi-factor model goes beyond purely quantitative measures—such as sales or streaming counts—to incorporate the qualitative dimensions that foster long-term cultural viability.
Case Study: “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” released in 1975, exemplifies these knowledge-based evolutionary processes. Composed by Freddie Mercury, the six-minute track combines ballad, opera, and hard rock sections, defying mainstream single-length conventions of its era (Whiteley, 2006). Its initial commercial triumph—remaining at the top of UK charts for nine weeks—demonstrated its broad appeal (Wade, 2021). However, the piece’s lasting influence extends far beyond that immediate success.
Structurally, “Bohemian Rhapsody” operates as a multi-layered musical narrative, replete with shifting tonalities, styles, and performance techniques (Boss, 2016). The distinctive arrangement reveals a wealth of “knowledge” embedded within: harmonic complexity, referential allusions to opera, dramatic vocal layering, and rock instrumentation. By merging seemingly disparate musical genres, the song appeals to different audience segments, highlighting the flexible, context-bridging potential of music as knowledge.
Over subsequent decades, “Bohemian Rhapsody” has been repeatedly re-contextualized. The track soared back to prominence upon Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991, featured as a pivotal comedic moment in the film Wayne’s World (1992), and thrived anew through a host of media references—from Muppet parodies to major motion pictures (Hughes, 2019; Jenkins et al., 2013). Each reappearance feeds into the cultural imagination, demonstrating how knowledge (the layered musical, symbolic, and emotional content of the song) remains open to reinterpretation, thereby fortifying its evolutionary success (Hutchinson, 2012).
Critically, institutions and scholarly discourses have recognized the track’s significance. It has been the subject of musicological analyses (Braae, 2015), cultural commentaries (McLeod, 2001), and socio-historical research examining how Mercury’s personal background and charismatic persona shaped this iconic piece (Fouché et al., 2018). Such interdisciplinary attention reinforces the song’s status as a “classic,” a privileged position in cultural memory that further perpetuates its ongoing transformations.
Conclusions and Future Directions
By replacing the narrow meme concept with a broader understanding of knowledge, this article underscores the multifaceted, dynamic nature of cultural evolution. “Bohemian Rhapsody” illustrates how creative reinvention, institutional endorsement, technological mediation, and scholarly recognition collectively sustain a cultural artifact’s long-term resonance. Such an approach offers insights not only for musicology but also for broader studies of cultural longevity, including literature, film, and ritual practices.
Future research could apply the knowledge-based model to cross-cultural comparisons, diverse artistic forms, and rapidly evolving digital platforms where participatory culture intensifies the cycle of creation and reinterpretation. Moreover, further examination of how knowledge interacts with power structures—such as industry gatekeepers or political regimes—would illuminate additional pathways through which cultural products either achieve or fail to achieve evolutionary success. In doing so, scholarly inquiry can more holistically capture the inventive, collaborative, and dialogic dimensions of cultural life.
Ultimately, this paper posits that a knowledge framework bridges the gap between Darwinian insights on selection and the deeply social, creative, and interpretive realities of culture. Through continuous reinterpretations and contextual shifts, cultural products like “Bohemian Rhapsody” do not merely replicate; they evolve, adapt, and endure —revealing culture itself as a dynamic and resilient knowledge network.
