It has nothing to do with popularity or obscurity. A lot of great literature, music etc is also very popular. In regards to music I was using the word ‘popular’ in the technical sense: Serious music is where the notated score transcends any single performance. Any time that’s not the case, it’s popular music.
Oh it ABSOLUTELY has to do with popularity and obscurity. The literati are the original hipsters, they’re all about being into things others never heard of. That’s their ego stroke. They give exceptions to things that haven’t been popular in 100 or more (more is better) years, but they love the crap that nobody else does. Remember when Amadeus hit and all of a sudden the literati start “reconsidering” Mozart, because the masses were suddenly into it and that made him not obscure anymore.
“Serious music” is a false label created by snobs. Plenty of stuff can be popular and be great because of the notated score not the performance. That’s a purely made up and 100% dumb either/ or to construct.