Interests versus Ideology

If the 'materialist conception of history' according to Marx suggests that we should attend more the interests of people rather than their professed ideals, does this suggest that it is not ideologies that are important but the (perceived) differences between them?

Refrain from the Religious?

Alain de Botton delivered a delightful TED talk recently, where he discussed many of the positive practices of religous groups - the title, "Atheism 2.0" does leave you wondering - that he contends have been unduly snubbed for their mere association with the supernatural.

I agree with him wholeheartedly, and it would not surprise me if 'New Atheism's so-called 'Four Horsemen' (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens) agreed with at least a couple of his points. Many of them have stressed the need to distinguish the 'numinous' or 'transcendent' from the supernatural.

One of his points was how such organisations continually reinforce their messages, while sermonising for example, being appreciative of the limits to our memories and our sometimes brash impulsiveness.

It made me curious to what extent popular music has it's origins in religious practice, or the use of 'refrains' more generally.