3 Interesting Facts About Pop Music

We all know pop music is catchy and fun. But did you know that there are some interesting facts about this genre? Here are three things you may not have known about pop music:

1. Pop music is actually a pretty new genre. It first gained popularity in the 1950s.

2. Pop music is usually pretty short. The average song is only three minutes long.

3. Pop music is designed to be easy to remember. That’s why so many

The first pop music song was “Pop Goes the Weasel”

“Pop Goes the Weasel” is a English children’s song and nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 5249.

The melody is from an English tune called “The Camden Town Goslings”, collected by Joseph Raphson in 1784. The lyrics first appeared in print in 1853, in Frank Kidson’s supplement to George Russell’s Companion to the Cheshire Notes and Queries. In Kidson’s version, the children’s game of party catch (later known as Oranges and Lemons) is mentioned instead of weasels.

A close variant called “I Had a Little Overcoat” (or simply “Overcoat”) was recorded by Moses Asch on December 5, 1944, for his label Folkways Records. One popular under-the-overcoat verse went:

I had a little overcoat,It was red,It reached downTo my toes.I wore itIn the winterTo keep me warmAnd I wore itIn the summerTo keep me cool;But my overcoatIs much too small for me now,So I’ll hand it downTo my son.

Another version was recorded by Woody Guthrie on February 15, 1947, also for Folkways Records; his went:

I had me a little boatIt was redIt went downstreamAbout two miles an hourThen one dayMe an’ some friendsWe took that boatOut for aspin;But that boatIs much too small for us nowSo we’ll sink her way out yonderIn the pond.

The first pop music charts were published in 1952

Billboard released its first pop music charts in 1952. The publication had been tracking the sale of sheet music since 1936, but this was the first time it had compiled a list of popular songs based on radio airplay and record sales. The first number-one song on the Billboard pop chart was “Here in My Heart” by Al Martino.

The first pop music Grammy Awards were held in 1959

The first pop music Grammy Awards were held in 1959. They were originally called the Gramophone Awards, and only five awards were given out. The award for Record of the Year went to Bobby Darin for “Mack the Knife.” The other four awards were for Best Performance by an Orchestra, Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, Best Performance by a Vocal Group, and Best Performance by a Male Vocalist.

In 1960, the Grammys expanded to include eight pop music categories. among them were Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Ray Charles became the first African American to win a Grammy in any category when he won Best New Artist in 1960.

The Beatles made Grammys history in 1964 when they won all four of the pop music categories they were nominated in: Record of the Year (“I Want To Hold Your Hand”), Album of the Year (Meet The Beatles!), Song of the Year (“I Want To Hold Your Hand”), and Best New Artist.