Different Kinds of Pop Music
Contents
If you’re a music lover, you’ve probably wondered about the different types of pop music out there. From bubblegum pop to synth-pop, there’s a lot of variety in the genre. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the different types of pop music and what makes them unique.
Introduction
In the most general sense, “pop music” can be classified into four broad subgenres: dance-pop, pop-rock, adult contemporary, and teen pop. Within these broad subgenres are many more specific subgenres and even micro-subgenres.
What is Pop Music?
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many different styles.
Defining Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many different styles. Popular music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country.
Popular music is generally produced for mass audiences through the medium of radio airplay, mass media (TV shows, movies), and concert performances by famous artists. It is characterized by a heavy use of repetitive elements, a lack of harmony or counterpoint melodies (unlike classical music), predictable structure (often Verse-Chorus form), and simple instrumentation.
In the 1950s, rock and roll emerged as a major force in pop music. It quickly became the dominant style in the US, Britain, and much of Europe. By the 1960s, pop music was divided into three distinct subgenres:
– bubblegum pop: characterized by its lighthearted songs with simple melodies; aimed at pre-teens and teenaged girls
– folk rock: a hybrid genre that combined elements of folk music and rock & roll; became popular with college students and young adults
– psychedelic pop: characterized by its use of electronic instruments and mind-altering lyrics; became popular with young adults
The Elements of Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular (and can include any style).
Pop music typically consists of a simple melody and chord structure, with a repetitive chorus incorporating catchy hooks. Pop songs are usually written in a verse–chorus form, which is sometimes called pop–verse–chorus or verse–chorus–bridge–chorusform. They are often influenced by traditional pop and rock music, but may also incorporate elements from other genres such as hip hop, electronic dance music, and R&B.
The main pop music genres include:
-Alternative Pop
-Dance Pop
-Electropop
-Experimental Pop
-Girl Group Music
-K-Pop
-Power Pop
-Synthpop
The Different Kinds of Pop Music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular.
Bubblegum Pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of popular music with an upbeat sound that is catchy and simple, intended for a young audience. The songs are often about love and relationships, and they often have a cheerful or optimistic outlook. Bubblegum pop is usually produced in a studio with professional musicians, and it is often released on major record labels. The genre became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and some of the most successful bubblegum pop artists include ABBA, the Bee Gees, the Carpenters, Duran Duran, Madonna,Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Spice Girls, and the Beatles.
Teen Pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created for teenagers. The defining quality of teen pop is an appeal to teenagers, which is often markets through tactics such as lyrics about teenage romance and general concerns faced during adolescence, as well as an accompanying focus on visuals. Teen pop artists are often signed to major record labels and have large followings of teen fans on social media. Examples of teen pop artists include Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, and Billie Eilish.
Dance-Pop
Dance-pop is a genre of popular music that is emerged in the early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danced to.
It was influenced by a combination of disco, electro, and synth-pop. The genre generally consists of a 4/4 time signature, a verse-chorus form, and simple, catchy hooks.
While early dance-pop intentionally incorporated elements from post-disco and synth-pop to create a more polished sound, some currents of dance-pop has started to move away from these influences and return to their roots in disco.
Some well known dance-pop artists include Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga.
Electropop
Characterized by a heavy use of synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders, electropop is a subgenre of pop music that first gained mainstream attention in the 1980s. Electro-pop bands like Depeche Mode, Information Society, and New Order helped to pioneer the sound, which became increasingly popular in the 1990s with artists like The Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and La Roux. In recent years, electropop has made something of a comeback thanks to synth-loving artists like Lady Gaga, Kesha, and Charli XCX.
Synth-Pop
Synth-pop (also known as electropop or technopop) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic, art rock, disco, and particularly the “Krautrock” of bands like Kraftwerk. It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in 1977, following the success of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s album Pseudo-Symphony and Steward Copeland’s score for The Equalizer, a British television series.
Conclusion
While there are many different types of pop music, they all share some commonalities. Pop music is typically catchy and easy to remember, with a strong emphasis on melody and harmony. It often uses simple, repetitive lyrics that focus on topics like love, relationships, and partying. And most importantly, pop music is designed to get you moving – whether you’re dancing along to the beat or singing at the top of your lungs, pop music is meant to be enjoyed. So next time you’re looking for something new to listen to, don’t be afraid to try out some different types of pop music – you might just find your new favorite style.
