What Are the Different Styles of Pop Music?

Find out about the different styles of pop music and how they have evolved over the years.

Introduction

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 diverse styles. Pop and rock have been synonymous terms since the late 1950s, when the term “pop music” was used to describe albums of such artists as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Beach Boys.

Today, pop music is often used as a catch-all term for any Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)-formatted radio station; in other words, any radio station that primarily plays popular hits from various genres of music, including rock, hip hop, country, dance, electronic, and Latin.

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.

Pop music is a genre of popular 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 diverse styles. “Pop” and “rock” were roughly synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly differentiated from each other.

Generally, pop music is heard on the radio and played in nightclubs, while rock music is often seen as more underground or rebellious. Pop music has also been influenced by other genres, such as disco, hip hop, electronica, and even classical music.

The term “pop song” was first used in 1926, to describe a piece by George Gershwin called “Swanee.” It became popularized by Tin Pan Alley songwriters such as Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, and was eventually used to describe any catchy tune or love song. In the 1950s, the term began to be associated with a particular style of music; artists such as Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and Elvis Presley were among the first to be categorized as pop stars.

Popular music has since evolved to include a wide range of styles, from the syrupy ballads of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston to the edgy rock of Nirvana and Green Day. While there is no one definitive sound of pop music, it is often characterized by a heavy reliance on melody and hooks, as well as a focus on commercial viability over artistic expression.

Pop music is a broad genre

Pop music is a broad 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.

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 is a broader category that includes a wide range of styles. Pop music typically consists of a catchy melody, simple chords, and verses structured around a theme or personal experience.

Different Styles 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 style was a blend of earlier styles, including jazz, R&B, and country music.While there are many different styles of pop music, some of the most popular include: pop rock, soft rock, power pop, disco, and synth-pop.

Bubblegum pop

Bubblegum pop (also known as bubblegum music or simply bubblegum) is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers. It is produced in an assembly-line process, intended for mass consumption and mostly sold in record stores and digital retailers. Bubblegum’s light transgressive themes are typically about love, teenage romance, recreational drug use, partying, and the like.

Bubblegum songs are usually considered shallow and “kid-oriented” because of their simple melodies and harmonies, catchy hooks, singalong choruses, happy endings, emotional content designed to produce an exhilarating yet safe listening experience. They are sometimes criticized for being too simplistic or formulaic.

Early bubblegum pop was influenced by the doo-wop genre; it typically featured boy/girl lyrics about young love set to a 4/4 beat with three chord progressions. As the genre progressed, early bubblegum began to be influenced by other genres such as garage rock, psychedelic pop, and sunshine pop; these influences resulted in songs with more complex arrangements and production values. Some early 1970s examples of early bubblegum acts include The Archies, Tony DeFranco & The De Franco Family (featuring a young Justin Timberlake’s mother), The Osmonds, David Cassidy, and Donny Osmond.

J-pop

J-pop, also known as Japanese pop music, is a genre of popular music that originated in Japan. J-pop includes a wide variety of subgenres, such as dance-pop, pop rock, and synth-pop. The term “J-pop” was first used in the early 1990s, when it replaced the term “Japanesque music” in reference to Japanese music.

J-pop is often compared to Western pop music, but there are several significant differences. For one thing, J-pop tends to be more melodic and simplistic in its composition, compared to Western pop which often utilizes complex harmony and chord progressions. J-pop also has a more mainstream appeal than many Western pop genres; while Western pop music often requires some knowledge of the underground scene to appreciate fully, J-pop can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages and backgrounds.

One of the most successful and well-known J-pop artists is Utada Hikaru, whose debut album First Love sold over 7 million copies in Japan. Other popular J-pop artists include Morning Musume, AKB48, and Perfume.

K-pop

K-pop is a music genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it incorporates various influences, a strong focus on electronic dance music and catchy melodies are some of its defining features. K-pop is often associated with the Hallyu wave, which refers to the increased global popularity of South Korean culture in recent years.

K-pop groups typically consist of several amused singers and dancers who perform catchy songs with near-perfect choreography. Group members often have distinct roles within the band, such as lead singer, rapper, or visual artist. Some of the most popular K-pop groups include BTS, EXO, and NCT 127.

While K-pop initially gained traction among young people in East Asia, its appeal has since spread to other parts of the world. Thanks to social media and online streaming platforms, K-pop has built a global following among people of all ages.

C-pop

In recent years, Mandarin-language pop music has begun to gain popularity in the Western world. This style of pop music is often referred to as C-pop, and it encompasses a wide range of genres and artists.

Mandarin pop music began to gain prominence in the 1980s, with artists such as Faye Wong and Anita Mui becoming popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the 1990s, C-pop continued to grow in popularity, with artists such as Liu Dehua (Andy Lau), Vicki Zhao, and Aaron Kwok becoming some of the most successful musicians in Asia.

In the new millennium, C-pop has continued to grow in popularity, with artists such as Jay Chou, JJ Lin, and Karen Mok becoming household names in many parts of the world. Thanks to the internet and social media, C-pop has begun to gain a larger international audience, with many fans outside of Asia now enjoying this style of pop music.

Mandopop

Mandopop, short for Mandarin pop music, is a subgenre of Chinese popular music that isSONG-based and originated in Taiwan. The genre has been extremely popular in East Asia since the 1980s. The unique selling point of Mandopop is that the lyrics are almost always in Mandarin Chinese, which makes it appealing to Chinese speakers all over the world.

One of the most iconic and successful singers in Mandopop is Jay Chou. Born in Taiwan in 1979, Chou is a singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, and director. His unique blend of R&B, rock, and hip hop has made him one of the most popular musicians in Asia. Chou’s 2006 album Still Fantasy was the best-selling album of that year in China. He has since released nine more studio albums, all of which have been commercial successes.

Other well-known Mandopop artists include Alan Tam, Faye Wong, Jacky Cheung, Leo Ku, Stephanie Sun, and William Wei.

Teen pop

Teen pop is a style of pop music that is usually performed by singers between the ages of 13 and 19. It is closely related to other styles of pop music, such as adult contemporary and boy band music.

Teen pop performers are often marketed as products that can be consumed by pre-teens and young adults. They are typically signed to record labels that specialize in this style of music, such as Hollywood Records and Jive Records.

The teen pop style began to emerge in the early 1990s, with performers such as Tatyana Ali, Kylie Minogue, Aaliyah, Monica, Mariah Carey, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Christina Aguilera achieving mainstream success. The popularity of teen pop continued into the 2000s, with artists such as Avril Lavigne, Ashlee Simpson, Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, One Direction and Ariana Grande achieving commercial success.

Pop rock

Pop rock is a subgenre of pop music that combines elements of rock music and pop music. It is usually softer and more melodic than rock music, and often has a hook or chorus that is easy to remember and sing along to. Pop rock songs are often about love and relationships, and many pop rock bands have a teen or young adult following. Some well-known pop rock bands include One Direction, The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Train.

Synth-pop

Synth-pop is a type of pop music that uses synthesizers. It was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, and was often used in film soundtracks. Today, synth-pop is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as new artists have begun to experiment with the style.

Characteristics of synth-pop include the use of electronic instruments, drum machines, and basslines. Vocals are often processed with effects like reverb and delay. The result is a style of music that is bothcatchy and futuristic.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, there are countless different styles of pop music out there – and new ones are being created all the time. So, if you’re ever feeling stuck in a musical rut, remember that there’s always something new to discover. Who knows, you might just find your new favorite genre!