Can You Name These Styles of Pop Music?

A comprehensive guide to the different styles of pop music, from doo-wop to disco.

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” were roughly synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly associated with different musical styles.

Generally, pop music is consisting of rock, hip hop, and electronic dance music. It has subgenres like country pop, Latin pop, K-pop, J-pop etc.

Types 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 includes many diverse styles. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country.

Bubblegum pop

Bubblegum pop (also known as bubblegum music or simply bubblegum) is a subgenre of pop music with an playful, disposable aesthetic. Bubblegum’s classic period ran from 1967 to 1972. A second wave of bubblegum began two years later and ran until 1977 when punk rock supplanted the genre.

The genre was predominantly a product of the American record industry and was heavily influenced by The Beatles and The Monkees. Bubblegum songs are characterized by their simple melodies, catchy hooks, simple chord progressions, and a contrived innocence or absence of edgy lyrical content.

Bubblegum was marketed to pre-teens and teenagers. Many popular bubblegum artists were teen idols who generated large teenage fan bases; these fans were taunted by older music fans, leading to accusations that bubblegum was manufactured or “fake”.

Teen pop

Teen pop is a genre of popular music that is created for and marketed to teenagers. Teen pop songs are usually bubblegum pop or electronic dance music, although some may have a more serious lyrical tone. This genre sometimes includes boy bands or girl groups, but can also be solo artists.

J-pop

J-pop, short for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music and evolved from there into a distinct genre. J-pop was further defined by new wave groups in the late 1970s, particularly electronic synth-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra and pop rock band Southern All Stars.

J-pop differs from Western pop music in a number of ways. First, it is produced in Japan and uses a distinctly different language. Second, it has a different history and set of cultural influences. Third, it uses different instruments and production techniques. Finally, J-pop is often more experimental and avant-garde than Western pop music.

J-pop’s popularity has been declining in recent years, but it remains an important part of the Japanese music scene.

K-pop

K-pop is a musical genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although musical influences from around the world can be found in K-pop, there is a strong focus on upbeat, catchy melodies and beats, as well as slick choreography. K-pop artists often release music videos to accompany their singles, which often feature intricate dance routines.

C-pop

C-pop is a popular music genre originating in China. According to Song Dynasty records, it began as “Southern and Northern folk music” performed by groups of roaming musician. C-pop includes a wide variety of musical styles, including mandopop, Cantopop, and Shanghai pop.

Conclusion

Now that you know a little more about the various styles of pop music, see how many you can name! Can you identify the music of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Beyonce, andOne Direction? How about Britney Spears, Madonna, and Michael Jackson? And can you tell the difference between pop, rock, and hip hop? Test your knowledge with this quiz!