The History of Pop Music
Contents
A comprehensive guide to the history of pop music, from its origins to the present day.
Origins 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.
Early pop music in the United States
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.
Early pop music in the United States featured a wide variety of styles, including blues, gospel, folk, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B). Most of these genres had developed in the African-American communities of the South. In the 1950s, doo-wop emerged from R&B and became one of the most popular styles of pop music. Other early styles included rockabilly (a fusion of country music and R&B) and surf rock (a fusion of rock and roll and surf culture).
The popularity of pop music in the United States was overshadowed by the rise of rock and roll in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Rock and roll, a type of pop music that was influenced by R&B, country, and gospel music, quickly became the dominant style in the United States. In Britain, meanwhile, pop music continued to develop with acts such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks achieving widespread popularity. By the end of the 1960s, British pop had come to dominate global charts.
The British Invasion
The British Invasion was a musical movement of the mid-1960s consisting of popularizing British rock and roll groups who became very successful in the United States. The Beatles were the leading band of the invasion, followed by other groups such as the Animals, Herman’s Hermits, and the Rolling Stones. American rock and roll had come to dominate the charts in the early 1960s, but it began to lose popularity in 1963-64. The British Invasion began in 1964 with the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The popularity of British rock and roll caused a decline in the popularity of American rock and roll.
The evolution 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.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are often considered the most influential band of all time. They started the “British Invasion” of the United States pop market and inspired many subsequent musicians. Their music incorporated elements of classical, pop, rock, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Members of the band have changed several times since then, but the core members remained Jagger, Richards and Watts. Jones died less than a month after the band’s debut album was released and was soon replaced by Mick Taylor. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood joined in 1975 and has been on guitar ever since.
The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964. They were identified with the young counterculture of the 1960s. They achieved commercial success with a string of hits beginning with their 1964 cover version of Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now”, which reached number one in the UK. They had their first United States number one hit with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in 1965, which rose to number two on unprecedented international chart success for a British rock band. The following year’s album Aftermath (UK) became their most critically acclaimed album to date and reached number one in several countries, including the UK and US; its lead single “Paint It Black” also topped charts worldwide.
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys were an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and Brian Wilson’s intricately crafted compositions, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The Beach Boys began as a garage band led by Brian Wilson with Mike Love and Bruce Johnston joining them soon after.uddin al-Ghazali’,
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Elvis Presley
By the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley emerged as the most important figure in rock and roll. Through a combination of his stage presence, charisma, talent, and good looks, Elvis single-handedly changed the course of popular music. His success ushered in a new era of pop music which would be dominated by young singers with a rebellious streak.
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. He grew up in a poor but tight-knit family and received his first guitar at the age of eleven. After graduating from high school, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he worked a series of odd jobs before landing a spot on Sun Records. It was there that he recorded his first single, “That’s All Right Mama,” which would go on to become one of his signature songs.
Elvis’s mainstream success began in 1956 with the release of his debut album, “Elvis Presley.” The album featured two of his most popular songs, “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Hound Dog.” From there, Elvis’s career took off like a rocket. He released a string of successful albums and singles, appeared in numerous films (most notably “Jailhouse Rock” and “King Creole”), and gave countless sold-out performances. He quickly became one of the biggest celebrities in the world and remains one of the most iconic figures in popular culture to this day.
The influence of pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that emerged in the mid-1950s. The term “pop music” was first used in Britain in the late 1950s to describe rock and roll and the new youth music styles that were emerging.
The British Invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture, became popular in the United States and significant to the rising “counterculture” on both sides of the Atlantic. named after the military action of royal Tune into BBC’s Radio 1 on any given day and you’re likely to hear a mix of chart hits, new music, interviews and programming that reflects Britain’s diverse population.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era.[1] Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”, but as their songwriting grew in sophistication they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.[2][3][4]
Under the direction of manager Brian Epstein, the Beatles built on their existing popularity by playing tournaments throughout 1963. On 15 February 1964 they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show which was watched by over 73 million viewers in North America — a record audience for an American television program at that time.[5][nb 1] From 1964 onwards, members Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr all received equal songwriting credits for the songs they composed individually or together. In 1967, they produced Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an album that would come to be regarded as one of the most influential works of pop music ever recorded.[6] The group continued to tour throughout much of the world until 1970. By early 1970, tensions within the group reached a breaking point that led to McCartney publicly announcing his departure on 10 April,[7] followed by his resignation two weeks later.[8] Ringo Starr subsequently quit temporarily[9] but rejoined prior to recording Abbey Road (1969).[10] Lennon subsequently left during production of Abbey Road’s successor (and final album recorded) Let It Be (1970);[11] Harrison quit temporarily during recording sessions for The White Album (1968). McCartney subsequently brought legal action against his former band mates,[12][13][14][15] which resulted in a settlement being reached whereby McCartney agreed to waive his claim to certain songwriting credits in exchange for ownership rights to several hundred hours’ worth of recordings made by The Beatles between 1968 and 1970 known popularly as “The Get Back Sessions”.[16][17][18].
Over seven years after disbanding officially, Paul McCartney organized what became known as The Concert for Bangla Desh—staged at New York’s Madison Square Garden—in 1971 featuring himself along with Ringo Starr , Bob Dylan , Eric Clapton , Billy Preston and Leon Russell .[19] All six members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988,[20] with all but Starr still living; Lennon had been shot dead less than two months earlier.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969 having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and has remained on guitar ever since.
Since the release of their debut album Sticky Fingers in 1971,[7] the Rolling Stones have released 30 studio albums, 19 live albums and numerous compilations. The Rolling Stones have been a major force in popular music for over fifty years.[8][9] It is estimated that they have sold over 200 million records worldwide.[10][11][12][13] In 1989 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[14] and four years later they received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”,and theirPrimary original members Brian Jones(guitar session musician)The version of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” that went to number onethe United States was recorded with Jimmy Page on lead guitar because Jones was not available for recording sessions due to ill health;[1][2] he officially left The Rolling Stones that December prior to his death less than a month later.[3]
The band continued as a five-piece Makin’ Some Noise Chatting Banter Tour Live Discography Personnel Search through millions of songssession personnel fillingvacancies when neededthatBrian JonesNigel StanfordSession ArtistkeyboardsSession ArtistpercussionSession Artistbacking vocals(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! Gimme Shelter Let It Bleed Sticky Fingers Exile on Main St. Tattoo You Voodoo Lounge Bridges to Babylon No Security A Bigger Bang Blue & Lonesome Source: Wikipedia
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. The Beach Boys are one of the most influential bands of the 20th century, selling more than 100 million records worldwide. They have had thirty-six US Top 40 hits (including four number-one singles), and 56 Hot 100 singles. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 1990.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley is often credited with being the originator of rock and roll. His unique style blended country, R&B, gospel, and pop music. He released his first single, “That’s All Right,” in 1954. It was a number one hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Other popular Elvis Presley songs include “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and “All Shook Up.” Elvis Presley’s stage performances were known for their sexually suggestive movements, which caused many controversies. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
