What is Pop Music?

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Introduction
The Origins of Pop Music
- Early Pop Music
- The Beatles and the British Invasion
The Evolution of Pop Music
The Future of Pop Music
Conclusion

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 different styles. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, latin and country. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks.

The Origins of Pop Music

Early 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” and “rock” were roughly synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly differentiated from each other.

Generally, rock is a broader musical category than pop, and pop is a softer subgenre of rock. Pop music often incorporates elements of other genres, such as hip hop, R&B, soul, country, dance, electronica, gospel, and jazz. It achieved commercial success in the West during the second half of the 20th century.

The term “pop music” first appeared in Britain in the mid-1950s, when it described a new form of light music listened to by teenagers. This was different from previous forms of popular music such as folk songs or jazz records, which were aimed at older audiences. The expression “pop song” was first recorded in 1921. It was used to describe songs with lots of appeal for young people but without anything too heavy or intellectual about them.

In Britain during the 1950s, there was a growing trend for bands to play what would now be called pop music in nightclubs and dancehalls. These venues were usually associated with teenagers or young adults who were not old enough to go to pubs or bars. The popularity of these venues led to the term “pop music” being used to describe this type of entertainment.

The Beatles and the British Invasion

It’s hard to overestimate the Beatles’ impact on pop music. The band not only ushered in a new era of British rock, but their success sparked what came to be known as the “British Invasion” of the United States. In the early 1960s, American pop was dominated by groups like the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. But when the Beatles appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February 1964, they sparked a wave of British pop bands that quickly found success in America, including the Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits and the Dave Clark Five. The British Invasion changed the sound and look of American pop music, and it helped open the door for subsequent waves of foreign artists, including David Bowie, Queen and Duran Duran.

The Evolution of Pop Music

The 1970s

The 1970s saw the birth of pop music as we now know it. Artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince propelled the genre to new heights with their innovative sounds and catchy hooks. The decade also witnessed the rise of disco, which became one of the most popular genres in the world. However, by the end of the decade, disco’s popularity began to wane, leading to its eventual decline in the 1980s.

The 1980s

By the early 1980s, pop music was dominated by British and American artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. These artists had a huge influence on the development of pop music, as they were able to cross over into different genres and create new sounds that would appeal to a wider audience.

The 1980s also saw the rise of electronic music, which became a major force in pop music. The synthesizer was increasingly used in pop songs, and drum machines allowed for more complex rhythms. This decade also saw the advent of MTV, which helped to popularize music videos and made them an important part of pop culture.

The 1990s

The 1990s was a decade of huge changes in the music industry. The early 1990s saw the rise of grunge and alternative rock, which ended the dominance of hair metal bands and New Jack Swing artists. By the mid-90s, hip hop had become the most popular genre in the US with artists such as Tupac, Biggie Smalls, and Snoop Dogg leading the way. The late 90s saw the rise of boy bands and girl groups such as *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Spice Girls.

With so many different genres and subgenres becoming popular in the 1990s, it’s no surprise that pop music began to evolve. This decade saw the rise of more experimental pop artists such as Bjork, Radiohead, and Missy Elliott. Pop music also became more diverse, with artists from all around the world finding success in the US charts.

The 1990s was a decade of change for pop music, which set the stage for even more evolution in the years to come.

The 2000s

The early 2000s saw the continuation of teen pop and dance-pop trends which had emerged in the 1990s. One critical difference between the sound of pop music in the 2000s and that of the previous decade was the merging of R&B with pop. This had already begun in the late 1990s, but became more pronounced in the early 2000s. This new sound was typified by Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” (1998), which married a teen pop melody with an R&B-inspired production. The sound of Christina Aguilera’s debut album Christina Aguilera (1999), which featured production from R&B producer Ron Fair, was also representative of this trend. Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love” (1999) and Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” (2000) were two other examples of mainstream pop hits which clearly displayed R&B influences.

The back-to-basics movement – Incomplete
The early 2000s also saw a return to more ” traditional” pop music styles after the experimentation of the late 1990s. This so-called “back to basics” movement was typified by artists such as nsYNC, who leaned more towards classic pop melodies than their contemporaries did. Similarly, boy band One Direction built their sound around classic pop songwriting, rather than incorporating elements of dance-pop or hip-hop as many of their peers did.

Hip hop influence – Incomplete
While most artists released music which could be classified as pop, some ventured into different genres altogether. Pop singer Pink released her third album Try This in 2003, which featured a heavier rock sound than her previous material. Justin Timberlake also experimented with different genres on his second album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), infusing elements of R&B, rock and electronica into his usual pop sound. Gwen Stefani took things even further on her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004), combining elements of dance-pop, hip hop and reggae to create a unique sound which was unlike anything else on radio at the time.

The Future of Pop Music

The future of pop music is often hard to predict. However, there are a few things that we can be sure of. First, pop music will continue to be popular. Second, it will continue to evolve and change as artists experiment with new sounds and styles. Third, it will remain a source of enjoyment for millions of people around the world.

Conclusion

To sum it up, pop music can be difficult to define. It often contains elements of other genres, including rock, R&B, and hip-hop. Pop music is usually catchy and easy to listen to, but it can also be thought-provoking and moving. It’s no wonder that pop music is one of the most popular genres in the world!

What is Pop Music?

Introduction