- Max Kuehn
What is pop music? Pop music can be defined in many ways. This is to accommodate the fact that pop music can change constantly. This article helps you find out exactly what pop music is, where pop is originated, and the effect of this music genre. Fidlar is glad to provide all the information in this comprehensive rundown of pop music.
What Does Pop Mean?
Pop music is contemporary music and a common type of popular music or art music and from folk music. This is a type of popular music that was created in the United States in the mid-1950s. Pop music was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It included rock and roll as well as the youth-oriented musical styles that it influenced.
While pop song is a large part of the music on the record pop charts, it is not the same as chart music. The most critical factors are repeated choruses and hooks.
This genre is generally viewed as a genre that is commercially recorded and has a mass audience appeal.
They also include short to medium-length songs that follow a simple structure (often the verse/chorus structure). And rhythms or tempos that are easy to dance music to. Rock, country, dance, urban, hip hop, and Latin are all among the music forms you can spot in much pop music.
Pop music was heavily influenced by jazz in the 1920s-1950s. It began in the 1950s with rock and Rhythm and Blues (R&B) and has been influenced since the 1980s by hip-hop.
Most pop songs last between two to five minutes. The lyrics usually focus on the joys or problems of love and relationships. Groups like the produce pop songs such as boy band One Direction, Girls’ Generation, and pop singers Justin Bieber and Madonna.
Origin Of Pop Music
Who Started Pop Music?
Elvis Presley was the first to perform pop music in 1954. It consisted of a mixture of blues, rock ‘n roll, and country music.
Pop Music In The 1950s
Pop music was first created in the 1950s when rock ‘n roll was the dominant rhythm. Pop music never lost its popularity, despite the obstacles it faced. This genre was elevated to a new level by pioneering singers like Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Bill Haley in the 50s.
Pop Music In The 1960s
Pop music was popular in the 50s, so it was easy for pop idols to diversify their music. Pop music gained a large fan base among teens because of this. This genre has gained wide acceptance in America and Europe since portable radios around this decade.
The Beatlemania and British Invasion movements, which were both historical, dominated the American pop music charts during this period. Pop grew into several subgenres, including Bubblegum pop and Baroque pop.
Hip hop music is one of the most loved genres in the world. It has produced many hits on the Pop Music charts. The 1960s saw the emergence of boy bands, later referred to as “boy bands”, with The Monkees being the most well-known from that era.
The 1960s saw Western Pop music’s teen idols as the Beatles and The Beach Boys. Cliff Richard, Sandy Shaw (The Who), Lulu, Gene Pitney, The Shadows, and Sandy Shaw were some of their influences.
70’s Pop Culture
Subgenres developed in the ’60s were replaced by newer varieties of pop music like country-pop and power pop.
The popular rock revolution was, however, the most significant change in pop music during this time. The ’70s were a time when artists like Queen and Elton John dominated popular music and pop. In the 1970s, dance music genre disco was also created by the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever.
80’s Pop
Pop music saw a real revolution in the 1980s. Digital recording was introduced, which allowed pop music to grow exponentially. Prince and Michael Jackson are two of the most prominent pop stars to emerge on the pop music scene.
Because of his iconic pop performances, Michael Jackson would be later called the King Of Pop. Pop culture created by these pop artists was to be an influence for generations to follow.
The 1990s
2000’s Pop Hits
Pop music in the early 2000s was already a well-defined and refined genre. Pop was a mix of sounds and subgenres, all of which expressed the essence of a pop song.
This genre was already being influenced by hip-hop and R&B artists. A good number of the top popular songs 2000s were on the airwaves back then. These included ‘Bye Bye Bye,’ ‘Try Again,’ ‘Poker Face,’ ‘Lose Yourself and All the Small Things.’
The Pop Music Melting Pot
Pop Music Today
The development of digital recording technology has influenced pop music today. Most of the top-selling pop song today is electronic music, recorded digitally.
In a departure from the mainstream, Adele’s Someone like You became the first single with only vocals and piano to hit song #1 on the US Pop Music Charts. With her album in 2014, Taylor Swift was the first country singer to record an album that was entirely pop music.
With Drake emerging as the top pop artist of 2016, hip-hop continues to be a major part of mainstream pop music.
Pop music video
As a promotion tool, short films featuring recording artists performing hits songs have been around since the 1950s. Tony Bennett claims to have created the first music video.
It features Tony Bennett walking through Hyde Park in London, while his song Stranger In Paradise plays. Film clips were created by major recording artists, such as the Beatles or Bob Dylan to accompany their songs.
With the launch of MTV, a cable television channel, the industry of music videos saw a major boost in 1981. The channel was dedicated to building and presenting programming about music videos 24 hours a day. Although the channel stopped broadcasting music videos, the creation of short films clips was a constant part of the pop music industry.
Pure Pop and Power Pop
Pop music is still a mix of many music styles. However, there is one genre of pop music that can be considered pop music at its best. The music is often called pure pop or powerpop and consists of songs that are short (not more than 3 1/2 minutes), played on an electric guitar, bass, drums, and vocals with a strong hook or chorus.
The Raspberries, Cheap trick, and the Memphis group Big Star are among the most prominent power pop/pure pop performers of all time. The #1 hit song by The Knack My Sharona was often cited as the greatest power pop chart hit.
What Are The Subgenres Of Pop Music?
Art Pop Genre
Art pop is the new pop art. It blurs the boundaries between high and low culture to produce commercially and critically acclaimed music. It is expressive, weighty, and full of emotion.
Bjork and Grimes are all artists commonly associated with art-pop. With all this in mind, it seems safe to say that industry leaders dominate the subgenre.
Bubblegum Pop Genre
Bubblegum pop is all that art pop music isn’t: artificial, addictive, and fun-loving. Bubblegum popular songs are always upbeat and appeal to younger audiences. Often, one-hit wonders create this type of music.
Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen and Grace Kelly by MIKA are two of the 21st century’s most popular bubblegum pop songs. Friday by Rebecca Black is another.
Bubblegum pop is one of the pure pop. It’s incomparable to any other pop genre. It merely exists to be catchy and popular with the masses.
Anti-Pop Genre
Anti-pop, the cool cousin to the pop family, is popular music that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or structures. It was created by artists who refuse to be called pop artists. Anti-pop isn’t meant to be played in bars or at festivals.
City Pop Genre
City pop was born in Japan in the 1970s and had a unique blend of oriental and urban idiosyncrasies. This genre is reminiscent of late-night drives, city set animes, and neo-retro technology.
It sounds like a pink summer sunset. City pop often draws inspiration from other genres like funk, Latin, jazz, and soft rock.
City pop is making waves again, thanks to the increased interest in anime and western-style pop music with Japanese culture. Mariya Takeuchi, a 70s pop star, is often referred to as the “Quintessential” singer of the genre. Her songs Plastic Love, Once Again, and September are all popular.
K-Pop Genre
Kpop refers to popular music that originates from South Korea. KPop idols often form large groups that include boy bands and girl groups. Their own songs are often written in English with Korean lyrics. They have a global following.
KPop, a mix of country music, jazz, and hip hop, is gaining popularity because it’s fun, trendy, and fits in with the world of social media. K-pop is a visual feast with stunning sets, impressive choreography, and powerful vocals.
Latin Pop Genre
It is easy to grasp Latin Pop. All you have to do is know that Latin Pop uses Latin American music as a foundation to create viral songs that can be streamed or purchased globally.
The music is structured in the same verse-chorus format that western audiences are used to but features a more Latin-influenced rhythm. J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Maluma are the most well-known Latin pop idols currently globally.
Indie Pop Genre
Indie pop, which emerged in the late 1970s marked another departure form the glamour of contemporary popular music. Guitar bands were formed on the basis that they could record and then release their own music. You don’t need to sign a record deal with a major label.
Indie pop draws inspiration from indie rock music to create tracks that can be played on mainstream radio stations and audiences. Indie stands for independent, which highlights the DIY aspect of the subgenre.
What does independent pop imply? It simply means that the music doesn’t sound altered after production.
The genre is often associated with artists like Florence and the Machine and HAIM. Lana Del Rey and 1975 are also examples.
Related Article: What Is Indie Music? Best Things to Know 2023
Electro Pop Genre
The subgenre of pop music known as electro-pop or synth-pop is inspired by electronic music and filled with electronic sounds.
Electro pop is often associated with the 1980s or early 2000s. Different artists embrace it at different stages of their careers.
Country Pop Genre
Country pop, also known as the “Nashville sound“, is the glamorous side of rural American music. It is characterized by high production values, clear verse-chorus structures, and catchy melodies.
Lady Gaga, multi-award-winning singer-cum-actress, has also attempted country-pop. As it turns out, country-pop makes country music more accessible and more appealing to millions of people worldwide. Listening to Gaga’s Joanne is a good example.
Gaga isn’t the only one to incorporate country music into pop music. Country pop is the best way to describe Taylor Swift’s Red or Miley Cyrus’ Younger Now. These women have produced hits and generated capital for their record companies by embracing their country roots.
Songwriting, Recording, And Distribution Formats
Pop songs can be written by professional songwriters or composers, whose work is then handed to professional singers or written by the performer. Pop music artists have been writing their songs since the popularity of The Beatles in the 1960s.
Many pop songs are not written or composed by the performers. Pop standards are songs that are well-known and have been performed by many singers. Cover versions are recordings that are “covered” later by another performer.
If the writer and the singer of a song are not the same people, the singer is considered the pop star. The writer works behind the scenes. Pop stars are sometimes criticized for not writing or singing their material, especially by fans of other genres (e.g., rock bands, rap music MCs, and singer-songwriters).
Classical music listeners sometimes criticize pop singers for not having the proper artistic training or technique. Performers usually interpret music written by others.
The development of recording techniques influences pop music’s sound. This distinguishes it from jazz and classical music and other popular music that may want a more natural sound.
Record producers can significantly influence many pop artists, who often use state-of-the-art technology and recording studios to get the sound they desire.
The Effects Of Pop Music
Pop music is the most popular genre because it’s upbeat and focuses on common themes. Pop music lyrics are believed to have had positive and negative effects on society.
Pop music has influenced popular culture and morals through its evolution and changes. Pop music is constantly changing and reflects current trends. It has helped to shape fusion music genres like R& B and baroque pop.
Power pop, pop-rock, smooth jazz, country music, psychedelic, pop-rock, Latin pop, and jangle-pop are all influenced.
Because it places so much emphasis on technology and production, it has promoted professionalism in music. It is now a well-known genre that has grown beyond America and Britain.
Pop music is a common form in many countries. Korea has its popular music, which has made a significant contribution to the Korean music industry and enabled globalization and cultural integration.
Conclusion
This article covers all you need to know about the history of pop music, meaning, a list of music genres, and the effect of this genre. If you’re looking for more information on this topic, We hope that this post helps clarify some things!
