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Pop
The term “pop,” stemming from “popular,” represents the biggest current trends in culture. In the entertainment industry, pop music originated in the 1950’s and evolved as a genre to appeal to a very large audience. It therefore usually contains catchy melodies and relatable lyrics, with a quite basic structure. Artists are characteristically influenced by a myriad of other genres, including elements of soul, gospel, hip hop, and electronic music.
Early representatives…
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The term “pop,” stemming from “popular,” represents the biggest current trends in culture. In the entertainment industry, pop music originated in the 1950’s and evolved as a genre to appeal to a very large audience. It therefore usually contains catchy melodies and relatable lyrics, with a quite basic structure. Artists are characteristically influenced by a myriad of other genres, including elements of soul, gospel, hip hop, and electronic music.
Early representatives of pop included Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and household names like Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. While all of these artists also fall into other categories, like jazz, soul, and rock’n’roll, the nature of pop music was such that it defied actual musical genre and spanned almost all of music, demanding only that its creators be melodic, catchy, and appealing to the masses.
The early sixties saw a rise in doo-wop and R&B, especially sung by all-female, harmony-focused groups like The Crystals. Within years, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound had made a splash in the industry and more psychedelically oriented bands, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, were leading the pop genre into a grand new era. Funk made its emergence soon after, headed by artists like James Brown. The British phenomenon of glam rock would bring David Bowie and Marc Bolan in all their glittery regalia into the spotlight in the seventies.
Along came forms of music media like MTV, making the eighties another turning point in pop. Theatrical acts, like Michael Jackson and Madonna, became sensations, paving the way for modern performers like Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Cee Lo Green, the styles of which have become synonymous with pop in today’s music world. However, looking back at its history, it is clear that pop is not a sound-specific genre, but draws from what is popular in mainstream culture.
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