GENRE RESEARCH

Pop

Introduction

Pop music is a genre that had originated and was ‘founded’ in the 1950’s and although not a sub-genre, it derived and first came about as a result of the genre Rock and Roll. Pop/Popular music was first a genre which consisted of any style of music, nowadays the term Pop is associated with music that contains qualities of mass appeal.

Pop in itself can include styles and elements that have been borrowed/copied from other genres and sub genres such as; Urban, Dance, Rock etc.

Introduction (Continued)

Although elements are taken from the different types of genres, pop has core elements that define and seperates the genre from others. These elements are things such as; short-to-medium length songs, songs written in basic format, and often consist of the verse-chorus structure. (Along with repeated choruses and melodic tunes)

Origin of Pop _ The Term

The first recorded use of the term ‘pop song’ tracks back to 1926 – it was used to define a piece of music having ‘popular appeal’

The Oxford Dictionary of Music defines pop being a non-classical music, being performed by artists/bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ABBA etc.

History

The most significant feature of the emergent popular music industry of the late 18th and early 19th centuries was the extent of its focus on the commodity form of sheet music

It was made possible for music to be disseminated to a wide audience of amateur music-makers

History (Continued)

another factor was the increasing availability during the late 18th and early 19th century of public popular music performances in "pleasure gardens and dance halls, popular theatres and concert rooms

History (Continued)

One of the early popular music performers to attain widespread popularity was a Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind

History (Continued)

During the late 19th century the Tin Pan Alley music publishers developed a new method for promoting sheet music – incessant promotion of new songs

By the early 1900s, the big trends in popular music were the increasing popularity of vaudeville theaters and dance halls and the new invention—the gramophone player

History (Continued)

In the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, there was a move towards consolidation in the recording industry which led several major companies to dominate the record industry

In the 1950s and 1960s, television began to play an increasingly important role in disseminating new popular music

History (Continued)

The development of new technologies in recording such as multi-track recorders gave sound engineers an increasingly important role in popular music in the 1960s

The Beatles

An English Rock band formed in Liverpool – 1960

One of the most commercially successful bands in the history of pop/popular music

Band – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr

Active between 1960 - 1970

The Rolling Stones

English Rock band formed in London – 1962

Genres within pop – Rock, Blues, Blues Rock, Rock and Roll

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

22 albums released in the United Kingdom

Active from 1962 – present

ABBA

Swedish pop/rock band formed in Stockholm – 1972

Topped the charts on numerous occasion, world renowned group

Active from 1972 – 1982

Sold over 370million records worldwide, still selling millions every year

Electric Guitar

In popular music, the electric is often used for two main reasons; as a rhythm guitar (Provides the chord sequence), and as a lead guitar (Performs the melody lines)

Top 5 Female Pop Artists/Bands

Britney Spears

Avril Lavigne

Janet Jackson

Kylie Minogue

Madonna

Britney Spears

Born December 2, 1981

American recording artist and entertainer

Signed with Jive Records in 1997

Debut album Baby One More Time – 1999

^ Which became the best selling album by a teenage solo artist

Instruments – Both vocal and piano

Janet Jackson

Born May 16, 1966

American recording artist and actress

A prominent figure in popular music for over 25 years

Began her career with The Jacksons in 1976

Signed a recording contract with A&M – 1982

Active from 1973 - present

Madonna

Born August 16 – 1958

American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and entrepreneur

Sold more than 300million records worldwide

Signed an unprecedented US $120million contract with Live Nation

Active from 1979 – present

Top 5 Male Pop Artists/Band

Ricky Martin

The Killers

Green Day

Kanye West

Eminem

Ricky Martin

Born December 24 - 1971

Pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo

Then as a solo artist since 1991

He was the founder of the Ricky Martin Foundation

Green Day

A California based punk rock/pop band

Formed in 1987

Early releases were from the Lookout! Records

They sold over 10million copies in the US

Active from 1987 – present

Eminem

Born October 17 – 1972

Brought to fame by rapper and producer Dr. Dre

American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor

Sold more than 42million tracks and 41.5million albums