HISTORY OF THE POP GENRE

Lucy Pearson

ORIGINS OF POP MUSIC “Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the

Western world during the 1950s and 1960s, deriving from rock and roll. The terms "popular music" and "pop music" are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular (and can include any style).”

In 1952, the first pop music charts were recorded – the top 20. This was a huge step in the growth of the genre, as the songs reached a wider audience, specifically teenagers.

The Beatles were a huge influence on the pop genre; setting standards high and introducing the characteristics of the genre to a wide audience. This therefore increased popularity, and caused “pop” traits to be incorporated into other genres, creating subgenres such as Pop Rock and Pop Punk.

However, the 1990s was the time of boy bands – who began to dominate the pop genre based on their looks and catchy songs. E.g. Take That, who are still popular now.

THE BEATLES: THEIR INFLUENCE The Beatles shaped the pop genre massively, and the influence began due to

their talent of turning the studio into their own writing tool. The band began to write their own music, allowing them to experiment with various instruments and introduce them into the genre in a whole new way. This had positive impacts on the genre; allowing it to expand and develop as more and more characteristics were added. However, some may argue that their ability to write their own songs had negative impact on some Hollywood songwriters, who began to be put out of business and more and more artists started to test their song writing skills.

The Stone Roses are an example of a band hugely influenced by the Beatles, as they claimed to have looked up to the boys as massive inspirations when it came to musical arrangements and instruments. “On an altogether different scale of obsession, Liam Gallagher even named his

first son Lennon” - Julia Glassman

FEMALE ARTISTS & THEIR INFLUENCES Madonna was labelled the Queen of pop by the media for almost 30 years running,

and her influence on the pop genre is undeniable. Madonna’s solo career started in 1982 with the release of her first single “Everybody”, which put her name into the industry. Her strong production and look (an example of the male gaze and her “sex appeal”) helped to attract a male audience, widening her popularity and helping her rise to fame. As a result, she attracted many media institutions e.g. Billboard - giving them content to cover and helping to spread the word of the rise of the pop genre.

The Spice Girls were also seen as a main influence on the pop genre as they were the start of the dominance of girl bands. They were described as cultivating a “playful sex appeal under the banner of “Girl Power” to create a feminist alternative to the boy bands of the day.” This therefore introduced an alternative side to the genre as female artists began to dominate charts, developing it more and more. This influence can be seen in today’s industry – with girl bands such as Little Mix and Fifth Harmony still climbing the charts.

FEATURES OF POP MUSIC Although pop music has developed over the years, a lot of aspects have

remained the same. For example, Pop music is generally described as “very commercially

friendly, marketable and memorable, with either vocals, lyrics, instruments, or a combination of all three creating catchy choruses or verses.”

DEVELOPMENTS IN STYLE As well as aspects staying the same, many things have also changed and

developed over time. This is due to a number of reasons, which I’ll explain below.

Pop music may include elements of rock, hip hop, reggae, dance, R&B, jazz, electronic, and also folk music. For example, in the 1920s to the 1950s, pop music was hugely influenced from jazz. This began in the 1950s from rock and rhythm and blues (R&B), and then hip hop since the 1980s onwards. This development was due to the growing use of the media, sharing different genres and artists across the world, as well as the developments and increasing use of new instruments.

The invention of the radio, TV, internet etc. have all massively shaped the pop genre and music industry; each helping artists/producers to communicate, and audiences to receive and interpret music more accessibly (therefore helping the popularity grow.)

POP MUSIC TODAY Pop music is now distributed by major record companies as part of a global

music market, and often involves mass marketing through radio, television and other media. This therefore means it’s a large part of many people’s daily lives, without even realising it.

Without marketing, the music industry would’ve struggled massively in terms of developing and growing. It is expected that these developments will continue into the future, with the popularity of certain artists e.g. Justin Bieber, helping to influence the future market as they continue to dominate record sales.

Pop music is generally intended/marketed towards young adults, as the artists in the industry are of a similar age – and are therefore designed to appeal to teenagers. Pop music has therefore been shaped by the media to not only be about the music, but also the “look”, helping to encourage sales further.