Pop Music

Classical

Montage of great classical music composers - from left to right: first row - Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven; second row - Gioachino Rossini, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi; third row - Johann Strauss II, Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák; forth row - Edvard Grieg, Edward Elgar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, George Gershwin, Aram Khachaturian

Country and Western Country music is a blend of traditional and popular musical forms traditionally found in the Southern United States that first appeared in the 1920s. Country musician Garth Brooks, with 128 million albums sold, is the second best-selling solo artist in U.S. history (behind Elvis)

Blues‘The Blues’ came into being in the late 19th century. It reflected the hard lives of the African American people who performed and listend to it.

The term "the blues" refers to the "blue devils", meaning melancholy and sadnes.

Jazz Jazz is a musical style of music that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a mixture of African and European music traditions. Many forms of jazz are based upon improvization with no set rules or planning. Modern popular forms are Jazz Funk and Acid Jazz with famous artists like Jamiroquai.

Soul

The Temptations Aretha Franklin

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. It became increasingly popular in the 1960’s and continues to the present day. Atlantic Records and later Motown (from Detroit the – Motor City) promoted the soul sound until it became one of the most popular genres of music in America and Europe. Among the many Motown stars were the Jackson 5, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

Funk Funk music was invented by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. It began as Urban black music to dance to in the early 1960’s but with the arrival of Sly & The Family Stone and his multi-racial band Funk was for now everybody. In the 1970’s Funk could be heard in much of the popular disco music. Today the funk sound can be commonly found in Hip Hop music.

Hip Hop

Public Enemy

Hip Hop has become mainstream in world pop music. Hip hop is the form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American communities during the 1970s in New York City. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of Hip-hop culture: MCing (Rap), DJing, Break Dancing and Graffiti writing. Since it started in the South Bronx, Hip-hop culture has spread around the world. Hip-hop music first emerged with disc jockeys creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks (small parts of songs) on two turntables, more commonly referred to as sampling. This was later accompanied by "rap", a rhythmic style of chanting or poetry. Hip Hop and in particular the sub-genre ‘Gangsta Rap’ has been associated with sexism, drugs, gang culture, guns and violence.

Techno Techno is a form of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in Detroit (USA) in the mid to late 1980s. There are many sub-genres including; house, acid house, garage, drum & bass (jungle), trance, etc. Techno music has often been associated with all night Rave parties and drug use. Some famous DJ’s are, Frankie Knuckles, Pete Tong and The Chemical Brothers.

Rock

Foo Fighters performing live on stage

Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also influenced by folk music, jazz and classical music.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, rock music developed different subgenres.In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and Latin music. Also in the 1970s, rock developed a large number of subgenres, such as soft rock, glam rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock. Rock subgenres that emerged in the 1980s included New Wave, hardcore punk and alternative rock. In the 1990s, rock subgenres included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

A group of musicians specializing in rock music is called a rock band or rock group. Many rock groups consist of an electric guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and a drummer, forming a quartet.

Heavy Metal Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in between 1968 and 1974 , largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences.

Progressive Rock The most famous progressive rock band is Pink Floyd. Their music is recognizable with their poetic lyrics and experiments with different sounds. Pink Floyd are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful rock music groups of all time. Their albums include The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

Reggae Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat, known as the skank. The best known reaggae artist is Bob Marley who was shot dead in London in 1981.

Ska (2Tone) Ska music originated in Jamaica. The history story of Ska can be divided into 3 periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English 2 Tone Ska revival of the late 1970s (Second Wave) and the third wave Ska movement, which started in the 1980s and rose to popularity in the US in the 1990s

Love Songs

A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. The most common type of love song is the ballad which is performed by a single man or woman. Love songs can be part of many different genres. From soul to country to rock.

Some Pop Music Icons

Elvis Presley Daft Punk

John Lennon

The Beatles

Michael Jackson REM

MadonnaTina

Turner

JimiHendrix

Alanis Morissette

James Brown

Simon & Garfunkel