Pop music!

About!

• This suggests commercially recorded music. • Usually towards a youth target audience. • Often believed to have short, simple songs.• It is often seen to be mainly focused on the singles chart.• Seen as a distinct genre.• Seen as a softer alternative to rock and roll.• It is seen as existing and developing separately. • It has a mainstream popularity worldwide.

Origin!• First used in 1926 when a piece of music had popular appeal.• 1920’s is seen as the birth of the modern pop industry. • Since the late 1950’s, pop has had the meaning of non-classical

music.• In 1967, the term was used in opposition to Rock music. • Pop is more commercial and accessible.• Stylistic origins:

– R&B– Jazz– Doo-wop– Folk– Dance – Classical – Rock and Roll

• Cultural origins: – 1950’s- United Kingdom and United States

Influences!

• Early pop music developed it’s form from the sentimental ballad.• Gained use of vocal harmonies from Gospel and soul music. • Gained instrumentation from Jazz, country and rock music. • Gained Orchestration from classical music.• Gained tempo from dance music.• Gained backing from electronic music. • Gained rhythmic elements from Hip hop music. • Spoken passages from rap.

Development!

• 1940’s, improved microphone allowed a more intimate singing style.

• Ten or twenty years later, 45 r.p.m records for singles which helped to move to radio/record/film star system.

• In 1950’s the availability of televisions meant that pop stars had a visual image.

• In the 1960’s, transistor radios meant that teenagers could listen to music outside the home.

• Early 1980’s, music programmes introduced such as MTV. • It has been dominated by the American and British industry which

has made pop music part of a monoculture. • Most regions and countries had there own version of pop music.

Characteristics! • An aim of appealing to a general audience.• Emphasis on craftsmanship.• Emphasis on recording, production and technology.• Tendency to reflect existing trends.• Tends to encourage dancing or uses dance orientation or beats

and rhythm. • Song often lasts between 2:30 mins and 3:3o mins. • Simple traditional structure.• Usually a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element. • Mainstream style. • Usually focus on simple themes such as love and relationships

although there are notable exceptions.

Pop artists:

Billboard is a mainstream music magazine!

More mature magazine then Top of the Pops magazine for pop music as it is for late teens from about 16 until early twenties, single images used, main image interacts with the masthead, the looks given are quite seductive or stern, no smiling as it is for a more mature target audience.