U N I T 5 : P o p u l ar M u s i c

UNIT 5: Popular Music

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Lesson 1: Western Popular Music 4 Learning Targets 4 Let’s Warm Up! 4 Learn about It! 5 Check Your Understanding 11 Challenge Yourself! 11 Let’s Jam! 11

Did You Know? 12

Web Links 12

Performance Task 13

Self-Check 14

Wrap Up 15

Bibliography 16

Glossary 17

1 Copyright © 2018 Quipper Limited

GRADE 10

UNIT 5

Popular Music

Fig. 1. Pop music has evolved from simply “popular music” to a genre of its own.

Photo from pixabay.com

Introduction Sometimes, you hear music from the radio or through streaming services like Spotify, and it gets stuck in your head for days. The catchy melodies or the beat of the songs get you to dance and sing along. Some people even create dance covers or even their renditions of a song.

Chances are, these songs are pop songs — which means “popular” music, and can refer to any music that is popular at the time. These are written for maximum appeal and commercial


success. But how did it start? What is the history of pop music and what led to the development of this music trend?

In this unit, we will learn about pop music, it’s history and development through the decades, and the different genres under it. We will also learn about the defining characteristics and some famous artists from each genre. By the end of the unit, you will hopefully understand and appreciate different kinds of music from different time periods in pop music history.


Lesson 1: Western Popular Music Learning Targets

In this lesson, you should be able to:

● discuss the history of pop music; ● identify the different genres under pop music; and ● listen to examples of music from each genre.

Pop music is widely consumed around the world—from streaming up to live shows and festivals. How did pop music develop into what it is today and what are the different genres that fall under pop music?

Let’s Warm Up!

1. Listen to three examples of pop music: ● “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley; ● “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5; and ● “Quit Playing Games with My Heart” by the Backstreet Boys

2. Describe each example. What makes each one different from the others?


Learn about It! Pop music is a shorthand term for “popular music,” which is used to describe music that is enjoyed by the majority of the population, especially the middle class, since the 1800s.

Pop music does not refer to a specific genre or sound but instead differs according to the time and place, and whatever genre is the most appealing to the masses. For example, in the 1950s, pop music drew mainly from rock & roll, while in the 1980s, pop music drew inspiration mostly from hip-hop.

Today, “pop music” is also used to describe another sub-genre within popular music characterized by simple melodies and danceable rhythms.

Ballad

A ballad is generally a slow song found in other genres of pop music—rock ballads, soul ballads, and country ballads are some examples.

Ballads are characterized by lyrics with storytelling elements and subjects such as love and relationships.

Other key features of ballads are:

● expressive vocal performance—ornamentation, melisma, long-held notes ● slow tempo and simple meters ● a verse-chorus structure ● light instrumental accompaniment—usually a piano or guitar


Some famous ballads are “Yesterday” by the Beatles, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, and more recently, “All of Me” by John Legend.

Fig 1.1 Whitney Houston

Source: PH2 Mark Kettenhofen, Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 1, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Standard

Standards, also called “traditional pop standards” are a collection of songs that generally pre-date the advent of rock & roll in the 1950s and are the most popular and enduring from the period. In America, these songs are part of “The Great American Songbook.”

Standards are characterized by orchestral arrangements and more emphasis on vocal performance.


https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whitney_Houston_Welcome_Heroes_1.JPEG

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Many of the vocalists from earlier swing and big band music groups became even more popular and became central figures in the pop standard genre. Some famous artists of this genre are Frank Sinatra (“Fly Me to the Moon”), Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, and Johnny Mathis.

Fig 1.2 Frank Sinatra

Source: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Frank Sinatra1, Pal Joey, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Rock & Roll

This genre originated in the United States in the 1950s and is essentially a combination of the blues and country music. It is characterized by fast rhythms and heavy reliance on the guitar. A typical rock & roll song is played by a rhythm section comprised of a drum set, bass guitar, one or two guitars, and occasionally a piano.

The term “rock & roll” was coined by Alan Freed, a disc-jockey from Cleveland, Ohio. His radio program played a lot more aggressive-sounding blues records, which fascinated more


https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frank_Sinatra1,_Pal_Joey.JPG



Caucasian-American children. Soon after, more and more Caucasian-Americans started to play the blues.

Elvis Presley (“Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “That’s Alright Mama”) is probably the biggest icon in rock & roll history—with his dance moves, an iconic voice and talented band composed of Bill Black (bass) and Scotty Moore (guitar). His music served as an inspiration for many more rock & roll artists to come.

Other famous rock & roll artists are Chuck Berry (“Johnny B. Goode”, “Roll Over Beethoven”), Buddy Holly (“Words of Love”), and The Beatles (“Please Please Me”, “A Hard Day’s Night”).

Fig 1.3 Elvis Presley

Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock2, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons


Disco

Disco was the dominant form of dance music in the 1970s. This music was originally rejected by radios and catered more to the underground dance scene populated by racial and gender minorities.

This genre is characterized by syncopation similar to funk, sweet melodies with lyrics pertaining to partying, upbeat tracks from Motown, and rhythms similar to salsa. The first disco hit was “Never Can Say Goodbye” by Gloria Gaynor in 1974.

In the mid-1970s, disco slowly transferred from the clubs to the radios and artists such as the Bee Gees (Saturday Night Fever soundtrack), Rod Stewart (“D’ya Think I’m Sexy?”), and Madonna popularized disco and further pushed it into the mainstream.

Alternative Rock

Alternative Rock is a pop music genre that was popular in the 1990s characterized by highly distorted guitars and served as a “response” to what rock music had become in the 1980s — glamorous and digitally-altered music.

The term “alternative” was originally given to punk acts in the ‘80s as labels felt that the genre was derivative and did not fit in with the mainstream.

Most alternative rock artists grew up listening to the songs of the Beatles and the high-energy music of Led Zeppelin, which they considered “conventional.” As a result, these youth wanted something “different” and looked to earlier punk groups from the ‘70s for inspiration. Artists of this genre, like punk acts in the ‘80s, rejected commercialism and the mainstream.


In Seattle, alternative rock was known as “grunge” and is a mixture of heavy metal and punk. Albums from bands like Nirvana (“Nevermind”), Pearl Jam (“Ten”), and Soundgarden (“Badmotorfinger”) are considered icons of the alternative rock/grunge genre.

Fig 1.4 Nirvana performing live in 1992

Source: P.B. Rage from USA, Nirvana around 1992, CC BY-SA 2.0

Try It Yourself

Based on what you already know about the development of pop music through the years, what cultural factors inspired the developments of the different pop genres (ballad, standard, rock & roll, disco, and alternative) from different decades?


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Check Your Understanding Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

1. Pop music is a shorthand term for __________. 2. A __________ is a slow song characterized by lyrics about love and relationships. 3. In America, standards are compiled in a collection called __________. 4. Rock & roll originated in the US in the __________. 5. __________ was a disc jockey from Cleveland, Ohio who was one of the first to use the

term “rock & roll”. 6. __________ is the biggest rock & roll icon. 7. Disco was the prominent form of __________ in the 1970s. 8. In Seattle, alternative rock was known as __________. 9. Alternative rock artists were highly influenced by __________ bands from the 1980s. 10.A rock & roll song is normally performed by a __________.

Challenge Yourself! Write True if the statement is correct and False if the statement is incorrect

________ 1. Ballads are characterized by expressive vocal performances.

________ 2. Standards put more emphasis on the orchestral arrangements.

________ 3. Rock & roll is a combination of blues and jazz.

________ 4. Disco was originally catered more to the underground dance scene.

________ 5. Alternative rock music is characterized by syncopations similar to funk.

Let’s Jam!

Activity 1: Show the differences between the different genres of pop music through a skit set to a ballad, standard, rock & roll, disco, and alternative rock music.


Did You Know?

The British Invasion in the 1960s is an important time in pop music history. During this time, many British groups, spearheaded by the Beatles, became massively successful in the US and the phenomenon engulfed the country and continued to do so until the mid-1960s.

Web Links

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQR0bXO_yI8

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCP_g7X31nI

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihs-vT9T3Q

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIJwXgNdWbI


Performance Task

A Live Pop Anthology

Purpose:

At the end of this activity, the students should be able to:

● assemble a repertoire of songs that encompass the pop music genres discussed in the unit;

● perform this repertoire similar to how a showband performs; and ● showcase skills in live music performance.

Role: You are a showband who was hired to perform some songs in the entertainment segment of a corporate event.

Competence: You must put together a repertoire of 5 songs, 1 from each genre discussed in the unit and perform it in front of the class.

Procedure

1. Group yourselves into 5 2. As a group, decide on a list of songs that encompass the genres discussed in the unit.

The setlist must have 5 songs—one song from each genre. 3. You must also decide on the order of how to perform the songs, taking into

consideration the flow of the set and the transitions between the songs. 4. Rehearse your set as a group. The use of musical instruments is highly encouraged. You

may also decide on a look for your group. 5. Perform your set in front of the class but imagine that you are in a real-life show.

Observe proper stage decorum.


6. After all the groups have performed, have a sharing of insights facilitated by your teacher.

Key Guide Questions

1. What songs did you pick for your setlist? 2. What made your performance unique from the other groups? 3. How did you structure your setlist?

Reflective Questions

1. Was it easy or difficult to put together and learn the songs as a group? 2. How was your experience performing the songs live? 3. If this was a real-life event, how well did you think your group did? 4. Would you consider live music performance as a career path in the future?

Self-Check

Reflect

I find __________________________ the most interesting because ______________________.

I got ____ checks because _______________________________________________________.

I need to improve on _______________________because _____________________________.

I need to practice _________________________ because _____________________________.

I plan to ___________________________________________________

__________________ .


Wrap Up


Bibliography

Traditional Pop Music. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Traditional_pop_music.html.

"Alternative Rock." Alternative Rock - New World Encyclopedia. Accessed March 29, 2019. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Alternative_Rock.

Frith, Simon. "Pop Ballad." Encyclopædia Britannica. August 27, 1998. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/pop-ballad.

Garofalo, Reebee. "Disco." Encyclopædia Britannica. September 29, 2014. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/disco.

Hunter, James. "Alternative Rock." Encyclopædia Britannica. October 23, 2017. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/alternative-rock.

Kot, Greg. "Rock and Roll." Encyclopædia Britannica. December 19, 2018. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/rock-and-roll-early-style-of-rock-music.

Lamb, Bill. "What Is Pop Music?" ThoughtCo. September 29, 2018. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-pop-music-3246980.

"Music (GCSE - Romantic Song and Pop Ballads)." Trinity. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.trinity.nottingham.sch.uk/music/gcse/romanticAndBallad.aspx.

Myers, Katherine. "The History Of Pop Music In 5 Defining Decades." Culture Trip. July 18, 2016. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/the-history-of-pop-music-in-5-defining-decades/.


Glossary

Mainstream refers to the dominant trend in arts and fashion.

Melisma refers to a vocal technique wherein multiple notes are sung in one syllable.

Middle class refers to the social group between the lower and upper class, populated by

business workers and their families

Rhythm section refers to an ensemble comprised of a drum kit, guitar, bass, and keyboard.

Syncopation refers to an accent placed on the weaker beats in music.


U N I T 5 : P o p u l ar M u s i c

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