Pop Music

“Pop” music is short for popular music. Pop music is a free and imprecise category of modern music that caters to its potential audience and prospective market and not the artist. Pop is composed with careful intent to appeal to the majority of its occurring. Pop has many styles, becoming more popular each year. It introduces the most significant tunes of each decade, and shows the progression of pop to its current form.

1960s

The decade kicked off a style, that is the novelty song, combining humorous lyrics and simple, catchy melodies. In 1961 a new format forms around close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting the Californian relationship with surfing, girls, and cares: Surf pop. This successful style is made by tunes like “Surfin’ USA” (Beach Boys, 1963) or “Good Vibrations” (Beach Boys, 1966). Producers’ involvement in the business reached new levels in 1965 when Raybert Productions set to create a pop band from scratch, selecting the members by their looks, dancing ability and different personalities of fan.

1980s

The return of pop was having a greater impact in this decade than ever before. Hits came from the UK, “Careless Whisper” (George Michael, 1984) or “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” (Wham!, 1984).

1990s

In the 1990s, female started to play pop, their successful singles greatly outnumbering those of male performers. A few of the most significant are “Vogue” (Madonna, 1990), “Hero” (Mariah Carey, 1993), “Wannabe” (The SpiceGirls, 1996), and “Baby One More Time” (Brittany Spears, 1999). Pop became truly international in the nineties.

2000 to the Present Day

Female singers had a big influence on the pop genre, with soulful ballads, hip hop pieces and dance tracks: “Fallin’” (Alicia Keys, 2001), “Whenever, Whenever” (Shakira, 2001), “Since U Been Gone” (Avril Lavigne, 2005), and “Umbrella” (Riana, 2007). African Americans contributed heartily to pop with diverse styles. Some hits were hip hop-based, such as “Yeah!” (Usher, 2004). Latin pop was...