History of the Pop Genre Research A2 Media

1. Lucy
Pearson

2.  “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.

3.  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

4.  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.

5.  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.”

6.  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.)

7.  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.