Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The History Of Pop
- Pop music is a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of "popular" As a genre of popular
music which originated in its modern form in the 1950s, deriving from rock and roll, Elvis Presley
etc. The terms "popular music" and "pop music" are often used interchangeably, even though the
former is a description of music which is popular (and can include any style).
- In terms of the editing of Pop Music itself there is a standard length of time said to originate from the way in
which Pop Music and indeed every type of music was edited. For example, in the 1950s, software was
extremely undeveloped and budgets were very small, as this was in a time of pre multi million dollar industries
such as SONY etc. Songs were time limited to a length of 3 minutes and so this is why you tend to find when
one listens to the works of Elvis Presley the songs will instantly enter the chorus instead of modern day songs
in some cases which have musical intros that last for 30 seconds or more, this is because of the increase in
budgets and Web 2.0 software which will allow an amateur to record hours of content which can then be
distributed over various social channels such as SoundCloud, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook which are all
coincidentally free for any user.
- Although pop music is often seen as oriented towards the singles charts it is not the
sum of all chart music, which has always contained songs from a variety of sources,
including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs, while pop music as a genre is usually
seen as existing and developing separately.Thus "pop music" may be used to
describe a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as a softer
alternative to rock and roll.
- According to Grove Music Online, the term "pop music" "originated in Britain in the
mid-1950s as a description for rock and roll and the new youth music styles that it
influenced". The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pop's "earlier meaning
meant concerts appealing to a wide audience since the late 1950s, however, pop
has had the special meaning of non-classical music, usually in the form of songs,
performed by such artists as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ABBA, etc". Grove
Music Online also states that "In the early 1960s the term ‘pop music’ competed
terminologically with Beat music in England, while in the USA its coverage
overlapped as it still does with that of ‘rock and roll'.
- From about 1967 the term was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock music, a division
that gave important significance to both terms. Whereas rock aspired to an extension of pop music,
pop was more commercial and accessible. According to Simon Frith pop music is produced "as a
matter of enterprise not art", is "designed to appeal to everyone" and "doesn't come from any
particular place or mark off any particular taste". It is "not driven by any significant ambition except
profit and commercial reward. It is, "provided from on high (by record companies, radio
programmers and concert promoters) rather than being made from below. Pop is not a
do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged". Basically underpinning a
criticism that Pop is purely for money and a selling purpose rather than entrainment and enjoyment.
- According to several sources, MTV helped give rise to pop stars such as
Michael Jackson and Madonna; and Jackson and Madonna helped make
MTV
- Pop music has been dominated by the American and (from the mid-1960s) British music
industries, whose influence has made pop music something of an international monoculture, but
most regions and countries have their own form of pop music, sometimes producing local
versions of wider trends, and lending them local characteristics.Some of these trends (for
example Europop) have had a significant impact of the development of the genre significantly.
- Some music critics,social commentators, and music industry insiders give indication that
modern pop music is declining in quality. This decline can be seen in the waning music sales,public
opinion polls, time studies and declining concert attendance. Furthermore, research shows
that pop songs are starring to sound the same, as musicians have become less
adventuresome in their songwriting. Specifically, since 1955, "Musicians today seem to be less
adventurous in moving from one chord or note to another, instead following the paths well-trod by their
predecessors and contemporaries.
- The 1990s was the time of boy bands, perhaps the ultimate in manufactured acts. A group of young male
singers was assembled for their looks, given catchy songs and arrangements and pushed to fame. It
happened to East 17 and, most memorably, Take That. America saw how it worked and gave the world the
Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, and for a few years it worked very well, selling millions of records. But like any
fashion, it passed. A female version, the Spice Girls, was briefly huge. Notably, the only ones to come out of
this and sustain a solo career was Robbie Williams from Take That and Justin Timberlake from 'N Sync.
- Since the year 2000 there's been a dearth of major new stars, relying mostly on established talent. Several
younger artists have come and gone, and new styles have briefly emerged, but nothing appears to have
gained a major foothold besides modern R&B, which owes little to its soulful predecessor, but a lot to hip-hop
- which itself has become a pop style.