Pop music is a vast genre that encompasses numerous different styles of music. Designed to appeal to an array of people from children to adults, its lyrics often depict real life situations and are designed to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Contrasting classical, which is meant for live performance, pop music was originally intended for recording purposes – hence its immense popularity.
The Monkees
Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson, producers of a new television show called Monkees, began recruiting actors in 1965 for their series. Bert Schneider hired his cast as first TV characters then musicians. The series would give viewers the impression that Michael Nesmith and his band played their own instruments, yet songs for shows would be written by professional Brill Building songwriters such as Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Neil Diamond – not allowed to use their instruments on records produced by Don Kirshner – this proved hard for Nesmith, an accomplished musician and songwriter himself, to accept.
In the end, The Monkees were an enormously successful group. Their debut album became one of the best-selling records of 1966; moreover, its follow up, More of The Monkees was another major success. Even so, though successful, The Monkees were mostly manufactured images; only when seen live could you observe their natural behavior and quirkiness on screen.
After growing frustrated with Kirshner’s control in their musical careers, the four Monkees decided to make their own albums themselves – ultimately producing Headquarters as proof that the Monkees weren’t simply actors playing parts. Peter Tork’s bass playing perfectly showcased his musical abilities, while Michael Nesmith contributed lead and steel guitar as well as several original songs to create an album full of nonpareil pop gems that demonstrated their remarkable chemistry together. Headquarters was often seen as the precursor of bands like The Beach Boys and The Beatles that would follow suit during the 1970s. Rhino Records still manages The Monkees catalog to this day despite long since replacing their television show cast. They remain one of pop music’s most influential acts.
Crowded House
Crowded House helped usher in the post-New Wave era of pop music with their earthy melodies driven by guitars instead of synths. Formed in 1985 by lead singer/guitarist Neil Finn – former member of New Zealand rock group Split Enz – they quickly achieved widespread acclaim across Australia and New Zealand.
Though they had some notable hits such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, their iconic album Woodface released in July 1991 was one of their greatest achievements, receiving critical acclaim and becoming a commercial success – peaking at number five on Australian charts and penning greater maturity from their sound that combined elements from both psychedelic music and British punk rock influences.
Though already a well-established band, they wanted to further stretch themselves musically and hired Mitchell Froom from Elvis Costello and Del Fuegos fame; his longstanding working relationship with band members (particularly bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester – former members of Split Enz). Froom also developed strong rapport with Tim Finn – also former part of Split Enz.
It was an enormously successful album, featuring popular tracks like ‘Chocolate Cake’ and ‘Fall at Your Feet’ as well as their classic hit song ‘Something So Strong’ that would become popular both internationally as well as domestically – becoming popular throughout Australia, America and parts of Europe.
After finishing their tour for Temple of Low Men, Neil took some time off and spent it writing their third album. They recorded some material with Tim, who was both an established solo artist as well as former frontman for Split Enz; unfortunately though these songs were rejected by record companies so Neil asked Tim if he would allow them to use his songs instead – to which Tim agreed with one condition; that he join the band himself!
Their next album, Intriguer, was an even greater success, featuring more mature sound and lyrics that demonstrated greater sophistication than Woodface. Additionally, this was also the debut album to feature drummer Angus Stone who replaced Hester during this timeframe.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are beloved icons in power-pop music. Although short lived, they left two outstanding works behind: 1990’s Bellybutton and 1993’s Spilt Milk.
Andy Sturmer (lead vocals/drums) and Roger Joseph Manning Jr were the core of this band’s song writing talents; some even compare them with Lennon/McCartney – although this might seem ambitious given their incredible quality work.
Their debut album was an impressive blend of 1960s and 1970s influences, produced by Albhy Galuten (who had worked on many of the Bee Gees’ biggest hits). His masterful production filled their songs with intricate harmonies, lush string arrangements, and melodies that conjured Californian sunrises.
However, creative differences forced them apart. After leaving together for two decades on tour and recording various artists’ songs (Ringo Starr live support and Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander compositions among others), they also received interest from Tears for Fears and Curt Smith of Badfinger as they sought solo projects instead of band work.
Unfortunately, their run was cut short, yet both albums showcase their talent and creativity. Their impact on contemporary music is immense; unfortunately they were not able to achieve broad commercial success that could have elevated them into legendary status.
Jellyfish’s two albums demonstrate how it’s possible to successfully merge pop sensibilities and classic rock values to produce accessible and uplifting pieces of music. Jellyfish serves as an enduring reminder that greatness can be reached with hard work and an eye towards excellence; their refusal to compromise their artistic vision shows that there’s still room in the music industry for artists who refuse to follow rules set by corporate music execs – their impactful legacy lives on.
Queen
Queen is one of the greatest rock bands ever formed, boasting one of the greatest musical careers ever seen in rock history. They were led by underrated guitarist Brian May, but their greatest songs are led by charismatic front man Freddie Mercury who sang powerful lyrics that helped define 70s music scene; furthermore they influenced numerous contemporary artists across genres including Katy Perry and Faith Hill and Mastodon and Rob Zombie among many more.
Queen was formed in London in 1971 by drummer Roger Taylor, guitarist Brian May and singer Freddie Mercury. Prior to forming Queen, their musical projects had only had mild success; in 1974 however, their debut album Queen was released featuring Seven Seas of Rhye; shortly afterwards they released Sheer Heart Attack which featured Killer Queen – both albums were critical successes within the UK market.
With A Night at the Opera, Queen made their mark in America and achieved platinum record status. Bohemian Rhapsody proved especially popular and featured a mixture of rock, pop, and opera elements – rare for a single back then – which ran over five minutes long and featured its own video for an unprecedented rock genre debut.
Queen was able to push boundaries in their studio use of synthesizers. Their music combined classical instruments with rock instruments as well as new styles such as art rock and glam rock music. This was undoubtedly Queen’s most beloved and influential era; their influence could be felt around the globe.
As a result, Queen quickly rose to become one of the most influential groups in modern music history. They pioneered rock, pop and opera genres while remaining technically sophisticated bands throughout history; being the first group to combine classical piano with rock band music as well as famous for orchestration techniques.