Pop music has evolved considerably throughout its history, yet certain core components such as conciseness and hooks remain constant. Pop musicians frequently become larger-than-life icons who influence fashion trends and even change societal norms.
The British Invasion in the 1960s gave us iconic pop artists like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, while also ushering in new genres such as funk, disco and synthesizers into music culture.
Jazz
Jazz was one of the first genres of music to reach a mass audience. Beginning as solo piano music played at New Orleans sporting houses and small-combo dance music on riverboats for dancers in ballrooms, it quickly spread throughout America and beyond via riverboat transport – its improvisational elements appealing to all classes, cultures and nations – its distinctive sound has since inspired other musical forms around the globe.
Benny Goodman made waves during the 1940s by incorporating jazz techniques into big band white swing style; this genre mixed heavy rhythm with improvised solos and proved immensely popular. His success inspired many majorliners including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Doris Day to join in and emulate this approach to singing big band white swing music.
Jazz and blues music was transformed into rock ‘n’ roll by mixing electric guitars with gospel handclaps, boogie woogie, and an emphasis on backbeat. This gave rise to artists such as Muddy Waters and Ike Turner; later bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones helped drive its spread, leading to what is known as the British Invasion in the 1960s.
In the 1970s, disco and funk brought new sounds to popular music with synthesizers, drum machines, reverberating vocals, synthesizers and drum machines all becoming standard features of pop. Pop icons such as ABBA and Michael Jackson became international superstars; by 1990s rap and hip hop were taking over while boy bands like Britney Spears offered more diversity to popular music.
Blues
Blues music emerged during the late 1860s in the Deep South of the United States, drawing influence from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, and simple narrative ballads from African-American culture. Its hallmark elements include call-and-response patterns, chord progressions with flattened notes called blues notes.
The Blues originated with African-American performers performing at nightclubs and juke joints. W. C. Handy began recording African-American musicians, leading to wider exposure. By 1920s’ end, its influence had spread beyond African American communities to become part of America’s popular culture.
As African-Americans began migrating from rural to urban areas, blues developed into a more sophisticated musical form. Lyrically it focused more on urban themes while simultaneously incorporating jazz and swing styles; furthermore it helped give rise to early rock and roll music forms.
The Blues is a rhythmic 12-bar structure with four beats in each bar of its 12-bar format. Accompanying this rhythm are bass and drum accompaniment, creating its signature sound. Influences for its development come from various musical genres including jazz, rock and roll, rap, punk and R&B music styles; its 12-bar format makes adapting easily to new musical genres; this has led modern artists like Jimmy Hendrix crediting its influence for inspiring them to create their own styles of music.
Rock
Rock music evolved out of jazz and blues music genres by adding rhythmic tones to it, leading to one of the greatest revolutions in pop music history. Musicians began tinkering with musical styles by adding elements like dominant seventh chords that had previously only been associated with jazz or blues genres; further speeding this change were groups like The Beatles and Rolling Stones leading to what came to be known as The British Invasion of America.
Genre expanded as artists embraced themes such as sex, rebellion and drugs in their music. Bands such as Led Zeppelin gave rock a darker tone by giving birth to hard rock or heavy metal music genre. Rock also gained popularity across Europe with groups like The Jam, Madness and UB40 being well-known acts from there.
In the 1990s, pop took on an electronic sound. Real instruments were replaced with synthesizers and drum machines while singers found inspiration from R&B, funk, and dance music – with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion becoming widely renowned acts during this era.
In the 2000s, pop continued its rapid evolution as artists such as Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne and The Killers explored new sounds and styles that resonated with young audiences. Furthermore, garage rock, post-punk and new wave music emerged during this decade as well.
R&B
R&B music has long been an integral part of American popular culture. From romantic movie soundtracks to the pump-up songs found at dance clubs, R&B has become a standard part of life. More than just genre, R&B transcends musical genres to influence fashion, film and social movements with its stylish aesthetics and iconic performers making R&B an integral component of life today.
R&B music emerged after World War II as a form of black identity and entertainment. Its development coincided with the growth of African American communities in cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia; its roots include elements from blues, jazz and gospel influences as well as African American church music and doo-wop influences. Early R&B included piano trios featuring vocal harmonies in a doo-wop style as well as rhythm and horn sections for rhythm, eventually merging into Rock ‘n’ Roll genre!
In the 1960s, artists like Sam Cooke and Etta James refined their sounds. Motown Records produced commercially polished R&B featuring glamorous singers with propulsive rhythm sections like Motown or Stax Records produced. Isaac Hayes and Reverend Al Green later mixed church music, African rhythms, expanded instrumentation into R&B to produce funk and disco; by 1980 R&B was becoming more detached from rock music; by 1990 Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey had made R&B more pop orientated by emphasizing their virtuosic singing skills.
Hip-Hop
Hip hop was at the core of a cultural revolution. Redefining old forms, it revolutionized music, dance and language to express the aspirations of an entire generation. Hip hop’s influence reverberated across society in terms of art, fashion, community outreach and even politics.
Hip hop’s roots can be traced back to 1970s New York City, when African American youth mixed with immigrants and children of immigrants from Jamaica. Young people began playing rhythm- and beat-driven music at house parties, parks, and public gatherings, with participants contributing vocal samples influenced by scat singing that rhymed. Furthermore, they added scratching effects into their mix.
Rappers quickly developed their own styles, with some of the most notable artists including Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, 2 Live Crew, Dr. Dre, MC Hammer, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg and N.W.A emerging as pioneers of Gangster Rap. Gangster Rap specialized in using real life sounds such as gunshots, sirens, street cries and political speeches in its music videos and songs.
By the 1990s, hip hop had established itself as an influential pop genre that had even influenced other popular genres like rock and R&B. Furthermore, its influence extended worldwide via music as well as other aspects of society; numerous rappers became successful film and TV actors due to hip hop’s global reach.
Pop
Pop music (popular music in short) is one of the most mainstream musical genres. Record companies use marketing campaigns geared at teenagers and kids to market this genre, which originated with recording technology at its inception early in the 20th century allowing musicians to release songs more widely; soon afterwards professional songwriters emerged in New York and London writing songs specifically tailored for commercial purposes – creating “Tin Pan Alley”, writing catchy melodies with easy singalong choruses at cheap prices to satisfy public demand for catchy melodies with catchy melodies that appealed to teens and kids alike!
Rock music went through numerous changes during its journey from pop to hard rock and then disco and rock funk, which fused rock with soul, samba, jazz and r&b influences. Finally, in the 1970s synthesizers and digital drums created an entirely new genre – dance music and electronic rock were two such examples of popular musical expression.
By the 1990s, pop had reached its zenith, with R&B artists like Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child and Boyz II Men becoming massively successful manufactured stars. Cher, a-ha and Madonna became female acts with mass appeal; male artists including U2, Michael Bolton and Bryan Adams reached heights of popularity as well.