People often associate pop music with the top 40 hits heard on radio stations; however, this genre offers much more.
Music can be used to express feelings and tell tales from life’s experiences, with genres and styles catering to every taste.
1. Catchy melodies and hooks
Popular songs remain stuck in your head because they’re intended to be catchy and have something called earworm potential, meaning they replay in your brain until you can no longer help but sing along.
Pop songs have many components that combine to make them enjoyable, including strong vocal elements and catchy melodies that are easily repeated; additionally, they usually include an upbeat chorus that lasts three minutes or longer.
One of the key components of any pop song is its hook: an instantly memorable musical moment that stands out. This could include anything from rhythm or timbre to melody or lyrics – it’s this memorable element which makes hit songs stand out – Post Malone’s Rock Star has one such hook with its two-note melody repeated throughout, intended to be instantly catchy and easy for listeners to sing along with.
Dr Byron from UOW says a great pop song features multiple hooks to ensure its lasting impression, she states. However, it should be kept in mind that music is highly subjective, so what may resonate for one individual might pass right over another; something such as N Sync’s ‘Baby One More Time’ might stand out to some listeners but remain completely undetected by others.
Pop songs typically incorporate different hooks for every section to keep listeners engaged and create contrast, such as using different melodies in verse, pre-chorus and chorus or using an instrumental hook (such as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” keyboard riff) that stands out and creates contrast.
2. Earworm potential
Everybody’s experienced having a song stuck in their head that won’t leave, and scientists and musicians have long studied why this happens. Musicians and scientists alike have studied involuntary musical imagery (INMI). [vi]
One thing they have discovered is that earworms tend to be melodic, which has a significant influence on their persistence. Another important factor is they often seem incomplete – something similar to an unfinished thought process.
Researchers conducted a study published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts that polled thousands of people about their most persistent earworms. After analyzing each song individually to look for patterns, they discovered that musically sticky tunes typically feature fast tempos with catchy or repetitive melodies and specific intervals and repetitions such as leaps or repeated notes – they could predict with around 75% accuracy whether any given tune would become an earworm.
Researchers found that earworms tend to be popular songs and tend to possess higher emotional amplitude than normal music.[vii] Additionally, earworms tend to be less mellow due to being stuck in your brain for extended periods, demanding additional cognitive resources and contributing to positive memories than typical pop music songs.
However, researchers did not see much effect from lyrics or rhymes compared to melodies and rhythms; perhaps because humans don’t remember verbal fragments as effectively. However, scientists did discover that songs with repetitive slogans or rhyming phrases (known as “word worms”) tend to be less common than their musical counterparts.
3. Reliability
Contrasting other genres of music that tend to focus on specific subcultures and niche markets, pop is focused on making its songs accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Pop’s success can be partly attributed to its emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal “artistic” qualities – one reason it remains popular even today.
Pop music’s great advantage lies in its adaptability; no matter your situation or mood, there’s sure to be a pop song out there that captures all your feelings in short catchy songs that can easily be remembered.
Pop music often revolves around love, sex and dance – three hallmarks of happiness – as a celebration of life’s wonders that leave audiences yearning for more. You just can’t help singing along when hearing their tunes on the radio!
One of the more prominent elements in modern pop music is the drum machine. This device creates rhythmic beats for songs, commonly used in genres like dub-step and rap music. While drum machines may seem intrusive at first, their use actually enhances authentic song sound quality by adding another dimension of authenticity to songs.
Many people believe that the quality of pop music has declined over time, due in part to MTV and image-based pop culture’s rise. Musicians have become less focused on musical aspects of songs in favor of production value; this has lead to less harmonic complexity and tempo changes being introduced into pop music videos and images.
4. Visual appeal
One of the hallmarks of pop music’s appeal lies in its visual aspect. Music videos play an integral part of this genre and artists will often dress to impress in them in order to draw people in and draw out attention for themselves as artists, while showing off dance moves or other talents they possess as part of this medium.
Pop music is known for being fast-paced and upbeat, making it the ideal accompaniment for dancing at parties and clubs. Furthermore, its accessibility makes it a good choice for beginners who can quickly pick it up and begin their learning experience.
Pop music’s hallmark lies in its lyrics. Songwriters in this genre aim to craft songs with relatable themes that connect emotionally with listeners – from upbeat dance anthems to emotive ballads, there’s something special in pop music for everyone!
Pop music relies heavily on lyricism to bring its songs to life and connect with its listeners. Artists such as Ariana Grande are masters at this, creating vivid pictures with just a few words to capture emotions being conveyed in songs such as those that depict hotel rooms or how someone makes her feel.
Pop is also open to many different sounds and instruments, which is why musicians from around the world make pop music in their own unique style – from Beyonce to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu there’s never an end of options to enjoy when it comes to pop tunes!
5. Universality
Pop music may not always be appreciated by everyone, but there’s no denying its widespread appeal and wide generational reach.
Pop music has such widespread acceptance because it embodies so many of the major issues and topics facing modern society in a way that resonates with listeners. Pop songs typically address topics like love, sex, dance and the feeling of aliveness; the best ones can capture these sentiments into two to five minutes of pure sensory and emotional stimulation.
Pop songs’ lyrics might appear simplistic to some listeners, yet most can relate to them deeply. The best pop artists create universal appeal by covering topics such as heartbreak, loneliness and the sense of not belonging. Furthermore, these lyrics help build bonds between artists and audiences which add further appeal to their music.
Pop is so beloved because it is highly versatile; it fuses genres such as rock, dance, hip hop and punk seamlessly. This allows pop artists such as Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish to adapt with changing trends while staying relevant; recent years have seen artists draw upon southern hip-hop rhythms for inspiration when creating songs.
Pop music encompasses all the most beloved elements of modern culture, delivered in an accessible and relatable style for listeners across the world. While some might take issue with its commercialism and shallowness, pop has long been part of our musical landscape and cannot be avoided.