All crazy about Sanremo. But why? Because it is the celebration of the pop musicthe most popular and most popular genre. There history of pop music, a musical genre belonging to the set of popular musicThrough decades of cultural changes, technological innovations and artistic influences. The major representatives of this kind, from the Beatles to Michael Jackson, from Queen to Madonna and Britney Spears, not only redefined the music panoramabut they have become real cultural phenomenainfluencing fashions, tendencies and lifestyles.
As pop music was born: from the first contaminations in the 1920s to the Beatles
Let’s start by saying one thing immediately: pop is a genre difficult to circumscribebecause it shares many features with other genres from all over the globe, such as folk, rock and, subsequently, also with electronics and hip hop.
To trace precise boundaries and understand the genesis of pop music, it is necessary to return to First decades of the 1900s. In those years, popular music began to receive influences from the most popular musical genres: the folk, blues and the Rock ‘n’ roll. Artists like Robert Johnson in the blues, Woody Guthrie in folk, Louis Armstrong in jazz and iconic figures such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard In rock they laid the foundations for the development of what would become pop music.
The contaminations Among these styles they meant that popular music acquired distinctive characteristics: catchability, simplicity in language, use of melodies, stanz And Easily memorizable refrains, simple rhythm It is an unwanted music background, so much so that some songs have become real catchphrases. Thanks to these peculiarities, pop music begins to spread in a widespread way through the radiothe television he is discs.
Then they come to them: four guys from Liverpool with electric guitars, ready to change the music scene forever. Are the Beatles And with them pop music is no longer just a musical genre, but becomes a mass cultural phenomenon. Their songs, at least those of the first albums, deal with light themes like youth love: they are simple, melodic, catchy and remain in the lead.
In 60spop songs invade radio and television, conquering the young audience and adapting to the fashions of the moment. In fact, the Transistor portable radio They allow teenagers of developed countries to listen to music even outside the home, making pop music even more accessible. The increasingly widespread diffusion of television leads to the fact that pop stars must have a strong visual presence to get to the public.
Pop music over the years: from Abba to Michael Jackson
If the 60s were years of experimentation, in which the pops become more varied and contaminates with other genres, such as rock and disco music, with artists of the caliber of AbbaleThe decade par excellence of pop is one and only one: The 80s.
In recent years, pop music reaches an unprecedented level of popularity thanks to diffusion of MTVthe television channel that broadcast music video clips almost not stopping. The artists begin to give an even greater weight to the visual component he is video clip they become an essential element of musical success. Artists of the caliber of Michael Jackson, Madonna And Princewhich combine innovative sounds with spectacular choreography and a strong visual impact.
However, the contaminations with other genres: the dance pop and the funk popcarried out by Whitney Houston And Janet Jacksonmake the genre even more dynamic. Finally, the rap Start mixing with pop, marking the beginning of a fusion that will explode in the following decades.
In 90spop becomes even more varied and global. The Boy Band and the Girl Band dominate the scene, with groups such as Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls And Destiny’s Child. Latin America also left its mark with genres such as reggaeton, sauce, samba and tango, thanks to artists such as Shakira And Ricky Martin. The teen pop explodes with artists like Britney Spears And Christina Aguilerawhile pop merges with theR&B thanks to Mariah Carey. Also the pop-rock grows with Alanis Morissette And Green Daywhile rap and hip-hop approach more and more to the mainstream with artists such as Tupac, The Notorious Big And Eminem.
In 2000spop becomes more electronic and influenced by dance-pop and hip-hop. Artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna And Justin Timberlake They mix pop with R&B and urban rhythms.
Characteristics of pop songs
From this overview of the genre, we have understood that pop often merges to other sounds and styles, making it difficult to trace them defined. One of the key elements is the use of simple melodies And not very complex harmoniesthus favoring immediate and engaging listening. Pop songs generally have one Short or medium duration and follow a simple and fixed structure, alternating verse and refrainthe latter designed to be catchy and easily memorizable. The rhythms are often danceable and characterized by a regular timewhile the instrumental accompaniment is built in order to maintain a evident rhythmic consistency.
THE texts of modern pop songs often deal with universal themes such as theLove and relationships, making the genre even closer to daily experiences of the public.
