History of Pop Music: from 1950 till Present Day - Term Paper Example

?Tin Vu Inserts English 111 (11, 11, History of Pop Music Introduction Pop music is a very famous genre of music which appeals to everyone, especially the younger generation. It is a kind of music that young people enjoy and it employs innovative techniques in song making. Pop music has a very rich history and its origins dates back to early 20th century. Pop is short form of ‘Popular’ and it refers to popular music that is enjoyed by the general public (The History of Pop Music, 1). In this paper we will be talking about the history of pop music and its evolution. All the major eras of pop music will be discussed and major bands and singers will be discussed. The aim is to better understand the history of the most popular music genre that appeals to everyone today. Also the new instruments that are commonly used in the creation of pop music will be discussed. History of Pop Music Pop music is defined as a form of music which is different from jazz and folk music (Hatch & Millward, 1). Pop music became famous in 1920s and its origin was influenced by other forms of music like country music, hillbilly, and blues (Hatch & Millward, 49). The change of technology was also a major reason of creation of the Pop genre as it gave an opportunity for the musicians to create a new kind of music. The most important thing that distinguishes pop music from other genres of music is its global reach. It is the only kind of music that does not caters to a particular class of population rather it appeals to everyone (Frith, Straw, & Street, 95). Pop music does not appeal to a sub culture or clan like country music rather it appeals to the general public. Pop music is also based on dance oriented beats or rhythms which differentiated it from other forms of music at the time of its origin (Warner, 3). In 1920s people used to listen to songs but dancing was not closely associated with music. Pop culture gave dancing a new life altogether and pop songs encouraged dancing. The beats of pop songs were also such that it made people groove and move with the songs. Lyrics of pop songs are also simple and they mostly represent the current themes like love and romance (Frith, Straw, & Street, 96). These songs do not explain past stories but current events are discussed. As pop music is aimed at a wider range of audience it cannot keep itself limited to any one theme therefore current and popular themes are found in pop songs which are simple to understand. We can divide the history of pop music into different decades. The first is the era before 1950s. In this era pop music came to the scene and the first pop starts made their presence felt all over the world. In the decade of 1950s many new development occurred and Elvis Presley made pop culture famous all over the world. This was the time when pop music became commercial and people started to follow music on a regular basis. In 1960s came the Beatles who changed the face of pop music forever. 1970s can be categorized as a post Beatle era although it was heavily inspired by Beatles. In 1980s and 1990s pop music became more commercial with music channels coming on the scene. All these periods including the post 2000 era will be discussed below. Before 1950s In 1930s and 1940s pop music became to emerge as a form of music all over the world. Especially in United States and United Kingdom people started to pay attention to a new trend that had a different tone altogether than the other popular forms of music. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra came on the scene of pop music and changed the face of music forever. Frank Sinatra is the first modern pop star to start the present day pop culture of fans running around pop stars (The History of Pop Music, 1). These people sold millions of albums and became the heartthrob of America. The one thing that this era gave to the world was the fan culture. Previously singers were considered artist who performed like other artists but they had little fan following. But all this changed when Frank Sinatra appeared on the scene of pop music. He was followed by fans all over United States and youth, especially young girls were attracted to him (The History of Pop Music, 1). 1940s was also the time of Second World War and people became bored of the war. This also encouraged pop music as people wanted something other than violence of wars to listen. Radio and electronic recorders were the devices that paved way for the popularity of pop music in 1930s and 40s (History of Popular Music, 1). These devices made pop songs available to the general public. Electronic recorders helped singers’ record songs in a better manner while radios made life easier for people. This is an important development in this era of pop music as technology helped shape a new pop culture. The Era of 1950s and Pop Music 1950s is best known as the time of Elvis Presley, an American singer that made his mark in the 1950s and 60s. The songs of Elvis Presley were mostly of Rock and Roll genre but still without his discussion no pop history can ever be complete. Elvis Presley, also known as The King, made music for the masses and was extremely successful in attracting them towards him. The fans of Elvis Presley were not less than 50 million as he was the singer, who introduced crowd as an important commodity in popular music (Weisbard, 158). In this era Television played a major role in development of pop music. The fact that song recordings were not the only way to earn money for singers played an important role in development of pop music. Many singers became to start their bands and sing, which gave strength to the overall pop culture. Singers started shoot videos and people got to hear different songs. Television was built in the 1930s but was not popular until 1950s due to war all over the world. In 1950s advertisement and commercial broadcasting started and this also helped pop music a lot. In 1950s music charts also came up and they changed the shape of all kinds of music (The History of Pop Music, 1). It was the first time when top 20 and top 40 songs were made available to listeners. This also have rise to teenagers which were not previously present, and this trend continued in the rest of the world as well (The History of Pop Music, 1). So 50s was the time when pop music made its way in the hearts and minds of people. The era of 1960s Beatles appeared on the scene in 1962 and a whole new pop culture came into existence. Beatles, a boy band from UK, revolutionized pop music by giving massive hits. The band is the best selling band of all time (Booth, 1). The music of Beatles was rock and pop in nature, but the band gave a new name to both of these genres. It must be said that Beatles changed many things about music. Firstly they came up with songs that had deeper meaning. Beatles also used to write their own material which was something new in 60s (The History of Pop Music, 1). Secondly they dominated the pop scene of 1960s like no other band had ever done before. The popularity of Beatles can also not be achieved by any band of today’s time. In this era many forms of music became famous like Rock n Roll, Rock and pop music. All kinds of music were appealing to the youth and songs became a part and parcel of everyday life. People started to see music as a profession and many youngsters started to buy guitars and play music. Band culture also became famous because previously singers were famous only but Beatles changed that. 1970s and 80s 1970s was marked by many new styles coming in the music industry. Country music was mixed with other styles like pop and rock music but there are no well known pop stars in these periods. During this period the world was still not out of the Beatles era even after their spilt up in 1970. Also in the 70s Salsa boom was underway which is said to be the most underappreciated legacy of American music (Weisbard, 91). Pop music was influenced by many people but no influence was similar to that of Michael Jackson. A musician from African American community made a mark on the stage of music and became the pop sensation of 1980s. The music of Michael Jackson was also influenced by many genres but it mainly had both funk rhythms that forced listeners to move and hard rock guitar. His songs became famous all over the world and the whole world started to worship him like a God. Madonna was another pop sensation of 1980s. She may be regarded as the most famous female singer of all time with her music extremely popular. Madonna also influenced a wide range of female pop singers and band with The Spice Girls one of them (Frith, Straw, & Street, 209). She also experimented with many kinds of music styles in order to cater to audience and that is why she contributed greatly to pop music. 1990s and Post 2000 Era In 1990s boy bands became to feature on the pop scene all over the world with bands like Backstreet Boys and East 17 (The History of Pop Music, 1). These bands developed light mode music and made pop music even more famous. In 1990s another trend was seen and that was the use of technology in development of sounds. Club mixes and other instruments were used to mix songs. Sophisticated instruments were used in this era to change the nature of songs. The use of technology became ever more famous with technology oriented studios recording and mixing songs. Songs were sold through tapes and computer software (Frith, Straw, & Street, 12). This made music a more commercial business than ever before. Post 2000 era has also made interesting development in the pop music genre. The latest sensation like Justin Beiber and Katy Perry are taking the pop music to new levels and music is becoming more and more commercial. Conclusion Pop music is a name given to popular music and it evolved over 50 years with many different styles. Pop music became a dominant force in 50s and 60s attracting wide range of audiences. It gave rise to many styles like R&B and Hard Rock. It also created music commercial and made it accessible to everyone around the globe. Pop music also gave birth to the pop culture that engulfed the world from 60s to present day. Works Cited Page Booth, Cathy. Paul at Fifty: Pail McCartney. Time Magazine, 1992. Web. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975715-2,00.html Frith, S., Straw, W., & Street, J. The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print Hatch, D., & Millward, S. From blues to rock: an analytical history of pop music. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print History of Popular Music. Media Know All Website, 2011. Web. http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/keyconceptsgcse/medforms/medforms.php?pageID=music The History of Pop Music. Shine Musical School, 2011. Web. http://www.shinemusic.com.au/musicresources/history-of-pop-music.aspx Weisbard, E. Listen again: a momentary history of pop music. London: Duke University Press, 2007. Print Read More