Is Pop Music Really So Simple?

Phantom Limb · 07-06-2011, 06:47 PM

I recently had an argument with a friend about what constitutes "Pop Music". He said that pop music must be simple, repetitive, easy to digest and very popular. I disagreed. I believe that pop music is a style, but is not necessarily popular or simple.

Quote:

Pop music (a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of "popular") is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented towards a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes. Pop music has absorbed influences from most other forms of popular music, but as a genre is particularly associated with the rock and roll and later rock style.

Quote:

Characteristics

Musicologists often identify the following characteristics as typical of the pop music genre:
an aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology[3]
an emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal "artistic" qualities[3]
an emphasis on recording, production, and technology, over live performance[10]
a tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments[10]
much pop music is intended to encourage dancing, or it uses dance-oriented beats or rhythms

-Wikipedia (Pop Music)

I have heard a lot of music that fits these characteristics and is not popular, but I don't have any solid examples of non-complicated, non-popular pop music. Anybody wanna help me out? That or tear apart my argument?

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 07-06-2011, 07:02 PM

The Vaselines are a good example of a pop group that aren't "popular". Check them out. I disagree with the idea that pop is "whatever is popular". To me that's a really shallow undersigning of just what it is.

Of course, if we're talking Western Popular Music (not to be confused with Pop as a genre) then Popular music isn't simple at all, as it umbrellas over jazz, metal, and a lot of ther very technical genres.

Ben Butler · 07-07-2011, 08:16 AM

Yes, it is any music that is popular and mainstream. It tends to be sold for the mass and comercial imperative and rarely covers anything that may have a serious message in it.

starrynight · 07-07-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Butler

Yes, it is any music that is popular and mainstream. It tends to be sold for the mass and comercial imperative and rarely covers anything that may have a serious message in it.

A lot of rock music is basically love songs too. And all music is made with an intent to be sold. And although you say what people call pop nowadays (big label chart music) is aimed at the masses the truth is many people of all ages don't like it too. And there is much pop that isn't well known and so can't sell as much as it doesn't get the same exposure.

Ben Butler · 07-08-2011, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starrynight

A lot of rock music is basically love songs too. And all music is made with an intent to be sold. And although you say what people call pop nowadays (big label chart music) is aimed at the masses the truth is many people of all ages don't like it too. And there is much pop that isn't well known and so can't sell as much as it doesn't get the same exposure.

Agree to a certain extent, not all music is made with the intent to sold. Some music is made for the love of it and for people who appreciate the music to share with them. These are the bands/artsists that don't go very far up the ladder and don't make a lot of money sady.

Pop isn't just chart music, it's anything that is mainstream and popular and that sells. The charts are generally for younger people, one of the only commercial media products that is aimed at precisely this age demographic.

starrynight · 07-06-2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abearmauledme

I recently had an argument with a friend about what constitutes "Pop Music". He said that pop music must be simple, repetitive, easy to digest and very popular. I disagreed. I believe that pop music is a style, but is not necessarily popular or simple.

-Wikipedia (Pop Music)

I totally agree with you. And I have argued here for a wider definition of pop, but nowadays most seem to want to limit it to big label chart music. Quite a lot of indie for example is actually pop. People used to have a much wider definition of pop and I think that was healthier.

Necromancer · 07-06-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abearmauledme

I recently had an argument with a friend about what constitutes "Pop Music". He said that pop music must be simple, repetitive, easy to digest and very popular. I disagreed. I believe that pop music is a style, but is not necessarily popular or simple.

Pop Music contains a number of sub-genres to choose from that constitutes musical versatility in the pop genre, Baroque pop, Bubblegum pop, Christian pop, Dance-pop, Electropop, Europop, Indie pop, Operatic pop, Power pop, Soundtrack, Sophisti-pop, Synthpop, Space age pop, Sunshine pop, Traditional pop, & Teen pop. And that's not holding into account the numerous Fusion Genres to choose from also like, Country pop, Disco, Dream pop, Jangle pop, Pop punk, Hip pop, Pop rock, Psychedelic pop, Technopop, & Urban pop.

There's a lot of different musical styles and versatility to consider in popular music.

starrynight · 07-06-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Necromancer

Pop Music contains a number of sub-genres to choose from that constitutes musical versatility in the pop genre, Baroque pop, Bubblegum pop, Christian pop, Dance-pop, Electropop, Europop, Indie pop, Operatic pop, Power pop, Soundtrack, Sophisti-pop, Synthpop, Space age pop, Sunshine pop, Traditional pop, & Teen pop. And that's not holding into account the numerous Fusion Genres to choose from also like, Country pop, Disco, Dream pop, Jangle pop, Pop punk, Hip pop, Pop rock, Psychedelic pop, Technopop, & Urban pop.

There's a lot of different musical styles and versatility to consider in popular music.

Yes I know, but most younger people don't see that now, they just look at it as big label chart music. If I say it isn't that on sites then my comments tend to just get ignored.

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 07-06-2011, 10:44 PM

This might sound over simplified, but isn't pop music what is most popular with the masses? Pop has changed by sound over time with synth pop in the 80's, r and b in the 90's and electronic pop music now.

starrynight · 07-06-2011, 11:30 PM

Not all pop music is famous, not all that is considered rock is obscure. Pop can be 'indie' and rock can be mainstream.

07-06-2011, 10:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
Scarlett O'Hara Make it so Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,775	This might sound over simplified, but isn't pop music what is most popular with the masses? Pop has changed by sound over time with synth pop in the 80's, r and b in the 90's and electronic pop music now. __________________ "Elph is truly an enfant terrible of the forum, bless and curse him" - Marie, Queen of Thots

07-06-2011, 11:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
starrynight Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 937	Not all pop music is famous, not all that is considered rock is obscure. Pop can be 'indie' and rock can be mainstream. __________________ non-cliquey member of every music forum I participate on

07-06-2011, 07:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	The Vaselines are a good example of a pop group that aren't "popular". Check them out. I disagree with the idea that pop is "whatever is popular". To me that's a really shallow undersigning of just what it is. Of course, if we're talking Western Popular Music (not to be confused with Pop as a genre) then Popular music isn't simple at all, as it umbrellas over jazz, metal, and a lot of ther very technical genres.

07-07-2011, 08:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ben Butler Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Rudheath Posts: 393	Yes, it is any music that is popular and mainstream. It tends to be sold for the mass and comercial imperative and rarely covers anything that may have a serious message in it.