I think 'pop' was started as a derogatory term used by classical and jazz fans so they could dissociate their own music from it. Like 'Music with no depth that satiates the unwashed masses and their plebian aesthetic'.

Since then it's evolved more to mean a genre -- the one that's usually the most popular. It's usually defined by having memorable hooks and happy, easily digestable meldies. It's still used in snobbish way sometimes, but it's also used descriptively to communicate the happy melodies and memorable hooks.

In actuality, Pop is not a genre in itself. It just classifies the most "accessible" parts of the current most popular genre.

Popular

...if people are buying it because it's the thing right now, it's pop. So almost totally it's complete tits/cocks and shite lyriced drivel packaged for the sheepy masses which they eat up because they hate having to think about art. People are stupid.

For me, pop is stuff that really doesn't have a home outside of the Top 40 charts. Like Britney, Kelly, the Backstreet Boys.

There's stuff I like that's broken into the Top 40 charts, but I wouldn't necessarily call it pop. For intance, I wouldn't call Metallica pop.

The definition of “pop” music is subjective… and can get a little confusing if you think about it too much... so to keep it simple, I won’t think too much in my explanation. ;-)

Pop music, to me, is any form of music that’s popularity can be mostly attributed to successful marketing.

…which is why it’s typically aimed at the younger crowds, as they have the most disposable income and are willing to part with their money based on a suggested ideal more easily.

Basically, pop music is about money… rather than the music itself.

You could suggest that any band/artist who market themselves for mass appeal are pop.

As much as there is division between rock, hip hop, alternative, urban, dance, punk etc all of these acts use the same methods to sell their music and we are blugeoned to death with it every time we turn on the radio.

Pop has little to do with how music 'sounds'.
I see little difference between marketing strategies employed by Robbie Williams and System of A Down. They both enetered the market willingly.

Fugazi escape the term. I can think of many others, but Fugazi are a good example of a band who exist on their own terms, outside of mainstream industry.

Classical artists have made a few laughable attempts to be pop - it doesn't work. Jazz rarely scores a hit. Metal? That is used BIG TIME in pop music. It is one of the biggest selling mediums as are punk and rap.

Pop is about finding a target audience (usually youth-based) and exploiting it to the maximum until you're on every magazine cover, TV station and radio broadcast. If it's on MTV, it's pop.

It's not to say all the music is bad, just that the marketing strategy is ruthless.

Pop is onomatopoeia, representing the sound of that fat corporate cock sliding in and out of its performers' mouths. (This is why they all have to lip synch and can't write any original music or words. It's a full time job keeping the wheels of the shit factory greased)

I think that's a little too cynical.

Pop has produced some wonderful chart-terrorists. People who were out to make a quick buck and very honest about the whole thing. I found them entertaining.

Check out KLF, Sigue Sigue Sputnick, Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, The Sex Pistols, Fun Loving Criminals, Sparks, Bonzo Dog Doodah band, Helen Love, The Wonderstuff, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Carter USM, Prodigy etc, etc (I could go on all night)

All these bands made excellent pop music. They didn't pretend for a second that they weren't in it for the money, so when they made a killing you loved them even more. It was even better to see the looks on the faces of TV presenters who 'just didn't get it'.

^^^ I was just referring to North American pop. The UK has a much more open mind. I like how they consume music. The KLF was not pop here. It was raver underground.

quote:

Originally posted by Filmore Mescalito Holmes:
Pop is onomatopoeia, representing the sound of that fat corporate cock sliding in and out of its performers' mouths. (This is why they all have to lip synch and can't write any original music or words. It's a full time job keeping the wheels of the shit factory greased)

Blimy, onomatopoeia eh? Havn't heard that word since my A-leval English (never seen it used quite like that before though)!

Although Pop is technically an abbreviation of popular i don't think music should be classified as pop just because it sells well. Can we classify Radioheads "Kid A" as pop because it went to no1 in the charts?
Pop doesn't have a "sound"; It isn't a genre as, for example, Reggie or Rock are. Moreover, pop is any song from any genre of music that is catchy and heavilly produced. So, Abba and the Backstreet boys are pop yet so is Nivanas "Nevermind" album.