What is 'pop' music exactly?

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Since at least the late 1990s, it's been hip to hate on pop music, to the point that hating pop music in some ways has become the new mainstream.

What is pop though? When people say 'pop' I get the idea that they tend to mean Top 40 music from the past 15 years, the stuff that's been commercially successful and is not rock or straight up hip hop (some hip hop would count as pop though) since 1997 or at least 2000.

To me that's quite a bit different from what I personally consider pop - music that emphasizes melody, hooks, easy listening and is often punchy. The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, Phil Collins, ELO, Beach Boys, ABBA, they are all pop to me. I certainly wouldn't consider any of those bands bad at all, quite the contrary.

What would you personally consider pop music? Simply contemporary music that is whored on 21st-century radio, regardless of the genre more or less, or music that focuses on being catchy?

And do you think songs that are catchy, modern or popular are inherently inferior to music that is old, avant garde, or lyrically oriented?

I love pop , and I hate rock snobs .

The prevelant definition of pop is as confusing and wrong as you are saying it is. So there's not much to add there. Someone might elaborate on it, but not much to add.

Usually it's popular soft rock and R&B music.

Then why call it Pop instead of soft rock or R&B?
Plus, ABBA is neither soft rock nor R&B.

Michael Jackson is R&B music, and his nickname was the "King of Pop".

It's called 'pop' because it makes you pop out whenever you hear it.

Teen troll alert

Pop is music that is popular. My main favorite Genres of music is Mainstream Pop, Latin Pop and world music. I am very tolerant with all music genres, unless they do not spread religious and racial hate.

Pop = Popular

Pop music is the best! I love pop! Just not usually American pop that's come out in the last 10 years.

I have a hard time defining pop music, really, I feel like in Europe and the rest of the world, it's much more clearcut, but meanwhile in America, it seems like certain rap songs will be "pop" then certain rock songs will be "pop" and it becomes a really syncretic weird music. Whereas I think in Europe and whatnot, it's a much more clear distinguish between who's pop music, and who's not.

So I can't tell you what exactly is and is not pop music, but that's my opinion on American pop.

Also, yes, I don't quite get why everyone hates on pop music. Like everything you listen to has to be some deep thoughtful composition about the state of the world and politics and your deep dark inner anger or something.

I like some artists that are labeled under "Pop." I guess it could just be kind of like a mix of genres that can't really be defined.

It's today's "Pop" music that I'm skeptical about. It all sounds the same, no variety.

popular music?

I think the wikipedia entry on pop music is fairly accurate to my conception. Summary: Lacking in artistic depth, pleasurable to listen to, and desires to appeal to a mass audience.

For instance Chumbawamba's 'Tubthumping', is pop music to me, although other tracks by them such as 'Homophobia' or 'Mouthful of s**t', I do not consider as pop.