What Is Pop Music?
- KVRAF
- 7001 posts since 20 Mar, 2012 from Babbleon
What is your idea of great pop music? Does it have to be music that made it big? Could it be something you think the masses might like given "world-wide" exposure?
My idea of great pop music is, or something like, Twisterella by the band Ride. I'm not sure if they were ever big but if I wrote Twisterella I would think to myself "I succeeded, I wrote a great pop song". Would I be wrong?
Edit: I guess what I'm actually asking is... assuming that the bands that I/you like are not considered pop, could they become pop if the whole world heard them (used in a blockbuster film or something)? Or are some music never ever going to be pop no matter if the whole world heard it? Too simple, too complex?
And is the key to making great music just doing the opposite of what pop music does, whatever that is? If pop music is inherently stupid (as asked in another thread) then how come the Ramones are not super-popular? How come a lot of stupid music (if they really are that) are not popular? Is it possible that the Ramones music is not actually stupid? Or are the Ramones actually popular, or even super-popular? Or if the Ramones are actually popular... did they just slowly became popular (as opposed to super-popular) over decades of gradual exposure?
Is it all just a matter of exposure or is making instantly successful pop music more complex than that? Intelligent design perhaps? Or maybe no one knows the answers and pop music just happens?
My idea of great pop music is, or something like, Twisterella by the band Ride. I'm not sure if they were ever big but if I wrote Twisterella I would think to myself "I succeeded, I wrote a great pop song". Would I be wrong?
Edit: I guess what I'm actually asking is... assuming that the bands that I/you like are not considered pop, could they become pop if the whole world heard them (used in a blockbuster film or something)? Or are some music never ever going to be pop no matter if the whole world heard it? Too simple, too complex?
And is the key to making great music just doing the opposite of what pop music does, whatever that is? If pop music is inherently stupid (as asked in another thread) then how come the Ramones are not super-popular? How come a lot of stupid music (if they really are that) are not popular? Is it possible that the Ramones music is not actually stupid? Or are the Ramones actually popular, or even super-popular? Or if the Ramones are actually popular... did they just slowly became popular (as opposed to super-popular) over decades of gradual exposure?
Is it all just a matter of exposure or is making instantly successful pop music more complex than that? Intelligent design perhaps? Or maybe no one knows the answers and pop music just happens?
Last edited by harryupbabble on Fri Oct 23, 2015 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- KVRAF
- 2110 posts since 5 Oct, 2015 from Swedish / Living in Hong Kong
Pop Music, or Popular Music, is Music that is popular ..i Think, but i am not 100% sure..lol 
Win 10 -64bit, CPU i7-7700K, 32Gb, Focusrite 2i2, FL-studio 20, Studio One 4, Reason 10
- KVRAF
- 3878 posts since 28 Jun, 2009 from Wherever I lay my hat
Pop music used to be defined as popular music, meaning that it had succeeded in reaching a certain number of peeps. Peep pop. My own definition of this was: if my mom's heard of it, it's pop.
But nowadays, it's used for music that's appealing, or designed to appeal to a wide audience. It's used as both a derogatory term ("Philip Glass is too pop for me") and as praise ("Mastodon's music has changed for the better ever since they've incorporated pop melodies into their brand of progressive sludge metal").
So it doesn't hinge on success necessarily.
Those quotes are not mine, by the way.
But nowadays, it's used for music that's appealing, or designed to appeal to a wide audience. It's used as both a derogatory term ("Philip Glass is too pop for me") and as praise ("Mastodon's music has changed for the better ever since they've incorporated pop melodies into their brand of progressive sludge metal").
So it doesn't hinge on success necessarily.
Those quotes are not mine, by the way.
- KVRAF
- 25849 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
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SuitcaseOfLizards SuitcaseOfLizards https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2363
- KVRAF
- 10879 posts since 3 Apr, 2002 from Austin, TX USA
Pop music is what I listen to while I drink diet Coke. 
Bandcamp: https://suitcaseoflizards.bandcamp.com/
Linux Mint, Waveform 13 Pro, U-He synths, Audio Damage effects,.
Linux Mint, Waveform 13 Pro, U-He synths, Audio Damage effects,.
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7001 posts since 20 Mar, 2012 from Babbleon
As in soda. Didn't get the humour at first. The diet part threw me off. I've always thought of diet Coke as fake Coke. I thought you were equating pop music to fake music.SyntheticAurality wrote:Pop music is what I listen to while I drink diet Coke.
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SuitcaseOfLizards SuitcaseOfLizards https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2363
- KVRAF
- 10879 posts since 3 Apr, 2002 from Austin, TX USA
I regard *some* pop music as "fake" as in "overly formulaic", for the most part I consider it "flavor of the instant".harryupbabble wrote:As in soda. Didn't get the humour at first. The diet part threw me off. I've always thought of diet Coke as fake Coke. I thought you were equating pop music to fake music.SyntheticAurality wrote:Pop music is what I listen to while I drink diet Coke.
Sorry about being confusing...
Bandcamp: https://suitcaseoflizards.bandcamp.com/
Linux Mint, Waveform 13 Pro, U-He synths, Audio Damage effects,.
Linux Mint, Waveform 13 Pro, U-He synths, Audio Damage effects,.
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- Banned
- 12367 posts since 30 Apr, 2002 from i might peeramid
it is whatever we're told it is.
you come and go, you come and go. amitabha neither a follower nor a leader be tagore "where roads are made i lose my way" where there is certainty, consideration is absent.
- KVRian
- 719 posts since 17 Aug, 2015 from Finland
Yep, pretty much.xoxos wrote:it is whatever we're told it is.
My solo projects:
Hekkräiser (experimental) | MFG38 (electronic/soundtrack) | The Santtu Pesonen Project (metal/prog)
Hekkräiser (experimental) | MFG38 (electronic/soundtrack) | The Santtu Pesonen Project (metal/prog)
- KVRAF
- 9091 posts since 28 May, 2005 from Netherneverlands
It used to be like Madonna, Michael Jackson, George Michael, that kind of stuff powered with clips on MTV. In recent times, I have no idea 
No band limits, aliasing is the noise of freedom!
- KVRAF
- 25849 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
Pop Music is paying €50+ for CD's from the 80's
Pop Music is worshipping Huey Lewis & The News as seen in American Psycho
Hip to be square
Pop Music is worshipping Huey Lewis & The News as seen in American Psycho
Hip to be square
- KVRAF
- 1794 posts since 9 Apr, 2011
I initially wanted to say "it's pop if it's popular" but I guess that's not strictly true. I wouldn't call classic rock pop even though it's popular. I guess a better definition is "it's pop if it stylistically reflects what's popular at the moment." That's how you can have "indie pop" like Halsey or St. Vincent, who aren't wildly popular (yet) but have stylistically similarities to some artists who are.
"musician."
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7001 posts since 20 Mar, 2012 from Babbleon
Hey, I like your answer. You got any video links for Halsey or St Vincent? I would check them out at YouTube but I think it's best to give example(s) of the particular song(s) because some bands can be diverse with their compositions (meaning they can be poppy, rocky, alternativy, etc). Which song(s) of Halsey or St. Vincent are poppy to you? I really want to know what are people's definition of pop music is. It's a "learn" thing.nineofkings wrote:I initially wanted to say "it's pop if it's popular" but I guess that's not strictly true. I wouldn't call classic rock pop even though it's popular. I guess a better definition is "it's pop if it stylistically reflects what's popular at the moment." That's how you can have "indie pop" like Halsey or St. Vincent, who aren't wildly popular (yet) but have stylistically similarities to some artists who are.