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Independent Pop Music

In a broad sense, pop is any music based on memorable melodies, repeated sections - usually verses and choruses - and a tight, concise structure that keeps the listener's focus on those elements. In a narrower sense of the term, pop music covers mainstream music that does not fall into any more specialized style such as jazz or hip hop. In the broader sense, pop music means any sort of music intended for mass consumption and propagated over the radio and similar media.

Traditional pop is post-big band and pre-rock & roll pop music. Traditional pop drew from a repertoire of songs written by professional songwriters and were performed by a vocalist that was supported by either an orchestra or a small combo.

Emerging in the early '60s when the teen idol craze had begun to die down, what we now consider pop was a lighter, smoother, but similar alternative to rock. Mostly a singles medium, pop was influenced by the beat, arrangements, and style of rock and roll and was about professional craft, both in the songwriting and the studio production. It had little to do with the energy or attitude of rock.

As the '60s wore on, pop began to incorporate touches of psychedelia and blue-eyed soul; by the '70s, pop had mellowed substantially, thanks in part to the singer/songwriter movement and Bacharach's brand of smooth adult pop. Some of pop's biggest acts in the '60s included Herman's Hermits, the Four Seasons, the Association, the Rascals, the Righteous Brothers, and the Grass Roots. Other major figures of pop include composer Burt Bacharach, producer Phil Spector, and songwriting teams like Barry/Greenwich and Goffin/King. Major early-'70s pop figures included Carole King, the Carpenters, Barry Manilow and Gilbert O'Sullivan. More recent pop artists include the Backstreet Boys, InSync, Brittany Spears, and Avril Lavigne.

Independent Music From Independent Bands and Musicians