 Popular music literally means

“music of the populace,” similar

to traditional folk music of the
past.
 generally consisted of music for
entertainment of large numbers
of people, whether on radio or
in live performances.
 originated as an expressive
folksong in narrative verse with
text dealing typically about
love.
 The word is derived both from
the medieval French “chanson
balladee” and “ballade” which
refers to a dancing song.
Today, the term ballad now refers to a love
song in a slightly pop or rock style, with the
following characteristics:
1. Blues Ballads
• This is a fusion of Anglo-American and
Afro-American styles from the 19th century
• deals with the anti-heroes resisting
authority.
• The form emphasizes the character of the
performer more than the narrative content,
and is accompanied by the banjo or guitar.
2. Pop Standard and Jazz Ballads
• a blues style built from a single
verse of 16 bars ending on the
dominant or half-cadence,
followed by a refrain/chorus part
of 16 or 32 bars in AABA form. The
B section acts as the bridge, and
the piece normally ends with a
brief coda.
3. Pop and Rock Ballads
• an emotional love song with
suggestions of folk music, as in
the Beatles’ composition “The
Ballad of John and Yoko”and Billy
Joel’s “The Ballad of Billy.”
• This style is sometimes applied
to strophic story-songs, such as
Don McLean’s “American Pie.”
 the term “standard” is used to denote
the most popular and enduring songs
from a particular genre or style
 Its style is mostly in a slow or
moderate tempo with a relaxed mood.
 It also features highly singable
melodies within the range and
technical capacity of the everyday
listener.
Among the foremost
proponents of this style was
Frank Sinatra, also known as
“Ol Blue Eyes,” “Chairman of
the Board,” or “The Voice.”
His genre was categorized
as traditional pop and jazz.
He was a successful singer,
actor, producer, director,
and conductor. His hit
singles include My Way and
Strangers in the Night.
• Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular
musical fame to his soothing baritone voice, which he used to
perform in big band, vocal jazz, swing. traditional pop, and jump
blues genres.
• He was the first black American to host his own television show
and maintained worldwide popularity over 40 years past his death.
• He is widely considered “one of the most important musical
personalities in United States history.”
• His hit songs include Unforgettable, Mona Lisa, and Too Young.
• an English singer who became one of the most
popular entertainers in the international music
scene during the 1960s.
• Among his hit singles included Portrait of My Love,
Softly as I Leave You, the James bond theme From
Russia with Love, Born Free, which became his
signature song, and Walk Away.
 was a hugely popular song form in the
United States during the late 1940’s to the
1950’s.
 It combined Afro-American forms such as
the blues, jump blues, jazz, and gospel
music with the Western swing and country
music.
 The lead instruments were the piano and
saxophone, but these were eventually
replaced by modern instruments.
 The greatest exponent of the rock and roll style was the
legendary ELVIS PRESLEY.
His hit songs such as Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede
Shoeswere complemented by his good looks and elaborate
movements that included hugging the microphone as he sang.
 whose compositions further boosted rock and roll as the
favorite genre of the times. Examples of The Beatles’ songs in
this genre are I Saw Her Standing There, Get Back, While My
Guitar Gently Weeps, Rock and Roll Music, and Ticket to Ride.
 was a hugely popular song form in the
United States during the late 1940’s to the
1950’s.
 It combined Afro-American forms such as
the blues, jump blues, jazz, and gospel
music with the Western swing and country
music.
 The lead instruments were the piano and
saxophone, but these were eventually
replaced by modern instruments.
 (1940-1980)
• was an English musician, singer, performer,
songwriter and co-songwriter. He was born and
raised in Liverpool, England. He rose to
worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock
band The Beatles, which was considered as “the
most commercially successful band in the history of
popular music.”
• Lennon formed as songwriting partnership with Paul
McCartney, which is considered as “one of the most
celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th
century
 (1942- )

• is an English singer, songwriter, multi-

instrumentalist, co-writer, and composer. Paul
gained worldwide popularity and fame as a member
of The Beatles, which included John Lennon, George
Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
• Beatles was one of the most influential groups in the
history of pop music.
 The 1970s saw the rise of another
form of pop music known as “disco.”
 pertained to rock music that was more
danceable, thus leading to the
establishment of venues for public
dancing also called discos.
 The term originated from the French
word “discotheque” which means a
library for phonograph records.
 Famous figures of the disco genre include ABBA,
Donna Summer (“The Queen of Disco”), The Bee Gees;
Earth, Wind, and Fire; KC and the Sunshine Band;
The Village People; and Gloria Gaynor, bringing us
such hits as Dancing Queen, Stayin’ Alive, Boogie
Wonderland, and Hot Stuff.
 Parallel with the disco era, other pop
music superstars continued to emerge.
Among them were Neil Sedaka (Laughter in
the Rain), Diana Ross and the Supremes (Stop
in the Name of Love), Olivia Newton John
(Hopelessly Devoted to You), Stevie Wonder
(You Are the Sunshine of My Life), Elton John
(Skyline Pigeon),The Carpenters (We’ve Only
Just Begun), and Barry Manilow (Mandy).
 Pop superstars in more recent years include
solo artists Celine Dion (My Heart Will Go
On),Madonna (Material Girl), Whitney Houston (I Will
Always Love You), Mariah Carey (Hero), Justin
Timberlake (Justified),Britney Spears(Oops, I Did It
Again), Beyonce (Irreplaceable), Lady Gaga (Bad
Romance), and Bruno Mars(Just The Way You Are); as
well as vocal groups such as Boyz II Men (Four
Seasons of Loneliness), The Backstreet Boys (I Want It
That Way), N’Sync (This I Promise You), Destiny’s
Child (Survivor), among many others.
 Michael Jackson
• “The King of Pop”
• Perhaps the most popular solo
performer of all time is Michael Joseph
Jackson who was born on August 29,
1958 and died on June 25, 2009. He
was an American recording artist,
entertainer, singer-songwriter, record
producer, musical arranger, dancer,
choreographer, actor, businessman,
and philanthropist.
 Today’s Pop Music Idols
As the 21st century continues to unfold, more and
more pop groups emerge spanning an entire
range of musical styles and genres.
• There are music groups like Black Eyed Peas, K
Pop (Korean), My Chemical Romance, Fall Out
Boys, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Souja
Boy, Train, Maroon 5, and One Direction.
• While solo performers include Adele, Taylor
Swift, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ariana
Grande, Justin Beiber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry,
Nikki Minaj, Selena Gomez, and others.
 HIP HOP AND RAP
• Hip hop music is a stylized, highly rhythmic type of
music that usually (but not always) includes
portions of rhythmically chanted words called
“rap.”
• In rapping, the artist speaks along with an
instrumental or synthesized beat.
• It has since evolved into a subculture that
encompasses music (rapping, DJing, scratching,
and beatboxing); a nearly acrobatic style of
dancing, called break dancing; a distinct manner of
dress; and graffiti-style artwork.
 Alternative music
• was an underground independent form of music
that arose in the 1980’s.
• It became widely popular in the 1990’s as a way to
defy “mainstream” rock music.
• Thus, it was known for its unconventional practices
such as distorted guitar sounds, oppressive lyrics,
and defiant attitudes.
• It was also characterized by high energy levels that
bred new styles such as new wave, punk rock,
post-punk, indie rock, gothic rock, jangle pop,
noise pop, C86, Madchester, Industrial Rock, and
Shoegazing. Examples of alternative music are You
Belong with Me, Shake It Off.