The history of pop music is less than a century old. Pop music appeared in 1926, but not out of nothing, of course. Most likely it was formed out of folk songs and folk music. The term itself is a short consignation for a words combination “popular music”.
It is believed that the main features of pop music are simplicity and melodiousness. Lyrics of pop songs always tell us about something personal: love, loneliness, suffer, tears, hate, inspiration, happiness… The majority of such songs consist of couplet and chorus. But still the main role is played by the voice, and the tune itself is considered to be the background. Probably if it was vice-versa the quality of pop music would be much higher. However things haven’t been this way from the very beginning – pop songs were much more tuneful within the first several decades. Pop music usually possess a good rhythm since most of its modern hits are written for dancing and not for listening on a sofa. The average duration of such songs is approximately 4 minutes.
As we’ve aleady mentioned these songs are devoted to something personal: love, various emotions, shopping, dancing, painting, sadness or gladness. As a rule each pop star has a dozen of dancers, make-up artists, managers and other very cunning characters in his / her team. The more such professionals are there the higher the status of a star.
Now pop music plays a dominant role in the world music industry. Its leadership has begun in sixties and was ten years later affirmed by such giants as ABBA, Boney M, etc. And they still have an army of fans.
No doubt that each pop legend, such as Jackson, Madonna and Houston has influenced greatly the way popular music is performed nowadays. However for example R&B would still have appeared and become extremely popular even if any of these singer had never existed. Since it is rhythmical, tuneful and beautifully presented genre.
Modern pop music development has certainly been affected by the singers themselves. Their performancw manner, their love life, their interviews to newspapers and their photo sessions for glossy magazines. Many people like pop music only because they need to have an idol, they need to love someone who is perfect, powerful and unreachable, they unconsciously try to build and alternative reality to that they actually live in. And in this connection the more attractive the star is, the more beautiful voice he / she has, the more heartfelt words he / she sings, the greater extent is, to which he/ becomes arbiter of fashion in pop music.