What Is Popular Music?
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Introduction - What Is Popular Music? Popular Music refers to the kind of music that appeals to the general public, unlike Highbrow or Classical. It places a premium on accessibility, employs various means to boost both instant appeal and memorability - distinctive syncopation, novel instrumental flourishes, danceable rhythms, repeated riffs - but its signal feature is melodic emphasis. It has now since diversified to such an extent that it is now most easily defined in terms of its market. Popular Music 1950 - 1998 At the end of World War II in the U.S., White middle class fears of communism and a new independent - minded Black society emerged simultaneously. Since they both threatened the status quo, any cross-cultural performance took on the appearance of being subversive. The songs of the early fifties reflected this and generally had light melodies, sweet lyrics and wholesome singers. Innocent and inoffensive "feel-good" tunes, performed by...


