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popular music
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The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964; Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon sing and play guitars at the front, with Ringo Starr on drums in the back. Map of the Blues Highway, U.S. Route 61, marked in pink with music note icons highlighting key blues cities, including off-route cities like Chicago and Nashville. Elvis Presley in a black leather outfit singing into a microphone on stage during the 1968 Comeback Special, with seated audience members behind him. Lady Gaga poses in a form-fitting black dress with long platinum blonde hair and bold makeup at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills. Kendrick Lamar performs on stage atop a police car with flashing lights, singing into a microphone, during the 2015 BET Awards.
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British musical group Culture Club on the set of the "Karma Chameleon" video, 1983; (left to right) Roy Hay, Jon Moss, Boy George and Mikey Craig.
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Scattered vinyl records 45s. (music)
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(Left) Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez) perform during the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards and Show at the Bank United Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida on April 27, 2017. (music)
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Young girl wearing a demin jacket playing the trumpet (child, musical instruments, Asian ethnicity)
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USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
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The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964; Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon sing and play guitars at the front, with Ringo Starr on drums in the back.
The Beatles British rock group the Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964: (clockwise from top) Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney.

popular music

Also known as: pop music
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

popular music, any commercially oriented music principally intended to be received and appreciated by a wide audience, generally in literate, technologically advanced societies dominated by urban culture. Unlike traditional folk music, popular music is written by known individuals, usually professionals, and does not evolve through the process of oral transmission. Historically, popular music was any non-folk form that acquired mass popularity—from the songs of the medieval minstrels and troubadours to those elements of fine-art music...

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