Pop Music, WEB-“SW
Whether you love it or hate it, pop music can be hard to avoid. That's because its defining characteristic is its popularity within a culture (or across multiple cultures). Historically, popular music was thought as of any non-folk form that acquired mass popularity; more recently, it can be defined as any commercially oriented music principally intended to be received and appreciated by a wide audience. Popular music styles tended to move westward from Europe to the United States until the early 20th century, when new American forms such as ragtime and Broadway musicals were enthusiastically embraced in Europe. Since then, Western popular music has been dominated by developments in the United States. Popular music has variously included musical forms such as ragtime, jazz, swing, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, rock, disco, hip-hop, and rap.
Pop Music Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Webb, Jimmy
Jimmy Webb is an American singer-songwriter who wrote multiple easy-listening hit pop songs beginning in the 1960s.......
Weeknd, The
The Weeknd is a Canadian rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter best known for his explicit songs about sex and......
Welch, Florence
Florence Welch is a British singer-songwriter who, as the lead singer of Florence + the Machine, won popular success......
West, Kanye
Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, and fashion designer who parlayed his production success in the late......
Wham!
In the early 1980s, American fans of pop music found themselves in the midst of the Second British Invasion. British......
What Is the Legacy of ABBA in Popular Culture?
By the time ABBA quietly disbanded in 1982 due to rising interpersonal tensions, they had already secured a legendary......
What Was Dr. Dre’s Role in Creating the Subgenre of G-Funk?
If gangsta rap was the prevailing subgenre of hip-hop from the late 1980s into the 1990s, “G-funk” (“G” as in “Gangsta”)......
What’s the Difference Between Blues and Jazz?
Blues and jazz are both profoundly influential African American music styles that developed in the South about......
When Dylan “Went Electric”
Bob Dylan’s performance at the Newport (Rhode Island) Folk Festival in 1965 is widely regarded as one of the pivotal......
Why Is Blues Called the Devil’s Music?
The story is a familiar one to many music lovers. A bluesman meets a sinister, shadowy figure at a crossroads late......
Why Is Elvis Called “the King of Rock ’n’ Roll”?
“The Hillbilly Cat.” “Elvis the Pelvis.” “The Memphis Flash.” The renowned singer and dominant performer Elvis......
Wiggles, the
the Wiggles, Australian quartet that is one of the most popular music acts in the English-speaking world, known......
Wilder, Alec
Alec Wilder was an American composer best known for his collaboration with singers Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.......
Williams, Hank
Hank Williams was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country music’s......
Williams, Lucinda
Lucinda Williams is an American singer and songwriter who received critical acclaim for her label-defying music,......
Williams, Paul
Paul Williams is an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor known for his long and storied career in which......
Williams, Pharrell
Pharrell Williams is an American musician who was involved in a number of pop hits as part of the producing team......
Williams, Saul
Saul Williams is an American rapper, poet, and actor who has been a prominent figure in the scenes of alternative......
Wilson, Cassandra
Cassandra Wilson was an American musician whose recordings combined such musical genres as jazz, rap, and hip-hop......
Wilson, Tom
Tom Wilson was an American record producer best known for producing the early groundbreaking albums of Cecil Taylor,......
Winans, CeCe
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Wine, Bobi
Bobi Wine is a Ugandan politician, performer, and activist who first garnered acclaim for his popular hits and......
Winehouse, Amy
Amy Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter who skyrocketed to fame after the release of her critically acclaimed......
Winwood, Steve
Steve Winwood is a British singer and songwriter, considered one of Britain’s foremost rhythm and blues vocalists.......
Wolfman Jack
Possessed of one of the most distinctive voices and styles in radio, Wolfman Jack played rhythm and blues and partied......
Womack, Bobby
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Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan, groundbreaking American rap collective known for its sharp lyricism, old-school rap influence, and......
Yanni
Yanni is a Greek-born American composer and keyboardist who was a leading figure in late 20th-century New Age music—a......
Zendaya
Zendaya is an American actor, singer, and dancer who first gained fame for comedic roles on the Disney Channel......
zouk
zouk, popular dance music associated mainly with the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as......
zydeco
zydeco, Form of dance music from southwestern Louisiana, U.S., with roots in French, African American, and Afro-Caribbean......
“Swinging London” Experiences Jimi Hendrix
In the autumn and winter of 1966–67, Jimi Hendrix launched his star into the firmament of rock and roll legends......