Mainstream Genres

The music industry holds an uncountable number of genres from ‘Electronic’ to ‘Classical’, and ‘Grime’ to ‘Christian Rap’. The creation, performance, and definition of music differ according to its culture and social context. I have decided to focus on four mainstream genres, Pop, Rock, R’n’B and Classical, moreover, I will be exploring the different sub-genres that each genre embraces.

GENRE: POP

Pop music (Popular music) is a music genre that developed from the 1950s, as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll. It commonly has a youthful market, usually because of its fairly short and simple love songs. Although these basic characteristics of the genre have stayed constant, pop music has been influenced from most other forms of popular music, particularly rock music, creating the genre pop rock. Early pop music was influenced by ballads for its form, it also gained its use of vocal harmonies from gospel and soul music, instrumentation from jazz and rock music, orchestration from classical music, tempo from dance music, backing from electronic music and has recently appropriated spoken passages from rap.

Characteristics

Pop music is typically identified as possessing characteristics such as:

• Being generally described as very commercial friendly, marketable and memorable.
• Pop music is predominantly image driven, especially through the lyrics, live performances, music videos.
• It sticks to a straightforward formula and format, it is able to produce a consistent, predictable, and marketable product.
• It has a tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments.
• The most common theme deals with the wide range of emotions from physical or emotional love.
• Pop music also attributes to the bold statement in lifestyle, from sexual expression, to general individual expression, and consumer habits.

Taylor Swift- Love Song

GENRE: ROCK

Rock music is a genre that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has been inspired from 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music. The sound of rock often involves guitars because of its strong back beat, electric bass guitar, drums, and sometimes keyboard instruments such as organ and piano. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, rock music developed a variety of sub-genres. For example, when blended with folk music it created folk rock, with blues to create blues-rock and with jazz, to create jazz-rock fusion. Also in the 1970s, rock developed a number of sub-genres, such as soft rock, glam rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock. Rock sub-genres that emerged in the 1980s included new wave, hardcore punk and alternative rock, and in the 1990s, rock sub-genres included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

Characteristics

• Rock Music is commonly identified by its strong rhythms, singable melodies, and fast tempo.

• A typical band consists of three guitars (lead, rhythm and bass), vocals, keyboard and drum kit.
• A typical rock song would follow the following pattern:

Introduction

Verse 1

Chorus

Verse 2

Chorus

Solo Instrumental Section (middle 8/bridge)

Verse 3

Chorus

Coda (outro)

EVANESCENCE- Going Under

GENRE: R'n'B

R'n'B (Rhythm and blues) is the name given to a wide genre created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was used in the first half of the 20th century for the kinds of African American music like jazz, boogie-woogie, blues, and jump blues. The term R’n’B was originally employed by record companies to refer to recordings aimed at urban African Americans. Contemporary R’n’B style combines elements of soul, funk, dance, and hip-hop. It also is known to have a professional record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, beats to give a jazz feel, and a variety style of vocal arrangement. However, the uses of hip-hop inspired beats are typical, although the roughness inherent in hip-hop is be reduced.

Characteristics

• Rhythm and blues bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, and sax.
• However, contemporary R’n’B does not not use as many instruments due to modern technology.
• Simple repetitive verses are common to help create mellow, individual sounds.
• Singers are emotionally engaged with the lyrics, often intensely so, they remain cool, relaxed, and in control.
• Lyrics are usually relaxed.

FLO RIDER- Right Round

GENRE: CLASSICAL

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music usually produced in, and originally from Western areas. The central norms of this tradition became recognise between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common practice period. The public taste of classical music in the late 20th century, (especially in the United States and United Kingdom in particular) has fallen behind the immense commercial success of other popular genres, however the popularity of classical music is not always advertised through music charts. The roots of Western classical music lie in early Christian liturgical music, and its influences date back to the Ancient Greeks. Ancient Greek instruments such as the aulos (a reed instrument) and the lyre (a stringed instrument similar to a small harp) eventually led to the modern-day instruments of a classical orchestra. However, recently classical music has inspired other genres such as rock and pop, creating as spectrum of sub-genres.

Characteristics

• Classical music is often distinguished by its wide use of instruments of varying tones and pitches to create a deep, rich sound.
• While classical music has no "set" of instruments required to fulfill certain standards, composers write for orchestras, wind ensembles, or various combination of instruments for chamber music.
• Usually classical pieces are very lengthy. (Up to 8 minutes)

ANGELA GHEORGHUI- Carmen