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Description of Pop

 
In rock/pop's nascent days, "pop" applied to commercially successful artists who won broad, sweeping public interest with simplistic, lighthearted musical fare. As the style diversified and mutated into numerous subgenres, the notion of popular music moved from indicating the one-hit wonder, mass-appealing artist to denoting an often sugarcoated "pop" sound that was pure aural amusement: three minutes of bright melodies and infectious hooks. But the term essentially means a tune composed for popular appeal; the paradox facing many proponents of "pop" these days is that their stylistic approaches may seem too archaic, simplistic or eclectic for the mainstream. But purveyors of unusual pop pepper the landscape of Indie Rock.
 

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Pop Key Artists

 
'NSYNC

The Boy Bands genre's
guiding light, 'NSYNC built
their career on a
squeaky-clean image and
bubblegum melodies and...

ABBA

This Swedish foursome's
hooky pop is as popular in
the new millennium as it
was in the group's 1970s
heyday. The name Abba...

Beyonce

Houston native Beyonce
Knowles first came to
prominence as one-third of
the Contemporary R&B trio,
Destiny's Child. Beyonce...

Black Eyed Peas

Known for their live
instrumentation and positive
flows, the BEP are
comprised of Will.I.Am,
Apl.de. Ap, Fergie and Ta...

Britney Spears

Former Mouseketeer,
Britney Spears has enjoyed
a long reign as the
undisputed Queen of Teen
Beat. Britney began perfo...

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera's electric
dance pop, flashy smile and
smooth dance moves have
made her a favorite among
fans worldwide. At age te...

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child wrapped up
pop charts in the '90s,
dispensing sassy R&B over
frenetic hip-hop/club beats.
Destiny's Child has been t...

Faith Hill

Faith Hill sounds like a
graduate of the Reba
McEntire school of blending
traditional twang with shiny
pop hooks. With big budg...

George Michael

Pop sensation George
Michael hit with startling
accuracy in a period that
stretched from the '80s well
into the '90s. Also known...

Gloria Estefan

Pop songstress- cum- Salsa-
chanteuse Estefan has
dominated the charts and
garnered critical respect as
well. Estefan was nearly k...

Gwen Stefani

In addition to her work as a
solo artist, Gwen Stefani is
the lead singer for
ska-punk/pop group No
Doubt. Singer for ska ban...

Janet Jackson

A member of the Jackson
clan, Janet broke out with
the highly successful
"Control" and hasn't looked
back since. Jackson's ear...

Jennifer Lopez

Sure, she's a dancer,
actress, singer, fashion
designer and restaurateur.
But she's still Jenny from
the block. She's also famo...

Jessica Simpson

One of Britney Spears'
peers in the teen beat era,
nubile singer Jessica
Simpson has since moved on
to more adult pop. Simpso...

Justin Timberlake

After leaving N'Sync in 2002,
Justin Timberlake became
arguably the world's most
celebrated pop star. Like
many successful pop stars...

Kelly Clarkson

"American Idol" winner
Kelly Clarkson won America
over with her powerful
voice and perky
personality. Rather than f...

Madonna

One of pop's most
successful artists, Madonna
is admired for her music as
much as for her maverick
personality. Madonna left...

Mariah Carey

With a No. 1 single each
year in the decade, Mariah
Carey was the
biggest-selling female solo
artist of the 1990s. And in...

Menudo

The Puerto Rican boy band
cycled dozens of pre-teen
boys through its ranks and
spawned popstar Ricky
Martin.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's
domination of radio and
television in the 1980s
earned him the nickname
"King of Pop." His first solo...

Missy Elliott

This Virginian churns out
one white-hot hip-hop hit
after another, making her a
formidable figure in the
industry. Prior to her solo...

New Kids on the Block

NKOTB slayed the hearts of
innumerable teenage girls
and was the prototype for
innumerable 'NSYNC-alikes.
Brother of Donnie, Mark...

Prince

A suave Svengali and the
savior of post-Parliament
funk, Prince has found love
on the pop charts since the
1980s. Prince has been co...

Seal

Getting his big break with
Adamski's 1990 hit "Killer,"
Seal went on to become
Britain's most mature,
soulful pop star. Seal is ma...

Shakira

Colombia's prodigal
daughter, Shakira has
garnered Latin Grammys,
critical accolades and
popular success for her s...

Spice Girls

The Spice Girls were five
U.K. hotties who embraced
diversity, merchandising
and something they called
"Girl Power." With their d...

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys personified
the California spirit with
their harmonious pop. Brian
Wilson is widely heralded as
a mad genius. "Pet Sounds...

The Beatles

The Beatles gained
enormous popularity with
genius songwriting,
beautiful harmonies and
non-stop experimentation...

The Jackson 5

The family outfit took the
U.S. by storm in the '70s,
launching scores of
imitators and solo Jacksons
in the process. Between...

The Supremes

Bridging soul and pop
music, the Supremes
sustained a level of success
through the '60s that rivaled
the Beatles. The Supreme...

Usher

Discovered at age 14 by
LaFace Records, Usher's
been bringing the lyrical
love since 1994. Usher
notched up a gold album...

Whitney Houston

A pop star who's hovered in
the charts for two decades,
Houston is best known for
her unbeatable set of pipes.
A cousin of R&B legend Dio...

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