Pop Music and Boy Bands
Review Questions
1. What is popular music?
- Popular music is any music since industrialization in the mid-1800s that is in line with the tastes and preferences of the middle class.
2. What theme does pop music typically use in the lyrics? Describe one pop song that uses this theme. Why is this theme such a popular one?
-Typically, pop music centers on themes such as love and relationships. The themes of pop music also help to make the music accessible, as the songs are often about common experiences that most people will have at some point in their lives: having a romantic interest in someone, falling in love, breaking up, and other experiences associated with love. A pop song that uses this theme is “You and I” by Lady Gaga.
3. What is disco? What are the characteristics of this music? - A musical genre that developed in the 1970s was disco. Although disco began outside of mainstream America, it ended up crossing over into mainstream pop music. Mixing “soaring” vocals with a beat that encouraged dancing, disco became the dance music of the decade.
4. What was the British Invasion? Which famous group was a part of this movement? What impact did the group have on pop music?
- Another feature of the popular music of the 1960s was the so-called British invasion. Some of the British bands of the time were modeled on the successful American bands, particularly in the areas of producing recordings and touring to promote the recordings. In the 1960s, some of these British groups became influential in North America as well. The biggest group of the British Invasion was, of course, the Beatles. While the Beatles sometimes sang about social issues, they also had songs with catchy lyrics and melodies. This would be the centerpiece of pop music through the next several decades.
5. What is a boy band? What are some characteristics of a boy band?
- These boy bands, such as New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and ’N Sync, featured between three and
1. What is popular music?
- Popular music is any music since industrialization in the mid-1800s that is in line with the tastes and preferences of the middle class.
2. What theme does pop music typically use in the lyrics? Describe one pop song that uses this theme. Why is this theme such a popular one?
-Typically, pop music centers on themes such as love and relationships. The themes of pop music also help to make the music accessible, as the songs are often about common experiences that most people will have at some point in their lives: having a romantic interest in someone, falling in love, breaking up, and other experiences associated with love. A pop song that uses this theme is “You and I” by Lady Gaga.
3. What is disco? What are the characteristics of this music? - A musical genre that developed in the 1970s was disco. Although disco began outside of mainstream America, it ended up crossing over into mainstream pop music. Mixing “soaring” vocals with a beat that encouraged dancing, disco became the dance music of the decade.
4. What was the British Invasion? Which famous group was a part of this movement? What impact did the group have on pop music?
- Another feature of the popular music of the 1960s was the so-called British invasion. Some of the British bands of the time were modeled on the successful American bands, particularly in the areas of producing recordings and touring to promote the recordings. In the 1960s, some of these British groups became influential in North America as well. The biggest group of the British Invasion was, of course, the Beatles. While the Beatles sometimes sang about social issues, they also had songs with catchy lyrics and melodies. This would be the centerpiece of pop music through the next several decades.
5. What is a boy band? What are some characteristics of a boy band?
- These boy bands, such as New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and ’N Sync, featured between three and