2. Popular music literally means “music of the populace,”
similar to traditional folk music of the past.
As it developed in the 20th century, From the standard songs
and ballads of the legendary Cole Porter, George Gershwin,
and Frank Sinatra to the rock and roll craze of Elvis Presley and
the Beatles
The present day idols in the alternative music and disco
modes, popular music is now shared by the entire world.
POPULAR MUSIC
3. BALLADS
The ballad originated as an expressive folksong in narrative
verse with text dealing typically about love.
The word is derived both from the medieval French “chanson
balladee” and “ballade” which refers to a dancing song.
Used by poets and composers since the 18th century, it
became a slow popular love song in the 19th century
4. The term ballad now refers to a love song in a slightly
pop or rock style, with the following characteristics:
1. Blues Ballads
This is a fusion of Anglo-American and Afro-American styles from the
19th century that deals with the anti-heroes resisting authority. The form
emphasizes the character of the performer more than the narrative
content, and is accompanied by the banjo or guitar.
2. Pop Standard and Jazz Ballads
This is a blues style built from a single verse of 16 bars ending on the
dominant or half-cadence, followed by a refrain/chorus part of 16 or 32
bars in AABA form. The B section acts as the bridge, and the piece
normally ends with a brief coda.
5. The Man I Love Always (Irving Berlin)
(George Gershwin)
In a Sentimental
Mood (Duke Ellington)
6. 3. Pop and Rock Ballads
A pop and rock ballad is an emotional
love song with suggestions of folk music,
as in the Beatles’ composition “The Ballad
of John and Yoko” and Billy Joel’s “The
Ballad of Billy.” This style is sometimes
applied to strophic story-songs, such as
Don McLean’s “American Pie.”
7. STANDARDS
In music, the term “standard” is used to denote the most
popular and enduring songs from a particular genre or style,
such as those by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and
Hart.
Its style is mostly in a slow or moderate tempo with a relaxed
mood. It also features highly sing able melodies within the
range and technical capacity of the everyday listener.
8. Among the foremost proponents of this style was Frank
Sinatra, also known as “Ol Blue Eyes,” “Chairman of the
Board,” or “The Voice.”
His genre was categorized as traditional pop and jazz. He was
a successful singer, actor, producer, director, and conductor.
His hit singles include My Way and Strangers in the Night.
He was the first black American and He is widely considered “one of
the most important musical personalities in United States history.” His
hit songs include Unfogettable, Mona Lisa, and Too Young.
Another well-loved standards singer was American balladeer Nat King
Cole.
Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular
musical fame to his soothing baritone voice, which he used to perform
in big band, vocal jazz, swing. traditional pop, and jump blues genres.
9. Matt Monroe was an English singer who became one of the most
popular entertainers in the international music scene during the
1960s.
Throughout his 30-year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music
halls, and stadia in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong
to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Among his hit
singles
included Portrait of My Love, Softly as I Leave You and many more.
Other popular singers of standards were Perry Como, Bing Crosby,
Andy Williams, etc.
10. ROCK AND ROLL
Rock and roll was a hugely popular song form in the United
States during the late 1940’s to the 1950’s.
It combined Afro-American forms such as the blues, jump
blues, jazz, and gospel music with the Western swing and
country music.
The lead instruments were the piano and saxophone, but these
were eventually replaced by modern instruments.
This form came during the age of technological change when
electric guitars were supplemented by amplifiers and
microphones to raise the volume. It derived its name from the
mot of a sonship on the ocean, “rock and roll.”
11. The greatest exponent of the rock and roll style
was the legendary Elvis Presley. His hit songs
such as Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede Shoes
were complemented by his good looks and
elaborate movements that included hugging the
microphone as he sang.
Presley’s style was the precursor of the British band
known as The Beatles, whose compositions further
boosted rock and roll as the favorite genre of the
times.
Examples of The Beatles’ songs in this genre are I
Saw Her Standing There, Get Back, While My
Guitar Gently Weeps, Rock and Roll Music, and
Ticket to Ride.
12. The Beatles’ John Lenon and Paul McCartney as
Composers/Songwriters
John Lennon (1940-1980) was an English musician,
singer, performer, songwriter and co-songwriter.
He was born and raised in Liverpool, England. He
rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the
rock band.
The Beatles, which was considered as “the most
commercially successful band in the history of
popular music.”
one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships
of the 20th century.”
Lennon’s hit compositions for the Beatles include
Strawberry Fields Forever, Help, In My Life, etc.
13. When The Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon embarked on a
solo career.
Among his solo top billboard hits include Imagine, Mind Games,
Power to the People, Dream, Nobody Told Me, etc.
In 2002, according to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons,
John was voted in eighth place. In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine
ranked him the “fifth-greatest singer of all time.”
He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of
Fame in 1987; and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice as
a member of The Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994.
14. Sir James Paul McCartney (1942- ) is an English singer,
songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, co-writer, and composer.
Paul gained worldwide popularity and fame as a member
of The Beatles
McCartney has been “recognized as one of the most
successful composers and performers of all time, with 60
gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100
million solo artist.
It has been known that more than 2,200 artists have
covered his Beatles song Yesterday, which is more than
any other copyrighted song in history
15. McCartney was a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame as a member of The Beatles in 1988, and as a solo
artist in 1999.
He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached
number one on the Billboard Hot 100. As of 2014, McCartney
had sold more than “15.5 million RIAA-certified units” in the
United States.
His top hit compositions for The Beatles include Hey Jude; Fool
on the Hill; I’ll Follow the Sun; I Will; I Saw Her Standing There;
All My Loving; Paperback Writer etc.
16. DISCO
The 1970s saw the rise of another form of pop music known
as “disco.” Disco music pertained to rock music that was
more danceable.
The term originated from the French word “discotheque”
which means a library for phonograph records.
The disco style had a soaring and reverberating sound
rhythmically controlled by a steady beat (usually meter) for
ease of dancing, and accompanied by strings, horns, electric
guitars, and electric pianos or synthesizers.
17. Famous figures of the
disco genre include ABBA,
Donna Summer (“The
Queen of Disco”),
The Bee Gees; Earth,
Wind, and Fire; KC and the
Sunshine Band; The
Village People; and Gloria
Gaynor, bringing us such
hits as Dancing Queen,
Stayin’ Alive, Boogie
Wonderland, and Hot Stuff
18. POP MUSIC
Parallel with the disco era, other pop music superstars
continued to emerge. Among them were Neil Sedaka (Laughter
in the Rain), Diana Ross and the Supremes and many more.
Pop superstars in more recent years include solor artists Celine
Dion (My Heart Will Go On), Madonna (Material Girl), Whitney
Houston (I Will Always Love You), Mariah Carey (Hero), Justin
Timberlake (Justified), etc.
19. Perhaps the most popular solo performer of all time is
Michael Joseph Jackson who was born on August 29,
1958 and died on June 25, 2009.
He was an American recording artist, entertainer, singer-
songwriter, record producer, musical arranger, dancer,
choreographer, actor, businessman, and philanthropist.
He then began a solo career in 1971 while still a member
of the group and was referred to as the "King of Pop" in
subsequent years.
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller remains the world's best-
selling album of all time, and four of his other solo studio
albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off
the Wall (1979), etc.
20. He was the first African American entertainer to amass a strong
crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos
airing on MTV, such as Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller—widely
credited with transforming the music video from a promotional
tool into an art.
21. Today’s Pop Music Idols
What makes you beautiful
One thing
We found love
Diamond
Thinking Out Loud
Photograph
22. HIP HOP AND RAP
Hip hop music is a stylized, highly rhythmic type of music that
usually (but not always) includes portions of rhytmically chanted
words called “rap.” In rapping, the artist speaks
along with an instrumental or synthesized beat. Hip hop arose
in the 1970s within the Afro-American and Latino youth in the
Bronx area of New York City.
(rapping, DJing, scratching, and beatboxing); a nearly acrobatic
style of dancing, called break dancing; a distinct manner of
dress; and graffiti-style artwork.
24. ALTERNATIVE MUSIC
Alternative music was an underground independent form of music
that arose in the 1980’s.
It became widely popular in the 1990’s as a way to defy
“mainstream” rock music. Thus, it was known for its unconventional
practices such as distorted guitar sounds, oppressive lyrics, and
defiant attitudes.
It was also characterized by high energy levels that bred new styles
such as new wave, punk rock, post-punk, indie rock, gothic rock,
jangle pop, noise pop, C86, Madchester, Industrial Rock, and
Shoegazing.
Examples of alternative music are You Belong with Me, Shake It Off.
25. True or false
1. It is used by poets and composers since the 18th century, it became a slow popular love song in the 19th
century
2. Popular music literally means “music of the populace,”
3. Modern is the word derived both from the medieval French “chanson balladee” and “ballade” which
refers to a dancing song.
4. Rock and roll was a hugely popular song form in the United States during the late 1940’s to the 1950’s.
5. Pop music was an underground independent form of music that arose in the 1980’s.
6. Hip hop music is a stylized, highly rhythmic type of music that usually (but not always) includes portions
of rhytmically chanted words called “rap.” In rapping, the artist speaks
7. Ed Sheeran is one of the most popular in today’s pop music.
8. Michael Jackson most popularity music videos airing on MTV, such as Beat It, Billie Jean
9. The term Music is originated from the French word “discotheque” which means a library for phonograph
records.
10. In music, the term “standard” is used to denote the most popular and enduring songs from a particular
genre or style, such as those by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart.
26. ANSWER
1. T
2. T
3. F - Ballad
4. T
5. F - Alternative
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F - Disco
10. T