Pop Rock Facts

Origins and early development

Pop rock originated in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll. Early pop rock was influenced by the beat, arrangements, and original style of rock and roll and sometimes doo-wop. In the mid-to-late 1950s the music scenes in the United States and the United Kingdom were both similar and different.

Evolution or diversification

From about 1967, in the aftermath of the British Invasion, the term pop was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock to describe a form that was more commercial, ephemeral, and accessible. Pop rock has been described as an upbeat variety of rock and as a continuous genre field rather than distinct categories. Related descriptions and subterms have included power pop, guitar pop rock, and the use of the adjective jangle for bright guitar pop; as of the 2010s guitar pop rock and indie rock were described as roughly synonymous.

Cultural or musical significance

Pop rock is characterized by a strong commercial appeal with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music. Detractors have derided pop rock as a slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music. Scholars and critics have debated the distinction between pop and rock and the role of pop rock within popular music's stylistic landscape.