Popular music dates to at least the mid-19th century and is often divided into different genres. Different genres often appeal to different age groups. Compared with rap music, the audience for big band music may be an older group. The following are the main styles of European and American pop music that I brought, let’s take a look! Tin Pong Alley Song Tin Pong Alley is a place name located on 28th Street in New York (between Fifth Avenue and Broadway). Since the end of the 19th century, many music publishing companies have concentrated there, and each company has song salesmen who play the piano all day long to attract customers. Because the piano was overused, the sound became dull, like hitting an iron plate, so some people jokingly called this place "Ding Bang Alley" (or translated as "Tingpan Hutong"). Ding Bang Alley is not only a pop music publishing center, but also a symbol of an era and a style in the history of pop music. It lasted for almost half a century. Tin Bang Alley songs were generally written by white professional composers. The styles of different authors in different periods are different, but they have many similarities. Judging from the content, it is mainly about love, full of romantic sentiment, or slightly nostalgic and sad, or more cheerful and funny. No matter what happens at home and abroad, it is rarely reflected in the songs of Ding Bang Alley. It mainly expresses the sunny side of life, as if Americans are enjoying life carefree; from the perspective of expression, singing melody, uncomplicated rhythm, natural sound system harmony (sometimes there are also changes in chords) and modulations between phrases), most of which adopt the form of "Verse-Chorus" (i.e. verse plus chorus) (Example 18). Ding Bang Alley songs are usually sung according to score by professional singers who pay attention to vocal skills and are accompanied by a band or small choir. String groups are often used as background sounds of the accompaniment. For example, the famous pop singers at the time, Bing Crosby (1904-1977) and Frank Sinatra (1915-1997), mainly sang Ding Bang Alley songs. The popularity of Ding Bang Alley songs was mainly among white people in the city, and rarely extended to black people or lower-class people. The emergence of rock music in the 1950s challenged the status of traditional jingle alley songs in pop music as a whole. Blues Blues was produced in the 1890s. Jazz and blues have an inseparable origin, that is because part of jazz is based on blues music, and some jazz is directly transformed from blues music. They use the song structure of traditional blues music, which is the so-called ten Two bar blues. Use the blues spirit of hip-hop to live an erhu-like life: face a miserable life with an optimistic attitude. Blues music places great emphasis on the catharsis of self-emotions and originality or improvisation. Hip-hop culture is similar to it, focusing on enjoying the joy of freedom. The sound of the erhu is very sad; this represents "using the blues spirit of hip-hop to live a life like the erhu." To quote Lu Xun, "a true warrior dares to face a bleak life." In the 19th century the word was used to mean delirium tremens and police. The use of the term in African American music may be older. "Memphis Blues" by William Christopher Handy in Memphis in 1912 is the earliest written record of the term in music. The development of blues mainly went through four stages. The first stage is the "traditional blues period" from the end of the 19th century to the end of World War II, which is mainly represented by three styles: country blues, classical blues, and urban blues; the second stage is the "rhythm and blues period", which mainly refers to the four styles after World War II. The rhythm and blues style that was popular in the 1950s; the third stage is the "rock blues period" in the 1960s and 1970s, which mainly refers to the fusion of rock and blues; the fourth stage is the "modern blues period", which mainly refers to the period after the 1980s. electro-acoustic blues, as well as pop songs created using mainstream pop music arrangements at the time. Jazz Jazz, with its dynamic syncopated rhythms, unique jazz harmonies and unstructured improvisation (or singing), has won the love of a broad audience and has also been recognized by people from all walks of life in the music field. It is based on blues and ragtime (Ragtime), fused with certain white musical elements, and gradually formed in the form of small wind band improvisation. After a whole century of development, it is now a splendid place with a hundred flowers blooming. Ragtime was originally a type of piano music. Popular from the end of the 19th century to the end of World War I, it was mainly popular among Creoles. It had both the strict standards of European classical music and the improvisational concept of black music.

Considered the prototype of jazz. At the end of the 19th century, the "public prostitution" system in New Orleans provided a large number of pianists with opportunities to make a living, and they accompanied prostitutes and clients. Many Creole pianists have received a good classical music education, and their skills in playing classical music works are extremely proficient. But in that kind of lively environment, the main purpose of the audience is not music, and they don't have much musical literacy, so there are not too high requirements for what kind of music the pianists play. Coupled with the long performance time (usually from evening to early morning), the long and boring work made the pianists tired of traditional musical standards. So they began to play freely, modify the repertoire at will, and even try new creation and composition methods. Under this circumstance, two performance modes of "syncopation" and "improvisation" were developed, which had an important impact on later jazz and most popular music, and became the main characteristics of jazz. It also laid the foundation for the emergence of the jazz harmony system. It is generally believed that the birthplace of jazz is New Orleans. Jazz appeared in the 1890s. But the first jazz record in history came out in 1917, recorded in New Orleans by the "Original Dixieland Jazz Band". Therefore, we will never know what the characteristics of jazz before 1917 were. However, according to the music score records and photographic evidence at that time, the speed of early jazz was roughly between medium and fast. People who came into contact with jazz for the first time were not familiar with this kind of music. The feel of the music is vibrant and exciting. Another characteristic of early New Orleans jazz, perhaps the most important, was collective improvisation. There is a spontaneous mutual humility and cooperation between each other, limited only by the structure of the chord progression. What's most fascinating about this kind of playing is that the band members are both competitive and cooperative, both valuing and blind to the constraints imposed on them. This new sound could be recognized by any listener in the early 20th century as "jazz". Country music Country music emerged in the 1920s. It originated from folk music in the agricultural areas of the southern United States and was first developed under the influence of traditional British folk songs. The earliest country music is traditional mountain music (Hillbilly Music). It has simple tunes, smooth rhythm, and narrative. It is different from the sad pop songs in the city in that it has a strong country flavor. Mountain music began to merge into the mainstream of American pop music, and the first batch of country singers emerged, such as Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) who blended blues, white mountain songs (yodels), folk songs (Folk) and many more. A music style, he is considered the founder of country music and is known as the "King of Country Music". "The Caner family" (The Caner family, composed of AJvin Carter, 1891-1960, his wife, and sister-in-law) won the championship with a comfortable, harmonious style and focus on themes such as home, God, and faith. loved by the audience. For artists like The Carter Family, singing is just an amateur way to make a living. But in the initial stage of country music, they did make a huge contribution to the development of country music, and at the same time left precious recording materials for early country music. Many country musicians have made contributions to bringing country music out of the South or Midwest. Among them, Hank Williams has made the greatest contribution. Williams' most famous representative work "Jambalaya" has become the world's most popular song. A well-known classic song. The most famous is Taylor Swift, who has won many country music awards in a row. It can be said that country music has completely integrated into the mainstream of pop music since the 1990s. Of course, in the process, its pop color became stronger. By the end of the 20th century, there was almost no kind of music that did not have a pop color, otherwise it would be regarded as "alien". Another feature is that it has become a very common phenomenon for singers and their songs to win awards across charts, and few people stick to one position. This is the result of commercial speculation. Economic leverage is playing a regulating role. People are willing to bend their waists for five buckets of rice, so following the trend has become fashionable. Country music in the 1990s also became more and more global, which is related to economic globalization. The world has become a global village, and it is normal to "walk in and visit each other".

Country music is no longer exclusive to the United States. It can be heard in every corner of the world, but it has less original flavor and more sense of the times. This brand-new country music has become the unique accent of villagers around the world. There is no doubt that most of the singers of this period span centuries. They are young, full of hope and are the pioneers of the new century. Rock music In the early 1950s, a tripartite phenomenon emerged in the American pop music market. The music that black people appreciate is basically rhythm and blues, while white people above the middle class hear jingle bang alley songs, while rural listeners in the Midwest like country music related to rural life. However, by the mid-1950s (about 1954-1956), two obvious phenomena appeared in the record market, namely "market crossover" and the emergence of "cover versions". "Market crossover" means that a record originally released in one market also achieves good performance in another market. For example, some songs are at the top of the R&B sales charts and are also popular on the pop charts. Seeing this lucrative market crossover, some major record labels were quick to create their own versions of popular R&B songs, resulting in a plethora of "covers". At this time, the wall in the middle of the three markets that were originally separated suddenly collapsed, and a new style of music - rock music - was born in the ruins. In the early days of rock music (from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s), rock music grew rapidly from a toddler who had just learned to walk, making the rock music scene prosperous. First of all, the two pioneers made a more complete positioning for the concept of rock music. Bill Haley (1925-1981) was the first rock music idol worshiped by teenagers and is known as the "Father of Rock and Roll". His music style involves country music, rhythm and blues and pop, which also illustrates the three sources of rock music in the mid-1950s. As one of the pioneers of rock music, Bill Haley played an indelible role in the birth of rock music. Early rock and roll singers include Presley, Berry, Domino, Liufus, Everly Brothers, etc. In the 1960s, the British band "The Beatles" (also translated as "The Beatles" by some) visited the United States for the first time and aroused a fanatical response. The main content of their singing is to express love, but also has anti-war and anti-violence content. At that time, there was a wave of anti-Vietnam War and anti-racial discrimination in the United States. Rock music played a big role in this wave. There were few Americans who grew up in the 1960s who were not connected with rock music. The sound of rock music has influenced the artistic taste of modern Americans. Famous rock bands formed in the United States from the 1970s to the 1980s include punk, Rolling Stones, Thor, heavy metal, rap, pop, etc. The most glorious page in the history of rock music was the live broadcast of the disaster relief benefit concert held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, and was broadcast around the world, with an audience of more than 150 million people. More than 80 top-notch rock bands took the stage to raise funds for Africa, which is suffering from severe famine. This unprecedented charity performance not only found a new and extremely spectacular expression for rock music, but also gave it global significance. Disco Disco is a popular dance music that emerged in the early 1970s. The music is relatively simple, with strong beats and strong dynamics. The word "Disco" is the abbreviation of "Discotheque", which originally means "a dance hall for people to dance". It originated from France in the early 1960s. In the 1960s, with the update of music equipment, a set of record players in the dance hall could complete the work of the original band, and a variety of different music could be obtained at any time, which was economical and affordable. Therefore, instead of hiring a band to provide accompaniment, major dance halls hired a record player to provide dance music by playing records. Gradually, people began to call the dance music played by records disco. In the mid-1960s, disco was introduced to the United States. It was initially only circulated in some black clubs in New York. In the early 1970s, it gradually developed into a music form with national influence, and became popular around the world after the mid-1970s. Musically, disco is generally based on 4/4 time, with a strong beat, and each beat is very prominent; its speed is about 120 beats per minute; its structure is short, the lyrics are simple, and there are many paragraphs of repetition.

In fact, all songs can be turned into disco music by adjusting the speed and changing the beat to a prominent beat. Sol music Sol, also translated as "soul music" or "spiritual song". It became popular in the United States in the 1960s. It is based on black religious music, gospel songs (Gospel), and incorporates rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other styles. It is an important representative of black American music. Sol's music pays attention to freedom and improvisation, and pays equal attention to passion and affection in music. In terms of singing, it is a kind of singing that comes from the soul and is very emotional. As a representative of African American music, it has had an important influence on Motown, Funk, contemporary R&B, Hip-Hop and other music. Play less instruments when singing. Sol's famous singers include James Brown, Ray Charles, Ons Redding, Stevle Wonder, Prince, etc. Latin music The so-called Latin music refers to the popular music in Latin America from the Rio Grande at the junction of the United States and Mexico to the southernmost tip of Cape Horn. Latin America is a multi-ethnic group. Therefore, Latin music is a diversified hybrid music formed by the fusion of many kinds of music. Whether it is white music in Europe, black music in Africa, Indian music in the Americas, or even Asian music in the East, they have all made different contributions to Latin music. After a long period of precipitation, on the basis of European culture as the main body, they also absorbed a large number of various factors from Indian culture and African black culture, and gradually formed a colorful, vibrant and dynamic Latin culture. . Among many countries in Latin America, Latin music, led by Brazil and Cuba, is at the forefront of world pop music. Latin music, with its unique rhythmic dynamics and long-standing cultural background, has attracted much attention from the world's music scene, and Latin musicians are emerging in endlessly. Stars such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Enrique Iglesias who have appeared in the pop music scene in recent years are all representatives of the new generation of Latin music with unique personalities. , Shakira has become a Latin queen. The popular music culture in today's world comes from the fertile soil of people's lives and is closely related to people's joys, angers, sorrows and joys. It is a diversified combination of the world. It is known by people in different genres, different styles and different singing forms. Accept it and develop it into an indispensable and necessary music culture package for international music culture. The development of popular music culture is not isolated, it is a manifestation of group consciousness. It has irreplaceable unique charm and is the crystallization of multiple cultures. "King of Pop" Michael Jackson's song "Whatever Happens" is also a Latin-style song. Rap music is translated from English Popular Music. The accurate concept of pop music should be commercial music, which refers to music created with the main purpose of profit. It is commercial music entertainment and all the "industrial" phenomena related to it. Below are the main styles of European and American pop music that I have compiled. You are welcome to read them. The word rap (sometimes also translated as "rap" or "lap") originally means the equivalent of talking or chatting in black slang. As a form of popular music, it originated in the poor black residential areas of New York in the late 1970s. The main feature is to recite a series of rhyming words quickly against the background of mechanical rhythm. From a musical point of view, its music is relatively simple, with a lot of repetition, and mostly no melody, only bass lines and powerful rhythms. One of its sources is that the DJ (record player) at a disco ball introduces the record and follows the dance rhythm. Inserted to speak plainly. James Brown is often considered one of the pioneers of rap due to his half-talking, half-singing style. Rap music became popular after the mid-1980s. Since then, it has been active in the music scene in the form of underground music. In 1986, Run-D.M.C.'s album "Raising Hell" won the number one spot, indicating that rap music had achieved commercial success and had a national impact.

Rap music can be roughly divided into two types in form. One is rebellious, such as "Public Enimy", which is sometimes called "Gangster Rap" because it often adopts challenging postures. ), therefore, such songs often cause social controversy, so it is difficult to enter the rankings; the other is mild, such as songs sung by M·C Hammer. M. C. Hammer was born in Oakland, California, a drug-infested and violent place. Many of his early friends were involved in the drug smuggling business, and some of them became rich and some went to jail. He recognized that young people must meet upright people and choose the right path. His rap music is against drug abuse and violence, and speaks positively to the young black generation. As a result, he achieved great success in business. Hip-hop Hip-hop is a black culture that began on the streets of the United States more than 20 years ago. It also generally refers to rap (rap music). The four expressions of hip-hop culture include rap (talking in rhythm and rhyme), b-boying (street dancing), dj-ing (record playing and turntable skills), and raffiti writing (graffiti art). Therefore, rap is only an element in hip-hop culture. Other dances, costumes, life attitudes, etc. must be added to form a complete hip-hop culture. With the development of culture, some new street culture and art forms, including Beatbox, have also been integrated into Hiphop. The dance forms in Hiphop have also begun to include more dance types instead of just B. Boying (Breaking) Rap originated in the 60s era, and Hip-Hop as a musical understanding originated in the early 1970s. Its predecessor was RAP (sometimes with a little R&B added). This is completely freestyle improvised music. This kind of music does not contain any formulaic or restrained elements. You can show off Hip hop at any time and anywhere as long as you are high. Hip-Hop literally means Hip means hip and Hop means swing. Together they are a light twist of the hips. In the past, American disco originally referred to hip-hop in its embryonic stage. Later, it gradually developed into a huge concept, that is, Hip-Hop culture. New Age Music New Age Music is also translated as New Age Music. It is a music form that appeared in the late 1970s and emerged in the 1980s. It has some characteristics of light music, but it is very popular. The original purpose was to help with meditation and spiritual cleansing, but many later creators no longer had this starting point. There is a saying that because of its richness and variety, it is different from any previous music: it does not refer to a single category, but a category. All improved music that is different from the past, symbolizes the change of the times, and interprets spiritual connotations can be attributed to In this regard, it is named New Age, that is, new century music. In fact, the correct reason is that those who advocate the use of music for spiritual purification originate from a heretical religious sect called the New Age movement. In the late 1960s, some German musicians integrated the concept of electronic synthesizer sound into original sound performance or improvisational performance, inspiring many new musicians to use more diverse techniques to explore new fields. The music of this period already had the prototype of New Age development. In 1973, a group of strangers met at a music festival in San Francisco. These people suddenly discovered that although they had never communicated before, their music had a lot in common. Their music is created from the starting point of meditation and soul. This type is different from any previous music. The experimental music style is named New Age, which refers to an "epoch-making, new" music style. The Music of the Century". Today in the 1990s, New Age music presents a diverse look. The music industry has formed a new force with hundreds of schools of thought contending and each having its own unique ideas. Because of this, New Age is not just a term that simply defines the difference between music styles, but a new style of the century that symbolizes the evolution of the times and the improvement of spiritual connotation.