Pop music has been "dead" for decades - at least according to every self-proclaimed gatekeeper on the internet. And yet, it keeps coming back louder, catchier and somehow more unavoidable than ever. Why does everyone love to hate pop music, and why does it absolutely refuse to die?
In this BRIEF history of pop music, we break down everything: from the early radio crooners, the moral panic of Elvis and The Beatles, the visual takeover of MTV, the teen pop factories of the late '90s & 00's and the digital chaos of the streaming era and TikTok. This isn't a boring lecture - it’s a funny, sarcastic and deeply honest look at why pop music works and how it reflects culture in real time.
If you’ve ever loved a pop song you pretend you don’t - you're among friends here, baby..
Video Chapters
0:00 - The Lie: Pop Music Is Dead
1:14 - What "Pop" Actually Means (It's not a genre)
2:03 - The Crooners & Radio Era (1940s-50s)
4:15 - The British Invasion & Youth Takeover (The 60s)
6:30 - Disco, Glam & Too Much Glitter (The 70s)
8:45 - MTV & The Visual Blueprint (The 80s) 10:30 - Boy Bands & Pop Factories (The 90s) 12:15 - Digital Chaos & The Streaming Wars (2000s) 13:30 - TikTok, Clips, and 15 Seconds of Fame (The Current Era) 14:15 - Why Pop Music Refuses To Die (It's Human)
Takeaways & Topics:
* How attention, technology, and capitalism define what pop music is.
* The cultural impact of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Motown.
* Why every new pop era - from disco to boy bands - causes a moral panic.
* How the MTV revolution turned musicians into visual gods.
* The effect of streaming and algorithms on the modern music industry.
* Why TikTok and short-form video clips are the next evolution of pop.
* The surprising reason pop music is actually more democratic than ever.
#historyofpopmusic #popmusic #musichistory #pophistory #popcultureweekly
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