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Genres (popular music)

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Popular music dates at least as far back as the mid 19th century. Below is a list of genres.

Different genres often appeal to different age groups. These often, but not always, are the people who were young when the music was new. Thus, for instance, Big band music continues to have a following, but it is probably a rather older group, on average, than the audience for rap. For a few of the genres listed below (for instance, Ragtime), the original target generation may have died out almost entirely.

This "generation gap" in the consumption of popular music is particularly marked since the second world war and the increased economic and social independence of younger people. Music hall and other forms before the 1940s are not so clearly marked by generation.

Show Tunes are generally considered to be in between popular and art music. Examples being that "Memory" (Cats) is a very acceptable song, while only select groups of people enjoy listening to "One" (A Chorus Line) , "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" (Cats), "The Dream" (Fiddler on the Roof), "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" (Annie), "Over the Moon" (RENT), etc.

Genres that are not popular music

Musical genres usually considered not to be popular music include:

As noted earlier, these have a distinct character from popular music: either they are transmitted by word of mouth rather than in organized fashion (children's songs, authentic folk music) or else they are produced to fill the needs of a particular social institution (church, aristocracy, the military, or the state). Note that music pieces of each of these genres can become part of the popular music either in their pure form (like various gregorian compilation CD's) or as remixes (like Moby's Play).

 

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