It doesn't take a genius to work out where pop music gets its name from, but the genre is extremely eclectic, taking in many different and varied styles of music. At its heart however, there are specific elements that define a pop song and mark it out from other forms of music.
Pop music first came along in the early part of the 20th century, and the music halls helped to spread the word. But it was artists' ability to record music that really changed the game and ensured that a huge number of people were able to listen to new tracks of the time. Frank Sinatra is often credited as being the first real pop star and with his adoring fans, the bobby-soxers, helped to push pop music well and truly into the mainstream. Since the 1940s many pop stars have come and gone but the idea of pop music has endured and there are still many millions of people around the world helping to keep the industry alive.
But what is it about pop music that makes it appeal to the masses? What does it take to make a pop record?
The length of a pop song is one of the most important factors. According to the established rules of the game, a singer or band only has three minutes to get the point across – take any longer than that and you're out. More precisely, 3:26 is the perfect time, but that's probably picking hairs. Of course Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody at 5 minutes and 55 seconds completely smashed the rules and despite the record company's warnings of failure, went on to be a major hit around the world.
The timing of a pop song is also extremely important. Too slow and it will feel more like a ballad – nothing slower than 4/4 time is said to be acceptable. And of course, while being easy on the ears is critical to achieve a pop hit, it also helps for the singer or band to be easy on the eye. Being a teenage heartthrob certainly didn't hinder Jason Donovan's bid for stardom back in the 80s after he decided to pack his bags, leave the Australian television soap neighbours and launch a career as a pop star.
The question of whether it is possible to come up with the formula for a perfect pop song is impossible to answer – although a group of scientists from Imperial College London attempted to do just that back in 2012. An artist would of course argue that it is a creative process that cannot be laid down in a formulaic way, but it is hard to argue against the idea that there are some firm elements that help to make a pop song not just easy on the ears when it is coming out of the radio or a pair of wireless speakers on a home sound system, but also a hit.
And while there are many of people who would rather rip their ears off than sit through a Justin Bieber concert or hear a medley of S Club 7 songs, there's no denying that pop music is here to stay!