Pop
When most people think of pop music, they think of the fluffy, mostly mindless detritus that litters the Top 40 charts. But remember, the "pop" genre gave us such legendary performers and producers as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jackson 5, and a thousand others. And for every modern-day multiplatinum action figure or Barbie doll, there are also a dozen individuals or groups who tap the genre to create progressive, intelligent music which also happens to be pretty darn catchy. Whether they record lo-fi on a bedroom four-track or hi-fi in a fully equipped studio, regardless of their influences or geographical locations, a focus on memorable melodies and the classic appeal of the verse-chorus-verse song structure is key with these artists.
