Traditional pop
Pre–rock and roll Western popular music and its enduring standards.
Traditional pop, also known as pre–rock and roll pop, is a style of Western popular music that generally predates the advent of rock and roll and pop music in the mid-1950s. AllMusic defines it as 'post–big band and pre–rock & roll pop music.' The most popular and enduring songs from this era are known as pop standards or American standards, and the works of its songwriters and composers are usually considered part of the canon known as the 'Great American Songbook.'
- field
- Western popular music
- known_for
- Pre–rock and roll pop standards, Great American Songbook
- height_of_popularity
- Mid-1940s to mid-1950s
- decline
- Late 1950s to 1960s
- key_innovations
- Addition of string sections and orchestral arrangements, emphasis on vocal performance
Lore & Background
Traditional pop includes the song output of Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, and Hollywood show tune writers from approximately World War I to the 1950s, such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern. The swing era made stars of many popular singers including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Dinah Shore, with notable innovations being the addition of string sections and orchestral arrangements and more emphasis on the vocal performance.
Reader's Guide
Traditional pop's significance lies in its establishment of the 'Great American Songbook' and its enduring pop standards. Its height of popularity spanned the mid-1940s to mid-1950s, after which rock and roll pushed it aside. The diverging tastes between baby boomers and older Americans led to a schism in music radio, with traditional pop forming the basis of middle of the road (MOR) formats. In the 21st century, traditional pop hits are the province of adult standards radio, though both formats are fading in popularity.
Did You Know?
- AllMusic defines traditional pop as 'post–big band and pre–rock & roll pop music'.
- The most popular and enduring songs from this era are known as pop standards or American standards.
- The swing era made stars of many popular singers including Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, and Bing Crosby.
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