20. The Kinks
In a sense, The Kinks were the precursor to The Beatles. Of course, they didn’t sustain the same sort of marketability, popularity, financial windfall, or prestige. With that said, this is a highly influential band for those who followed the group. Hailing from London, The Kinks experimented with a number of different sounds. Ultimately, a pop theme emanated from a combination of soft rock and blues.
Younger generations may be unfamiliar with the band’s history. However, there’s a high likelihood you’ve heard of songs such as “Lola”, “You Really Got Me”, and “A Well Respected Man”.
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19. Electric Light Orchestra
“Roll Over Beethoven”, “Mr. Blue Sky”, and “Don’t Bring Me Down” are three of the more prolific tracks from British pop band Electric Light Orchestra. Though the band has dabbled in a number of different musical genres, there’s no doubt that ELO is undoubtedly a juggernaut as it pertains to pop music. Essentially, most of the adjectives describing their style of music seemingly always end in ‘pop’.
The heavy arrangements featuring a multitude of instruments gave ELO a universal feel. Their music isn’t ‘hard’ enough to be pure rock, and the experimental nature of the musical presentations are quite appealing to the ear.
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18. Morrissey
(Steven) Morrissey first came into the limelight as the lead singer of the iconic ’80’s band The Smiths. His crooning — almost a pleasantly-sounding wail at times — made him an immediate fan favorite. He eventually splintered off to form his own group named after his surname. While The Smiths did tap heavily into the melancholy, morose nature of British rock from the time period, Morrissey offered a bit of a reprieve.
Despite Morrissey’s penchant for controversial political views, much of his music (particularly his older tracks) were highly ‘pop’ in nature. The musical arrangements give much of his music a jangle pop feel — though one could also say his music falls in the indie realm. Among his most noteworthy pop tracks, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention “Suedehead”, “Hairdresser on Fire”, and “Now My Heart is Full”.
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17. Aretha Franklin
Many would classify Aretha Franklin as more of a soul singer — with elements of jazz, gospel, and blues. None of those people would be technically incorrect. However, Franklin’s prominence in the world of pop culture lends itself to her music morphing into a high-level type of pop.
Be honest, how many times have you heard “Respect” blasted in movies over the last 40 years? Franklin’s booming voice also gave us such bangers as “Chain of Fools”, “I Say a Little Prayer”, and “A Natural Woman”. All of those tracks have been — and will continue to be embedded into the fabric of our pop culture society.
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16. David Bowie
Every iteration of the late great David Bowie (including Ziggy Stardust) featured strong elemental features of pop music. The man was a true performer in every sense of the term, and he ensnared the senses of virtually everyone who had the pleasure to listen to his music during the prime of his professional career.
Bowie was experimental in a number of ways. As such, his music often reflected an eccentric yet unique feel (which was always heavily rooted in the genre of pop). “Rebel Rebel” is one of those famed tracks — as were “China Girl”, “Changes”, and “Let’s Dance”.
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15. Earth, Wind, and Fire
There are few bands who can bridge generational gaps from a musical standpoint. Earth, Wind, and Fire are clearly among them. This band takes the audience on a journey — exuding high levels of energy, excitement, vocal brilliance, and high-end instrumentals. You cannot pigeon-hole this group into one specific musical genre. After all, there’s a lot of versatility present.
With that said, pop is a large part of the proverbial equation. More than 30 years after releasing some of their biggest hits, these songs continue to remain relevant today. Of course, we’re talking about “Let’s Groove” and “September”.
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14. Britney Spears
No ‘pop’ list would be complete without Britney Spears. Sure, she didn’t enjoy the same sort of career from a longevity standpoint compared to others on this list. However, at her apex, few were as popular as the Louisiana native. Spears broke away from her past as a child actor for Disney and instead developed into somewhat of an edgy teen pop singer. “Oops!…I Did it Again” was an obsessive anthem perpetually sung by teens all across the world.
In her prime, she produced a number of chart-topping tracks. Among the more popular ones, Spears gave us “…Baby One More Time”, “Stronger”, “I’m a Slave 4 U”, “Toxic”, and “You Drive Me Crazy”. Anyone who grew up in the ’90’s/early 2000’s can certainly relate to the fandom Spears built.
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13. Mariah Carey
Commercially, Mariah Carey is one of the most successful singers in the history of the planet. Her insanely gifted voice has been featured on virtually every platform imaginable — whether it be in film, live performances, television, vinyl, or digitally. Her voice lends itself to a number of different genres. However, unquestionably Carey is a heavyweight in the realm of pop music.
What’s even more impressive is the fact she’s sustained this high-level of success for a long period of time (more than two decades). Carey had 11-straight years in which she had a track ranked No. 1 on the U.S. charts. How many other artists can say the same?
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12. Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac has enjoyed a long run as a staple within the music world. Initially based in England, Mick Fleetwood led the charge for the band (which initially could be categorized as more of a rock group). However, when Americans Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined, the pop elements became far more pronounced.
Nicks’ vocal range was a big reason for the stylistic change. Even though it threw some of the Fleetwood Mac purists for a loop, the band cohesively developed into one of the best pop groups to ever perform. The album Rumours totally changed things for the band in a massive way, and it remains as a major triumph in terms of pop-based albums.
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11. Duran Duran
Duran Duran was a transcendent pop group — ushering in a new wave of music to a region which had previously been rooted in punk, post-punk, and melancholy tunes. Colorful and brash, Duran Duran utilized fast-paced beats, unique music videos, and raw energy to carve out a niche for itself.
“Hungry Like the Wolf” was a massive hit both stateside and across the pond. There’s something to be said about taking risks, as you risk being ridiculed. Duran Duran didn’t care — and instead thrived as an all-timer pop group.
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10. Prince
Now we’re getting to the true heavyweights of the genre. In actuality, all ten of these next artists could be arranged in virtually any order. No one would really quibble too much considering how significantly all of these artists have impacted the genre as a whole. The late great Prince is one of those figures. For one, anyone who has a symbol to signify your name is pretty incredible in and of itself. You’ve certainly got to attain a real level of ‘cool’ for that to happen unironically.
We could go on and on about Prince’s proclivity for mastering virtually every instrument under the sun. He too was experimental with his methods of producing music. However, you’d be hard-pressed not to associate Prince with the pop genre. We’re talking of course about “Raspberry Beret”, “Purple Rain”, and “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
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9. The Beach Boys
Surf pop is a real thing! The Beach Boys certainly were influenced by elements of rock. With that said, there’s no denying that this group is all about the earlier pop sound. It was one cultivated with the beach theme in mind. For those who didn’t live next to an ocean, The Beach Boys would bring that setting to those via their music. For those who were beach bums, this music acted as an unofficial anthem for the spring and summer months.
In a sense, it acted as a foil to the ’60’s British bands who were quickly making their way across the pond. The Beach Boys had a lighter sound — and one which clearly resonated with people then and now.
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8. Madonna
The glamorous nature of Madonna continues to live on today. The Italian-American icon was essentially Lady Gaga before Lady Gaga became what she is today. Madonna’s sultry lyrics and performances had people going absolutely wild. She knew exactly how to extract the excitement from her fan base with deftly-crafted lyrics, a sweet-sounding voice, and the fashionable appearance she often gave everybody.
Some have even gone as far as to call her “The Queen of Pop” based upon her career. “La Isla Bonita”, “Live a Prayer”, and “Like a Virgin” were three massive hits which still are prevalent in the universe of pop culture today.
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7. Queen
How could we write a pop-based article and not include Queen? There will be those quick to classify them strictly as a rock group. Freddie Mercury’s iconic rock ballads are well established at this point. The man is a God when it comes to performing and vocal ability. The band itself is also extremely gifted with song construction. In fact, the quartet of musicians in Queen aren’t nearly given enough credit in that regard.
As for a pop categorization, you could pick up to 20 Queen songs which satisfy that requirement. Name your pick — whether it’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Killer Queen”, or “Radio Ga Ga” (among others).
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6. Frank Sinatra
“Ol’ Blue Eyes” first started his professional career over 80 years ago. The Italian-American singer out of New Jersey essentially elevated the music of the ’40’s with more upbeat musical arrangements. Sinatra’s velvety voice paired brilliantly with the instrumentals of the time. He transitioned from the swing/big band elements of the time period, and instead created his own genre. Early elements of pop came from Sinatra. Little did he know — or anyone for that matter — that his music would influence a plethora of big-time artists in the ensuing years.
Sinatra’s ability to connect with people often stemmed from his lyrical content. He often spoke of his native New Jersey/New York. However, he also penned multiple songs praising the city of Chicago (another spot with a heavy concentration of Italian-Americans). Among his most famous tracks, we have to mention “My Way” and “Come Fly With Me”.
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5. Elton John
There are pop singers…and then there’s Elton John. A true giant within the genre, John encompasses every element you’d want from a pop star. Undoubtedly he’s got the charisma and confidence. The garish fashion choices only add to his mystique. From there, John penned a number of tracks which have — and will — stand the test of time.
Few have offered his presence on stage. There’s just something about the English singer which screams ‘pop’ in all of the right ways. “Tiny Dancer”, “Crocodile Rock”, and “Rocket Man” (among others) perfectly encapsulate John’s talents as a musician and as an artist.
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4. Elvis
In terms of showmanship on stage, few could compete with the gyrating stylings of Elvis Presley. The Mississippi native piggybacked upon many talented African-American jazz/soul/rock musicians who came before him. In the process, Elvis created music which appealed to everyone. In fact, much of his music helped in accelerating the eventual arrival of what we all consider to be ‘pop’ music.
He was a highly influential artist — there’s no other way to say it. Elvis released a number of highly successful tracks (“Heartbreak Hotel”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”) before sadly passing away at age 42.
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3. Michael Jackson
Elizabeth Taylor dubbed Michael Jackson as The King of Pop. She certainly was right on the money with that description. As a member of the Jackson 5, Michael stood out among his siblings as an emerging talent. He then broke away and did his own thing as a solo artist. Throughout the ’80’s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more captivating talent. He was a world class dancer, insanely gifted performer, and the type of individual which effectively stamped the ‘pop’ genre as a force in the music world.
Of course, Jackson had his controversial issues away from the stage. As opposed to focusing on those, we should praise him for really being the voice of a generation. Even to this day, the late artist’s music is as prevalent as ever. For the most part, Jackson’s music also has held up terrifically well decades later.
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2. ABBA
The Swedish band had a 10-year run before essentially breaking up (though they’ve since reunited after 40 years to release another album). There’s something special about ABBA — clearly as the Mamma Mia! franchise was crafted after the band’s music. Many of ABBA’s lyrics do tend to have sadder notes. However, the music arrangement is so positive and upbeat, that we’re given this beautiful juxtaposition of themes.
When watching ABBA perform, you get a real sense of joy from the group. The colorful costumes only add to the ‘pop’ feel of this global phenomenon. You could make a real case that ABBA is the best pop entity of all-time. With tracks such as “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”, “Dancing Queen”, “SOS” and “Waterloo”, no one would complain at that assertion.
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1. The Beatles
The floppy-haired group of musicians from Liverpool essentially changed the way how music became commercialized. Their emergence within the United States helped in effectively making The Beatles among the most popular entities on Earth. We also have to praise the group for the amount of content it produced. Album after album, we were treated to some real hits. It seemed as if each album featured an iconic song (and trust me, there are plenty of those emanating from The Beatles’ discography).
The world of pop was forever changed based upon the mass hysteria surrounding the group. At the same time, there was a stripped down simplicity within The Beatles’ music which totally has translated to many of the gigantic pop songs over the last 50 years.
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