Bill,
You make some good points. I did not mean to come across as critical of what other folks think "pop" music is (I apologize if anyone took it that way). In fact, I enjoyed the diversity of the lists, but was surprised only because in my experience "popular music" has a historical (probably obsolete) meaning.
I was lucky to be a teen-ager in the 1950's, a totally fabulous time for music (and for cars, but don't get me started on that). Back then "popular music" particularly meant artists like Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford, Patti Page, Perry Como, Kay Starr, etc., etc. Then Elvis came along and turned things upside down. Elvis (along with some others) brought the black Rhythm and Blues culture into the mainstream of American music and the resulting music became known as rock and roll (a supremely positive musical development IMO). But even after that, I remember a clear distinction being made between "popular" and "rock and roll." (Elvis did rock whereas Frank Sinatra continued to do pop).
The pop artists tried to get on the bandwagon and sometimes the results were truly laughable (any of you remember Pat Boone trying to do Little Richard?). Anyway, because of my background, I never identified rock and roll or any of its offshoots as pop. But your definition of "popular" is probably much more relevant.
This thread is great. I always like the threads that are about music.
Happy listening.
Paul G.
