2010s Pop Era
tagStarted 2010Peak 2012-2017Last big hit 2019
The decade of EDM-pop crossover and stadium-sized choruses: festival drops, sidechained synths, four-on-the-floor builds, then a mid-decade pivot to tropical-house pluck and minimalist trap-pop. Big-budget, radio-and-streaming-optimized singles with anthemic hooks and globe-spanning DJ-vocalist collaborations.
History
Kicked off by the EDM boom around 2011-12 (Katy Perry, David Guetta-style drops), 2010s pop moved from maximal festival anthems toward streamlined streaming-era singles. Spotify playlisting reshaped how hits broke. By decade's end, tighter, moodier production and shorter songs pointed toward the streaming-pop sound of the 2020s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: 2010s in music
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 charts 2010-2019
- Pitchfork: best pop of the 2010s