Bubblegum Pop Era
tagStarted 1967Peak 1968-1971Last big hit 1972
Deliberately simple, sugary pop aimed at preteens: nursery-rhyme melodies, hand-clap rhythms, candy-coated harmonies and repetitive sing-along hooks over bright major-key arrangements. Studio-manufactured, often cartoon- or fictional-band-fronted singles built for maximum catchiness, with innocent love-and-candy lyrics.
History
Emerging in 1967-68, bubblegum was driven by Buddah Records and producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, whose Super K studio churned out acts like the Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company and Crazy Elephant. Don Kirshner and Jeff Barry built the cartoon Archies. Songs were factory-written for hooks over substance; the style faded by the early '70s but its DNA recurs in every later teen-pop wave.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar,_Sugar
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1910_Fruitgum_Company
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Elephant
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Tambourine