The Song Planner

OPM (Filipino Pop)

tagStarted 1970s Philippines as "Original Pilipino Music," building from older kundiman, Manila sound, folk-rock and popPeak 1970s-1990s; major streaming-era renewal in the 2010s-2020sLast big hit active through Filipino pop, bands, ballads, P-pop and diaspora audiencesFrom PhilippinesSung in Filipino

Located in 3 routes

Pop → J-Pop / Asian PopGlobal / Regional → Maritime Southeast AsiaGlobal / Regional → Southeast Asian

OPM (Filipino Pop) is the broad Filipino popular-song tradition covering folk-pop, Manila sound, rock bands, power ballads, R&B-pop, acoustic singer-songwriters and newer P-pop-adjacent scenes. It is defined less by one rhythm than by language, melody and emotional directness. Tagalog and English often mix, vocal performance is central, and songs frequently become shared karaoke, film, television and family-memory repertory.

History

OPM emerged as a label for locally authored Filipino popular music during the 1970s, alongside Manila sound, protest folk and commercial pop. Freddie Aguilar's "Anak" became an international marker, while APO Hiking Society, Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Eraserheads and later Sarah Geronimo, Ben&Ben and Moira Dela Torre shaped later eras. The style now spans nostalgia, indie, ballad, dance-pop and global Filipino identity.

Defining artists

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Essential listening

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← Explore Global / Regional

Sources

  • Filipino popular-music histories
  • artist discographies
  • chart/award coverage
  • streaming/video catalog checks