Traditional Pop
tagStarted 1930Peak 1940-1958Last big hit still active
Located in 2 routes
Pre-rock mainstream pop built on songbook material and full orchestral or big-band backing, with the vocalist front and center. Clean diction, legato phrasing, sweeping strings and brass, and singable AABA tunes. Romantic and dignified rather than rhythmic; the dominant adult pop sound before rock and roll arrived.
History
Codified in the 1930s-40s as band singers stepped out front and labels built repertoire from Broadway and Hollywood. Dominant on radio and the charts through the early 1950s, it was sidelined by rock after 1955 yet sustained through album-era reissues, TV variety shows and ongoing standards recordings, remaining a recognized adult-pop tradition today.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_pop
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/traditional-pop-ma0000002613
- https://www.britannica.com/art/popular-music