Pop music explained to kids

Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms "popular music" and "pop music" are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many diverse styles. "Pop" and "rock" were roughly synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly differentiated from each other. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and hooks. Pop music rarely has a slow tempo and is usually in time. It is not uncommon for pop songs to be structured in verse–chorus form, making them easy to sing along to. One of the most popular forms of pop music is the love song, which is typically about romantic love and is often written in a simple, direct style. Other popular genres include dance-pop, which is designed for dancing, and teen pop, which is aimed at teenagers. Pop music has been a commercial success since the early 1950s, when Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry released their first hit songs. Many pop songs have become classics, including "Yesterday" by the Beatles, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.