Pop rock is a fusion genre used to describe standard verse-chorus Pop music that can also be categorized under Rock for its use of guitars, drums, and propulsive rhythms. The genre manifested at the tail end of the 1950s as a more radio-friendly alternative to Rock & Roll and R&B, consisting mainly of white performers such as Roy Orbison and Del Shannon. Over the next decade, pop and rock continued to mix together and create new subgenres like Vocal Surf and Beat. In the 1970s, pop rock became both rougher (Power Pop) and smoother (Soft Rock); in the 1980s–90s, it fused with some Alternative Rock to make Jangle Pop and Britpop. Today, pop rock remains an active, wide-ranging genre with much crossover between other pop styles.
Total Tracks
280
Active Years
1955–2026
Peak Decade
1960s
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