Jangle Pop

Jangle pop is a style of Rock music distinguished by its signature "jangly" guitar sound, combining arpeggiated, treble-heavy melodies with droning chordal harmonies and propelling, repetitive strum patterns reminiscent of Post-Punk. It often features 12-string electric guitars and utilizes clean amp signals, compression, and occasional effects such as reverb, chorus, and delay. High-octave rhythmic basslines, reverberated drums, and Power Pop-influenced vocal harmonies further shape its sound. Jangle pop is characterized by its Folk Rock origins, with genre progenitors like The Byrds and The Beatles combining acoustic rhythm guitars with shimmering lead electric guitars. The phrase 'jingle-jangle' comes from The Byrds' groundbreaking 1965 rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man", predominantly featuring 12-string Rickenbacker guitars. In the 1970s, several power pop acts, including Big Star and Raspberries, utilized similar guitar tones, heavily influencing early jangle pop acts such as The dB's and The Feelies later in the decade. By the mid-1980s, the phrases jangle pop and jangle rock had been coined. As college rock radio became the standard in the United States, bands such as R.E.M., The Replacements, 10,000 Maniacs, and Camper Van Beethoven further popularized jangle pop. The Paisley Underground scene blended the style with Neo-Psychedelia, featuring bands like The Dream Syndicate and Rain Parade. In the United Kingdom, the Indie Pop scene produced bands including The Soft Boys, Orange Juice, Felt, and The Smiths, while more established acts such as The Cure, The Stone Roses, and Echo & The Bunnymen incorporated jangle pop elements and influenced numerous artists. Underground groups with a ramshackle sound were initially described as "anorak pop"; acts like The Wedding Present and Close Lobsters would later appear on an influential 1986 NME compilation entitled C86, which established the namesake genre (C86). The term Neo-Acoustic described the lush, melodic Sophisti-Pop-influenced sound of bands such as The Pale Fountains and Aztec Camera, which later gained a following in Japan through acts such as Flipper's Guitar and advantage Lucy.