Pop music is the most consumed music today. Whether you’re in a grocery, in a vehicle or in your friend’s house, pop music seems to resonate with every environment. And, it is not only popular in your city; pop is popular in London as it is in New York. So why is this music so popular? Before we come to that, let’s understand what pop music is.
Pop is a music genre that started in the West in the 1950s. It is a derivative of rock and roll, another popular music genre that originated in the U.S. in 1940s. Although some people confuse it with many popular music, pop has got its own consistent patterns.
The popularity of pop music is not just an imagination; it is a real thing with a scientific explanation behind it. Many studies have proven that an individual’s brain reward center responds to a known music tune better than it responds to new music, despite the fact that human beings are thrilled by new things. Actually, this is not a surprise since we all love repetition, especially a repetition of a good things. Interacting with things that we are already familiar with makes us feel safe and secure, u
nlike when dealing with the fear of the unknown. Music repetition invites listeners into the tune, transforming them into active participants. It won’t take long before you begin tapping your feet in accordance with the song’s rhythm. This is a clear show of enjoyment.
Repetition as a factor in pop music plays two roles. First, it is a characteristic of the pop music, as is with many other genres of music. Secondly, the repetition makes pop listeners to assume that a song is heard everywhere because of its popularity when the opposite is in fact true: a song becomes popular if it is played everywhere.
The exposure context is another factor adding to the popularity of pop music. Human beings are by default complicated creatures. The human brain is capable of performing a million operations per second. Due to this, humans make memories and experience feelings. That’s why you will start associating your favorite song with a good feeling every time you hear it play. The more you listen to the song, the higher the chances of having it stick in your memory. This trick is widely used in the music industry, and pop music has really benefited from it.