So many genres of music have emerged with time, and each transports the listener to a different world. Old church music can make you nostalgic, and pop music can help you heal your broken heart. Country music propels listeners to fall in love and lives longer in the memory. Pop music and country music are often compared with each other due to their popularity. These two music genres have a lot in common but differ from one another in many ways.
Country Music vs Pop Music
The main difference between country music and pop music is that country music comprises simple forms and is accompanied by a string instrument, on the other hand, pop music is any commonly available music, has commercial value, and lasts for a short time. Pop is an abbreviation for popular, and hence it could also be said that all popular set of music is pop music.
Country music has its origin in folk music that is associated with blue-collar life in America. The genre finds its inspiration from American folk music, which has its genesis in European and African-American folk music. Other folk music like Celtic has also inspired the country genre indirectly. Country music is known for its ability to transport people in the world of affection. Dance tunes characterize country music.
Pop is short for popular, which means any popular music, can be a part of the genre. This type of music is light, with bouncy lyrics, and happy. People listen to this music for a baby period and move on to the trending one. The nature of the genre is short-lived, and it has healing nature for broken hearts. Pop music originated in its modern avatar during the 1950s.
Comparison Table Between Country Music and Pop Music
| Parameters of Comparison | Country Music | Pop Music |
| Influence | This music is influenced by folk music. | It is not influenced by any kind of music. |
| Origine period | It originated during the 1940s. | It originated during the 1950s. |
| Mood | It creates a romantic mood. | It creates a chaotic mood. |
| Repetition of lyrics | It has less repetitive lyrics. | The lyrics are often repetitive. |
| Instrumental music | It must have some sort of instrumental music. | It may completely omit instrumental music. |
What is Country Music?
Country music is also called western music and was born in its modern form in the 1940s. The name of the genre is suggestive of its nature. This music genre is influenced by shanty, folk music and hence, is called country music. The music has dance tunes and is generally consists of string instrument music.
Instruments like guitar, banjos, harmonics are familiar in country music. This music genre reflects the country life of Americans. Country music is a replacement term for hillbilly music, which was the term used before the 1940s for this genre. In modern times the term describes various sub-genres such as bro-country, jug band, western swing, close harmony, etc.
Country music finds its base in pure regional and traditional values. American country music usually focuses on regional, social, and cultural values. Country music finds its origin in folk music, and sometimes the line between the two is blurry. Country music is influenced by American popular and folk music, which themselves were influenced by Celtic music, French folk music.
There are many country music performers like Roy Acuff, Keith Anderson, etc., to name a few. Numerous singers have sung country songs once in their career but were not associated with the country music fraternity.
What is Pop Music?
Moder definition of pop music is any form of music that is commercial and can be accessed easily. Most modern pop music has repetitive lyrics and can be very loud. Modern pop music is youth-oriented. And can be heard in many musical concerts. A typical example of pop music would be a song by singers like Miley Cyrus.
Pop music meant any popular music in the 1950s. Pop music can be confused with rock music, as both terms were synonymous until the 1960s. According to the definition given by David Hatch, pop music is different from any folk, jazz, or popular music. The definition, as well as the music, continues to evolve with time.
Music writer Bill Lamb defines pop music as the music that advanced during industrialization. In the 1960s, the term pop music parted its way from rock music. Both the terms got their generic definition during the period. Pop music appeals to a general audience rather than a cult-based audience.
Pop music is generally two to three minutes long with a rhythmic sound. Modern pop music focuses more on simple themes that appeal to the general population. Multi-track recording is one of the reasons for pop music’s popularity. American and European-derived music influences pop music. There are various sub-genres of pop music such as art pop, dance-pop, teen pop, etc.
Main Differences Between Country Music and Pop Music
- Country music is influenced by country and folk music, whereas pop music does not have any specific influence.
- Country music has a specific group that it appeals to, whereas pop music has a general fan-following.
- Country music must have string instrument music in it, whereas pop music does not have such affiliations to any particular musical instrument.
- Country music touches on topics such as social issues, cultural issues, etc., whereas pop music has a general topic that appeals to a larger population.
- Pop music is ephemeral and vanishes after a time, whereas due to its connection with the culture and society country music lasts longer.
Conclusion
Music is a big part of our lives as it helps us transport to different dimensions of the abstract world. Distinct music genres have contrasting ways to communicate to the masses. The music can trigger a specific mood and can also soothe a depressed mind. There is a multitude of music genres available in the world.
Distinct genres of music have different origins, and they appeal to independent populations. Pop music focuses on the general population and uses simple topics like love to connect to people. Country music, on the other hand, has a specific fan following in mind, and it appeals to the deep cultural and regional part of the population.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=P1qyHCmpT7EC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=country+music+history&ots=UhF03OLhcI&sig=1wMoUYePWAXKo09e_oyElwktKmU
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ufJQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=country+music+history&ots=3yYrs9zLBz&sig=8s_KgKegV3HUIzM6PdZZwno5usw
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=N-ViwZnnR3oC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=pop+music+history&ots=tza8RoThZQ&sig=NgogcSMhURy8CWD5-ecMfLpRaLc