Pop's Box

What is “pop” attempting to say? Without an authoritative study of the history of “pop” as a musical style, some inferences deserve to be made. First the “Pop” charts in America give this rhythmic style a particularly high place in American music history. The “charts” or ranking as determined by Billboard Magazine or Rolling Stone recognize “pop” as a discreet musical style. Somehow “pop” music inherently sells and therefore makes money. Who was it that determined that this particular style was the choice of America’s masses, and what is it about “pop” that creates such a valuable commodity? Covertly hundreds of bands seemed to understand this phenomenon and without opening a musical cans of worms exploited this “style” to benefit themselves and their record companies. It must be assumed that this particular “style” of music lent itself well to the histrionic stage presentation that accompanied it. Was it really this style of music accompanied the histrionic stage presentation itself? This author believes the latter to be true, and that “pop” music was the perfect vehicle for such an exhibition. The greatest example of the validity of this statement is the band AC/DC. Upon casual acknowledgement AC/DC seems to be a heavy metal band. If one is sitting at a bar and hears AC/DC on the jukebox, it is most likely a clangorous cacophony of banging garbage can lids will ensue and one will become annoyed if not all ready versed in the art of Angus Young. This was my experience. I heard or felt nothing that engaged me in any way. That is because AC/DC is a “pop” band. They are not a rock or heavy metal band in the sense of Aerosmith or Metallica. While this might be surprising to most, it seems the same secret exists for fans of AC/DC as the hundreds of bands that exploit this style. Angus Young, while appearing to be full of vitriol, covertly is a softy. He pantomimes grand kinetic gestures, but when it comes to striking the strings of the guitar his touch is a soft as a kitten’s belly. This was surprising, perplexing, and alarming to me as a fellow musician. How could it be I had spent forty years perfecting my touch on the piano, embodying strength, power, tonal clarity, and dynamic nuance, and this man barely touches the strings of the guitar and represents hundreds of thousands of angst ridden adolescent youths who buy AC/DC’s records? It simply was not fair. How did he accomplish such a feat? The underlying secret of pop music’s success is such. While I cannot explain the universal appeal of the “pop” rhythmic feel, I can describe the technique that controls it. It ain’t much. In fact there is little to describe. There is no “clave” or interesting rhythmic pattern. There is nothing even that proves “pop” music is in 4/4 time, unless you define that by the chord movement. Like African music utilized by the fusion band Weather Report (who were the first to perform semi-commercial music in a ¼ time signature) pop really is in ¼. So is the music of Count Basie. Perhaps this is what makes “pop” so universally appealing. There is NO grouping of the quarter note to define actual bars of music. “Pop” music is just a string of eighth notes that go on interminably, just like a porno soundtrack. It takes no thought to digest the music, because one basic element of music of the holy trinity of three, rhythm, does not exist. As it does it is the most base level to what rhythm can be reduced while still qualifying as music. This foundation supplies the necessary framework for the grandstanding of alter musical egos on stage. It appears that “pop” musicians represent fire, pathos, and virility, but underneath there is nothing.