pop
what it is
Pop music is a broad-term for many different types of music: The term is flexible, and the music labeled "pop" changes frequently. It usually refers to popular, appealing and mostly mainstream music with emphasis on catchy melodies and an accessible style, with songs that tend to have a short to medium length. Some subgenres may include synthpop, electropop, bubblegum, sophisti-pop, hyperpop and many others.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
✦ make pop a playlist
turn these 34 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is pop?
Pop music is a broad-term for many different types of music: The term is flexible, and the music labeled "pop" changes frequently. It usually refers to popular, appealing and mostly mainstream music with emphasis on catchy melodies and an accessible style, with songs that tend to have a short to medium length. Some subgenres may include synthpop, electropop, bubblegum, sophisti-pop, hyperpop and many others.
What are good pop albums to start with?
Try Sweetener by Ariana Grande, Off the Wall by Michael Jackson, 1989 by Taylor Swift, and The Dutchess by Fergie.
Who are some women making pop?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/pop/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making pop, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20