Top 40 / Pop

Pop Music Artists & Styles

By Bill Lamb, About.com Guide to Top 40 / Pop

Learn the basics of pop music today including the wide range of contemporary pop music styles and key artists that perform them. You'll find artist profiles, quizzes, discographies, tour schedules, and much more.

Pop Music 101
Artist Quizzes
Mainstream Pop
Alternative Pop
American Idol Stars

Boy Bands
British Pop
Girl Groups
Punk Pop

Pop Music 101

The basics on pop music before diving into specific genres and artists.

Artist Quizzes

Test your knowledge of your favorite artists with these quick quizzes.

Mainstream Pop

The mainstream in pop music is constantly changing, but when the average music fan thinks of pop music, these are some of the top artists that come to mind.

Alternative Pop

Alternative is often used to describe music from the underground or released on independent record labels. It was also heavily influenced by the do-it-yourself attitude of the late 70's punk revolution.

American Idol Stars

Since the show's debut in 2002, American Idol has significantly impacted the pop music landscape in the US. A number of winners and contestants on the show have become major pop stars.

Boy Bands

By definition a boy band is an all male vocal group that does not play instruments on their songs. Typically their music is glossy mainstream pop oriented to a young female audience.

British Pop

The United Kingdom and Ireland are home to some of the top pop artists on the planet. British Pop often has a slightly different feel and approach to its American counterpart.