How many diminutives of pop are there?
There are so many variants of Pop, Rock, Electronica and even Indie these days that every single artist pretty much has their own genre. I mean, who knew that Neo soul, my sixteenth most listened to genre on Spotify this month, was even a thing? Today I took a quick scan of Wikipedia’s list of musical genres, and picked out a few that I thought sounded interesting.
Space Disco
Space Disco music is often a product of many different niche pop genres such as Electro-pop, Synth-pop and Disco-pop. The lyrics are usually a reference to futuristic themes (space, robots etc) that have been heavily impacted by pop culture. A few years after it was introduced, elements of Jazz, Funk and Brazilian music were incorporated into Space Disco music.
Examples of artists who are or were apart of/influenced by the Space Disco genre: Prins Thomas, Space, Laserdance, Cosmonauts
If you want to hear some more examples of Space Disco: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4pbGJDhTXK3?si=RfuUh7rwRmuOTmrvoIqhkA
Chiptune
Chiptune is an obscure type of electronic music that is created using arcade machines, computers and video game consoles to make specific sounds. It is usually associated with all genres, since all sorts of music can be arranged in a Chiptune style. Despite originating in the 70s, Chiptune really took off in the 80s due to computers becoming cheaper and more accessible, therefore making them an affordable method of creating musical art.
Examples of artists who are or were apart of/influenced by the Chiptune genre: Anamanaguchi, Crystal Castles, Chipzel, Toby Fox
If you want to hear more examples of Chiptune: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LFNDgI96e297dxed2dZZa?si=P2HHgNDdRNWqfkHmbUQPdA
Trip Hop
Trip Hop, an early 90s music style that emerged in Bristol, is known for it’s melancholic sound, which is made up of a range of instruments such as saxophones, trumpets and flutes. Like Chiptune, it incorporates many genres (R&B, House, Soul, Dub, Punk) and is primarily described as a ’fusion of Hip Hop and Psychedelia.
Examples of artists who are or were apart of/influenced by the Trip Hop genre: Bjork, Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack
If you want to hear some more examples of Trip Hop: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWVXbA4kjkg6G?si=Hm2ZemgOScy0OtMeFvGivA
Sophisti-pop
Sophisti-pop began with 80s music that had aspects of New wave, Jazz, Soul and Pop. Typical instruments used include saxophones, guitars and drums. By the 90s, however, Sophisti-pop began to fade away after a decade of never becoming massively trendy or popular.
Examples of artists who are or were apart of/influenced by the Sophisti-pop genre: The Style Council, Prefab Sprout, Simply Red, Roxy Music
If you want to hear more examples of Sophisti-pop: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/18LufJPENHQkScaoTPZLAm?si=YgF7MaelT966Mv5jlSs29w
Anti-folk
Anti-folk is a music style that originated in 1980s America, often described as ’experimental’ and ’spontaneous’ music. This unusual-to-say-the-least music genre was an artistic slap in the face to mainstream artists of the time, since Anti-folk musicians used their figurative lyrics and overall musical talent to mock popular music, all because they were unable to obtain gigs themselves.
Examples of artists who are or were apart of/influenced by the Anti-folk genre: Beck, Emmy The Great, Kash Nash, Jeffrey Lewis
If you want to hear more examples of Anti-folk: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SXOzFKlMx7ODmxI1jnxux?si=IpHfqo-nRB-uwjlmcAdRlg