Here is a sideline question, is pop music that is a year old still pop? How about 5? 10? 40?

Does pop music degenerate in classification in time?

When I was 40 years old, I decided to market my duo to the retirement audience. It's a big, stable market here in South Florida and while the bars and lounges have dropped live music, until COVID my gigs were very stable. It was a good decision for someone who wants to make a living doing music and nothing but music in my area of the country.

When I started this, pop to the adult crowd was Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra. Pop music that was 35 years or so old. As time passed, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison entered the mix. Then the Beatles, later The Cars.

Now Miller and Sinatra don't get any reaction, a little of Elvis still does, but not too much, and it seems that the Beatles will be next to fade into oblivion. We'll keep learning new 30 or so year old songs, and play whatever our audience likes to hear.

It seems we are playing pop music between 30-55 years after they hit their peak on Billboard. Is it still pop?

My audience considers it popular, and it's popular with them?

For the years I was in a top40 band, anything a year or two old was no longer on the playlist. It wasn't popular anymore.

10 years or more, it returns on the 'oldies' stations.

Like many on this forum, I find pop hard to define.

If you mean current top40 - I like some and don't care for some. It depends on whether it tickles whatever it is inside me that moves me.

Notes ♫

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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