Pop Music Icons

Pop music is usually comprised of happy, upbeat rhythms with simple melodies and lyrics that relate to love, relationships, sex and dancing. It is not a genre that is meant to bring deep and serious world issues to the fore, nor is it meant to invoke introspection and reflection. It's there simply to bop around to, and join in the rousing chorus at the top of your lungs. Its feel good music, designed for fun and lighthearted entertainment.

Unlike other music genres such as rock and hip hop, where the songs are often written by the artists themselves, pop songs are usually written by professional songwriters. In order to generate as much exposure as possible, artists create music videos and stage extravagant live performances to attract media interest. Music videos are particularly important as they can enjoy international commercial success and thus reach an extremely wide audience. This has made pop, arguably the world's biggest music genre.

"Popular music" has been around since the 50s, with people such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley falling into the category. Pop music, as most of us know it, really came into its own in the 80s with the rise of artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Famous Rock Music Artists and Their Histories

What few people realize is that most musical talents get their start in classical music and by working with traditional instruments. Some of these instruments include pianos, violas and other such instruments from the baroque era and other time periods. Many musical performers in the modern era transition from piano and classical music to more popular genres such as rock and classic rock. Many people learn to work on the piano initially, and they can use piano benches, a piano bench, or a sheet music cabinet to learn their trade and become better at their jobs. One of the more popular genres in modern music is rock, and amongst that subset there are tons of famous musicians and people who have made their mark on the world of modern music. In the upcoming paragraphs some of the more famous rock acts of the modern era will be discussed and some bands who have done an excellent job of becoming famous and making a name for themselves in modern rock.

One of the more famous rock bands of the modern era is Green Day. Green Day is from Oakland, California and has produced a lot of brilliant music that has reached a global audience. One of their more popular and famous albums is called American Idiot, which was also possibly their most famous album and produced numerous number one hits in the American pop charts. The album that really set the band apart from other groups was called Dookie, which was the group's debut album that really brought them to fame and made them stand out from all the other punk bands that are around in the modern music scene. The band's most recent album is called 21st Century Breakdown and is apparently themed around the pitfalls of modern American society and the problems that exist in the country.

Best Guitar Scale For Rock Music

The best guitar scale to learn if you are into Rock music is the Pentatonic scale. The Pentatonic scale is also used in many other types of popular music, like Blues for example.

The Pentatonic scale has 5 notes that create 5 patterns that connect across the entire fretboard. These 5 patterns get their names from the notes that are in the scale... Root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th. Also, just by adding a few notes, you can create all of your other scales just by using this one pattern. You start off by using the Pentatonic to visualize your scales and then you add a note or two and you can play over top of any chords.

Here is the Pentatonic scale 6th shape that you will want to memorize first:

Rock Music Festivals - 5 Getting Ready Tips

So, you've decided on a rock music festival that you'd like to attend? How do you know if you're fully prepared to make the most of it? Here's the inside scoop on what you need to know to be prepared and have an awesome time:

1. Get directions. Make sure you know where is the festival grounds are located. Plan your route and determine how long it's going to take you to get there. Learn when the gates open, so you can time your arrival for ease of parking and grabbing your favorite band viewing location.

2. Accommodations. Where are you going to stay? Many rock music festivals provide convenient camp ground facilities, but you shouldn't just expect to show up and get a site. If you want to camp, verify that they have tent camping and/or if your size of camper will fit in the sites they have available. Whether you're planning on camping or staying at an area hotel, make sure to get your reservation made well in advance, or you may be out of luck!

Rock Music Fiction

Looking for something different to read? Tired of the same old chick-lit, thrillers, romances, and teen vampire books? If you're like most people you listen to rock music-on the radio, on CDs, and at concerts. Believe it or not, there is a growing genre of fiction devoted to rock music and rock musicians.

They aren't all just about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll (although a generous sprinkling of these ingredients doesn't hurt!). Many rock music novels strive to capture something about the creative process, the everyday life of a musician, or the impact that rock music has on listeners. Here are a few choice examples of works of fiction that are based in the punk, pop, heavy metal, or rock genre.

The Best in Rock Fiction (June Sawyers and Anthony DeCurtis, editors. Hal Leonard, 2004). This engrossing collection features short stories including T. C. Boyle's "All Shook Up" and Tom Piazza's "Burn Me Up," plus more than a dozen excerpts from published novels. Authors include Nick Hornby, William Gibson, Sherman Alexie (with an excerpt from Reservation Blues), Don DeLillo, Madison Smartt Bell, Jeffrey Eugenides, Rick Moody, and Scott Spencer. In "Ground Beneath Her Feet," Salman Rushdie explores the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in a rock 'n roll context.