1960s and ’70sīaby boomers who came of age in the mid-’60s likely remember the hip-swinging, head-bopping beat of bands like The Monkees and The Beach Boys. Tracks that cemented their places in history as a part of the first wave of bubblegum pop include “ Saturday Night ” by Bay City Rollers, “ Sugar Sugar ” by the Archies and “ Indian Lake ” by the Cowsills. The first wave of bubblegum pop was short-lived since it was sandwiched between the birth of several other iconic music genres like disco, funk and punk. However, the youthful, glowing jewel of bubblegum pop was only temporarily lost to the wind, as the death of disco made way for whimsical artists to take center stage.Įchoes of the sunny glory of ’80s bubblegum pop can be heard in classic tracks like “ Vacation ” by the Go-Go’s, “ Girls Just Want to Have Fun ” by Cyndi Lauper, “ Kids In America ” by Kim Wilde and “ Like a Virgin ” by Madonna. The second wave of bubblegum pop came during a unique time when most chart-topping hits were being churned out by women, who dominated the genre and added a touch of eccentricity to the decade. Not even rock icons like Elton John or Freddie Mercury could resist dabbling in the playful genre. Many rock bands began to experiment with drum machines and synthesizers during this time to match the commercial success of their pop competitors.īubblegum pop thrived in the ’80s, an impressive feat considering that the glam rock world was exploding with commercial success at the same time. 1990sīubblegum pop began to take its modern form as a subgenre of pop by the early ’90s, when it introduced the world to boy bands like NSYNC and girl groups like the Spice Girls, who prided themselves on a youthful, athletic aesthetic. In a new social climate where an artist’s looks and image preceded the importance of their talent, bubblegum pop lost its innocent, child-like charm. Until the creation of MTV, sexuality in music was limited to the lyrics artists of the ’90s and 2000s had an abundance of videography techniques at their disposal to play upon the literal and figurative implications of their songs.
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