well brain, rap might influence modern classical (oxymoronic, eh?) composers.

[rant]
sure, all music style take talent. some just take more and are reckognized for havin talent. Namely, bands where people actually play instruments, etc. take more talent than say, rap or pop. Also, many pop stars don't write their own songs. They're just handed a piece of paper with some lyrics and told to sing it.

As for the definition of pop you gave, sure, the word can mean any artist that's popular. But usually when someone says "pop", they refer to songs on the top 40 charts, or whatever the teenyboppers are listening too. Right now this genre seems too be oversaturated with the shit-for-music that we all know and love as rap and "pop".

And we call it pop because there's nothing else you can call it. Its only identifying charachteristics is pre-packaged music and a top-heavey female or two singing about watered down subjects that are acceptable to the vast majority of america so they can sell records. Sometimes they throw a curve and sing about something bad just to stir up some publicity and so the teenyboppers can get their first taste of rebellion. but even then the offense is something that won't be too bad to end someone's carrer.

the other shit-for-music we have polluting our world is what some call "confessional rock" or "down rock". Bands like Staind, Linkin Park, and we even have depressing rap getting popular with some of Eminem's new stuff. You know what i call it? shit-for-music! It's a bunch of overgrown babys whining because they had a couple problems in their life. y'know what? FUCK YOU! I got problems of my own without having to hear about yours too. And personally, when i'm in a  depressed mood, i want to get rid of it, not help it grow.

Newsweek's cover this week is on teen depression. you wanna know why teens are depressed? look at the shit-for-music they're baraged by. Staind singing about how his father left. Linkin park singing about how everything they do fucks up. Nickelback singing about more father shit. Yea guys, i'm sorry you had shit happen, but I don' wanna fucking hear about it. Save your bitching for the shrink. He might help you more than i do.

eh, i'ma  bit off track now. The point is, some music is music. Like say... I hate country, but i grant that it take more talent to be in a country band than it does to be some solo pop singer. All a solo pop singer really is is just an overconfident karaoke singer. egad, i better stop now.

[/rant]

just had to get that off my chest.

capt has a point...
i usuta like punk quite a bit, like ten foot pole, lagwagon, no use for a name, pulley and whatever else, but all the songs end up being about girls they cant get, and generaly depressing music. if you look towards the harder rock music now adays its all about being depressed and hating football players. i think its the new Korn music video with that loser getting his ass kicked by a group of big guys in highschool.
AFI is a good punk band, but i guess what i've grown to hate about punk/hard rock music is the fact that its really depressing.
Listening to hard rock music alll the time would be like bondo watching the end of the lion king over and over (it makes him cry).

Say what you want about trance music, but i'm sure half of you haven't never heard "acual trance" aside from the darude and kylie minoque shit which is fed to you off mtv. Trance music is happy, and energetic. Not dark, gloomy, angry and suicidal like modern hard rock.

oh i forgot to mention that boy band teeny bopper shit... that is also depressing music because if a girl older than 12 hears you'd listening to it you get laughed at.

i hope it will be gone as well. i just shudder at the thought of what may replace it.

ty "beatles pop, heh" ...whoever you are

OK, time for a brief lesson in etymology by cookie.

The word "popular" originates from latin word populus, meaning "of the people".  This today is interpreted as meaning "in public favor". Pop is simply an abbreviation of the word. Pop music as a genre has come to be associated with Britney Spears and the like but it hasn't always been this way, as in the case of the Beatles. Sorry to rain on your parades pop haters, but the Beatles were the equivalent of todays N'Sync. So before you start bitching about how much you hate pop and how much you love the Beatles, think about the meaning behind it all, assholes. JK JK about that last part pals  

     e.g. my favorite currently-producing band, the Barenaked Ladies. Ability to play instruments? Check. Ability to sing (with some beautiful harmonies, no less)? Check. Songwriting skill and lyrics which are often quite deep and/or meaningful? Check. (Mostly) upbeat- or cheerful-sounding songs? Check. Sense of humor? Check. Good stuff.

it's all subjective, my friends. i personally think rap is shit but i can hold myself back. most of the time.

mmkay, pink floyd, pfunk (george clinton and bootsie collins rock the casbah) viktor wooten, dream theater, and any les claypool project... rock. =) oysterhead is a great band. ahhhh! but i dont care much for dave matthews band, it's hippie crap. jk   i just dont like them. so booyah!

Ace, I believe you mean the ONLY great thing to ever come out of Canadia.

ahh yes, the clash. they're not too bad. as far as led zeppelin goes, i suggest you try physical graffiti