Fashion Industry Broadcast’s Masters of Music Series is one of the most extensive and prestigious publishing initiatives ever released on this subject.

In the fifth of our Music Series, and the first of four on pop music, we present our giant hard covered picture books on the careers of the biggest names in Pop. Pop music is such an interesting musical genre in that it has gone through so many transformations and includes so many sub-genres. We had elements of rhythm and blues, doo-wop, folk, girl groups, funk, surf, soul, psychedelic, bubble gum, hard rock, acoustic, jazz and everything in between, all blended together in a musical smorgasbord. The sixties were a particularly defining moment for pop music, the Beatles exploded onto the scene and while most artists did not write the songs that they recorded, the Beatles opened many doors for those who were good enough to compose their own material. They opened the floodgates for the British Invasion, with bands like the Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, the Who, Led Zeppelin and many others, all vying for the top spot on the charts. Society has also had a profound effect on the types of pop songs that were written. There were songs of protest, peace and love. Women’s lib came to the forefront and Black musicians were free to write songs that would appeal to not only African-Americans but society as a whole. Solo artists like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, all helped to take soul music to a whole new level.

What’s next for pop music? Will it be dominated by the smooth R&B we have now with Beyonce, Brandy or Rihanna or the strong vocals of Madonna or Pink? What about the alternative rock sounds of Radiohead? We believe that pop music will be all of the above and more and will continue to be an essential element of popular culture as a whole.