What is 'pop' music exactly?

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Simple music with mass appeal.

LexingtonDeville, I personally disagree with the way that you attack Mainstream music. I would never attack Heavy Metal or rock. I have some favorite alternative bands and musicians which Include Carlos Santana, Divine Comedy, Jose Feliciano, Travis and Radiohead. I also have songs by Jimmy Page from Led Zeppllin (Particularly because of the Arab influence) in my iTunes. I am always happy to find songs with both of our favorite artists. Remember that song that I sent you with one of your favorite musicians Slash and one of my favorite singers?. The artists and music that should be bashed are neo nazi skinhead bands and the likes of Prussian Blues.

He would.

The term "pop" is short for the term popular. It is made to appeal to the masses.
Often it is made to make a profit while sacrificing all passion and uniqueness.

Many pop songs are about an unrealistic concept of love. Pop usually stays away from controversial,angry or depressing topics.

I personally don't care for pop much but I don't think that my taste in music is superior than anyone's.
I would not qualify as a music elitist or snob.

This;

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly5fwalNxmk[/youtube]

Pop music. It's not that great, but it's still better than noise "music".

I personally prefer hearing a badly recorded 500 BPM splittercore snippet playing on a half-broken cd-player over anything playing on the radio these days.

No, i don't remember really. And besides, i point-blank refuse listen to anything mainstream/chart music related. In England, we seem to be obsessed with crap karaoke singers and X Factor-related products that pollute our once proud music industry.

Look at the Brit Awards, crap like One Direction are one of the nominees for "Best Single"......

Mainstream music can coexist with alternative and other genres. I have a very diverse range of genres in my Itunes. Here is the song with Slash I have been talking to you about. What do you think?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqisMsT70TI[/youtube]

I don't think "pop" and "mainstream/top40" are 100% synonymous. Pop used to simply mean popular, but more recently it's been taken to describe a style. It would have characteristics like short song length (under 4 minutes), simple song structure, and pervading melodies. There's also a bit less focus on poetic lyrics and story-telling than with folk music. A pop song usually doesn't have more than a single chorus and one or two verses.

Other than that it's a fairly broad genre/style description that has strains in all different kinds of music and it doesn't have to be boring or derivative. I mean, I like more experimental music too but a song isn't necessarily bad just because it doesn't run over 8 minutes, contain 4 different time signatures, filled with all kinds of weird un-melodic instruments, and have undecipherable complex/abstract lyrics. Most music that got classified under "alternative" or "indie" is essentially pop music, or at least shares a lot of elements with pop music, and it's not all bad.

Different strokes for different folks, i guess Paulina Rubio isn't my cup of tea. It's just X Factor and the public's obsession with allowing crap music to get to number one that i have a real problem with.

This ^

The "Pop (Popular) Music" of now.

Though this term is often debatable as exemplified in this thread.

Dang, beat me to it.