popular music

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With “Where the Music Had to Go,” Windolf carefully traces the contours of a revolution that transformed popular music into art.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

A guitarist, composer and bandleader who died on Saturday, Taylor's six-decade career played a key role in shaping modern popular music in West Africa.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

By grounding innovation in cultural continuity, he left behind a body of music that continues to inform contemporary styles, including afrobeats, and remains central to the story of African popular music.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

The centerpiece of 20th-century life was, he writes, an “abundance of cultural invention,” especially in popular music.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

African-American traditions are so basic to popular music that they are generally not included in World music, but other North American traditions, such as Native American and Cajun traditions, sometimes are.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones