Treble Makers Book Club (On Hold)

2) And the winner is...

Countrypop!! Whoa congratulations!

...just kidding. By now you probably already guessed that "pop punk" won. I'd be lying if I said 'didn't see that coming'.

Pop-punk:

Pop punk is described as a strand of alternative rock that typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk rock tempos, chord changes and loud guitars. According to webzine columnist Erik van Rheenen, lyrically, the "true spirit" of pop punk comprises songs "about expressions through friendship, love, hate, attitude, individuality and mind".

Pop-punk throughout the years:

Origins (1974–1989)

With their love of the Beach Boys and late 1960s bubblegum pop, the Ramones paved the way to what became known as pop punk. The Ramones' loud and fast melodic minimalism differentiated them from other bands in New York City's budding art rock scene, but pop punk was not considered a separate subgenre until later.

In the late 1970s, UK bands such as Buzzcocks and The Undertones combined pop-style tunes and lyrical themes with punk rock's speed and chaotic edge.

The US band Bad Religion, formed in 1979, also helped to lay the groundwork for contemporary pop punk

Popular acceptance (1994–1998)

In 1993, California's Green Day and Bad Religion were both signed to major labels, and by 1994, pop punk was quickly growing in mainstream popularity.

MTV and radio stations such as Los Angeles' KROQ-FM played a major role in the genre's mainstream success. The Warped Tour and the mall chain store Hot Topic brought punk even further into the US mainstream. (And thus the 'poser' was born!)

Mainstream peak (1999–2005)

Pop punk's commercial success generally peaked with the 1999 release of Blink-182's Enema of the State, which sold 15 million copies worldwide.

New Found Glory gained commercial success with the 2000 release of their self-titled second album. Jimmy Eat World gained commercial success with their breakthrough album Bleed American. Blink-182 had continued success in 2001 with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, which sold 14 million copies worldwide.

Simple Plan experienced commercial success in 2002 with No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, and Good Charlotte found similar success with The Young and the Hopeless.

Radio hits in 2003 included The Ataris' cover of "The Boys of Summer" and Yellowcard's "Ocean Avenue", both commonplace on top 40 playlists.

In 2004, Good Charlotte released The Chronicles of Life and Death, lead by the lead single Predictable".

Continued success (2005–2009)

Emo pop, a fusion genre combining emo and pop punk, became popular in the mid-2000s, with the record label Fueled by Ramen releasing platinum albums from bands including Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Paramore.

Fall Out Boy released their breakthrough record From Under the Cork Tree in 2005, selling 3 million worldwide and spawning top two ten singles which received heavy MTV rotation.

The All-American Rejects found success with Move Along (2005), which inspired three top 15 singles. Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy signed Panic! at the Disco to his record label,Decaydance, and the band scored a hit single, "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies", which won them a 2006 MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.