For music intended to provoke smiles and laughter. Early exponent Spike Jones used unexpected and comical instruments punctuated by birdcalls and gunshots to poke fun at familiar classical melodies and standard popular songs. Other examples include parodies of hit songs such as Weird Al Yankovic's "Another One Rides the Bus" (based on Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust"); classical parodies such as P.D.Q. Bach's "1712 Overture" (based on Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"); and originals such as "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight." The best-known modern figure in the genre is radio personality Dr. Demento, whose popular program and recorded compilations have made "Dementia" a synonym for wacky musical humor.

Pop recordings are characterized by catchy melodies, energetic performance regardless of tempo, and attention-grabbing production meant to "hook" the listener. Pop emerged in the early 1960s as a lighter alternative to rock.

Popular is a very broad style term generally encompassing any style not included in classical music, although some would also exclude folk, world, and ethnic music. Music that can be characterized another way such as jazz or country will usually be grouped under those names even though it will also be "popular" as opposed to classical. "Popular" is also the default name for non-classical music that does not fit well into any other style, with decided preference for sounds that sell well.

From the 1890s popularity was measured by sheet music sales. Record sales took over in the 1920s, as popularity was documented and influenced by US and UK radio programs as well as charts in magazines such as Billboard and Cashbox. As digital distribution replaced compact disc sales post-2000, measurement changed but sales success remained the first requirement for music to be considered popular.