Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s[2] and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and moderate degrees of appreciation in the 2000s. It's characterized by catchy beats, slick songs and frothy lyrics. Swedish group ABBA is often credited for popularizing the genre.[1] Modern Europop overlaps with Eurodance, however the latter is more Club and Hi-NRG leaning.[4]
History
During the 1970s and early 1980s, such groups were primarily popular in continental countries, with the exception of ABBA (1972–1983).[5] The Swedish four-person band achieved great success in the UK, where they scored twenty top 10 singles and nine chart-topping albums, and in North America and Australia.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Europop became very popular. Roxette and Ace of Base led Europop in American mainstream audiences. In the 1990s, pop groups like the Spice Girls, Aqua, Steps, Right Said Fred, Backstreet Boys and singer DJ BoBo were strongly influenced by Europop. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Italian dance group Eiffel 65 were highly active in this genre. In the 2000s, one of the most popular representatives of Europop music was Swedish pop group Alcazar.
In central Europe, Italo disco (also known as 1980s Euro disco) and Euro house were the predominant attempts by young musicians to have a hit record in and beyond the borders of their own country.
