The Big Pop Punk Debate!

Hiya Guys,

Once again, I am sorry for the lack of posts but it seems as if living the life of a university student isn't as calm and easy as everyone told me. This week's music is something that really sparks a lot of arguments on YouTube comments and that is the on the subject of pop punk and what different people think it is.

The Wikipedia definition of pop punk is 'music typically combining fast punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars with pop-influenced melodies and lyrical themes.' This definition seems pretty straightforward and is open to interpretation but then why does it cause so much aggression in the world of music? Although the genre seemed to be going through a decline in the late 2000s, much to the disgust of some people, the pop punk platform has become much more mainstream and is being popular for a much younger audiences. 

This debate has been around since the start and showed in the 2000s with people calling out Blink 182 and Greenday for not being pop punk enough. But, this went away when people started excepting that people had different interpretations. However, we are in a society where modern bands are being criticised for not being punk enough or being sell-outs in the same way that they were all those years ago. This seems wrong to me if you judge these bands on the Wiki definition.

A pop punk band is one that uses loud guitars and has changes in tempo's and are amazing lyrically with the odd guitar or bass solo. So why are bands like All Time Low or State Champs, who call themselves pop punk, being called out when they do exactly this. I know that there are other bands, such as Paramore or Fall Out Boy, who are getting the same stick but I'm sticking with these 2 as an example as these are the bands that have got me into heated discussions.

All Time low started from touring in tiny little vans and performing at tiny venues to selling out major arena's across the world with their guitar driven music that inspired so many people, including me, to want to pick up a guitar and start playing. There songs take influences from up tempo pop songs but takes on sore topics such as suicide and depression and entwine them into a song with meaningful lyrics.

If that isnt the essence of pop punk then I don't know what is! Whether you think that pop punk needs to stay as an underground style of music with bands that are more 'punk' or whether you think that people need to accept more mainstream styles, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of this debate. What bands do you love that are classified as pop punk but are being criticised for it? Are there any bands that you don't think belong in this genre?

That's all for now my dears,
See you soon

xxx