These 3 Legendary Pop Songs Birthed Whole New Subgenres

Pop songs will always dominate the charts. “Popular” is in the name, after all. And, occasionally, some very fresh and new pop songs will kick off trends in various pop subgenres. Let’s look at a few such pop songs that made new or newish pop subgenres massively popular upon their respective releases.

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“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson (1983)

The New Jack Swing movement owes a lot to this megahit by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. That synthy beat, Jackson’s percussive vocals… it was clear he was inspired by the already growing movement. But if Michael Jackson makes a song in a certain style, it’s bound to popularize that style in a major mainstream way. That’s precisely what happened with the New Jack Swing movement, which would remain popular well through the early 1990s.

“Billie Jean” was one of the biggest songs of 1983, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Eurochart Hot 100, and beyond.

“Gangnam Style” by Psy (2012)

Even if you were barely conscious in 2012, you probably still remember this song. It was all over the internet, radio, grocery stores, malls, the whole shebang. K-pop was already on the rise globally when Psy dropped this hit that year, but the enormous success of the song proved that K-pop was a force to be reckoned with, one that would transcend language barriers worldwide.

“Gangnam Style” by South Korean icon Psy was a No. 1 hit on almost every Billboard chart out there, from the US to South Korea to Canada to the whole of Europe and beyond.

“…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears (1998)

Britney Spears didn’t invent teen pop. However, she ushered in the turn-of-the-millennium version of the subgenre with this massive (and still very much loved) pop hit in 1998. Spears would go on to enjoy one of the biggest careers in late 90s and early 00s pop music. And with her, she would put teen-oriented pop at the top of the charts.

This entry on our list of pop songs that popularized different subgenres was one of the biggest hits of 1998. “…Baby One More Time” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and took home a laundry list of awards.

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