Chapter 3: The Transition to Mainstream Pop

Bubblegum

A short-lived strand of carefully crafted sing along pop songs aimed at pre-teens that was generally produced in the studio by session players

Aldon Music

A songwriting company founded in New York in 1958 by Al Nevins and Don Kirshner.

Gold Star Studios

A Los Angeles studio often used by Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and others in the early 1960s.

Surf

A driving, high energy and primarily instrumental music style associated with the surfing culture of early 1960s Southern California.

The Wrecking Crew

A loose collection of Los Angeles studio musicians often used by Phil Spector and other producers in the early 1960s

Wall of Sound

A production technique developed and popularized by Phil Spector that involved the use of large instrumental groups, liberal doses of reverb, and multi-track overdubbing.

Teen Idols

The clean-cut, wholesome singers that the major labels promoted in the late 1950s and early 1960s to counter the success of independent label R&B and rock and roll.

Girl groups

The name given to the young female vocal groups that emerged in the early 1960s, primarily through the promotion of Phil Spector. Story lines for girl group songs usually included reference to boyfriends and the worthlessness of the girls' lives without them.

The Ed Sullivan Show

The popular TV show running from 1948 to 1971 on which many rock stars, including Elvis Presley and the Beatles appeared.

Payola

The practice of bribes (in the form of gifts, favors, or cash) made by record labels to get DJs to play their songs; Variety Magazine coined the term in 1938.

American Bandstand

The television show began in 1952 and hosted by Dick Clark from 1956 to 1987 that featured teens dancing to popular hit songs.

Brill Building Pop

The term to describe the pop songs that emerged from professional songwriters based in and around New York's Brill Building in the late 1950s and early 1960s.