The Genre Jump: A Baroque Pop Gallery
The Genre Jump: For when you want to be obscure but not too obscure.
It’s a classic story. Your thumb is sore for how long you’ve scrolled through Spotify, shuffling over and over until the itch in your brain is scratched.
“On Repeat” has grown repetitive. “Discover Weekly” seems unappealing. You can recite what’s on your “Release Radar,” already aware of what your favorite artists are up to.
There is not a moment in my day when I’m not thinking about music. It’s all-encompassing. My thoughts have a melody to them even as they spiral into a cacophony of noise I can’t decipher. I like to tap my fingers to an unfamiliar beat. I wear jewelry that jingles because it feels like music is following me.
And most of all, I explore.
I grew up spelunking through CDs. My father played in a jazz band when he was in college, and his fingers never stopped twitching over phantom chords on an upright bass whenever his hands grew idle. I listened to Marvin Gay, Celia Cruz, Eydie Gorme, Erykah Badu, Sade and Glenn Miller. And I craved more. Sure, there’s jazz, but acid jazz sounded more trippy. Yeah, everyone has heard of trap music, but what’s phonk about?
No one wants to be the kind of music snob that makes people sigh whenever the aux cord is in their possession. But it’s worth being the person to share a lesser-known subgenre of music.
It’s human nature to want to explore, to satisfy that itch and learn, more like listen, to something new. And that’s coming from someone who does listen to plenty of mainstream music.
Spotify’s crafted playlists and radios often gather songs you already have liked. It’s not enough to truly expand one’s horizon. So allow me to show you something new, and this time, you’ll get to show off your impeccable music taste to your friends.
Listen along with “a baroque pop gallery,” a Spotify playlist I curated for the first genre jump deep dive: baroque pop.
Apple Music users, I’m sorry.
Baroque Pop: A combination against all odds
You’re walking down a gallery. Ornate frames catch your eye, the gold shimmering as it catches the light. There’s something classic about this gallery. But instead of oil on wood or canvas, the wooden frames are filled with colorful jackets, cherry wood violins and one hell of a poncho.
It’s a fusion, one that’s almost contradictive. It’s hard to imagine how classical aesthetics pair well with the color and groovy vibe of the 1960s, but it worked. And it led to baroque pop.
Baroque pop is a genre that combines elements from classical music with rock that emerged in the 1960s.
But before we get to the pop, we need to talk about the baroque.
In all honesty, when I picture the Baroque period, which spanned from the 1600s to the 1750s, I think of elegance. It’s composed, extravagant and ornate.
Funnily enough, critics of the era in the 17th and 18th century thought the exact opposite. Exaggerated, loud, too ornamental, they said. Or I’m assuming they did. So the iconic music period got its name baroque, a Portuguese word that means oddly shaped pearl.
Baroque was the era of many of the greats we still remember today. Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Monteverdi all composed during this era, the time when Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” was born. Opera and concertos were being introduced more and grew in popularity. The era was focused on using music to communicate, a time when artists, philosophers and musicians were still infatuated with ancient Greek and Roman thought. Emotion was all the rage.
Music from the Baroque period was known for its contrast. “The Four Seasons” is a perfect example of this. The iconic introduction, “Concerto №1 in E Major,” starts soft and light. It’s bright and youthful like spring. You feel like frolicking in a field of flowers as the slower sections play, then that movement becomes fast, and the slow walk turns into a dance. Baroque music goes from slow to fast, quiet to loud. Concertos will blare a full ensemble orchestra while jumping to a gentle string solo all within 30 seconds.
The Baroque period ushered in a new priority in its style, monody or the focus on a single melody or voice with an instrumental accompaniment. It was a big deal, especially when music in the Renaissance period, Baroque’s predecessor, had a polyphonic texture that combined multiple melodic lines.
And of course, there are the iconic Baroque instruments. And remember these because as you follow along with the playlist, you won’t stop hearing them. There’s the harpsichord, oboes, french horns and string quartets.
Now it’s time for actual baroque pop.
Baroque pop is a fun combination. One moment you're listening to a harpsichord, feeling like you’re in a season of Bridgerton, and the next, a guitar solo blares through your speakers. It’s the best of both worlds!
The influence goes beyond just including the same instruments. Baroque pop has this timeless quality to it. It emulates a centuries-old style but still keeps up with modern music trends such as synths or heavy bass lines. It’s intimate like a waltz.
The melodies of baroque pop are catchy, especially thanks to its monodic nature. However, there’s a lot of layering of sounds and arrangements that mirror the pages of music notes Bach composed.
But all good things must come to an end…or a long hiatus.
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Unfortunately, baroque pop faded out of popularity after bands like Belle and Sebastion pioneered chamber pop in the 1990s, a bit of a love child of baroque pop that introduced heavier orchestral elements into rock and indie music. But it didn’t die because music never dies. Between 2005 and 2015, the indie scene revived it. Bands like Vampire Weekend, Panic! at the Disco and even Lana Del Ray brought that plucky but wistful sound back into modern music scenes.
The Artists of Baroque Pop: How Johann Sebastian Bach met the Beach Boys
It’s true. Bach and the Beach Boys were best friends. Sort of.
Baroque pop had many faces before the term was officially coined. The Beach Boys were some of the first to bring that orchestral sound to the biggest craze in music: rock n’ roll.
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, played harpsichord in the background of multiple songs, one of the most notable ones being “You Still Believe in Me,” which was released in their album “Pet Sounds” in 1966. They are considered to be some of the first pioneers of baroque music in America.
Four thousand miles away in the United Kingdom, The Beatles were already revolutionizing music, and they were going to do it again. One of the first songs that would encourage incorporating baroque elements in rock music was “In My Life” by The Beatles released in1965. Before the final verse of the song, a harpsichord solo begins to play, reminiscent of the iconic sound of classical music. This changed the game for baroque pop because it basically led to its existence.
Producers rushed to replicate the echoey sound of the harpsichord and searched for the higher melodies in the baroque trumpet. Musicians used oboes while others resorted to flutes, bassoons and clarinets to replicate the classical sound. It was a race to capture time while looking at the future of music.
However, the term was officially used after The Left Banke, a five-member band based in New York, released “Walk Away Renée” in 1965. Fun fact, Rolling Stone ranked that song #220 out of 500 of the greatest songs of all time. They were the first to take the mantle of baroque pop and remain one of the most popular and highly regarded bands in the genre.
With a centuries-old foundation and growing popularity, more artists began to appear in the ballroom. Here are some more examples worth checking out (and of course featured in the playlist):
- The Moody Blues — The album “Nights in White Satin,” which came out in 1967, captures the heartbreak of a love affair and the crossroads between the end of a relationship and the start of a new one.
- The Byrds — “Younger than Yesterday” was the band’s fourth album that also released in 1967. It was experimental and the first album without Gene Clark, a founding member of the band.
- Kate Bush — “The Kick Inside” was Bush’s debut album from 1978. The album explores heavy themes like suicide and desire in a masterful, artistic way.
Modern Baroque Pop: When in doubt, add a violin.
When the genre was revitalized thanks to the indie scene, it secured its survival up to now.
Some bands and musicians responsible brought back the drama of French horns and the bright tone of a harpsichord. One of the most popular bands from its resurgence was Vampire Weekend after the release of “Oxford Comma” in 2008. Its jumpy but classical-esque chords and simple drums match the upbeat but almost careless vibe of the song, especially as he sings “Who gives a f*** about an Oxford comma?” (I don’t, my love for the Oxford comma has been destroyed by the AP Stylebook).
Panic! At the Disco’s “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” from 2005 is often credited as their baroque pop album, which also acted as their debut. But I disagree. Clearly, their baroque pop album is “Pretty. Odd.,” the band’s second album. It captures the essence of baroque pop as it combines a modern guitar with strings and a similar sound to the harpsichord. The song that encompasses it best is “She Had the World.”
A review in the gallery: Andrew Bird’s “My Finest Work Yet”
I’ve been holding myself back.
You can’t talk about the genre without talking about Andrew Bird. An Illinois-native, this man is a Renaissance man which is ironic considering one of his genres is baroque pop. He’s a singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, violinist and a whistler. (He even did the whistling for the Muppet Movie!) He’s inventive, switching genres between each album and never failing to do something new.
His baroque influences are always present thanks to his trusty violin. However, “My Finest Work Yet,” which he released in 2019 and was nominated for “Best Folk Album” at the Grammy Awards in 2020, encompasses that classical essence.
My completely unbiased review? 10/10. Five stars. No notes.
Songs like “Manifest” take the distinct sound of the essential harpsichord (how many times have I used that word?) and mimic it with a guitar. The strings of his violin add a breath to the bright but direct sound of the baroque-style guitar playing. It’s a beautiful combination of liveliness and yearning, reminiscent of the sound of The Moody Blues and The Left Banke.
“Archipelago” is another song that stands out to match the genre. Similar to “Manifest,” it replicates the baroque sound with a guitar and the plucking of violin chords echoing over his smooth playing. The song is a great example of the monodic sound typical in old baroque music. His voice acts as a single melody while the violin acting as his harmony accompanies it seamlessly.
The album tackles modern problems with antiquated musical elements. He uses classical sounds to comment on war, apathy and the destruction of the environment. These were all issues present in the 17th century yet still persist in the 21st century. The music of the era hasn’t died yet neither has political and social injustice. Yet Bird carries the burden, violin in hand and voice ready to sing.
Not the end of an era
Baroque pop was as persistent as it is beautiful. A fusion of two unlikely genres, it breathed a youthful life into traditional musical elements while exploring the emotion and nuances of rock n’ roll.
It’s more than, and say it with me now, the harpsichord and pretty string elements. It’s not just the mix of a rock guitar with layered synths and drums. It’s a love letter to the progression of music, and its constant evolution as it continues to grow in the 21st century.
Now, go enjoy some baroque pop. Maybe even save a few songs. And definitely ask for aux the next time you’re in the passenger seat.
