What is popular music?

When we talk about popular music what we mean is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and is circulated by one or more of the mass media. It is sometimes abbreviated to pop music, although pop music is more often used to describe a narrower branch of popular music.
Much popular music is the product of the modern business in order to make a profit. There are several definitions for popular music, however if we look at it from a sociological point of view then popular music is associated with or produced for or by a particular social group. The modern business enterprise will analyse the market and cultivate the music which will have the greatest success with the public, whilst at the same time maximizing profits for their business.
If we look at it this way then you could say that popular music differs a lot from traditional folk music which was created by ordinary people for their own entertainment and enjoyment. It also differs greatly from classical music which was created to serve the purpose of the church.
Popular music dates back to the mid 19th century and it is commonly subdivided to genres. Different genres appeal to different age groups and most often are the people who were young when the music was new.