To me, the difference is self-explanatory.  Popular music is just that,
popular.  It is the music of the masses.  Generally, it requires no real
thought, it doesn't express intellectuality or real emotion, and it doesn't
require much in the way of composition.  There are exceptions to this, of
course.  One has only to look at Led Zeppelin's work to see that (Robert
Plant's use of alternate, experimental guitar tunings in such songs as "The
Rain Song).  Syd Barrett also experimented with new techniques in Pink
Floyd's early work (specifically, the Umma Gumma album).

Rick Wakeman, the keyboardist with Yes after Tony Kaye, was a child
prodigy who studied at the Royal Conservatory in London before burning out
as prodigies are wont to do.  Yes, especially, uses many classical forms in
its songs, as most of its members are classically trained.  Emerson, Lake,
and Palmer are likewise classically trained (Emerson's Piano Concerto is a
gem, btw.).

However, this type of "popular music" is far from the mainstream in the
year 2000.  Today, Britney Spears, Hanson, The Back Street Boys, and N'Sync
are churning out formulaic trash at a record pace (pardon the pun).  They
are successful because the kids of today are not challenged in school,
musically.  I speak as a middle school music teacher, so I speak from
experience.  Before coming to my class, the kids never even heard of
classical music.  I had one girl ask me during a study of Beethoven how
a dog could write music.  I am NOT kidding.

The groups of today are also successful because of the huge advertising
machine behind them.  People are generally sheep, and want to be led.
Niccolo Machiavelli saw that 400 years ago, and it is still true today.
This comes from a sort of societal laziness, which breeds the "The
commercials say this music is good, so I should like it." attitude.

Classical music, on the other hand, is not highly marketed (at least
not since the days of Van Cliburn in Russia).  It is music for the
intellectually elite, since it requires the listener's attention for more
than three minutes and fifteen seconds.  There are no words to sing (at
least not in English most of the time), and for the most part, no catchy
beat to dance to (Rite of Spring notwithstanding).

I find classical music to be music of the individual, while popular
music of the popcorn/bubble gum variety to be the music of the masses,
as I already said.  It's almost as if classical music lovers are
non-conformists, since we were the ones in school labelled as nerds or
geeks (they weren't aware enough to realize that geek meant "a circus
performer who bites the heads off of live animals").  We weren't cool.
We weren't "hip," or "with it."

Finally, unless classical music finds a multi-billion dollar backer the
likes of which peddles Destiny's Child (I know all these names because my
students are so enamored of them), classical music will never enjoy the
popularity of the trash.  In a way, that's all right.  I don't think I
could stand LOOKING at pictures of Chrisoph von Dohnanyi in Ace Frehley
KISS makeup!

As always, I invite your comments.

Charles L. L. Dalmas
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http://www.winternet.com/~davion