Bill Pirkle replies to Ian Crisp:

>>I line myself up with those who think Bill's distinction is a long way
>>off-beam.
>
>Now is it really a "long way" off the beam.  Consider that 99% of all
>popular music has a continuous drum beat and 99% of all classical music
>does not.  I would call that a little off the beam, say 1%.

I think you've made a mistake by focusing on one musical element.
Furthermore, there is still something that distinguishes Holst's "Mars"
from Chuck Berry (probably more than one thing) and would lead most of us
to put the first in the classical camp and the second among the pop.  In
other words, by focusing on the presence or absence of a continuous drum
beat, you haven't identified what distinguishes the two in most people's
minds.

Steve Schwartz