I didn't read all the previous messages, but I want to contribute for this debate. I am a composer and teacher of History of the Music and I suffer to explain to the students and the people in lectures the differences between "popular music" and "classic music" (in Brazil we named it of "erudite music"). The characteristics of this music are the deep research of the melodic, harmonics, rhythmic techniques, and other parameters of the music (speed, attack, dynamic, ornamentation). These experimentations began with the medieval priests (organum) and we arrived until the great forms of western music (fugues, sonatas, symphonies and concerts). These experimentations supply material for the music in general (dances, songs, operas). Beside this music, the folkloric/tribal music always existed: dances, songs and daily music (work, marriage, war march, religious service etc.). With the growth of the cities (from the Renaissance era), a third way appeared: urban music. In the crossing of three sprung the popular music of the century XX. It developed with the following characteristics: a) importance given to the melody in style romantic (derived of the national folklore) b) simple harmony (with three main chords) c) regional rhythms (waltz, samba, tango, jazz, rock etc.) d) importance given to the interpret (generally the singer) e) it appeals more the social communication (with daily subject lyrics) f) its formal model generally based on the aria of the operas of the century XIX g) free variations, ornamentations h) free instrumental arranges i) wide diffusion for the media (TV, radio and movies) The "classical music" continues it developing moving forward in its techniques (atonalism, electronics, and other techniques) or it using of the whole music type (folk, pop, tribal musics). In the history of the music always the composers used the pop music type: minuets, waltzes, Neapolitan song, blues etc. (see Bach, Mozart, Berlioz, Gerschwin, Bartok, Villa-Lobos). Reference: all books of Theodor Adorno, J. Vinton - Dictionary of Contemporany Music (1974) - in article "Popular Music" and others. Edson Tadeu Ortolan <[log in to unmask]>