Bubblegum Music is a subgenre of Rock & Roll and Pop that evolved from 1960s Garage Rock, Phil Spector's production style and The British Invasion, defined by its target demographic of preteens and young teenagers and catchy upbeat sound. Producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz claimed credit for coining the genre's name, popularized by label Buddah Records's executive Neil Bogart. The genre is heavily associated with music produced for cartoons and television shows, as exemplified by performers like The Monkees, which was initially created as a fictional band for a sitcom (although they eventually became a real band that took a more active role in the playing of their music and choosing the songs they played), The Partridge Family (also created for a sitcom), The Archies, from the cartoon The Archie Show, and The Banana Splits, to the point where one of the alternate names for the genre is "Cartoon Rock". British Bubblegum, in contrast, was seen as being more avant-garde than American Bubblegum, almost analogous to Glam Rock, which was influenced by the Bubblegum genre. Some Bubblegum bands also blended Bubblegum with Psychedelic Rock, notably The Lemon Pipers, and The Monkees would become a full-on Psychedelic band during the late '60s. "Bubblegum" has since become a pejorative for any pop music that is perceived as being disposable and contrived. However, the genre has had a massive impact on other Rock and Pop genres, as it has influenced, among other styles, Punk Rock, New Wave Music, Glam Rock, Hair Metal, and Teen Pop. The Ramones in particular were huge fans of Bubblegum Music, which heavily influenced their sound, as was Blondie. Most Bubblegum acts were one-hit wonders, and many have fallen into obscurity, most notably The Osmonds, who, despite having many more hits than most Bubblegum acts, are not usually played on classic hits and oldies stations, with the exception of occasional plays of "One Bad Apple". The Jackson 5 are a notable exception of a Bubblegum group that has continued to maintain radio airplay, although their sound shifted from Bubblegum to Soul to Disco and Funk.
Creators include:
- The Banana Splits
- David Cassidy
- The Cowsills
- The DeFranco Family
- The Jackson 5
- The Monkees
- The Partridge Family
- Sweet (early music)
Tropes:
- Boy Band: Many Bubblegum groups were this; parodied by The Monkees in their movie Head, where they were introduced as "A manufactured image / With no philosophies".
- Fake Band: The Ohio Express is the name given to whatever group of musicians Buddah slapped the name onto. The name is most associated with the single "Yummy Yummy Yummy", though none of the "official" members of the Ohio Express appear on the single.
- Genre Shift: The Sweet started off as a Bubblegum band before shifting to Glam Rock. They are best known for the song "Ballroom Blitz", which is also considered an early Heavy Metal song.
- The Monkees started as a Bubblegum band, but became a Psychedelic band in the late '60s.
- The Jackson 5 started off as a Bubblegum band before shifting their sound to Soul, then Disco and Funk.
- Lighter and Softer: Bubblegum was generally seen as being this compared to Rock & Roll.
- Teen Idol: Most of the big names were hugely popular with teens. In fact, the name of the genre was derived from this.
- Ur-Example: Bubblegum's emphasis on catchy melodies helped shaped the early Punk Rock scene, most notably influencing The Ramones, as well as Glam Rock.
- Vindicated by History: The genre was initially dismissed, faced accusations of being more artificial and disposable than standard Rock or Pop, but it would come to influence several different genres, including Glam Rock, Punk Rock, New Wave Music, Hair Metal and Teen Pop.
- The Monkees in particular were pretty harshly criticized for being a fictional band created for a TV show and not playing their own instruments on their early recordings, but after they pushed for independence as a band and got to play their own instruments on their songs and started having more involvement in the songs they played, the reception of their music significantly improved.
