C-pop is a short form for Chinese popular music, which includes music created by artists from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as countries where Chinese languages are spoken, such as Singapore and Malaysia. This term covers many types of music, including Chinese pop, R&B, ballads, Chinese rock, Chinese hip hop, and Chinese ambient music. Chinese rock became different from other styles in the early 1990s.
Today, there are three main types of C-pop: Cantopop, Mandopop, and Hokkien pop. The difference between Cantopop and Mandopop has become smaller in recent years. Hokkien pop was once strongly influenced by Japanese enka music but has recently become more similar to Mandopop.
In China, Chinese popular music was first used to share ideas from the Cultural Revolution and Maoist beliefs. However, over the past 50 years, as the country changed politically and culturally, this music lost much of its political meaning. Now, it closely resembles styles from Taiwanese Mandopop, Hong Kong Cantopop, South Korean K-pop, and Japanese J-pop.
History
The term shidaiqu (meaning "music of the era" or "popular music") describes all types of music sung in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects that were recorded in China from 1920 to 1952 and later in Hong Kong until the 1960s. Shanghai was the main center of the Chinese popular music recording industry during this time. A well-known figure from this period was composer Li Jinhui. Buck Clayton is credited with introducing American jazz to China, and this music became popular in nightlife areas such as nightclubs and dancehalls in major cities during the 1920s. From the late 1920s to the 1950s, privately owned radio stations played Chinese pop music (C-pop). Around 1927, Li Jinhui composed the song "Drizzle," which was sung by his daughter Li Minghui. This song is widely considered the first Chinese pop song. It combines jazz and traditional Chinese folk music, with a melody based on a traditional five-note folk tune and instruments similar to those used in an American jazz orchestra. The Bright Moon Song and Dance Troupe, founded by Li Jinhui, was known as the starting point for the development of C-pop.
During the time of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the Chinese Civil War, pop music was viewed as a form of entertainment that did not interfere with political issues. After World War II, C-pop was promoted and marketed in different regions. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) established the People's Republic of China. One of its first actions was to label the genre "Yellow Music," a term associated with pornography. The Shanghai pop music industry later spread to Hong Kong, where it helped develop Cantopop in the 1970s. The Kuomintang, which moved to Taiwan, discouraged the use of the native Taiwanese Hokkien dialect from the 1950s to the late 1980s. As a result, Mandarin pop music (Mandopop) became the dominant genre in Taiwan.
In 2000, EolAsia.com was created as the first online C-pop music portal in Hong Kong. The company survived the dot-com bubble and began offering legal music downloads in February 2005, supported by companies like EMI, Warner Music, and Sony BMG. It mainly serves customers in Hong Kong and Macau, with some songs requiring a Hong Kong Identity Card to purchase.
In August 2008, Norman Cheung, the father of Hong Kong singer Ronald Cheng, bought the remaining part of EMI Music Asia after EMI left the Chinese market. The purchase was made by Typhoon Music for about HK$100 million.
In February 2008, mainland China's top search engine, Baidu.com, was sued by local industry groups for allowing music listening, broadcasting, and downloading without permission. Music piracy still exists in China, but Google later announced a partnership to provide free listening and genuine music copies. Top100.cn was founded in 2008 by basketball star Yao Ming, agent Zhang Mingji, and music insider Chen Ge, with a $20 million investment. Google MP3 became available in March 2009. The future of C-pop in mainland China is slowly growing. However, the Chinese government's decision to ban the popular show Super Girl for one year in 2008 and 2012 remains controversial in the mainland China market.
In the early years of modern mainland China, music was often focused on themes that supported collectivist and party values. Officially sanctioned music schools taught popular music that praised China's national culture through lyrics that aligned with the government's views. The way music is taught in schools connects to patriotic themes and traditional Chinese culture. Government policies heavily influence education, and the Chinese government continues to use traditional culture and values to support its authority, as noted by researcher Ho in 2012.
After the Cultural Revolution, which isolated China for over a decade, the country opened up, especially under the leadership of Premier Deng Xiaoping. Global economic development created opportunities for Chinese businesses, and the opening of eastern coastal regions to foreign investment increased cultural exchanges between China and other countries, including the United States. Globalization and China's entry into the World Trade Organization helped align China's institutions with those of other nations and boosted international trade. These changes brought economic growth and exposure to foreign cultural standards. Although China's openness affected many countries, the United States was especially important as a major trading partner, and globalization helped both nations build strong future relationships.
Increased trade and exchanges with the United States, including more Chinese students studying in the U.S., helped Chinese youth become familiar with American popular music. While Hong Kong had already introduced Western-influenced music known as Cantopop, American rock and African American hip hop and rap music became more accepted by Chinese youth than by older generations. Today, mainland singers like Hua Chenyu, a leading pop-rock artist, sold out a stadium concert in just two minutes and 58 seconds, showing that homegrown Chinese pop music has strong appeal.
The globalization of popular music also influenced other East Asian countries, such as Korea and Japan, which in turn affected developments in China. Cultural exchanges between these three countries are considered significant, as noted by researcher Tricks in 2014.
In September 2021, the Chinese government officially banned all reality talent shows, including idol survival shows. This was the largest effort to address the "chaotic" fan culture and related controversies. The ban also aimed to eliminate certain idol styles, such as "sissy or flamboyant" men, and reduce the influence of influencers and celebrities. The goal was to promote morality and patriotism through the entertainment industry.
Notable artists
In 1999, Malaysia's Nanyang Siang Pau created a list of the top 100 most influential C-pop artists in the 20th century. The top 30 artists, in this order, are: Teresa Teng, Zhou Xuan, Yoshiko Ōtaka, Samuel Hui, Bai Guang, Paula Tsui, Alan Tam, Jacky Cheung, Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Liu Wen-cheng, Chyi Yu, Lee Yee (李逸), Danny Chan, Dave Wong, Julie Su, Roman Tam, Beyond, Eric Moo, Chyi Chin, Yao Surong, Wu Yingyin, Tsin Ting, Yao Lee, Tsui Ping, Tsai Chin, Lo Ta-yu, and Jonathan Lee.
At the end of 2007, RTHK began promoting a special honor called "Immortal Legends" (不死傳奇) to celebrate singers who were important figures in the music industry and passed away. The honor was given to Roman Tam, Anita Mui, Teresa Teng, Leslie Cheung, Wong Ka Kui (founder of Beyond), and Danny Chan. These six artists helped shape the development of the Hong Kong or Taiwan music industry.
In 2010, the Chinese Music Awards named the top 30 C-pop artists since 1980. They are listed approximately in the order of their birth years: Liu Jia-chang, Li Guyi (李谷一), George Lam, Sam Hui, Paula Tsui, Roman Tam, Alan Tam, Liu Wen-cheng, Julie Su, Teresa Teng, Fong Fei Fei, Jenny Tseng, Lo Ta-yu, Fei Yu-ching, Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan, Chyi Yu, Tsai Chin, Chyi Chin, Anita Mui, Jonathan Lee, Jacky Cheung, Cui Jian, Liu Huan, Tat Ming Pair, Beyond, Sandy Lam, Faye Wong, Eason Chan, and Jay Chou.
At the end of 2010, Vietnam's Hoa Học Trò Magazine made a list of the top 5 C-pop boybands of the 2000s decade. All of them are from Taiwan. They are: F4, 183 Club, 5566, Fahrenheit (Fei Lun Hai), and Lollipop (Bang Bang Tang).