Arabic pop music

Arabic pop music
Stylistic origins	Arabic music, traditional pop music
Cultural origins	1970s for most of the Arab World
Typical instruments	Electric guitar, Bass guitar, Keyboard, Synthesizer, Turntable, Drum machine, Roland TR-707, Traditional Arabic instruments
Subgenres
Al Jeel, Arabic R&B
Regional scenes
Al Jeel
Other topics
Arabic music

Arabic pop music or Arab pop is a subgenre of Pop music and Arabic music.

Arabic pop is mainly produced and originated in Cairo, Egypt; with Beirut as a secondary center. It is an outgrowth of the Arabic film industry (mainly Egyptian movies), also predominantly located in Cairo.

The primary style is a genre that synthetically combines pop melodies with elements of different Arabic regional styles, called ughniyah (Arabic: أغنية‎‎) or in English "Arabic song". It uses string instruments including the guitar as well as traditional Middle Eastern instruments.

Another aspect of Arab pop is the overall tone and mood of the songs. The majority of the songs are in a minor key, and themes tend to focus on longing, melancholy, strife, and generally love issues.

The road to Arab stardom is very different from in the Western world. Traditionally a certain producer creates the full song from music to lyrics no matter the talents of the performer. Most music is recorded in studios as is Western Pop music. But also several live albums have been popular such as with Asalah and Egyptian legend Umm Kulthum.

Most music is released on CD in the album format. Singles are not released separately, but just airplay is common. In some countries where certain types of music is banned by Islamic law, such as Iran, bootleg tape is most common.

There are no official charts or certifications due to the loose nature of the business and bootlegging. Ringtone charts are occasionally made, but due to bootlegging, they are also highly inaccurate. There are several awards in different countries awarded in different ways according to their organizations.

...
Wikipedia