Six Pop Singers Who’ve Released ‘Rock’ Albums

Genre seems to be less important these days, so let’s take a look at some pop singers who’ve released rock albums.

Experimenting with a new sound and aesthetic isn’t a new concept — musicians have been toying with different styles for decades. But a few years ago, it seemed like there was an influx of artists from within the pop world that started making heavier, guitar-driven music than they had been previously.

So what exactly is pop music?

“Pop” is technically short for popular, so the label covers a really wide range of music. There was a time when rock artists could have been considered pop, because rock was what was really popular at the time.

READ MORE: 11 Ways Metal + Pop Really Aren’t That Different

Today, it’s taken on a bit of a new meaning, as artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bruno Mars are among the musicians who are the most “popular.” Pop music is often scoffed at by members of the rock and metal community because it’s so far removed from the sound and style we know rock and metal to encompass.

But itself “rock” is a pretty loose term, and there are countless subgenres under the rock umbrella. So, the artists we mention below may not have put out music as hard-hitting as the Van Halens and AC/DCs of the world, but it was still a change in direction compared to what they were known for creating.

Scroll through the gallery below to see some pop singers who’ve released rock albums.