Is pop-rock still popular in 2025?

If you’re the sort of music fan who likes to dive into a range of different genres and styles, you’ve probably noticed some big changes in what’s ‘popular’ nowadays.

The rise of apps such as TikTok and the emergence of AI-generated music are continuing to change the tastes of millions of people all over the world – and with Gen Alpha getting older and exploring their own unique tastes, the music that’s going to be popular in 2025 probably looks a fair bit different from what topped the charts 20 years ago.

For example, what happened to pop-rock? It’s a genre that has endured the decades, but does it still have a place in modern pop charts?

Tastes are always changing

Take a look at the charts now and you’ll see EDM, hip-hop and lo-fi continuing to dominate – that said, traditional ‘pop’ in a manufactured sense has never really gone away. It has just evolved in terms of what it sounds like!

Like entertainment in general, musical tastes have evolved largely due to changes in technology and the way that we share songs and videos with each other. We’re no longer in the era of making mixtapes or swapping vinyl. We’re sampling songs on social videos and building playlist after playlist.

The evolution of popular music in line with technology is somewhat comparable with the evolution of gaming. Many of us who had never even touched a console before now play games regularly on mobile thanks to the ubiquitousness of smartphones and app culture. Also, casino games, such as roulette, have experienced something of a rise in popularity due to online lounges becoming more accessible and feature rich.

Ultimately, pop music has evolved because technology has – and many of today’s big stars have made their names from creating social media-driven tracks from their smartphones. Of course, it still takes a lot to get discovered and signed, but home-grown musicians have had an incredible impact on changing tastes.

So, what about pop-rock?

You may be wondering, what exactly is pop-rock? Pop-rock is energetic, engaging, laden with hooks, and supported by guitars, drums, real instruments. It’s music that’s easy to sing along to, and the songs generally become radio classics in the years to come.

Look at some of the biggest pop-rock bands from the past few decades to get a flavour of the genre: U2, the Pretenders, Fleetwood Mac, REM, Queen, the Smiths, the Cure, Blondie – the list goes on. Now, what’s probably most striking from this list is that these are all bands that were at their most stratospheric decades ago, but still pull in airplay to this day.

However, pop-rock has evolved impressively on its own merits in the decades since. Some examples of pop-rock bands from the past few decades include the Killers, Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, the Script and Coldplay. And yes, while a whole new legion of pop acts might have taken some of their thunder away over the years, we can still remember their names!

Pop-rock hasn’t gone away – that’s the crucial takeaway. While much of today’s popular music is heavily produced and reliant on virtual instruments, pop-rock is nostalgic, warm and familiar. It’s part of why the likes of Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi, for all that they appeal to modern audience sensitivities, endure so much on stage and on the radio.

People love hearing ‘real’ instruments and singing along to catchy tunes. You won’t necessarily get that from the biggest hitters in the top 100, but there’s still enough of a demand for the genre to persist.

You only have to look at the popularity of the Glastonbury Festival to see that this genre is hanging around for good. Glastonbury last year hosted Coldplay, Stevie Nicks, Deacon Blue, James, Keane, Pulp, Snow Patrol, Travis – the list goes on.

Will pop-rock see a resurgence?

It’s possible that due to the cycles of nostalgia that always seem to keep coming back around, we will see fresh appreciation for pop-rock and a whole new set of stars emerging in the years to come. However, as always, nothing is set in stone.

Some sources suggest that AI is set to break down genres even further, as will social media, but that live music will remain very important.