Teen pop is a form of pop music that is light and dancey, made for and often by teens. It has always been around in one form or another, from the Phil-Spector-produced Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans to the Bubblegum Pop of the Archies, but its popularity exploded in the 80s (with bands like New Kids on the Block and Tiffany) and 90s (with bands like the Spice Girls, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, and N Sync). One thing most teen pop songs has in common is the visibility of the hand holding the strings. Teen pop bands are almost always made or prefabricated, not born, and admittedly so. The plasticity and disposability of teen pop acts makes them big, no-risk moneymakers, which explains the formidable popularity of the style today. See boy band and Lou Pearlman.
