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Iranian pop music orPersian pop music (Persian:موسیقی پاپ ایرانی) refers topop music originated inIran, with songs mainly inPersian and other regional Persian dialects of the country and region.
Following the invention of radio in 1930, and afterWorld War II, a form of popular music emerged and began to develop in Iran.[1]
Iran's western-influenced pop music emerged by the 1950s.[4] Prior to the 1950s, Iran's music industry was dominated by traditional singers.[4]Viguen, known as the "Sultan" of Iranian pop and jazz music, was a pioneer of this revolution.[4][3][5][2] He was one of Iran's first musicians to perform with a guitar.[4]
Some of Iran's classical pop artists includeHayedeh,Mahasti,Andy,Aref,Dariush,Ebi,Faramarz Aslani,Farhad,Fereydun Farrokhzad,Giti Pashaei,Googoosh,Hassan Shamaizadeh,Homeyra,Leila Forouhar,Nooshafarin, Parviz Maghsadi, Ramesh,Shahram Shabpareh, andVaroujan,shohreh solati,Bijan Mortazavi,bLACKCATS
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After the1979 Revolution, pop music was banned and completely disappeared from the scene in Iran.[6] Many Iranians emigrated to foreign countries, especially toLos Angeles in theUnited States, and many continued to sing in exile. Since then, several popular Iranian TV channels and radio stations have operated outside the country, aired through various satellites. These broadcast companies play an important role in promoting and connecting Iranian pop artists to Iranians living all over the world.[7]
In the 1990s, officials of the new government decided to produce and promote "decent" pop music, in order to compete with the abroad and unofficial sources of Iranian music. Ali Moallem (poet)[8] and Fereydoun Shahbazian (musician) headed a council at theIRIB that supervised the revival of domestic pop music.[9]
Shadmehr Aghili was one of the first post-revolutionary Iranian singers who received significant support, including promotion by national television, to produce new Persian pop songs inside Iran. He was highly skilled at playing violin and guitar, and was a very talented singer. He became a very successful and popular musician and singer in Iran, but eventually immigrated toCanada and then moved toLos Angeles, continuing his career outside Iran.
Under the presidency ofKhatami, as a result of easing cultural restrictions within Iran, a number of new pop singers emerged from within the country.[10][6] Since the new administration took office, theMinistry of Ershad adopted a different policy, mainly to make it easier to monitor the industry. The newly adopted policy included loosening restrictions for a small number of artists, while tightening it for the rest. However, the number of album releases increased.
Arian, the first officially sanctioned pop music band with female singers in post-revolutionary Iran, started a new chapter of Iranian pop music.[11] They collaborated with the well-known British-Irish singerChris de Burgh in their fourth albumBi to, Ba to,[12] and were the first Iranian band to be featured in the English biographical dictionary and directory ofInternational Who's Who in Music.
In 2001 some younger artists created amovement calledIranian hip hop. Their music was inspired byAmerican hip hop artists likeEminem orTupac. The government originally banned this genre of music, but artists likeZedbazi,Hichkas, and others emerged despite this.[citation needed]
In late 2009,Sirvan Khosravi became the first domestic Iranian artist to achievehigh-rotation airplay on a regular European radio station.[13] He made his debut with the songSaat-e 9 ("9 O'Clock"),[14] which also made headlines in Iranian online media.[15] In August 2010,Farzad Farzin Amin Rostami made his debut European chart with the songChike Chike ("Trickle Trickle") from his third legal albumShans ("Chance").Sahar was one of the other influential singers of Iranian pop music after the 1979 revolution.[16]
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