popular song

American  

noun

1. a song that is written to have an immediate and wide appeal and is usually popular for only a short time, but that sometimes is of a sufficiently high quality to become part of the permanent repertoire of popular music and jazz.

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Etymology

Origin of popular song

First recorded in 1835–45

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

popular song

Long before she escaped, Molchanova gave Epstein the code name “mishka,” a Russian term that translates loosely as “little bear”—from a popular song that describes a bear who is a criminal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

A closer look at a Beatles deep cut: Did you know that the Beatles’ all-time most popular song never made the charts—and wasn’t even written by John or Paul?

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Or is there a very popular song called ‘There’s a Trap Door in Your Heart,’ and now I’m just rewriting it?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Each country awards 12 points to its most popular song while the second choice gets 10, and the rest are scored from eight to one.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

A popular song across the country in the late 1950’s was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons,” where he sang about a miner owing his soul to the company store.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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Related Words

• pop

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