Tin Pan Alley

American  

noun

1. the district of a city, especially New York City, where most of the popular music is published.

2. the composers or publishers of popular music as a group.

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Tin Pan Alley British  

noun

1. a district in a city concerned with the production of popular music, originally a small district in New York

2. derogatory the strictly commercial side of show business and pop music

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Tin Pan Alley Cultural  

1. A reference to the popular music industry in the United States; the term is not used as much today as it was a generation or two ago.

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Tin Pan Alley is often associated with songwriters who are more interested in making money off their songs than in producing high-quality music.

Example Sentences

He likened Clark’s skills to those of Johnny Mercer, the Tin Pan Alley icon who wrote “Moon River” and co-founded Capitol Records in 1942.

From Los Angeles Times

Hints of Cuban clave rhythms, Tin Pan Alley harmonies, Jewish melodies and piano licks swim through its overarching Romantic theme.

From Los Angeles Times

Baseball’s anthem “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was crafted by two Tin Pan Alley songwriters who had never attended a game.

From Washington Times

Tin Pan Alley, the Manhattan home of the songwriters who dominated popular music, was flourishing.

From New York Times

The Salt Lake Telegram reported that they had married in a ceremony that featured music by a renowned Tin Pan Alley composer.

From Los Angeles Times