Tin Pan Alley
noun
the district of a city, especially New York City, where most of the popular music is published.
the composers or publishers of popular music as a group.
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British Dictionary definitions for tin pan alley
Tin Pan Alley
noun
a district in a city concerned with the production of popular music, originally a small district in New York
derogatory the strictly commercial side of show business and pop music
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Culture definitions for tin pan alley
Tin Pan Alley
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.
Note
Tin Pan Alley is often associated with songwriters who are more interested in making money off their songs than in producing high-quality music.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.