Crossover (music)

In music crossover is a term used to describe artists of a certain style or genre whose popularity crosses the considered boundaries of where the music of that style or genre is normally found. "Crossing over" is a marketing term, and is always a movement toward the mainstream.

Crossover as appreciation of music not normally listened to

One way of defining crossover, is that it occurs when a work from one genre of music becomes popular among listeners who ordinarily listen to other, more popular genres. For example, particular works of classical music sometimes become popular among individuals who mostly listen to popular music. Some classical works that achieved crossover status in the twentieth century include the Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, the Symphony No. 3 by Henryk Górecki, and the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 457 (from its appearance in a 1967 film entitled Elvira Madigan).

Related Topics:
Classical music - Popular music - Canon in D - Johann Pachelbel - Symphony No. 3 - Henryk Górecki - Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 457 - 1967 - Elvira Madigan

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Often crossover results from the appearance of the music in question in a film score. For instance, Sacred Harp music experienced a spurt of crossover popularity as a result of its appearance in the 2003 film Cold Mountain, and folk music experienced a mini-revival due to the reception of 2000's O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Even atonal music, which tends to be less popular among classical enthusiasts, has a kind of crossover niche, since (as Charles Rosen has noted) it is widely used in film and television scores "to depict an approaching menace".

Related Topics:
Film - Score - Sacred Harp - Cold Mountain - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Atonal music - Charles Rosen

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Crossover is highly prized by executives of the music industry, since the profits of a recording that achieves crossover status can be high.

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