A genre of music that combines elements of both pop and rock. Songs are identified by their simple song structure, catchy melodies and repetition of musical passages (the pop part), and by their use of electric guitar- and drums-based instrumentation and a somewhat aggressive attitude (the rock part).

The term was first used to describe the early hits of the Beatles, along with acts that followed them, such as Gary Puckett and The Union Gap and Queen.

Surf rock is sometimes included as a type of pop rock, but this is an anachronism as surf music and rock music were considered distinct musical genres in the 1960s.

Pop rock largely gave way to soft rock in the 1970s. Although there were few acts in the 1970s and 1980s that could strictly be called pop rock, the genre continued in the form of power ballads from hard rock and heavy metal acts, along with the more up-tempo songs from soft-rock acts.