中国流行音乐最初的启蒙，可以说是从电影OST开始的。The first 30 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, artists' fame came from an unlikely place: movies. As films became popular, so did their soundtracks.Guo Lanying, who turns 90 this year, came under the spotlight in the 1950s because of her song "My Motherland," which was written for a movie about the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Today, the song is an unofficial anthem, sung during patriotic flashmobs.同时期具有中国特色的民歌也是主流，很多民歌一直传唱到今天。如果有人在你身边唱起“北京的金山上光芒照四方”，你是否也会跟着哼下一句呢？The success of artists during that era had a lot to do with their ability to turn the victories of the Chinese social revolution into fervent melodies. Folk songs, with their plain lyrics and catchy tunes, spoke about ordinary life with a healthy dose of passion. It took a bit of artistic tweaking before the entire nation could appreciate what were initially sung in too local a dialect. Thanks to the humble radio, these songs made their way into households across the country. Everyone was turning their sets to listen to Guo Song and Tseten Dolma in the 1960s and 70s.
80-90年代：“流行”再出发
80年代初，改革开放给中国社会带来巨大变革，抒情歌曲第一次唤醒了国人的耳朵。The reform and opening-up policy was a watershed moment in the country's history as China slowly came out of its shell. Popular music, as a result, found its way to music lovers' portable cassette players."Love for the Hometown" is arguably one of a collection of best-known songs that first departed from the traditional styles and themes popular in China at the time. It was such a hit that it got featured on the Chinese Spring Festival Gala – one of the most watched TV shows on Earth – in 1980.Li Guyi performed on a grand stage, using vocal techniques similar to that of Taiwan artist Teresa Teng and Japan's Yamaguchi Momoe who had made a name for themselves in the country.同一时期，港台流行音乐也进入了“黄金时期”。 以邓丽君为代表的港台歌星作品开始传入内地，中国的流行音乐也在这个时候渐渐走向成熟。The increasingly closer cultural interaction between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland since the opening-up brought with it a wave of changes to the latter's music industry as music videos became all the rage. Thanks to their stage presence and flashy music clips, "The Four Heavenly Kings," namely four of Hong Kong's best-known pop singers Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai, captivated listeners on the Chinese mainland.
90年代至今：“同桌的你，说好不哭”
90年代，电视的普及对中国流行音乐的推广，起到了功不可没的作用。The 1990s was also marked by a deluge of romantic songs. "My Desk Mate," a sentimental tune about innocent love, helped Wang Yang, also known as Lao Lang (Old Wolf), establish a foothold in the industry.90年代，你用什么听音乐呢？伴随着市场经济的改革，“签约制”进入了唱片业，音乐制作进入数字化时代，听音乐的渠道也多了起来。Despite the crowded entertainment space, Jay Chou has cemented his place in China. The Taiwan signer has been going on strong since his debut album in 2000.In 2016, his album "Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories" was the most sold album on all major Chinese music apps. On September 16, his new single "Won't Cry" racked up 1.93 million views on YouTube in just eight hours.
最后，关于中国的摇滚音乐
You can't spell rock and roll without Cui Jian, whose rebellious style brought him stardom, especially among the country's youth. "Nothing to My Name" is probably his best-known song. As China was on track towards prosperity and living standards were already improving, Chinese people began to search for the deeper meanings of life beyond the basic needs and related to Cui's jams. 每一首歌，每一个旋律，都承载着一个时代的记忆。我们是时代的聆听者，也是时代的记录者。回顾70年来中国的流行音乐发展史，是CGTN在新中国成立70周年之际为观众送上的一份诚意之礼，希望你会喜欢。在你记忆里，谁是中国最好的流行歌手？欢迎留言告诉我们，一起加入我们的讨论吧！