Music journalist Ben Myers wrote that the two terms were synonymous. In the 1990s, there was overlap between pop-punk and skate punk. Web publication Revolver acknowledged that, while pop-punk and power pop are often presented interchangeably, 'the core concept is simple - melodic songs packaged with a punk slant.' In Brian Cogan's The Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture (2006) pop-punk is characterized as 'a catchy, faster version of power pop.' AllMusic defines 'punk-pop' as 'a post-grunge strand of alternative rock' that combines the textures and fast tempos of punk rock with the 'melodies and chord changes' of power pop.

There is considerable overlap between power pop and pop-punk, and the two styles are often conflated. Club described pop-punk as a punk subgenre that has 'essentially been around as long as punk itself' with roots in the 'classic pop of the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Beach Boys, often pitting sweet harmonies against bratty, rowdy riffs.' According to Ryan Cooper of, 'pop-punk is a style that owes more to The Beatles and '60s pop than other sub-genres of punk'. It has evolved stylistically throughout its history, absorbing elements from new wave, college rock, ska, rap, emo, and boy bands. Pop-punk is variously described as a punk subgenre, a variation of punk, a form of pop music, and a genre antithetical to punk in a similar manner as post-punk. Pop-punk is distinguished from other punk-variant genres by drawing more heavily from 1960s bands such as the Beatles (pictured). In the early 2020s, a new crop of pop-punk music began experiencing mainstream resurgence with various new acts such as Machine Gun Kelly, KennyHoopla and Yungblud. During this period, however, a wave of underground artists defined a rawer and more emotional take on the genre, namely the Story so Far, the Wonder Years and Neck Deep. By the 2010s, pop-punk's mainstream popularity had waned, with rock bands and guitar-centric music becoming rare on dance-focused pop radio. By this point, pop-punk acts were largely indistinguishable from artists tagged as 'emo', to the extent that emo crossover acts such as Fall Out Boy and Paramore popularized a pop-punk-influenced style dubbed emo pop. Pop-punk's mainstream popularity continued in the mid-late 2000s, with artists such as Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and New Found Glory achieving various levels of critical and commercial success. The genre was further popularized in the late 1990s and early 2000s by artists such as Blink-182, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, and Avril Lavigne, as well as the Warped Tour.

In the mid-1990s, the genre saw a massive widespread popularity increase and entered the mainstream with bands like Green Day and the Offspring. 1980s punk bands like Bad Religion, Descendents and the Misfits were influential to pop-punk, and it expanded in the late 1980s and early 1990s by a host of bands signed to Lookout! Records, including Screeching Weasel, the Queers, and the Mr. Pop-punk emerged in the late 1970s with groups such as the Ramones, the Undertones, and the Buzzcocks setting the genre's groundwork. It is sometimes considered interchangeable with power pop and skate punk.

The genre has evolved throughout its history, absorbing elements from new wave, college rock, ska, rap, emo, boy band, even hardcore punk. It is distinguished from other punk-variant genres by drawing more heavily from 1960s bands such as the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Beach Boys. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes. Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop.

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