The difference, by ear
Jangle is folk rock's guitar sound revived in the 1980s without the folk repertoire - the chime kept, the ballads dropped.
Both are sung cleanly, but jangle pop is a little faster: 110 to 150 bpm against 80 to 120. To hear the difference, play The Byrds next to R.E.M. Jangle pop grew out of folk rock, sixteen years later.
In figures
Folk rock
Where it sits
In short
Folk lyrics played on a twelve-string electric guitar. It taught rock that the words can matter as much as the riff.
How it sounds
- Twelve-string guitar, clean tone, open arpeggios.
- Dense vocal harmony inherited from the American folk tradition.
- The text comes first: songs are built around the words rather than the riff.
Key acts
- The Byrds
- Bob Dylan
- Fairport Convention
- Simon & Garfunkel
Start here
The pickFairport Convention - Liege & Lief. The birth certificate of British folk rock.
Full page →Jangle pop
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Jangle pop
In short
Clean, chiming Rickenbacker guitars and melody everywhere. The building block of indie rock.
How it sounds
- Compressed Rickenbacker guitar with no distortion - the jangle itself.
- Melodic bass with its own lines, often moving in counterpoint.
- Clear melodies, with vocals sometimes mixed lower than radio expected.
Key acts
- R.E.M.
- The Smiths
- The Go-Betweens
Start here
The pickR.E.M. - Murmur. Don't try to decipher the lyrics; the band didn't want you to.
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