What is Synthpop?

Synthpop first became prominent in the late 1970s, built around the synthesizer as its dominant instrument.^[1] It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom during the post-punk era.^[2] Gary Numan's 1979 UK chart breakthrough opened the door for many more artists to find success with a synthesizer led sound.^[3]

On Videojam, Synthpop carries 71 public videos. Artists most represented in the catalog are Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and Bronski Beat. Synthpop sits in the Dance & Pop pillar of the EDM taxonomy, the same bucket as Electro-pop.