Serbian pop is the pop music scene of Serbia. From the 1940s until the 1980s, while Serbia was a constituent republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian pop scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav pop scene.
Pop music in Serbia existed before Second World War. It is known that in late 1920s guest of Serbian capital Belgrade was a famous singer and actress Josephine Baker which suggests that in Serbia there were many gramophone records of this style of music and similar music styles such as jazz. It also confirms the statement of the actress Ognjenka Het in the radio show of Radio Belgrade called Two white pigeons in 1986 and is also confirmed by other direct and indirect sources. While the first singer-songwriters appear in other parts of Yugoslavia in that time in Serbia were performed romances, starogradska muzika, and folk music by the singers Edo LjubiÃÂ, Fulgencije VucemiloviÃÂ, Milan TimotiÃÂ, Olga JanÃÂevecka and others. Mijat MijatoviÃÂ, Sofka NikoliÃÂ, Bora JanjiàâÂ à  apÃÂanin mostly performed folk songs, sevdalinka, starogradska muzika, but sometimes they also performed pop music. Bora JanjiàâÂ à  apÃÂanin recorded the cover of Hungarian schlager Sad Sunday.
Serbian pop music in this period was influenced by schlager music, chansons and canzonas. Vojin Popoviàis remembered as one of the pioneers of pop music in Serbia and Yugoslavia. He appears during the war with the song Ne brini majÃÂice mila, but original performance of this song was not preserved. He released seven singles between 1953 and 1956 featuring different ensembles. One of the first composers of pop music was Darko KraljiÃÂ. His famous compositions include Zaà ¡to si pospan ÃÂo, ÃÂamac na Tisi, Hej momci mladi. ÃÂamac na Tisi and Hej momci mladi belong to Serbian postwar music, while it is not certain when the song Zaà ¡to si pospan ÃÂo was created. It is considered that the song was created before or during the Second World War.
Pop music has been on the sidelines with the arrival of communist authorities. Music was mostly performed at balls or could be heard through radios. Few people had gramophone or possibility to get it.
In the early 1950s decreased Soviet influence in Yugoslavia and it led to the first postwar musical wave in Yugoslavia â Mexican songs. Mexican movies became popular as well as song Mama Huanita from the movie Un dÃÂa de vida.
The most famous musician of the early 1950s was drummer Spasa MilutinoviÃÂ. He mostly performed jazz music but also and pop music with his small musical group whose singers were Vojin PopoviÃÂ and Mara JankoviÃÂ. There are few surviving records, mostly by Jugodisk and Yugoton.
In the late 1950s appear new musicians such as Lola NovakoviÃÂ, Duà ¡an Jakà ¡iÃÂ, Nada Kneà ¾eviàand very popular ÃÂorÃÂe MarjanoviÃÂ.
Lola NovakoviÃÂ was one of the most popular Yugoslav female singers of her time. She is remembered by the great number of wins on different festivals in Yugoslavia and Europe. In 1960 she became first Yugoslav musician to perform in Soviet Union. She also performed on the Near East and Japan. She released her first two songs in 1958 Alisa U Zemlji ÃÂudesa and famous Cuban hit Babalu. After that she released significant numbers of singles, EPs and compilations.
Duà ¡an Jakà ¡iàis notable by his numerous hits of which the most popular being Sve moje jeseni su tuà ¾ne. Nada Kneà ¾eviàis the popular jazz and pop singer, she performed as the UN guest on Sinai Peninsula, and in jazz clubs in Germany and Scandinavia.
ÃÂorÃÂe Marjanoviàgained fame and numerous fans by appearing on television with the song Zvià ¾duk u osam. Besides his long career in Yugoslavia, he made significant career performing in Soviet Union. He released 5 albums between 1959 and 1982: Muzika za igru (1959), Mustafa (1961), Prijatelji Zdravo (1967), Hvala vam prijatelji (1979) and Dvadeset nikad vià ¡e (1982).
In the same time was active Vokalni kvartet Predraga IvanoviÃÂa which the most famous song Pod sjajem zvezda appears in the Yugoslav movie Ljubav i moda. Cune GojkoviÃÂ, singer with diverse repertoire performed Mexican songs. Dragan Tokoviàrecords Maria, Ne Budi Tuà ¾na in 1959. He is remembered for his pop and jazz compositions. Another significant figure of this period was Mihailo à ½ivanoviÃÂ, composer, clarinetist, conductor and arranger.
The Sixties were a fruitful year for pop in Yugoslavia. Various festivals were set up across the country such as Belgrade Spring. They were being closely monitored and the great attention was paid on quality. Music has become available to anyone with the advent of television and mass phenomenon vinyl records. Singers maintained tours and solo concerts.
One of the most popular songs of the 1960s is Darko KraljiÃÂ's song Devojko mala, soundtrack from the movie Ljubav i moda sung by actor Vlastimir ÃÂuza StojiljkoviÃÂ. Song later became popular in the Soviet Union.
A new group of singers appeared such as Dragan StojniÃÂ, Ljubià ¡a BaÃÂiÃÂ, Sedmorica mladih, Miki JevremoviÃÂ, Ljiljana PetroviÃÂ, Radmila KaraklajiÃÂ, Tihomir PetroviÃÂ, Krsta PetroviÃÂ, Zafir Hadà ¾imanov, Mirjana Beà ¡ireviÃÂ, Diego VaragiÃÂ, Ivanka PavloviÃÂ, Leo Martin, Plavi Ansambl, Olga NikoliÃÂ, Slobodan Bob ÃÂorÃÂeviÃÂ, Senka VeletanliÃÂ, Vanja StojkoviÃÂ, Nena Ivoà ¡eviÃÂ, Rista MilovanoviÃÂ, Pera DimitrijeviÃÂ, Ivana NikoliÃÂ, Daliborka Stojà ¡iÃÂ, Vera PanÃÂiàand others.
Notable to mention is also Croatian Serb singer-songwriter Arsen DediÃÂ who remained popular to date with his chansons and great number of records.
In Belgrade were held popular igranke on Kalemegdan, LazareviÃÂeva, Maà ¡inac and in the Belgrade Youth Center.
In 1970s and 1980s pop music began to lose its popularity due to the growing interest in rock music.
One of the biggest stars of Yugoslav and Serbian pop in the 1970s is Bosnian Serb singer Zdravko ÃÂoliÃÂ. Zdravko ÃÂoliÃÂ performed disco and pop music followed by his dance group Lokice. As of 2014 he recorded 14 albums with significant number of hits.
Boba StefanoviÃÂ, Beti ÃÂorÃÂeviÃÂ and Vladimir SavÃÂiÃÂ ÃÂobi with his group Pro Arte were another notable group of musicians during the 1970s.
Obraz uz obraz was a popular TV show of RTV Beograd hosted by actors Milena DraviÃÂ and Dragan NikoliÃÂ where most of the popular musicians of the time performed between 1972 and 1974.
The group Zana arrived on the pop scene in the 1980s with the song Dodirni mi kolena. Bebi Dol became famous with her songs Mustafa and Rudi and debut album Ruà ¾e i krv which was voted debut album of the year. Girl group Aska performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 1982 with the song Halo, halo. Maja Odà ¾aklievska recorded the song Budi dobar, kao à ¡to sam ja.
In the turbulent years of the 1990s pop music fell into the shadow of Eurodance. Tap 011 was one of the most popular groups of the 1990s with their hits Zbog tebe, Bunda, Okreni broj 95, Plava... Kovaàsisters duo, K2 worked with many producers worldwide and released five albums. New pop singers include Bajone, Cali4nia, Zorana PaviÃÂ, Gloria, Ceca SlavkoviÃÂ, Bojan MilanoviÃÂ, Saà ¡a VasiÃÂ, Tanja Banjanin, Leontina VukomaniÃÂ, Ksenija MijatoviÃÂ, Romana PaniÃÂ.
In the 2000s pop music increase its popularity with artist such as:
Serbian singers performed in Eurovision Song Contest as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro before Serbia's debut in 2007.
Lola NovakoviÃÂ achieved the first Yugoslav significant results at Eurovision winning 4th place in 1962 with the song Ne pali svetla u sumrak.
à ½eljko Joksimoviàtook the second place at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Lane moje representing Serbia and Montenegro. In 2012, as Serbian representative, he came third with the song Nije ljubav stvar.
Marija à  erifoviàwon the first place at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest at Serbia's debut in the competition, and Serbia was the host of the 2008 contest in Belgrade Arena.