backbeat
Emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in a 4/4 bar, the rhythmic foundation of most popular music.
In Depth
The backbeat is what makes popular music feel different from classical music or a march. While a march emphasises beats 1 and 3 (the downbeats), rock, pop, funk, soul, and hip-hop emphasise beats 2 and 4 (the backbeats), typically with a snare drum hit. This shifted emphasis creates a propulsive, forward-leaning energy that invites body movement. The backbeat emerged from African American musical traditions and became the defining rhythmic characteristic of rock and roll.
Little Richard and Chuck Berry established the backbeat as the foundation of rock and roll in the 1950s, borrowing it from the African American church where clapping on 2 and 4 was the norm.