=== Races | Culture ===

====== EARTH POP ======

===== Overview =====

Earth Pop is the catchiest, most nostalgic form of popular music brought from old [[the_earth|Earth]] by the passengers of the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]]. From a scientific perspective, “Earth Pop” encompasses all popular music ever produced on Earth, spanning genres and eras. 

In common parlance, however, Earth Pop refers specifically to the vibrant pop hits of the 1980s through early 1990s — the era most deeply ingrained in ExoHuman memory. Characterized by upbeat melodies, simple lyrics, and infectious choruses, it became the emotional soundtrack of exohuman life on [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]] — especially during the homesickness‑filled Beta Age.  

Whether played live by cover bands in frontier pubs or broadcast over [[weber_broadcasting_services|Weber’s Broadcasting Services]], Earth Pop’s sing‑along hooks and danceable rhythms offered settlers a taste of home at every chorus.

===== Historical Background =====

==== Origins on the Last Frontier ====

Before departure, Earth Pop formed a core library in the Last Frontier Cloud — a massive onboard archive streaming pop hits via the ship’s internal network. Settlers of all ages accessed holo‑clips and audio streams anytime, embedding Earth Pop deeply into colony culture. It was also woven into the Last Frontier’s educational curriculum, with students learning performance, music theory, and cultural history through Earth Pop classics.
==== Crash and Adaptation ====

After [[day_zero|Day Zero’s]] power collapse, recorded media were luxuries. Cover bands formed in every settlement, adapting Earth Pop’s bright arrangements to acoustic guitars, makeshift drum rigs, and hand‑cranked holo‑playback loops.

==== Peak Recording Era (2630–2631) ====

By the late Beta Age, a handful of exohuman bands recorded primitive tracks onto data‑cartridges, circulated among pubs via courier drones and barter networks. These “local remixes” cemented Earth Pop’s popularity.

===== Cultural Impact in the Beta Age =====

  * **Emotional Resonance:** Earth Pop bridged the gulf between lost Earth and frontier hardship, giving settlers a shared emotional vocabulary.
  * **Communal Singing:** Karaoke nights across [[hope|Hope]], [[morningstar|Morningstar]], and [[firetown|Firetown]] were dominated by Earth Pop classics — everyone knew the words.
  * **Broadcast Requests:** Weber Broadcasting Services’ call‑in shows logged Earth Pop as the #1 requested genre, often topping politics or news segments.
  * **Local Legends:** Frontier cover bands like rose to minor celebrity status performing Earth Pop hits.

===== Most Famous Songs (Top 5 Earth Pop Classics) =====

These Top 5 hits were well‑known on Earth, but weren’t necessarily the absolute chart‑toppers — reflecting how ExoHumans forged their own tastes and traditions around Earth Pop on VOI 700 D.

  * **“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson (1982)** – Infectious bassline and unforgettable hook made this a staple of exohuman dance floors.
  * **“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper (1983) –** Irresistible party tune, especially popular at all‑night shindigs.
  * **“Take On Me” by a‑ha (1985) –** Synth‑pop classic whose soaring chorus forged communal sing‑alongs.
  * **"Bello e Impossibile” by Gianna Nannini (1986) –** Sardonic rocker’s hit, translated in dozens of frontier cover‑band renditions.
  * **“Tragedy” by Bee Gees (1979)** – Dramatic disco anthem defined by its high‑falsetto chorus and urgent lyrics, it became ExoHuman listeners’ go‑to for both dance‑floor catharsis and late‑night karaoke.
===== Ban in the Gamma Age =====

In 2632, the[[federal_confederation| Federal Confederation’s]] [[communardism|Communard]] reformers outlawed Earth Pop — labeling it “dangerous nostalgia” that hampered forging a new ExoHuman identity. Public performance, broadcast, and distribution of Earth Pop became federal offenses. Yet underground speakeasies and illicit shortwave rebroadcasts kept the genre alive as a symbol of cultural resistance.

===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

  * **“The Secret Setlist” –** PCs must recover a hidden stash of Earth Pop data‑cartridges before a Gamma Age raid.
  * **“Karaoke Coup” –** A rebellious singer of the [[individualists|Individualist Party]] plans a mass‑karaoke protest at the Federal Hostel & Saloon; PCs decide whether to support or sabotage the event.

===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[the_alpha_age|Alpha Age]]
  * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settllers]]
  * [[weber_broadcasting_services|Weber Broadcasting Services]]
  * [[exohuman_culture_and_way_of_life_in_the_beta_age|Exohuman Culture and Way of Life in the Beta Age]]
  * [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation]]
  * [[communardism|Communardism]]