Modern pop bands?

Jungle - Keep movin"

I guess it speaks to the fluid definition of genres, but I'm surprised folks are saying there aren't really any around. I feel like there have been some hugely popular ones in the last 10 years or so.

• Imagine Dragons
• Neon Trees
• Maroon 5
• Coldplay
• One Republic
• Artic Monkeys
• Haim
• Chvrches

Probably a lot more that I don't know. Not that I "know" most of these past name/singles.

The Go Team!

HalfAlive

Interpol

Friendly Fires

Franz Ferdinand

The cure

May be what you are looking for.

The issue here is that "pop" has a couple different meanings and they aren't always the same depending on the era you're referring to.

Originally it meant popular music, and many rock and roll bands in the 50s and 60s were considered pop. But nowadays pop refers more to a sound or a production standard than charts.

Checking out the Billboard hot 100 I see lots of "pop", some country, a Dolly Parton song, some hip-hop, and maybe a little indie and rock mixed in. Tame Impala is on there if that's what you're looking for, but not sure if that counts for your criteria.

Rock is not as much in the mainstream as it used to be so if you're asking what modern rock bands are also considered "pop" then I don't think there's much crossover these days.

As people mentioned here, most pop artists are solo now (even if they play with a band, like Billie Eilish with her brother Finneas). But there are some exceptions. From the ones I love:

• Magdalena Bay — amazing synthpop duo, heavy influenced by progressive rock.
• Chairlift — also a duo, were active in 10s, and unfortunately broke up, and Caroline Polachek started solo career.
• Florence + The Machine — do I even need to introduce them? Fantastic folk leaning pop legends.
• Femtanyl — hyperpop duo creating wildest music.
• King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — very versatile Australian collective making music in many genres from psychedelic/progressive rock to trance and rap. They have lots of albums, but sounds on Microtonal Flying Banana, K.G., L.W., and Butterfly 3000 are pop I'd say.
• Turnstile — amazing hardcore/emo band with fire live shows. Pop in the wide sense.
• Gorillaz — yep, they are still alive and well. Making music in many genres, collabing with wide range artists. They dropped album The Mountain this year, with heavy influence of Indian and Arabic music.
• Geese — psychedelic rock band with funny catchy tunes.

I'm not very well aware of this sort of stuff, but the things that popped into my mind, from your description, was

• One Direction
• Måneskin
• 5 Seconds of Summer
• The 1975

Crown Lands is my favorite band releasing new material. Criminally underrated. Amazing live. Amazing art.

I only get excited about 2 bands today releasing music. Crown Lands and Russian Circles (instrumental).

Also, No More Kings is solid.

Portugal the Man

You are looking for instrumentals I would recommend Melt and Couch. Lucius is amazing but they are less instrument focused and more harmony focused. (They are front by two women with amazing voices in matching outfits and wigs).

You like female vocal lead pop (that's more individual lead) check out Maisie Peters and Holly Humblestone. They are both individuals with backing bands

Pop music today (as a genre, not just music on the charts) is very programming-heavy, and not generally oriented around people playing on and performing with live instruments. This leaves little room for pop “bands”, and when pop is made by groups, it is typically groups of singers, with one or two of them able to play a bit of guitar or piano for a more intimate ballad. Most of the bands you mentioned would be considered “rock” if they were new artists today (or jazz for Glen Miller).

There are solo artists like Taylor Swift where a significant portion of the material is played by a band, but these bands are made of professional sidemen/session players, and the “artist” is still just one person.

Charli XCX?