Was pop music popular or not when it first came out?

The term "pop music" originated in the 1920s to describe popular music of that era, so initially, it would naturally have been popular since it was the mainstream, preferred genre of the general public. Pop music drew influences from earlier popular American and British styles such as folk, vaudeville, ragtime, big band, jazz, blues, R&B, and rock and roll in its evolution but became a distinct genre in its own right by the mid-20th century. During that period and thereafter, its prominence and popularity have endured, with pop artists being among the best-selling music acts of all time. Throughout history, some individuals may have had particular preferences for other music genres, leading to differing levels of interest in pop at any given time, but broadly speaking, pop music has remained prevalent due to its commercial appeal and the ongoing evolution of new subgenres like pop-rock, synthpop, hip hop-pop, teen pop, dance-pop, Latin pop, boy bands, and girl groups.