Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sometimes sensual and feminine soundscapes. The term was almost exclusively used in the United States, although frequently used, and allegedly coined, by Melody Maker journalists Simon Reynolds and Chris Roberts. An "all-star" dream pop collective named This Mortal Coil were known for covering obscure pop songs of the 1960s to '80s.

The essence of the music is a focus on ethereal textures and moods, rather than on propulsive rock riffs. Breathy, high-register female vocals or almost whispered male vocals are usually the means of lyrical delivery; lyrics are generally introspective and existential in nature. Cover art tends to consist of blurry pastel imagery and/or stark minimalist designs. Overall, the 4AD record label is the one most associated with dream pop, though others such as Creation, Projekt, Fontana, Bedazzled, Vernon Yard and Slumberland also released significant records in the genre.

Early songs that influenced the dream pop genre include "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground and "#9 Dream" by John Lennon, which both contained many elements of dream pop such as breathy vocals and atmospheric soundscapes. Other artists that have been identified as influences on genre include Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Spacemen 3, The Chameleons, The Cure, Bauhaus, Galaxie 500 and Spiritualized. In the 1980s to early 1990s, bands such as Pale Saints, Spoonfed Hybrid, Spirea X, early-period Seefeel, early-period Verve, Kitchens of Distinction, The Church, The Sundays, Belly, The Flaming Lips, The Ocean Blue, Bel Canto, Hum, Cranes, Frazier Chorus, Strange Boutique, Curve, The Dream Academy and No-Man were representatives of the genre. Concurrently, a number of more predominantly guitar-driven dream pop bands emerged in the United States, including For Against, Alison's Halo, Low, Mazzy Star, Velour 100, Fine China, Love Spirals Downwards, Ars Poetica, Duster, Azure Ray and Frownland. In Europe, some dream pop bands emerged also mixing more folk or electronic components, such as The Legendary Pink Dots and Hooverphonic.