RESEARCH INTO CHOSEN GENRE
HISTORY OF MUSIC:
In all probability, music has played an important role in the lifecycle of humans perhaps even before we could speak. Significant evidence has been discovered that very early man developed primitive flutes from animal bones and used stones and wood as percussion. Voice would have been the first and most natural means of expression in our distant ancestors, used to bond socially or comfort a sleepless child. It is from these humble beginnings that the music we enjoy today evolved. As we move further through the history of music we find increasing evidence of its key role in sacred and secular settings, although the division into these categories was not defined in this way until many years later.
An interesting image I found while researching, that represents music and the instruments used to create music in ancient times.
The 1950's saw the emergence and rise of Rock 'n' Roll and Rockabilly. Carl Perkins was one of the pioneers in the creation of rock music and his style is often referred to as "Rockabilly" because it sounds like a combination of country and R&B music with rock influences. Some other artists that were popular in the rockabilly genre were Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent. Perkins wrote and recorded his chart-topping hit "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955 and the song was then covered by Elvis Presley and enjoyed even more success. Elvis Presley is thought to be the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" by many and rose to fame after beginning a professional relationship with Sam Phillips - a studio owner who wanted to market "black music" to white audiences.
Billboard’s most enduring contribution to pop history, however, was the introduction of the Billboard charts, which tracked music sales and radio airtime in relation to the most popular songs of the era. The first Billboard Hot 100 US singles chart was introduced in August 1958. From 1950 on, Cashbox also printed shorter jukebox charts which included specific artist data; from the late 50s they began publishing chart data for specific genres, among them the likes of country and R&B. When rock and roll music burst onto the national stage in the mid-1950s, it inspired the first R&R press. These publications contain a wealth of knowledge about rock and roll and its early press coverage. The R&R press shaped the public’s reception of the rebellious new music genre. This post will take a close look at Onyx Publications’ contribution to this field: Rock and Roll Songs magazine.
The first picture is of Elvis Presley who was the King Of Rock And Roll in the 1950’s. These pictures tells the audience the type of artists that were famous in the 50’s.
The 1960's were a time of upheaval in society, fashion, attitudes and especially music. Before 1963, the music of the sixties still reflected the sound, style and beliefs of the previous decade and many of the hit records were by artists who had found mainstream success in the 1950s, like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Dion, and The Everly Brothers. In 1963 and the years to follow, a number of social influences changed what popular music was and gave birth to the diversity that we experience with music today. Many of the bands first started by covering American songs and showcasing an American Rock 'n' Roll and R&B influence in their sounds. As these bands gained popularity, many of them ventured into new music territory and created their own unique styles. The few bands that come to mind when speaking of the British Invasion are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Beach Boys who first broke into the US music scene in 1963.
The 1970s created a perfect musical bridge from the rebelliousness of the 1960s and the happy songs that are characteristic of the 1980s. Following the counterculture of the 60s, the and the 70s created a trend of relaxing music as well as dance music. People may have grown tired of the fighting that happened the previous decade and many of them sought a refuge in dance clubs and other places to enjoy a good time. Out of this idea emerged the Disco movement. Of course, there were still the bands and artists that continued to speak of the ills of society, typically characterized by the punk music in the latter part of the decade. The 1970's was not a unique decade in terms of creating innovations in musical styles and genres, but it was unique in that it was a musical bridge connecting the hippie lifestyle of the 1960s with the characteristic yuppie lifestyle that was about to occur in the 1980s. The few bands that come to mind when thinking of the 70’s music era is the ABBA, Queen and the Pink Floyd.
Music in the 1980s was all about image and with the advent and popularity of MTV, the images that accompanied artists became more important than ever. When it came to music during the decade, nothing was understated, not the sound, not the fashion, not even the charity. The 1980s reflected the beginning of a period of great income disparity and a focus on affluence was reflected in the music. There were also several new genres that popped up including, Hip Hop, New Wave and Hair Metal, all of which have influenced music today. Arguably the most important event to influence music during the 1980s was the creation of the cable network MTV (Music Television). MTV was the first network to exclusively showcase music videos, making its debut on August 1, 1981. The first music video to be played on the channel was, appropriately, the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," as music would forever change and the focus would shift from music and lyrics to fashion and theatrics, at least in the world of pop music. The original concept of the network was to play music videos twenty-four hours a day, every day. And, while this has obviously changed since then, the innovative concept created a whole new breed of pop star. Some of the musicians that come to mind when talking about 1980’s era are Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, David Bowie and Bon Jovi.
The musical era of the 1990s was one filled with a variety of pop, rap, and alternative music artists as well as a plethora of one-hit wonders. It was a time when musical taste was as varied as the events that were happening at the time. Many of the most popular acts that emerged in the 1990's were bands and artists who enjoyed a type of resurgence in the mainstream music scene after their popularity had dwindled for a decade or so. Other artists were just starting out during this decade and make a huge impact on the musical scene. The early years of the 1990s began with a surge in popularity for music genres like techno (often called dance or house music) and hip-hop that continued throughout the decade. Groups like Technotronic entered the Billboard charts with big hits like “Pump Up the Jam” and “Get Up (Before the Night is Over)”. Others will undoubtedly remember the hits from C+C Music Factory, including “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” that is still a popular dance song at many of the dance clubs across the country. Similarly, the hip-hop music scene achieved popularity with artists like MC Hammer, Tone Loc, and Vanilla Ice. The subject matter that these artists chose to use in their music was as varied as their audiences. The Nineties was the decade of Pop Music Divas, these powerhouse singers with incomparable voices and dynamic stage presence dominated the decade. Spanning different genres, female singers like Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Madonna, Cher, Brandy, Monica, and Janet Jackson dominated the carts. With her unique vocal range and talents as a songwriter, Mariah Carey was one of the top divas of the decade, breaking Billboard records and accumulating the highest accolades throughout the 1990s.
The 2000's continued many of the trends that emerged in the mid and late 1990's. Hip hop music had taken the place of rock music and the pop world of music was primarily controlled by major brand executives that were building groups using formulas created in the 1990s. In Pop music you saw a blended sound of rock, pop, hip hop and country music as artists like Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson take center stage next to many of the popular groups of the 1990s. By the end of the 2000's Pop music was so broad that country music had grown in popularity throughout the United States thanks to artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood that gained popularity with a new more mainstream sound, exposure using the internet and television programming and aggressive marketing to the youth markets. Many artist experimented with various genres throughout the 2000's and some like Taylor Swift successfully made the transition. Another example of this was Alternative artist Darius Rucker who left his band Hootie and the Blowfish to begin a solo career in country music. For those artists that still could not find a genre that fit, Emo filled that void with bands like Dashboard Confessionals and Fall Out Boys. But, by far the most successful genre in music in the 2000's was hip hop with revolutionary artists like Kanye West and Eminem redefining the industry and infusing a sound and a message many of the youth and young professional could relate to. The Hip Hop industry would continue to thrive throughout the 2000's and become increasingly mainstream. By the time the 2010's arrived hip hop music was the most popular form of music in America.
REFERENCES:
https://www.cmuse.org/history-of-music/
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/music-magazines-cover-stars/
IMAGES:
All the images were taken from Google.