History of the Recording Industry #4

The 1990s

"During the 1990s the relationship between the center and the periphery of the music business - and between mainstream and marginalized types of music - became even more complicated, with self- consciously anti-commercial genres like gangsta rap, speed metal, and grunge reaching the top of the Billboard LP and singles charts and generating huge profits for the music industry." --Starr and Waterman

Funk

"Funk music represented another back-to-basics impetus, the impulse to dance. Most rock music was aimed at a predominantly white male audience and was designed for listening rather than dancing. (While rock fans certainly engaged in free-form movement, the idea of organized social dancing was anathema to the 'do your own thing' ethos of the counterculture and the 'high art' aspirations of some rock musicians.) In urban black communities across America, however, dance remained a backbone of social life, a primary means for both transmitting traditional values and for generating a sense of novelty and excitement. For the first time since the "twist" craze of the 1960s, funk music - and its commercial offspring, disco - brought dancing back to mainstream pop music."-- Starr, Waterman, and Schloss

So, what are we to make of the 80s?

"MTV was the most important factor in the development of [popular music] in the 80s. Some artists and genres - particularly those with strong visual appeal -- were able to achieve tremendous popularity very quickly through the exposure that MTV provided, while others were almost entirely shut out. The split between the two became increasingly pronounced during this era, leading to the emergence of alternative streams an counter movements such as [hardcore] punk, alternative rock, underground metal, and worldbeat. Eventually, these movements - along with hip-hop - set the stage for the popular music of the 90s." Starr, Waterman, and Schloss

Rock v. Disco

"The initial rejection of disco by [AOR] rock fans may have had as much to do with racism as with homophobia, since the genre's roots lay predominantly in black dance music. In addition, the musical values predominant among rock fans - would not have inclined them toward a positive regard of disco, which relied heavily on studio overdubbing and consisted mainly of fairly predictable patterns designed for dancing . . . Although disco cannot simply be identified as 'gay music,' there is no doubt that the genre's mixed reception during the late 1970s provides additional evidence of the transformative effect of marginalized musical styles and communities on the commercial mainstream of American popular music." Starr and Waterman

Gangsta Goes Mainstream

*Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) sells 3 million *Snoop Dogg's, Doggy Style (1993) sells 4 million

Sex Pistols

*Glen Matlock (bass), John Lydon/Johnny Rotten (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Paul Cook (drums) Formed in 1975. Managed by clothing store owner (who also sold sexual fetish wear) Malcolm McLaren. Specializing in chaos and outrage, the Pistols were famous for being dropped by the major labels that signed them. A&M gave them an advance of over $200,000 only to drop them a week later. Not helping things was a TV appearance in England where Steve Jones (pictured), who was drunk, cursed out the host Bill Grundy (who was also drunk and, admittedly, had it coming). October 28, 1977, they release their brilliant, and only full-length LP, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The record debuts at #1 on the British charts, in America (where it was released on November 11, 1977) it reaches #206 on the Billboard album chart. The band goes on an American tour where they play primarily in the South. The tour lasts a total of 7 gigs from January 5-14, 1978. The band was fracturing - made worse by Vicious' heroin addition - and break up at the tour's end. They reunite in 1996 with original bassist Glen Matlock and go on a very lucrative world tour.

The Clash

*Joe Strummer (vocals/guitar, died 2002), Paul Simonon (bass/vocals), Mick Jones (guitar/vocals), Topper Headon (drums) The Clash become British punk's most commercially successful band and, by the early 1980s, became one of the most popular rock bands (punk or otherwise) in the world. With hit records and MTV videos. Outspokenly political, the band often aligned itself with leftist (if not radical) political causes/groups. They were promoted by their US record label (Columbia) as "The Only Band That Matters." In 1979 they release what many consider one of the greatest LPs ever (again, punk or otherwise) *The inspiration for the cover of the London Calling LP came from none other than Elvis Presley "White Riot" (1977)

Then, in 2006, this happened

*The largest streaming service with 172 million premium subscribers in 2021

How did Napster work?

1. a user sends a request for a song 2. Napster checks its database of music to see if the song is on a PC of another Napster user elsewhere on the Internet 3. the song is found 4. the song is sent directly to the PC of the user who requested it *No music is stored on Napster servers. Napster's role is to facilitate file sharing in what is known as a peer-to-peer relationship among internet users;Most music files are in the popular MP3 format

Influence of Reggae in America

1972 - Paul Simon (pictured, of Simon and Garfunkel) has a hit with "Mother and Child Reunion," more ska than roots reggae influenced. 1974 - Eric Clapton has a #1 hit single "I Shot the Sheriff," his cover of Bob Marley's song. Reggae strongly influences hip-hop: Jamaican"toasters" (like a rap MC) toast (early freestyle rapping) over backing tracks played by popular Jamaican DJs who ran sound systems.

The Music Industry in the 70s

1973 - Music industry is a $2 billion/year industry 1978 - $4 billion/year The rise of the major labels led to the demise of many independent labels The start of corporate consolidation - by 1973 six huge corporations control the sale and distribution of 80% of the world's music. Rock music becomes more "categorized" - soft rock, hard rock, folk rock, glam rock, southern rock, jazz rock, prog rock, punk rock 1973 - Energy crisis, shortage of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), petroleum-based product substance from which records and tapes are manufactured. Prices of LPs steadily rise - early 70s ($5), by the end of the decade ($7) - at the time consumers considered these price increases to be outrageous.

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em

1990/91 marks the beginning of the "mainstreaming" of rap/hip-hop No longer considered a "fad" by major label executives, this marks the beginning of the genre's emergence as rock's commercial equal. MC Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (1990) sells 10 million copies and is the number 1 album in US for 21 weeks. Hammer becomes the most ubiquitous presence in rap and the rapper of choice for Madison Avenue He is decried as a "sellout" and "Uncle Tom" by hardcore/gangsta rappers who see Hammer as striving too hard to please white executives and audiences But now, with rap artists routinely working in film and TV (Ice Cube and Ice T), rap's cross promotional potential starts with the popularity of Hammer.

Then, this happened

2001 - Apple introduces the iPod. 2003 - Apple opens the iTunes Store. Within 2 years it commands 70% of the legal downloading market and become the #1 music retailer in the U.S. 2010 - Apple announces that over 10 billion tracks have been downloaded through the iTunes Store. The demands of consumers had changed from the album to the single. Technology had brought us into the 21st century, but aesthetically we were going back to the early days of rock'n'roll in the 1950s.

MTV to the Rescue?

A by-product of the deregulation of the cable industry MTV begins programming in 1981. First video to air: "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles Fundamentally changed the way the music industry operated, and quickly became the preferred method for launching new acts and promoting established acts. MTV (and its spin-off station VH-1) worked synergistically with radio and other media to boost record sales and create a new generation of superstars The music video is no longer simply a means of advertising, it becomes a form of commercial art unto itself. Initially the network programmed videos like and AOR rock station - meaning, no African Americans. The direction of the network was defined by bands identified with the "New British Invasion" - e.g., Eurythmics, Adam Ant, Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club (pictured, Boy George), Duran Duran. Videos by African American performers were not played on MTV until Michael Jackson's Billie Jean and Prince's Little Red Corvette went into heavy rotation in 1982. In July 1983, 18 of the singles in Billboard's Top-40 chart were by British bands. By the mid-1980s the impact of MTV had been felt throughout the music industry. It was greatly helped by their "I Want My MTV" marketing campaign.

Album Oriented Rock

A new rock radio format that emerged in the mid-70s, the term was coined by Mike Harrison an editor for the industry trade publication Radio & Records. The format was promoted by radio consultants Lee Abrams and Kent Burkhart. The target demographic was white males 13-25. DJs and PDs (Program Directors) now selected rock albums (with commercial appeal) from which they would play a number of tracks in rotation, rather than simply play one track over and over. As it became more popular (and more stations adopted it) the playlists became more restrictive and much less adventurous. Because it was very"rockcentric" (and anti-disco) by the late 70s the format was taken over by bands such as Journey, Foreigner, Styx, Kansas, Boston. Or what became derisively known as "faceless corporate rock" Because it excluded virtually all African American artists - AOR become known as APARTHEID ORIENTED RADIO Rock music increasingly becomes "white music" Black artists are now heard on a format called Urban Contemporary The AOR format becomes the programming model for MTV in its early days.

How was the audience changing?

AOR radio programming was successful in that it brought new music to a coveted audience - baby boomers - who provided the economic fuel for the industry. But, the first generation of rock listeners were getting older and a younger generation was replacing them. Yet, the industry still coveted the spending power of boomers. How could the music industry appeal to new listeners without losing the old ones? Most of the decade of the 80s was spent trying to answer that question. But, MTV helped make stars and made those who were already stars into megastars like . . .

How popular was Nevermind?

After leaving Sub Pop Nirvana signed with major label DGC in 1991. Released in September, 1991, the initial pressing (only 50,000 copies) sold out in days. By the January of 1992, Nevermind had replaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous as the #1 record in the US and was selling an average of 300,000 copies/week. It stayed on the Billboard LP charts for 5 years, selling more than 10 million copies. After the success of Nevermind, major labels couldn't sign grunge bands fast enough. Kurt Cobain, struggling with drug addiction and mental illness issues, commits suicide April 5, 1994.

Why the business of music was bad in the early 80s

After rapid expansion and growth (and increasing profits) throughout the 70s, profits from the sale of recorded music bottomed out in 1982 ($4.6 billion) down half a billion from the industry's peak year of 1978 ($5.1 billion). Major labels - now part of huge transnational corporations - trimmed staff, cut back expenses, signed fewer new acts, and raised the prices of LPs and cassettes.

Punk Rock in the "Faraway Towns" (US)

Although much of the media covering early US punk focused New York, it wasn't long before other scenes developed in Boston, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Austin, TX, Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In many instances this music was played on college radio stations and written about in crudely fashioned fanzines. Since both FM rock radio and music journalism was still writing primarily about mainstream rock. The Damned, "New Rose" first UK punk single, released October 22, 1976

Grunge: The Year Punk Broke

Although punk rock did not experience a major commercial breakthrough in the 70s or 80s (but the more accessible "new wave" did), the early 90s experienced a seismic shift in what constituted rock music after the MTV-driven 1980s. The so-called "Grunge Movement" (most bands hated being called this, seeing it as a cheap marketing gimmick) was centered in Seattle. Musically it's a mix of punk and 70s heavy metal (especially the sludgy tempos of Black Sabbath). *The Melvins, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Tad *Emergence of grunge meant the beginning of the end for many 80s "hair metal" bands *But the band that made the biggest noise was . . .

Punk in the "Faraway Towns" (UK)

Although the narrative of UK punk tends to be too centered on the Clash and Sex Pistols and, maybe, the Damned, many British punk bands formed after the Ramones played London in 1976 and 1977. And it wasn't long before punk (especially after records were released by the Damned and Sex Pistols) spread all over the UK. London: Generation X (with Billy Idol), the Jam, the Stranglers, the Adverts, the Slits (pictured), X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Crass, Wire; Manchester: the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, the Fall; Leeds: Gang of Four, the Mekons; Belfast (Northern Ireland): Stiff Little Fingers; Derry (Northern Ireland): the Undertones; Newcastle: Penetration; Edinburgh (Scotland): The Rezillos

The "HOME TAPE IS KILLING MUSIC"

An effort to stop home taping of LPs was started by the British Phonographic Industry in the 1980s. (Think of it as similar to the Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA] attempts to stop illegal downloading in the late-90s/early 00s.) This was their snappy little logo that appeared in advertisements and on record sleeves.

Punk Rock (UK)

Anti-fashion that becomes very fashion consciousness. Also hated hippie culture. "Year Zero." "No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones in 1977" — Clash lyric. Politically oriented (somewhat). Explicitly working class - even when the participants weren't working class British punks love reggae in a way that American punks didn't. British punk has greater commercial success than does US punk on both indie and major labels. Influenced by early/mid 70s Glam Rock (early David Bowie, T. Rex, New York Dolls, Mott the Hoople, the Sweet, Slade) and Pub Rock (a back-to-basics reaction to prog rock) bands like Dr. Feelgood and Ducks Deluxe.

The Internet Era: Album Sales

Are still happening in the early 2000s, some of it due to the popularity of the boy bands of the mid-to-late-90s, some of it due to newer, younger, hip-hop acts (e.g., Eminem, 50 Cent). But sales were dwindling annually from the massive success of 'N Sync in 2001 (No Strings Attached, 10 million, 2.1 million sales in its first week). To put this in perspective, Taylor Swift's Folklore was 2020's only record to sell over 1 million "pure"copies (physical and digital album sales). "Pure" sales do not include album equivalent units derived from streaming and individual track downloads. BTS was second with 674,000 copy sold of Map of the Soul.

Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Arguably, the definitive recording by British band Pink Floyd. Although the record reached #1 in the US for only a week it eventually sold 15 million copies in the US and is estimated to have sold 50 million copies worldwide. Remarkably, it remained on Billboard's Top-200 album chart for 741 consecutive weeks - a little more than 14 years.

The American Underground

As is often the case, although MTV and its focus on mainstream rock/pop music was the engine driving the major record labels, there was also a thriving underground ("college rock") scene during the 80s. Mostly coming out of the 70s punk era, a number of independent labels sprang up in major cities and in college towns with large universities and student-led music scenes. *SST, Twin/Tone, Ace of Hearts, Dischord It was an ethos known as DIY (Do It Yourself), because many major labels were uninterested in signing these bands, they created their own scene and economic model. So, who are we talking about?

In 2016, Napster came back from the dead

As of 2020, it still has a web presence and claims about 4 million subscribers, significantly fewer than Spotify

Chris Blackwell (b. 1937)

Born in London, Blackwell's mother is of Jamaican ancestry. In 1958, with $10,000 borrowed from his parents he starts Island Records. In 1972, launches the career of Jimmy Cliff and signs Bob Marley to Island, lending Marley the money to open his own recording studio, Tuff Gong, in Kingston. I n the 70s-80s Island became one of the most successful independent rock labels in the world. Especially after U2 signed to the label.

90s Mainstream Rock

But the biggest selling rock LPs of the 90s were being recorded by bands such as: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day (Dookie, 1994), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, the Breeders, Alanis Morrisette, and Hootie and the Blowfish. The mid-90s is also the beginning of the so-called "jam band" era with the Dave Matthews Band and Phish (pictured) becoming huge concert draws despite not selling enormous amounts of records - the Grateful Dead model.

Compact Discs

Consumer sales start in 1983. Sound encoded on the disc is read by a laser beam (no needle wear!) and the sales pitch to leave vinyl for CDs was that you have "perfect sound forever." By 1988, sales of CDs surpassed those of vinyl for the first time. The CD revolution was partly manufactured by the major labels who cut way back on vinyl production as a means of "encouraging" consumers to make the transition to the new digital technology. Which many boomers did - re- purchasing their entire vinyl collections on CD.

What's going on with the industry?

Corporate consolidation (aka horizontal integration) continues at a rapid pace - record labels were now the music divisions of large transnational corporations. 1990: The US is the largest market for recorded music accounting for 31% of the world's trade at $7.5 billion. Consolidation led to even more marketplace fragmentation Rock music splinters into hundreds of genres (metal, adult contemporary) and sub-genres (hardcore, thrash, techno) Country music becomes the best selling genre in the US with the popularity of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black and Reba McEntire

1983

David Bowie confronts MTV VJ Mark Goodman about the lack of videos by African Americans on MTV

Summer and Moroder

Donna Summer becomes a best-selling disco diva working with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder. "Love to Love You, Baby" (1976) jumpstarts Summer's career with Moroder. Referring to himself as the "Father of Disco" Moroder creates a subgenre known as Eurodisco: repetitive, synthesizer-based, mechanical, robotic sounding, 4/4 beats. Some of it influenced by the avant-garde German band Kraftwerk. The Eurodisco influence can be heard in the Pet Shop Boys and much EDM.

Oldies Radio

Early 1970s sees the debut of the format Oldies Radio. A format designed to tap into the baby boomer nostalgia market by playing music from the 1950s and early 1960s. Suddenly, Elvis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry are popular again. (Well, Elvis was always popular.) In 1972, after writing dozens of great songs, Chuck Berry has his only #1 hit single with the novelty song "My Ding-a-Ling," written by Dave Bartholomew.

East Coast vs. West Coast

East Coast seen as "laid back" and :more creative. West Coast seen as "Left Coast" E:Biggie Smalls and Puff Daddy W:Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight In the mid-1990s there were violent conflicts between West Coast and East Coast rappers. Although gangsta rhetoric had boosted the sale of recordings, and was used as a means of authenticating rap and rappers. There were real-life consequences to working in this world. In the West there was Marion "Suge" Knight who ran the Los Angeles based label Death Row Records, whose biggest star was Tupac Shakur. On the East Coast there was Sean Combs (aka, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy) the CEO of New York-based indie label Bad Boy Records, whose biggest (no pun intended) artist was the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls, Christopher Wallace). By the end of 1997, both Biggie and Tupac were dead. Both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had left Death Row fearing for their lives if they continued to work with Suge Knight. In 2018, Suge Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Gangsta

Emerges from the South Central Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton. This version of rap, influenced by the politics of Public Enemy, was more violent, darker, angrier. It was also misogynistic and homophobic. 1987—Ice-T (pictured) records the song "Colors" used in a film about the gang vs. police violence in South Central. 1989—N.W.A. releases Straight Outta Compton one of the first recordings to deal with the brutality and violence of urban street life. Prior to touring to promoted the LP it sold 750,000 copies in its first few weeks of release. Despite the "non-mainstream" nature of much gangsta rap, it sells very well to young audiences both black and white. The problem with this is that, to many whites, gangsta's popularity, accidentally reinforced negative stereotypes about black masculinity. But some recordings, affiliated with gangsta sell big. (N.W.A.'s F**K THE POLICE & Straight Outta Compton songs 1988)

Post-Napster

Even though Napster was shutdown in 2001, the damage had been done - in its last days before closure 2.79 billion files were exchanged. From this point forward there was no going back to the old model of production and distribution that had been the industry model from 1960-(roughly) 2000. Napster was the tip of a very deep iceberg of p2p sites making copyrighted music available for free. Even after the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in 2005 that these online sites had violated copyright on a "mass scale" consumers had already that downloading (be it legal or illegal) was how they were going to acquire music - not buying CDs In a matter of two years, the music business as it had existed for almost a half-century had become obsolete.

Reggae

First genre of music in the rock era to originate from the so-called "third world." Emerges from earlier styles of Jamaican music such as ska, bluebeat, and rock steady. Reggae influenced by 1940s & 50s American R&B: e.g., Louis Jordan, Fats Domino broadcast throughout the Caribbean from stations in New Orleans, Miami, and Nashville (WLAC). "My Boy Lollipop," by Millie Small (1964) goes top-10; first ska hit in the US. "Roots" reggae associated with the Rastafarian movement (and Bob Marley). Some early Jamaican reggae fans were "rude boys," young, urban gangsters.

Bob Marley (1945-1981)

For better and for worse, reggae's international ambassador and the genre's most popular performer. Devout Rastafarian A national hero in Jamaica (and a major political force) Marley was intensely charismatic and reggae's most effective international ambassador. His songs of rebellion and faith - rooted in rastafarianism - found a worldwide audience After his death, reggae's popularity diminishes in the US -- but remains very popular in the UK (where there is a much larger Jamaican community) Survived an assassination attempt in 1976.

Disco: Musical Influences

Funk (choppy, aggressively syncopated beats): James Brown, Ohio Players, Earth, Wind and Fire, Parliament, Tower of Power. Philly Soul (smooth, orchestrated, mellow, danceable): O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (featuring Teddy Pendergrass), TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff (pictured left to right): architects of the 70s Philly Soul sound owners of Philadelphia International Records.

Generation X vs. Boomers

Generation X vs. Boomers The 90s meant yet another period of adjustment for the music industry. A new generation - so-called "Generation X" were now displacing baby boomers as the primary consumers of popular music. *Born after hippie era of "free love"a generation of horny teens facing the reality of AIDS *First generation that will not live better than their parents Children of divorce and domestic conflict, reported cases of child abuse at an all time high. Gen Xers had been raised on classic rock, punk, rap. As the first generation to have grown up with MTV, a song (or artist) was either on MTV - and thus successful - or it wasn't. This led to a schism between artists who were MTV-friendly, and those who weren't (largely alternative rock and hip-hop). This meant that not being on MTV was a sign of artistic integrity.

What is Rap? "It's CNN for Black Folk" — Chuck D, Public Enemy

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five politicize rap with the release of "The Message" (1982). Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force release "Planet Rock" (1982) a record influenced by European synth-pop, specifically German band Kraftwerk. Jazz musician Herbie Hancock releases "Rock It" (1983) featuring Grand Mixer DXT on turntables. The song is featured on the Grammys. Mid-80s rap becomes more political with releases by Run-DMC, Public Enemy, KRS-One (with Scott LaRock). Beastie Boys - white rappers with credibility among African American audiences and rappers. Licensed to Ill (1986) sells 7 million. 80s rap/rock crossover: Blondie, "Rapture," Run-DMC & Aerosmith, "Walk This Way," and Anthrax & Public Enemy, "Bring the Noise." Blondie, "Rapture" (1981) Herbie Hancock, "Rockit," Grammys (1983) Run-DMC, "Rock Box," 1984 Run-DMC and Aerosmith, "Walk This Way" (1986) Erik B. & Rakim, "Paid in Full" (1987) Beastie Boys (with Mix Master Mike), "3 MCs and One DJ" Anthrax & Public Enemy, "Bring the Noise" (1991)

Vanilla Ice

Hated way more than MC Hammer was Robert Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice whose debut LP To The Extreme released in 1990 was the #1 record in the U.S. for 16 weeks, selling 7 million copies. Ice was seen as the worst case scenario of commercialized rap - inauthentic, another instance of a less talented white performer "making a living off the fruits of black creativity." Despite selling millions of records, the career's of Hammer and Ice ended quickly, both becoming pop music punch lines. Although Ice now has a successful career renovating homes.

Herbie Hancock with the Headhunters, "Chameleon" (1973)

Herbie Hancock, keyboards/synth bass; Bennie Maupin, sax/clarinet; Harvey Mason, drums; Paul Jackson, bass; Bill Summers, percussion

The Fate of AOR

In the mid-80s many AOR stations were adding new hard rock and "hair metal" to their playlists. These stations refused to play punk rock as it was deemed unmusical and uncommercial. It also scared off advertisers. Some new wave bands were OK, as long as they wrote pop songs and wore cool clothes. By the early 1990s AOR had run its course and morphed into what is now known as "classic rock."

Three Minutes of Jazz-Rock Fusion Craziness, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, "Vital Transformation," from The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)

Jerry Goodman, violin; Jan Hammer, keyboards; Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, guitar; Billy Cobham, drums; Rick Laird, bass

Led Zeppelin: Success & Excess

John Paul Jones (bass), John Bonham (drums — died in 1980), Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals) The biggest rock band of the 70s representing the pinnacle of success and excess, or what some punks would later refer to as bloated, dinosaur rock. Music - blues based hard rock, heavy metal (with prog rock overtones) Part of the "second wave" British Invasion of the late 60s/early 70s that included: Cream, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Humble Pie, Jethro Tull and others December 10, 2007: 18,000 people pay $250/ticket for a "reunion" show in London. There were a reported 25 million ticket requests. 1968 - Ahmet Ertegun signs the band to Atlantic ($200,000 advance) an unheard of amount at the time. Managed by Peter Grant (pictured, 1935-1995) - the band's 5th member Grant is manager-as-potentially-violent gangster; ferociously devoted to the band. He "apprenticed" under legendary British rock manager Don Arden (Sharon Osbourne's father) who, unlike Grant, ripped off many of his acts. Zeppelin becomes one of the first superstar rock acts that DID NOT release singles (early on they did, but it soon stopped). They were uninterested in producing music that appealed to mainstream AM pop radio. They were a rock band whose music fit more adventurous FM radio playlists. And, if you become rock icons, you get to meet a president. "The Ocean," Madison Square Garden, 1973 "Good Times Bad Times," December 10, 2007, O2 Center, London("Good Times Bad Times," December 10, 2007, O2 Center, London (Jason Bonham (John's son) on drums) Black Sabbath, "Into the Void" 1971

Michael Jackson

King of Pop The moonwalk on his 1983 Billie Jean Performance (Motown 25th Anniversary Tv Special) made a huge international cultural impact in less than a minute

Too many bands to list . . . but

Los Angeles: Black Flag, the Minutemen, X, the Germs, the Circle Jerks, the Blasters, the Flesh Eaters, and the Go-Gos. Athens, GA: B-52s, REM, Pylon Minneapolis, MN: Husker Du (pictured top), the Replacements, Soul Asylum Boston: Mission of Burma, the Neighborhoods, the Lyres, the Real Kids, Pixies (sort of) New York: Sonic Youth, the Feelies, Swans Washington, DC: Minor Threat, Fugazi, the Bad Brains Some of these bands went on to major labels (Sonic Youth, Replacements, X, Pixies, Husker Du, B-52s, REM., the Go-Gos) and were successful, but only the Go-Gos and R.E.M. became popular with mainstream audiences.

Changes in Radio

Mainstream pop music was heard on AM radio. But after the debut of FM radio station KMPX in 1967, FM increasingly became where rock bands (at least those uninterested in writing and recording hit singles) had their music played. This reflected the growth of the LP as the primary medium of expression for most rock bands.

A Napster Timeline

May, 1999: Napster goes live. December 7, 1999: The Recording Industry Association of America files a suit charging Napster with copyright infringement. April 13, 2000: Metallica files suit against Napster for violating the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). May 3, 2000: Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich producers a list of 335,000 Napster user who have illegally downloaded and shared copyrighted music. May 5, 2000: U.S. District Court judge Marilyn Hall Patel rules that Napster does not qualify for "safe harbor" status under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). February 12, 2001: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that Napster must immediately stop trading copyrighted material. February 20, 2001: Napster offers a $1 billion settlement if the record companies drop their suit. The offer is rejected two days later. July 12, 2001: Judge Patel orders Napster to remain offline until it can show that it blocks the distribution of copyrighted works. Metallica and Dr. Dre settle their legal disputes with Napster.

Nirvana

Members:Pat Smear (guitar/vocals, joined in 1993), Dave Grohl (drums/vocals), Kurt Cobain (guitar/vocals, 1967-1994), Krist Novoselic (bass) Their debut LP Bleach (1989), released on the Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop, was recorded for $600 and was a cult hit, but it was Nevermind (1991), and the video for the first single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (which MTV played constantly) that made them one of the world's biggest rock band by the end of 1992.

Album Sales

Michael Jackson's Thriller, released 1982, US sales 30 million. Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A., released 1984, US sales 15 million

Jazz Rock

More of an American phenomenon. Lots of chops. Focus on technique. Not song-oriented as in traditional rock/pop. 1969 - Miles Davis (pictured) releases Bitches Brew, seminal jazz-rock recording. Jazz purists hated it. Major labels are releasing records by bands/artists like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock (his jazz funk masterpiece Headhunters released in 1973 - becomes the first platinum selling jazz LP) Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow (1975), million-plus selling jazz-rock instrumental LP -- produced by Beatles' producer George Martin These were major releases on major labels. Some of them reaching the Top-20 on Billboard's album sales chart.

Punk Rock (US)

Musical Influences: Countless 60s garage rock bands (e.g. the Seeds, the Kingsmen, 13th Floor Elevators, the Standells) as well as the Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls, Velvet Underground, and British Invasion rock (especially the Who and the Kinks) 1975 -- The New York punk scene develops around a Bowery club CBGB (which stood for Country, Bluegrass, and Blues) opened by Hilly Kristal (1931-2007) in 1973. Patti Smith, Blondie, the Ramones, and Talking Heads are a handful of the important early punk bands to play there. Priced out of their location, CBGB closed in 2006. Felt that hippie culture was a failure. Hated the corporatized sound of AOR rock bands (and rock radio). Dismissed the notion that you need to be a skilled musician to play rock music. Like garage rock bands of the mid-60s, punk bands were driven by attitude not aptitude. Thought progressive and/or jazz rock was useless. Hated the idea of rock bands as royalty and that rock gigs had turned into huge, bloated, expensive arena extravaganzas. Anti-fashion, anti-style. Not overtly political.Not noticeably blues-based. The beginning of a new era in indie labels. Although many of the CBGBs bands were signed to majors. Seymour Stein head of Sire Records signed the Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys, and the Undertones among others.

According to writer Eric Harvey. . .

On-demand streaming music has been part of the collective imagination for more than a century. It can be traced back to the 1888 publication of Edward Bellamy's (pictured) science fiction novel Looking Backward. In the novel, a man falls asleep in 1887 and awakens in 2000. Amidst the mind-blowing technological developments he encounters is a "Music Room," in which 24-hour playlists are piped in to subscribers via phone lines. The man proclaims that "An arrangement for providing everybody with music in their homes, perfect in quality, unlimited in quality, suited to every mood, and beginning and ceasing at will is perhaps the pinnacle of human achievement."

Disco Demolition Night, Comiskey Park, Chicago, July 12, 1979

Organized by (idiot) Steve Dahl, fans were treated to him blowing up a huge pile of disco records in center field after the first game of a Chicago White Sox double-header. Drunken fans rioted, tore up the field, physically and verbally assaulting African American ballpark workers.

The Commercial Mainstream

Pop Rock - a commercial variety of rock music exemplified by artists such as Elton John, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney. Adult contemporary - smoothed out, old school pop with very little rock - Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand. Singer-songwriters - combination of folk music and Brill Building pop, confessional in style, often very emotional, diaristic - Paul Simon, Neil Young, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Carole King (her 1971 LP Tapestry becomes one of the biggest selling records ever). Soft Soul - R&B with orchestral arrangements, the birth of "slow-jam" soul - O'Jays, the Spinners, Barry White, and the incomparable Al Green. Country pop - country music that deemphasized its rural southerness, more pop than country - Olivia Newton- John, John Denver, Kenny Rogers Bubble Gum - pop music for pre-teens - early Jackson Five, the Osmonds, the DeFranco Family, the Partridge Family Disco - more on this later

Progressive Rock

Progressive rock is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and mid-1970s as part of a (mostly) British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility. Progressive rock bands pushed rock's technical and compositional boundaries by going beyond the standard rock or popular verse-chorus-based song structures. Additionally, the arrangements often incorporated elements drawn from classical, jazz, and world music. Instrumentals were common, while songs with lyrics were sometimes conceptual, abstract, or based in fantasy. Progressive rock bands sometimes used concept albums that made unified statements, usually telling an epic story or tackling a grand overarching theme.

Rap & Hip-Hop

Rap emerges in the mid-1970s as part of a cultural complex known as Hip-Hop. Hip-hop incorporated influences from African American, Puerto Rican, and Caribbean American youth culture in New York City. Hip-Hop culture included graffiti art, breakdancing (evolved from poppin' and lockin'), music, dress, and speech Geographically centered in the South Bronx. Rap was, in part, a rejection of mainstream dance music by young black and Puerto Rican listeners, but it was also shaped by DJs. Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) - first DJ to popularize mixing between two turntables Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Sadler) - becomes the best known DJ of the time, with hit records with the Furious Five Afrika Bambaataa (Kevin Donovan) -- Master of the "breakbeat" All of them played at block parties, high school gyms, dance clubs and community centers in the South Bronx and Harlem.

Early Rap Hits

Rap was still mostly a regional musical phenomenon until the release of "Rapper's Delight" on the independent label Sugar Hill in 1979. It introduces rap music to the world. The song used the rhythm track for the Chic hit "Good Times." Although it wasn't sampled (studio musicians were hired to play it) the label was sued by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (composers of the song) for a writing credit (they won).

James Brown = Funk

Repetitive, riff-based instrumental style focused on rhythm rather than harmony. Songs often featured complex, interlocking polyrhythms - showing pronounced African influence. De-emphasizing harmony made Brown's music seem less "Western." Especially in his 70s music, Brown was a funk "minimalist" - hypnotic, long tracks with few changes. Playing "On the One" The Famous "Cape Routine," The TAMI Show (1966) "Payback," Live in Zaire (1974)

Musical Elements of Rap

SamplingFocus on rhythm rather than melody Percussive vocalizing Funk from James Brown, Parliament, and Go Go (from Washington DC — Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers and the incredible Trouble Funk) Scratching "The distinctive sound of scratching became an important part of the sonic palette of hip-hop music - even in the 1990s, after digital sampling had largely replaced turntables as a means of creating the musical textures and grooves on rap records, producers frequently used these sounds as a way of signaling a connection to the old school origins of hip-hop." Starr and Waterman

Then, this happened

Shawn Fanning was a 19-year-old student at Northeastern University (in Boston) when he developed Napster - a software program that allowed computer users to share files. Not long after Napster went live, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America (the trade association representing the major labels) filed suit charging Napster with tributary infringement - which means that Napster was not per se violating copyright law but contributing to and facilitating other people's violation of the law.

Why the Music Industry loved CDs

Simple -- $$$$. The cost of manufacturing a CD was about the same as a vinyl LP (a little over $1). But whereas LPs sold for $7-$8, CDs sold for $13-$15 (initially). Therefore, the profit margins for the labels were greater. Record labels were making a killing selling back catalog to boomers. Trouble was, in the early days, many catalog CDs were simply vinyl copies (not master tapes) transferred to CD -- a much cheaper process for the labels. They sounded terrible. Although most consumers didn't care.

Politics and Sociocultural Change: 1970s

The 1970s were tumultuous and, in some ways, a continuation of the 1960s. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians, and other marginalized communities continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam. In other ways, however, the decade was a repudiation of the 1960s. A "New Right" mobilized in defense of political conservatism and traditional family roles, and the behavior of President Richard Nixon (pictured) undermined many people's faith in the good intentions of the federal government. Still problematic was U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia. Even though very few people continued to support the war, Nixon feared that a retreat would make the United States look weak. However, when the United States invaded Cambodia in 1970 hundreds of thousands of protestors clogged city streets and shut down college campuses. On May 4, National Guardsmen shot four student demonstrators at an antiwar rally at Kent State University in Ohio. Ten days later, police officers killed two black student and injured 12 protestors at Mississippi's Jackson State University.

Digital Recording

The 1980s marks the rise of technologies that would fundamentally change the way music was recorded and the way consumers heard music. Digital tape recorders, compacts discs, synths, samplers, and drum machines became central to the creation of music. However, there was a debate over what method was better. Digital was seen as "cold," a reference to the process of disassembling music into millions of bits. But, digital was the future and there was no going back. Digital technology spawned new (and more affordable) devices for producing and manipulating sound - drum machines, digital samplers, and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) which standardized technology to let equipment made by different manufacturers "talk" to one another.

So,What Made Disco, Disco?

The Beat - the relentless, pounding beat becomes the hook in nearly all disco records. A steady, relatively fast tempo No compositional complexity Simple, straightforward lyrics Limited harmonic vocabulary As did the music of James Brown, disco tracks generally oscillate between two chords. The success of disco brings gay culture into the mainstream (e.g., the Village People) Disco culture is "heterosexualized" with John Travolta's performance in Saturday Night Fever (1977). The film also links disco culture with the white working class. Huge career lift for the Bee Gees as the soundtrack goes multi-platinum. Rock-Disco connection: Rod Stewart "D'ya Think I'm Sexy?" Rolling Stones, "Miss You"

The Harder They Come (1972)

The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff exposes Americans to reggae music and "Rude Boy" culture - the film's soundtrack becomes a reggae classic, and the film is cult sensation. The film plays at the Orson Welles Theater in Cambridge, MA for over 7 years. Other US movie theaters, mostly in college towns, book the film for extended runs of 2 years or more.

MPEG Technology

The MPEG file, a digital file compression algorithm allowed sound files to be squeezed to as little as one-twelfth of its original size. This allowed for music to be disseminated on the Internet - a technological precondition for the emergence of the huge market in downloads and for the emergence of personal digital music players - the iPod. The introduction of MPEG technology and its descendant the MP3 audio encoding format, developed by Karlheinz Brandenburg, set off the war between entertainment corporations and small scale entrepreneurs (a digital era majors v. indies conflict). MP3s are not illegal, but the practice of digitally reproducing music without the artist's or record company's permission is illegal.

So, how was the industry changing?

The coherent approach to the to the production and distribution of music had been relatively unchanged since the late 1960s. Songs were recorded by the artists who had written them. These songs were recorded into album length statements, under the direction of a professional producer in an expensive studio (paid for by the record company). The record company would physically reproduce the recordings and distribute them to stores. Radio and television would present the music (and videos) to consumers who would purchase the physical object. Popular music was still driven by the idea that album- length artistic statement embodied in a physical object was the way business would be done. Technology would change that forever.

Why was MTV so popular?

The drinking age, which states had lowered to 18 in the early 70s was raised back to 21. Meaning people under 21 could no longer attend venues serving alcohol to see bands. Baby boomers were in their 30s, settling down, starting families and were increasingly less likely to spend nights in bars/clubs listening to bands. The point being that these audiences wanted access to music and MTV provided that - without leaving home.

Funk Facts

The term "funky" probably derives from central African BaKongo term "funki," meaning "healthy sweat," especially sweat as the result of sexual activity. Early 1970s - funk was the term used to describe music with strong dance- oriented rhythms, call-and-response vocals, and repeated, rhythmically interlocking patterns. Most funk bands echoed the instrumentation and style of James Brown's soul hits of the 1960s. Which brings us to this indisputable fact . . .

The Disco Era (1975-1980)

The term is an abbreviation of "discotheque" a popular type of European nightclub devoted to playing recorded music for dancing. Disco represents the rise of a massively popular alternative to rock music - unlike rock, which had turned into a genre you listened to, disco focused on social dancing. Disco de-emphasized the importance of a band and focused on the producers who supervised the recordings and the club DJs who played them.

So, where does that leave us?

There has been more change in the music industry in the last 15 years than there was in the previous 50. In the early 21st century, the Internet and other technological and cultural innovations presented the music business with challenges and opportunities. There is no question that music and creativity will survive, the form in which they will be expressed remains in flux. The music business today is exciting and terrifying, the rules are constantly changing and the old models of production and distribution (greatly missed by major labels) no longer apply. We have more music available to us than ever before, yet we listen to a fraction of what we can or should. We've gotten what we wished for and it may be more than we can handle.

The Power/Influence of MTV

Throughout the 80s and into the 90s, MTV was at the forefront of what Joni Mitchell referred to in the 1970s as "the star-making machinery, behind the popular song." As a result the network helped artists become megastars like Madonna (pictured, whose second LP Like a Virgin was produced by Nile Rodgers, one of the masterminds behind Daft Punk's "Get Lucky"), Prince, Dire Straits, and Van Halen. MTV reinvigorated heavy metal via the "Headbangers Ball" (1987), introduced rap to larger audiences "Yo! MTV Raps" (1988-2004), as well as "alternative rock," "120 Minutes" (1986-2000) And promoted lots of radio friendly "glam metal" (Poison, Ratt, Warrant, Winger, Cinderella, Quiet Riot)

Why did the industry crash in the early 80s?

Well . . . there were a few reasons. The Reagan administration's economic policies had brought about a recession. New forms of entertainment: home video, cable TV, and video games were cutting into music sales. The decline of disco (which had provided an economic boost in the mid-to-late 70s).An increase in illegal copying of music on cassette decks. In 1984, sales of prerecorded cassettes (thanks to the popularity of the Sony Walkman) surpassed sales of vinyl LPs for the first time in history.

Where are we as the 90s end?

Where are we as the 90s end? "The implications of MTV's dominance began to ripple out through the rock genre. In particular, the clear distinction between rock styles that embraced MTV and those who rejected it (or who were rejected by it) began to break down. Some marginal sub-genres of rock were absorbed into the world of MTV, while others developed their own infrastructures and chose to push forward without the help of mass media. Baby boomers, who were getting older, were moving from its former position at the center of rock innovation toward a new role as a more conservative element of the rock community. As the millennium turned, the changes in popular music would accelerate, though they would not primarily be driven by stylistic or social changes - but by technology." Starr, Waterman, and Schloss The late 90s also signal a fundamental change in rock's popularity. It's losing its dominance in popular music sales, being equaled by rap and pop music. By the 2000s, the rock album era is effectively over, replaced by individual tracks and playlists.

YouTube

a video-sharing website in which users can upload, view, and comment on videos Launched in 2005, YouTube had its first viral music video with OK Go's "Here It Goes Again" (2006) featuring the band dancing on treadmills. It has been viewed over 40 million times. But, a viral video doesn't always turn into sales - it was proof, however, that YouTube was a necessary part of an artist's overall marketing/promotion strategy. 2006 - Warner Music makes a deal with YouTube to make its entire music video catalog available online. Not long after Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.