MUSI 1003 Final Exam Set
What type of music was a predecessor to disco? Where did it have its roots?
Funk 1960's soul like James Brown
What decade is Urban Folk music from?
1960's
What year was the song "Like a Rolling Stone" recorded? By who? What genre is it from? What transition does this song mark? What is this song about? What album is it from?
1965 Bob Dylan It is from folk rock Transition of Bob Dylan from acoustic to electric, or urban folk to folk rock It is about a fairy tale mocking a former girlfriend with no happy ending Bringing it All Back Home
What year did the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album come out?
1966
What year did Woodstock take place? What artist gave a controversial performance of the American national anthem at the festival?
1969 Jimi Hendrix
What decade did developments in rock music happen?
1970's
What decade did the Beatles break up?
1970's
Fill in the following blanks regarding early hip hop on the south Bronx: Local phenomenon in the early _______. South Bronx economically devastated area of NYC. Dance music for clubs and _____________. DJ's (disc jockeys) used turntables, synthesizers, and drum machines.
1970's parties
What year was the song Stairway to heaven put out?
1971
What years was the disco era?
1975-1980
What year did Saturday night fever come out?
1977
What year did the song Bad Girls come out? Who was the artist? What genre is this song?
1979 Donna Summer Disco
What decade was alternative rock a part of? What was another name for alternative rock?
1980's-1990's Post punk rock scenes across the US
When did MTV first broadcast? What was the first music video broadcast and who was it by?
1981 Video killed the radio star (the Buggles, 1979)
What genre artist is Stevie Wonder? What is one song by him?
Funk Superstition (1971)
Fill in the following blanks regarding the group public enemy: Members met as college students in ________. Common interests in hip hop culture and political and social activism. Hip hop was used as a social commentary. Inducted into rock and roll hall of fame in ________. One of their songs, Night of the living baseheads (1988) used social realism to address with lyrics the crack cocaine epidemic in urban centers. Base, dope and white knight are all references to cocaine. The song starts with a quote from Abdul/Abraham mohammed, is verse-chorus, and is a message fro young people to stop and realize the zombie-like effects of drugs. Many samples are used on this recording. The MTV video includes a mock news report which depicts a widespread drug use as reported by the mainstream media.
1982 2013
Run DMC included what three performers? Who did they get a 1.5 million promotional deal with?
2 MCs (rapping) which were Run (Joseph simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) and one DJ (turntable) who was Jam master Jay (Jason Mizell) Adidas
How long was the song stairway to heaven? Was it released as a single at the time it came out? Describe the texture of this song including instruments.
8 minutes No It goes from folk to rock to heavy metal back to folk The instrumentation starts with acoustic guitar, recorders, and a flute, then goes to rock instrumentation (electric guitar, base, drums, screaming) to heavy metal and back to folk after an intense guitar solo. The singing style changes with instrumentation and it returns to simplicity by the end.
Who were the Eurythmics? What was one song they had and what year? What did this song combine for musical styles and what instruments did it use? How would you characterize it? What is similar to van halen and what is different?
A British duo whose music videos were shown in the early 1980's on MTV Sweet dreams (are made out of this) (1983) Combined new wave, R&B and synthesizers - was known as synth-pop or dance-pop It is abstract/artistic, fututistic (for 1983) and sensual images, lyrics are darkly hopeful. This approach to the music video format was entirely different—special effects, unusual camera angles, various stage settings. But again, note the "eye contact." This is what pulls in the viewer, beyond the music itself.
What is CBGB?
A club in the Village ( Country, Blue Grass, and Blues ) that helped launch punk and new wave music - Talking Heads, Police, Blondie, and B-52's.
Who is Patti Smith?
A female rock vocalist
What is Nihilism? What genre of music is it associated with? What does this speak to?
Belief in nothing; rejection of the concept of life having meaning Punk Rock The rebellious lyrics of the punk rock genre
What audience did urban folk music appeal to?
A maturing rock n roll audience.
What is a concept album? What decade did it become a favorite category for many rock artists?
An album unified by a theme, rather than simply a record of unrelated songs. Early 1970's
What artist was considered the queen of soul?
Aretha Franklin
Who was the first woman inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame? What year? What genre of music do they represent?
Aretha Franklin 1987 Soul
How can Punk rock be described? What is it a reaction to?
As a back to basics approach to rock Against complex rock music
Where was Donna Summer popular?
Authentic discos
What was rock's first concept album? What are two other examples of concept albums?
Beach boy's - Pet Sounds Pink Floyd's - Dark side of the moon and David Bowie's - Ziggy stardust
What are some female voices in today's pop music?
Beyoncé - homecoming (2019) Lady Gaga Taylor Swift Rhianna Adele Ariana Grande
What are five reasons that disco became mainstream?
Black popular music (Motown, soul, and funk) Social dancing New technologies (synthesizer, etc.) Economic recession Saturday Night Fever
What artist played the song "Blowin' in the Wind"? What was this song about?
Bob Dylan It was an answer to the question of when all the war and tension was going to stop, and that the answer was blowing in the wind/up in the air.
Name four artists who were influenced by New Wave music.
Eurythmics Prince Madonna Cindi Lauper
Which genre of music does each of these NYC locations produce? Bronx, Harlem, and Broadway.
Bronx - hip hop Harlem - jazz/blues Broadway - Tin pan alley
Fill in the following blanks regarding Snoop Doggy Dogg (b. 1972): Calvin Broadus (Long beach, ____). Dogystyle, 1993 was an album by him that had immeadite success on the charts. It included the single whats my name (1933) that had themes from gangsta rap and was about people knowing his name. The album was designed for the pop charts, despite "gangsta" lyrics with its dance style, sampling, smooth reording style and laid back style of rapping.
CA
What was on the forefront of social discussions in the 1970's?
Civil rights and Vietnam
What record was Aretha Franklin first signed to and what genres did she record with them? How about the second? Which one was an independent label? Which one was she more successful with?
Colombia records - jazz, TPA songs Atlantic records Atlantic records Atlantic records
Fill in the following blanks regarding New wave music: ______________ version of punk rock. More ______-____________ than punk rock. ___________ friendly, though still rebellious. The term new wave was promoted by ___________ ____________________. This is one style from the _____________ that continued into the _________, often blended with _________, disco, and/or ___&___.
Commercial pop-oriented Radio record companies 1970's 1980's rock R&B
What does CD stand for? When did the first CD's go on sale? What three other music mediums were still sold?
Compact disc 1982 Tapes, LP's and 45s
What does the song title Oye Como Va translate to?
Dance to my rhythm/listen to my melody.
What were David Bowie and Pink Floyd's concept albums named? What year did each come out? What was the concept of each?
David Bowie - The rise and fall of Ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars (1972) - was about a man who came to earth from mars and became a rock star. Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon (1973) - was about various things that can drive one to madness (in general, the pressures of life).
Which concept album features theatrical live performances, costumes, makeup, and the artist heading towards glam rock?
David Bowie's The rise and fall of Ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars.
True or false: The thriller song combines funk, disco, rap (narration) - with horror movie star Vincent price. The MTV video is 13 minutes (song is only 4:30) and includes an elaborate production, and is a mini film.
True
Where did Madonna grow up? What genre was popular then? Where did she move in 1977 and what genre was popular then? She was the top female artist in the 1980's-90's, how? What was one song she wrote in 1983?
Detroit - motown NYC - disco and new wave Twenty-eight top 10 singles and eleven number one hits (1984-1994) Lucky star
What type of music was considered back to basics dance music?
Disco
What are the three 1970's dance genres?
Disco Funk Salsa
What was Disco Demolition Night? When was it? Where was it?
Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, that ended in a riot. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. July 12th, 1979 Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois
Snoop dogg collaborated with who?
Dr. Dre, "Nuthin' But a G Thang" (feat. Snoop Dogg) Tupac Shakur, "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" (feat. Snoop Dogg) Chingy, "Holidae In" (feat. Snoop Dogg and Ludacris) Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party (on Vh1) Katy Perry, "California Gurls" (feat. Snoop Dogg) Snoop Lion, "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" (feat. Miley Cyrus)
What did alternative rock look like in the early 1980's? How about the early 1990's?
Early 1980's - indie rock bands (REM, sonic youth) and hardcore rock (The dead kennedys - e.g. holiday in Cambodia which is a fast, loud, sarcastic commentary on spoiled American youths who should experience life in a warzone) Early 1990's - various styles and subgenres - grunge (nirvana)
What was van halen's group name? What instruments were they known to use? What type of music did they produce and how?
Eddie van halen Electric guitar and synthesizer Hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal - the use of synthesizer (in addition to traditional rock instruments) is practically a requirement for most 1980's music - straightforward video - stage performance
What number studio album is Stairway to heaven? What album is it from? Was this album a concept album?
Fourth Led Zeppelin IV No
Name four alternative women stars of the 1990's.
Gloria Estefan (b. 1957) Selena (1971-1995) k.d. lang (b. 1961) Ani DiFranco (b. 1970)
What were two nicknames for James Brown? What genre did he represent?
Godfather of soul and Soul brother number one Soul
What three aspects of Aretha Franklin's sound does the song Respect exemplify?
Gospel influences Intense, powerful lead vocal Back-up singers call and response with Franklin
What four styles does soul music combine?
Gospel singing Rhythm & Blues Rock n Roll Jazz
Fill in the following blanks regarding the song smells like teen spirit by Nirvana (1991): Verse-chorus. Top hit from the album nevermind (1991). ___________ = heavy metal and commercial pop. Carefully crafted pop single - Sleek and well-focused sound - Four-chord harmonic progression that unfolds from hook at beginning - Simple formal structure • Clearly divided sections
Grunge
What genre is Nirvana? Where does this come from? What are two albums by them? How many artists were there?
Grunge rock The Seattle sound Bleach (1989) and nevermind (1991) Trio (three) centered in singer and guitarist kurt cobain (1967-1994)
Where did Bob Dylan start his career? How did his career take off?
He started by playing in coffeehouses in Greenwich village (NYC) in the urban folk music scene. He quickly became the voice of protest movement such as the march on Washington (1963).
Who were three pop musicians who passed away in the 1970's?
Hendrix Janis Joplin Jim Morrison
Who was clive campbell one of the founding fathers of? What name did he go by?
Hip hop Kool Herc
Fill in the following blanks regarding Dance music in the digital age: house and techno: Electronic dance music (EDM) • Various musical influences • DJs; dance clubs - Chicago (House) and Detroit (Techno) • Focus on synthesizers, drum machines, sampling • Strong, "thumping" beat • Note: I will not ask you to identify the styles differences between these two genres; just be aware that this is where EDM begins! ___________: "Sweet Dreams" (2004) - Steve Angello's remix of the Eurythmics' 1983 hit. ______________: "Go" (1991) - Moby's breakout hit - Note the minimalist style, and "futuristic" sounds - Layers of spoken and musical samples, and synthesizer effect.
House Techno
Where was disco culture first popular?
In African-American, Latino, and gay clubs in NYC.
Where was disco originally rooted? What movie made it majorly mainstream?
In the dance clubs of marginalized groups in New York: African Americans, Latino, and gays. Saturday Night Fever
When did the use of synthesizers start? What genre were they widely used in? Who was one of the first mainstream people to use this?
In the early 1970's Pop music Stevie Wonder
How is funk different than disco? Which emerged first?
It has more edge and grit, and more references to dance. Funk
What is one prominent part of soul music?
It's strong emotional expression.
What artist had the greatest influence on the sound and style of soul music?
James Brown
What artist was sampled by hip-hop artists more than those of any other musician?
James Brown
What artist recorded the song "Papa's got a brand new bag" recorded by? What year? What was it about?
James Brown 1965 Brand new bag is about Brown's new "bag of tricks" including dance moves and music with a focus on the voice sound and mood rather than lyrics.
Who was "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" written by? What album is it from?
James Brown Soul Train
Who was funk inspired by?
James Brown (soul)
What are three influences of Latin rock?
Jazz San Francisco rock Salsa
Name four artists who were considered to be part of psychedelic rock. What was one of their songs?
Jefferson Airplane Janis Joplin Grateful dead Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze" (1967)
What was one early 1980's MTV hit by van halen? What year was this? What album was this from?
Jump 1984 1984
Fill in the following blanks regarding Lauryn Hill: (B. 1975) - early success with hip-hop trio the fugees (mid-1990's), which was a blend of rap, reggae, and R&B). She was then a soloist, alternative hip-hop. Commitment to female empowerment, builds on the ground breaking example of queen ___________ - found in the sister act 2 movie: back in the habit.
Latifah
What genre is the song oye como va? What year was it released? By who?
Latin Rock 1971 Carlos Santana
What genre is Santana's "Oye como va" a part of? What type of track is it?
Latin Rock Mostly instrumental, dance track, combines rock, soul, and Latin dance rhythms and percussion.
What are four characteristics of Salsa music?
Latin ballroom dance music Afro-Cuban percussion and dance rhythms Modern Jazz Story-telling, gritty lyrics about social issues
What is salsa?
Latin dance music popular in NYC.
What is Salsa music? Where did it originate? What was a common way it was produced?
Latin-based dance music Dance clubs in NYC Independent labels
Who is the song Pedro Navaja by? What year was it released? What is its reference of pete the knife an homage to?
Willie Colon and Ruben Blades 1978 The 1930's song Mack the knife
Where did the Led Zeppelin band form and in what year? What were their influences?
London in 1968 Blues, San Francisco rock, Jimi Hendrix
What are three adjectives for punk rock?
Loud Fast Angry
In the 1990's, while some hip hop artists were focused on social realism and hardcore styles, others continued to find commercial success primarily through dance music. Give some examples>
M. C. Hammer's(Stanley kirk burrell) Please hammer dont hurt em was number one on the pop charts for 21 weeks. 18 million or more copies were sold. Won numerous awards music and video. also his song u can't touch this came out in 1990. This song used the sample super freak by rick james from 1981.
Who were three 1980's pop stars we looked at?
Michael Jackson Prince Madonna
Who did van halens music appeal to? Why?
Middle class teens It brought the larger-than-life feel of a rock concert into homes, note the eye contact from across the screen.
Who was MTV's target audience? What type of bands were typically shown and who were two exceptions to that?
Middle class white teenagers White soul musicians Prince and Michael Jackson
Fill in the following blanks: Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016) Middle-class ___________. Mixed-race heritage (African-American, Italian, and Native American). Wide range of music influences including James ___________, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Motown, disco, and funk. He composed, performed, and recorded more than seventy-five new songs each year. Purple rain was the best-selling album of 1984, was the number one album for ____ weeks. Five hit singles, including "When doves cry"
Minneapolis Brown 24
What is one song from the Dark side of the moon album? What is its form? What is unusual about it? What instruments does it use?
Money 12-bar blues There are 7 beats per measure, yielding a less stable effect Rock instruments and organ, plus cash register and coins(unusual)
In the song The message, when it uses street sounds for sampling, what does this include?
Things like traffic, breaking glass, etc.
Where did the punk rock genre start? Where did it move to?
NYC (The Velvet underground, Patti Smith) England (The Sex Pistols, the Clash)
Where did Salsa first gain a following?
New York
Fill in the following blanks regarding Madonna's 1984 song Like a Virgin: Title track from Madonna's second album Like a Virgin. Number One pop and number ______ R&B. Used synthesizers (synth-pop or dance pop). Madonna's manipulation of female stereotypes: Preppy young woman vs. Hollywood starlet vs. Tough, edgier new wave/punk.
Nine
Is the song stairway to heaven representative of verse-chorus?
No
What did the 1970's represent with pop music?
Not following standard rules.
What is early hip-hop also known as?
Old school
What are three characteristics of Jimi Hendrix? What was he also known as? What was the name of his band? What was one festival he played in?
Original, inventive, and influential guitarist Sound sculptor The Jimi Hendrix Experience Monterey Pop Festival
What was James Brown's most successful mainstream single? What number was it on the pop charts? What did it establish and what did this include?
Papa's got a brand new bag nine The mature "James Brown Sound" including riffs in the brass, syncopation, percussive style of guitar, bass and brass, short rhythms that fit together, and call-and-response
What is an example of a funk song by George Clinton?
Parliament funkadelic - Give up the funk (1976)
Which concept album blends traditional rock with more experimental sounds (instruments - including everyday objects, spoken material, irregular meters, abstract lyrics)?
Pink Floyd's Dark side of the moon.
What type of rock was considered a non-musical garage band style?
Punk rock
What genre was John Lydon a part of? What was he also known as? What band was he a part of and what type of attitude did they have?
Punk rock Johnny Rotten Sex Pistols - punk attitude
Where did new wave music come from? What is the difference between the two genres?
Punk rock New wave has cleaner looks and takes lyrics less seriously
Fill in the following blanks regarding Prince's song When doves cry: No genre. It is from the album ______ ___________ 1984. This song is funk. It has the electric guitar riff at the start, and the synth is the base. The arrangement of when doves cry can be divided into two major sections: Section one (first half) is the main part of the song (with lyrics) and is verse-chorus form/structure. The second half is 8-bar phrases (new music each time) and mostly instrumental solos, some singing and other vocal effects, layers of sound.
Purple rain
Who was the predominant female response to gangsta rap? How so?
Queen Latifah (dana owens, born in new jersey) was a hip hop artist, singer, model, actress, producer, talk show host, activist, and one of the first women to be extremely successful in the male-dominated hip hop world.
What song did Aretha Franklin cover in 1967? Who was the original recording artist? How did the song change like the cover of hound dog?
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Otis Redding The meaning of the lyrics changed
What song recorded by Aretha Franklin was number one on the charts? Which charts?
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Pop and R&B
What are the musical origins of soul music?
Race records --> Rhythm & Blues --> Soul
What soul artist sang genius of soul and hallelujah I love her so?
Ray Charles
Who are two salsa artists we looked at in class?
Ruben blades and WIllie Colon
What type of dance music typically had its lyrics in Spanish?
Salsa
What movie marked the takeoff of disco?
Saturday night fever
How would you characterize the lyrics from the song "Like a Rolling Stone"? What instruments did this song use?
Scornful and bitter Piano and organ, bass, drums, harmonica, electric guitar, Dylan's aggressive vocal style
Fill in the following blanks regarding Bob Dylan's music: ____________ melodies and _________________ (focus on lyrics). Connections to _______________ and ____________ ____________ music. Went ______________ at _____________ _____________ Festival (1965), which caused a large amount of the audience to withdraw from his music.
Simple harmonies hillbilly country blues electric Newport folk
When was Michael Jackson popular since? What was he a part of at this time? When did he gain renewed popularity? How so? Did he have unprecedented popularity? What are three collaborations he did?
Since the late 1960's - Jackson 5 "I want you back" In the 1980's with Thriller (1982) Thriller was the top-selling album of all time (est. more than 60 million sold), reached a broad audience, guest artists, and various styles lead to unprecedented popularity. Vincent price - thriller Eddie van halen - beat it Paul McCartney = the girl is mine
What did urban folk music have an interest in?
Society and culture
Describe the lyrics and instrumentation of the song Pedro Navaja. What is the story behind this song? How does this song show a mismatch between the musical style and the story? Does the texture and intensity gradually build with the story?
Spanish lyrics; Latin percussion; piano; brass Story: Neighborhood tough guy attacks a prostitute and they both die. The lyrics are dramatic but the music is very light-hearted and fun Yes
What song represents a new approach to rock music as of 1971? Who is the artist?
Stairway to heaven Led Zeppelin
What song was considered the "Anthem" of early-heavy metal? What did the lyrics of this song focus on?
Stairway to heaven Mythology, fantasy, social commentary on greed
What is one song from The rise and fall of Ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars album? What is this songs form? Is David Bowies voice very distinctive? Where does it have an especially catchy melody? How would you describe this song? What would you compare it to?
Starman Verse-chorus Yes In the chorus Optimistic yet quirky Broadway
What are six characteristics of disco music?
Steady beat Medium-fast tempo 4/4 time signature Simple, repetitive form Simple harmonies Straightforward lyrics
What are six characteristics of Funk?
Strong, dance-oriented rhythms Catchy melodies Call-and-response Repeated rhythmic patterns Heavy electric bass line Intricate textures
What were three major new/developing technologies in the 1980's?
Synthesizers Compact discs MTV (music television)
What new wave music band wrote the song psycho killer? Where did they meet? What year is this song from? What instruments did it use and how is it characterized?
Talking heads RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) 1977 Base, electric guitar - no screaming like rock, quirky, intellectual lyrics; smooth blending of jazz and punk styles; still rebellious, but more overtly musical than punk rock, catchy, stuttering chorus.
What decade was soul music present in? What social movement was at its peak during this time?
The 1960's The civil rights movement
Who are three other disco artists besides Donna Summer?
The Bee Gees Gloria Gaynor The Village People
What music format was considered essential in the 1970's? What did this allow for? Give an example.
The LP (12-inch-disc) Much longer songs than the 7-inch-disc/45rpm/single, story-telling across an entire album Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" that was more than 8 minutes long - not traditional rock n' roll
What was soul music a symbol for?
The black community's effort to achieve cultural definition.
What does the audio graph of stairway to heaven show?
The growth in sound; it is easy to see where the different musical sections occur based on the amplitude (audio intensity), which continues to grow.
What did Bob Dylan's music focus on? How so?
The lyrics The lyrics resembled poetry, an intensity of feeling, and a quirky sense of irony.
What did Vincent price do in the song thriller?
The rap/narrration
What band preformed the song Anarchy in the UK? What album was it from? What year is it from? What happened with this album?
The sex pistols Never mind the bollocks 1976 The lyrics and the perceived hostility of the social message lead to the banning of the album in the UK for a bit. (God save the queen is also from this album).
True or false: Last time we discussed the broader Hip Hop culture that emerged in the Bronx (NY) in the early 1970s; live DJ performances in house parties and community rooms, breakdancing, graffiti (street art), language/local vocabulary, and fashion, were all elements of personal expression, communication, and entertainment. We looked at the DJ Kool Herc's innovative use of turntables and records (especially James Brown's music, which offered an especially rich source of rhythmic material) to create new textures of dance music on the spot. Kool Herc is still recognized as one of the founding fathers of Hip Hop music, and significantly influenced other DJs who studied what he was doing, and expanded on his techniques. This all started as a live-performance practice, and was simply not recorded for commercial release for several years—if you weren't at one of those parties, you simply wouldn't have heard this style of music. The first commercial hip-hop record, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979, was really the first indication to the music industry that Hip Hop had any real potential to reach the mainstream audience through records. The disco/funk influenced dance grooves, synthesizers, drum machines, and especially the entertaining, witty lyrics, presented through an irresistible style of rapping by all the three members of the group got people's attention in a way that no one could have predicted. That was a landmark moment in pop music history. As "Rapper's Delight" remained on the pop charts longterm, and found an almost immediate favorable response on an international scale, other Hip Hop artists began to use this music as a platform for addressing distinct social concerns. This had been explored by some rappers on a local level in those early live performances, as a response to the world around them; but for the first time the commercial music industry and its audience were taking notice. This was considered a prime opportunity for Hip Hop to expand its reach beyond the status of dance music. We will discuss two important examples of socially-conscious Hip-Hop from the 1980s: "The Message" recorded by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982, brought to light the grim realities of life in the South Bronx at the time. In my last podcast I introduced some of the musical elements heard in this example—the use of synthesizers and drum machines, blended with actual samples of street sounds, and rapped lyrics by two MCs who describe in vivid detail the sights and sounds of the city: drugs, violence, racial conflict between the African American community and law enforcement, and the overall sense of hopelessness, and the inability to escape from this reality. "The Message" is a very effective early example of Hip Hop beyond dance music, to present a serious social message. Another example is "Night of the Living Baseheads" recorded by Public Enemy in 1988. Here, the lyrics confront the crack-cocaine epidemic in urban centers, at a time in which the War of Drugs was at the forefront of the mainstream media's attention. In interviews, this group has identified its intended audience as young black Americans, a group still marginalized and overlooked by that same mainstream media—newspapers, journals, television, film were discussing the drug crisis, but in the context of the white middle class, and were essentially ignoring the effect it was having on African American communities. Public Enemy deliberately designed this song to educate young people on the dangers of drug use, and to empower them to take control over their own situation. The title of the song is a nod to the movie Night of the Living Dead, and refers to the zombie-like effect of drugs on the mind, and the subsequent loss of one's identity and agency. We will discuss in class the use of spoken and musical samples that create a rich sound world that is chaotic on the surface, but exists within a very carefully constructed musical form. As a sidestep of sorts, beyond the strong social messages of these first two examples, we will also look at "Walk This Way," a famous collaboration between the Hip Hop trio Run-DMC, and the hard rock/heavy metal band Aerosmith. This piece, which is an adaptation of Aerosmith's 1975 hit song by the same title, cleverly brings together elements of both Hip Hop (scratching, drum machines, samples, and rapped lyrics on the verses) and Heavy Metal (electric guitar, and an almost screaming chorus by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler). Note: Run-DMC had already found commercial success by then through their recordings with Def Jam Records, and had a 1.5 million dollar Adidas endorsement deal; in fact, Aerosmith probably benefitted more from this collaboration, in terms of needing a revival in their popularity by the mid1980s. Not surprisingly, the MTV music video, which features both groups in a highly entertaining scenario, contributed to the commercial success of the song, and propelled Hip Hop music further toward the status of mainstream popular music.
True
True or false regarding commercial success as entertainment in the 1980's-90's: Two multiplatinum rap albums released by Def Jam who signes:(1986) - Raising Hell by RunD.M.C. • Number Three (pop charts) - Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys • Number One for seven weeks (no sleep till Brooklyn (1986) • Larger hip-hop audience → commercial success
True
True or false regarding gangsta rap: It was considered rebellious, there had to be parental guidance labels on the CD's, people started to equate hip hop to gangster rap. Chronicles the issues faces by urban communities. Grim, survivalist outlook on life • Celebration of the "gangsta" lifestyle • Told in first-person, presenttense, local references • East Coast/West Coast rivalry (late-1990s).
True
True or false: And vocal performances, either with story-telling narrative elements (we will hear this in the 1978 song, Pedro Navaja, by Rubén Blades and Willie Colón), or with broader vocal expressions. Salsa was often performed live, to provide visual entertainment as well as dance music, but recordings also brought this style to the broader mainstream pop music consumer.
True
True or false: Around the same time that punk rock was emerging, a smoother, more commercial-friendly version was also gaining interest among pop audiences. New Wave (music of the Talking Heads, Blondie, etc.) tended to be more melodic with very catchy choruses), and with some rebellious or quirky lyrics, but with a sense of intellectualism, and a more complex musicality overall, rather than frustrated noise. This was radio-friendly music that reached a much broader mainstream audience than punk rock; and it was New Wave that carried on into the 1980s, with some elements (along with disco, R&B, and rock) that contributed to the sound that would define synth-pop music: the Eurythmics, Prince, Madonna, Cindi Lauper, and various others.
True
True or false: Before MTV, since the late 1920's, short film clips were made to promote new styles of music and specific even artists(e.g. Jimmie rogers, lewis jordan, ruth brown, queen, etc.). These later became more artistic productions.
True
True or false: By 1971, it was common to have organ in rock songs.
True
True or false: Disco's development was largely tied up with the struggling economy, which contributed to the use of DJs rather than live bands in dance clubs. It took some time to reach the mainstream audience, and once there, infuriated many people (especially those firmly committed to rock music) who found everything about the music, the dancing, and the social interaction to be frivolous. (We'll talk about the "Death to Disco" movement in class.)
True
True or false: EDM (electric dance music) was mostly created by DJ's in dance clubs, and later (specifically) rave clubs. We looked at a list of EDM genres recognized today, to give you a sense of how much the earliest genres (House and Techno) have expanded.
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True or false: Funk music was actually a predecessor of disco, and really has its roots in the style of James Brown in 1960s soul (Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, for example, demonstrates the elements associated with funk: highly rhythmic, strong, moving bass line, gritty style of singing, the use of slang in the lyrics, references to dancing/moving/grooving.) Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, and other African American artists associated with Motown Records, in particular, developed their own unique approaches to funk. This music was still often discussed as R&B or Soul, but the word funk appears often in the lyrics, song titles, or even the name of a performing group—we will hear from Parliament Funkadelic in class.
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True or false: Hip hop culture emerged as a local phenomenon in the Bronx (just north of Harlem) in the early 1970's. The South Bronx is especially recognized in hip hop history. Hip hop was more than music, it was self expression, fashion, language, music, breakdancing, street art (graffiti), story-telling (rap), and social realism. Amid poverty and a sense of alienation from middle class America, hip hop brought a sense of cultural identity to this area, and opportunities for creative expression.
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True or false: In Aretha Franklin's version of Respect, there is building intensity with each verse, such as in concert in 1968,
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True or false: Last time, we discussed some categories of dance music in the 1970s: disco, funk, and salsa. (We will circle back to this discussion a bit once we get to the topics of hip hop and EDM, which also started to developed in the 1970s.) We have already looked at some mainstream rock music, including some new artistic approaches to songwriting and production: Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, Santana's Oye como va, and a bit on concept albums, which were gaining steady popularity in the early 1970s. Along with all of the artistry that became almost inherent to mainstream rock, there was also far more attention to personal, individual expression. This was evident through expansive song structures, complex solos on electric guitar or other instruments, a self-conscious, exaggerated form of showmanship on stage during concert performances or on television, and the overall physical appearance of the musicians. In fact, the development of an "image" that had broad commercial value for a band or solo artists, was an essential part of 1970s rock music. (Recall the video of Jimmy Page, emoting his way through Chopin's E Minor Prelude!)
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True or false: Lauryn Hill's number one hit from the miseducation of lauryn hill album was doo wop (that thing) 1998 - the album was a number one album, 7 million + copies sold in a year. It combined hip-hop (rapped verses, synthesizers, digital drum machine) and R&B (strong lead soul vocal with a four-part vocal harmony (doo-wop) and a horn section (soul). The lyrics were observations on both male and female social behavior. The two sides in the video were a 1960's doo-wop vs. a block party saying nothing has really changed and we still need more respect and unity.
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True or false: Like a Rolling Stone is Bob Dylan's longest single to that date (about 6 minutes).
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True or false: Michael Jackson (1958‒2009) • Popular since the late-1960s (Jackson 5, click here for "I Want You Back") • Gained renewed popularity in the 1980s with Thriller (1982) - Top-selling album of all time (est. more than 60 million sold) - Reached a broad audience - Guest artists - Various styles • Unprecedented popularity
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True or false: New wave music is very connected to songs like safety dance(1983), which was protest music talking about dance and how bouncers would kick out provocative dancers.
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True or false: Over the course of this semester, we have discussed various topics of popular music that have introduced us to some very influential women in pop music history. We've considered examples from a variety of genres across the 20th century, beginning with the 1920s classic blues scene; Bessie Smith, Gertrude Ma Rainey, etc. and traveling through the 20th century to our most recent example Queen Latifah, and numerous artists between them. Still, regardless of the major contributions of such artists, you have probably noticed that women's voices have often been marginalized within the male-dominated music industry. That is evident in various contexts—expectations for specific genres, associated images, the production side of the music industry, other business aspects, etc. In the 1980s, imagecentric MTV definitely expanded the reach of many female performers, but by the 1990s it was increasingly common for female artists to push against those mainstream expectations to create something different with their music, to cultivate an identity that didn't necessarily conform to "social norms" of the time, and overall to establish a stronger position in the music industry. Last time, we discussed the so-called "alternate currents" emerging in the 1980s-90s, and especially alternative rock— Grunge Rock; Nirvana—the sound that became such an essential part of the soundtrack of American society in the 1990s. But there were other alternative styles finding an audience at that time, and women were a major part of this musical activity. Alternative country artists (k.d. lang) brought a different approach, entirely different from Nashville-oriented country music. Indie artists (Ani DiFranco) combined elements of rock, punk, and urban folk, reviving the singer-songwriter tradition, while actively pushing against the expectations of the "female image" in the music industry. We've already discussed Queen Latifah's alternative approach to Hip-Hop with the song "U.N.I.T.Y.," specifically designed as a response to Gangsta Rap, bringing the female voice to the forefront of the discussion. That was in 1993. Today, we will discuss Lauryn Hill and her song "Doo Wop (That Thing)," a No. 1 hit song form her albums The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). This track artfully blends R&B elements (strong presence of brass instruments, and Hill's soulful singing style, and doowop harmonies), with Hip-Hop elements (synthesizers, drum machines, and Hill's distinctive style of rapping on the verses. This song also represents a continuation of Queen Latifah's call for respect between men and women, but refocuses it on her own personal life experiences. This autobiographical approach to song-writing, in Hip Hop and other genres, was an essential move toward new styles that would grow in the New Millennium, and women performers began to benefit significantly in having their voices and their particular lyric messages heard and truly recognized, far more than most female artists had experienced in past generations.
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True or false: Paul Simon: Graceland (1986) - world music • Career revival for Paul Simon - After Simon & Garfunkel (urban folk) • New interest in world music - Umbrella term for music with significant non-western elements (esp. from Africa, Asia, South America) • Recorded in U.S., England, and South Africa "Homeless" (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) was a song from graceland - folk +?
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True or false: Portable Digital Music and the Internet • Internet widely available since mid-1990s • MP3 format (1995) - Small digital file size allowed fast uploads/downloads/storage - some lost quality • Online music retailers - iTunes (2001 - number one in digital sales) - Many others followed • Streaming music (2000s) - MySpace (2003); YouTube (2005) - Many others! - spotify, pandora, amazon music, etc.
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True or false: Social Realism in Hip Hop: By the early 1980s, Hip Hop artists were beginning to use their music to comment on social topics. For many, this became a new style of protest music. "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five focused on: Social realism - Grim, almost cinematic portrait of life in the South Bronx • Rapping - Rhymed verses tell a story • Synthesizers and drum machines • Sampling - Street sounds Note: the form is a fairly traditional verse-chorus structure, and is very easy to follow Joseph Saddler (b. 1958) (Grandmaster Flash)
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True or false: The Production of Celebrity: Because of the economic recession in the early 1980s, music industry executives began to focus their investments on solo artists with the greatest money-making potential. Image had a great deal to do with this, especially in the early days of MTV. these included people such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince.
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True or false: The first commercial hip hop LP was sugar hill gang's rappers delight in 1979. Until this point, Hip Hop was exclusively a live performance style, created by DJs at house parties, etc. It wasn't recorded; it wasn't heard on the radio. "Rapper's Delight" brought Hip Hop music to the mainstream audience for the first time, and it found phenomenal chart success around the world. It is an excellent dance track, with entertaining, rapid-fire lyrics and catchy rhythmic passages. The global success of this album was the first hint at the commercial potential for Hip Hop music. Rap - rhythm and poetry. Note: This record was produced by Sylvia Robinson (Sugar Hill Records). She also produced "The Message" a few years later. Keep in mind, hip hop is still widely recognized as a male dominated genre, so the fact that a woman produced the first commercial Hip Hop album is significant.
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True or false: The introduction of MTV in 1981 encouraged the development of an "image" that was almost as important as the music (and in some cases, even more so!) Money was invested in the new music video format, and a variety of styles were explored—some were straightforward "concert" performances, brought into one's living room; others were more abstract and overtly "artistic." (We have two contrasting examples coming up.) And some were just plain absurd! (Here's a link to The Safety Dance, 1983. Feel free to watch on your own!) Keep in mind: music industry executives were constantly on the lookout for the next potential pop superstar— Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna were among those they identified as being worth that investment.
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True or false: The song walk this way, from 1986, was a collaboration with Run-D.M.C. and aerosmith. It used sampling from walk this way (aerosmith 1975), scratching (on the turn table), rapping the verses(hip hop), singing the chorus which featured steven tyler (rock/metal), and electric guitar/synth/drum machines. The MTV video for this contributed to it's mainstream popularity.
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True or false: The third category, Salsa, first gained a following in New York, where Latin-influenced dance music had been popular in hotel ballrooms beginning in the 1940s, especially through the mambo craze. (The tango had long been familiar, going back to the First World War.) Salsa is a bit hard to define as a genre, because it blends various styles into something that becomes its own thing: big band jazz instruments, strong presence of brass (trumpets trombones), piano, drums, and especially Afro-Cuban percussion instruments: conga drums, bongos, claves, maracas, etc.
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True or false: There are tons of EDM sub-genres like house music that focused on the DJ's doing samples. In the 1970's the wardrobe was a club with house music in Chicago with live performances that were not recorded. Techno focused on minimalism, with very small changes over time. Sweet dreams by the Eurithmics in the 1980's was a house remixed. Techno used synth as base. Moby "go" 1991 has a formal structure, uses synthesizer. House and techno are two early examples of EDM.
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True or false: This increasingly complex approach to rock music was not without its problems for some audiences. Some teenage boys and young men, in particular, expressed an increasing frustration with what they perceived as overly commercialized, image-driven music that no longer "spoke" to them. The music was too difficult for their garage bands to replicate, and they were identifying this music as part of the broader commercialism of modern society at a time in which things were not going well for many individuals, politically and economically. This made young audiences feel alienated from the music that they once admired; this deep frustration (not only with music, but with the world around them in general) was expressed through their own approach to rock, which was soon discussed by critics as "punk rock." (Musical activities crossing back and forth between New York and London in the mid-1970s contributed to the development of punk. We will hear more about this stripped-down version of loud, rebellious, nihilistic, deliberately-non-musical genre.)
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True or false: Three technologies that greatly helped music and recording were digital recording and editing, auto-tune (1998), and computer editing programs like pro-tools (1991) and new kinds of recording equipment such as the digital analog tape. The first public use of autotuned was do you believe in love by cher. Auto tune remixes are their own genre. We listened to an example of auto-tune the news web series from the Gregory brothers.
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True or false: Today, for our final new topic of the semester, we will be looking at some miscellaneous developments in the music industry over the past 30 years, that have absolutely transformed how music today is performed, produced, distributed, and how we, as music consumers, engage with it. Many of the technologies that we take for granted, because they are now such a permanent presence is our daily lives, are fairly recent inventions. Personal computers became more common in middleclass homes in the 1980s. Creative software programs for music notation (even before Finale and Sibelius), and recording, editing, and production (ProTools, for example) offered new opportunities for amateur musicians to create sophisticated digital productions at home, using technology that was also in use in professional recording studios. While digital recordings had been in an ongoing stage of development since the 1980s, the sound quality, accessibility of the computer programs, and available techniques, improved drastically, and yielded far better results. Also as part of the Digital Age, formats such as the CD (1982), and perhaps even more significantly, the MP3 file format (1995), have offered a greater level of portability and storage of music. One of the major catalysts for the development of the MP3 was the increasing availability of personal computers growing out of the 1980s, and especially the new presence of the Internet in mainstream society beginning in the mid-1990s. (Still a relatively recent invention, in historical terms.) The MP3 allowed users to upload and download audio files far more quickly than with previous file types, which were much larger and could potentially take hours to process, compared to minutes, and eventually even seconds. File-sharing sites devoted to this kind of activity, such as MP3.com, Napster, etc., made music of all kinds (popular, classical, world music) instantly accessible to Internet users. Of course, this was not regulated in the early days of the Internet, and, not surprisingly, it led to various copyright lawsuits, and the removal of questionable websites. In terms of off-line use, the MP3 could be stored on personal computers, and on digital devices (MP3 players), offering a new level of portability beyond the Walkman or the portable CD player, which had become essential to music audiences. The iPod in 2001 opened up a new market for music consumerism, as the related site iTunes became the topgrossing site for online music sales, and dominated the market by 2008; of course, this very quickly expanded to include other sites for music downloads. Today, we often rely on streaming music services that grew out of that industry, instead of (or perhaps in addition to) downloads. The streaming music culture was propelled by the introduction of websites such as MySpace (2003) and YouTube (2005), which proved as transformational to the music industry of the Internet Age, as the brand-new MTV was in the 1980s (1981). Hopeful musicians today often use YouTube or other streaming site as a self-promotional tool. The Internet and other digital technologies have also encouraged the development of live-streaming events (performances, master classes, lessons, etc.), virtual performances (productions combining any number of prerecorded audio or video clips), remixes of all kinds, and even the growing interest and feasibility of hologram performances, often in combination with live performance elements. (There have been various tours of this sort—Maria Callas, one of the most remarkable opera stars of the 20th century, died in the 1970s, and yet she "performed" with a live symphony orchestra just last year; even before that, pop stars who are no longer with us—Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, have "returned" to the stage in this way.) What I have outlined here represents just some of the many, many developments that have changed the music industry in recent years. Of course, given our circumstances today, just over the past couple of months, we have seen the phenomenal embrace of technology for people to continue making music together, and to find new approaches for connecting with each other through creative outlets. Individuals and groups have become "experts on the fly," whether out of necessity, general interest, or a combination of these things. And this is probably just the beginning of an entirely new wave of musical activity, transforming modern society, on a global scale. It will be fascinating to see how all of this continues to expand, given just how much has already been accomplished so far.
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True or false: Today, we are continuing our brief chronological tour of Hip Hop music. By now, we have heard several examples of commercial recordings, including dance tracks coming from the 1970s popular traditions ("Rapper's Delight"), socially-conscious tracks in the 1980s ("The Message" 1982; "Night of the Living Baseheads" 1988), and MTVfriendly collaborations ("Walk this Way" 1986). Today, we will see how Hip Hop further expanded its commercial reach through new styles and artists in the 1990s. We will talk a bit about gangsta rap and its place in the broader hip hop category, the East Coast/West Coast rivalry that led to the deaths of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, and how critics and audiences understood (or often misunderstood) this subgenre, which was only one of many styles of Hip Hop on the rise in the years leading to the New Millennium. One of our examples today, which might be familiar to many of you—it's recognized as a classic 1990s Hip Hop example—Snoop Dogg's 1993 track "What's My Name" from the album Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg is still active today in a variety of pop culture contexts—he has adapted his image to fit any number of contexts, which is part of what had brought him such a high level of commercial success. In the early 1990s, as a West Coast Hip Hop artist, closely connected to Long Beach, Snoop Dogg worked with Dr. Dre (credited with establishing a particular sound [G funk/gangsta funk] associated with the West Coast style. Strong digital bass line, elements of jazz and R&B, all underpinning Snoop Dogg's smooth, laid-back style of rapping. If you listen to the lyrics, there are some explicit references to gun violence, drugs, criminal record, materialism, and sex, all rapped from a smooth, bragging male perspective. Gangsta rap often glorifies the darker side of the so-called gangster lifestyle. Amid the synthesizers and drum machines, there are numerous samples used throughout (many digitally altered from the original), from George Clinton's speaking voice, to jazz and R&B samples, etc. It's a rich texture, danceable, with a sensuality to it, and very engaging to hear, even if you don't catch all of the inside references (there is a sort of elitism to gangsta rap—name-dropping, local points of interest, things that only those actually intimately connected with a specific neighborhood, would actually get. But the audience for this music was enormous—beyond the local consumers who felt a sense of ownership of this music, or a connection to it, middle-class teens related to the cool, dangerous characters created or expressed by artists such as Snoop Dogg, and they were buying these records at a phenomenal rate. (And his style is extremely different from that heard in examples by NWA, also of the West Coast tradition, associated in their case with Compton, LA. I'll talk a bit about the movie Straight Outta Compton in class.) This level of success associated with gangsta rap was concerning to some—not only to critics, parents, etc. but even some other Hip Hop artists. Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) familiar to many for her more recent work as an actress, talk show host, activist, etc. entered the male-dominated Hip-Hop scene through her 1993 album Black Reign. Her song U.N.I.T.Y. from that album addresses her concerns about how the gangster lifestyle was being glorified among young people, and her message is particularly directed at black men and women, essentially calling for mutual love and respect. In several verses, she addresses the concept of misogyny, in which some men view woman as inferior and treat them disrespectfully; she discusses domestic violence and the effect on families, and on children in particular; and she openly argues against the gangster lifestyle, in a tone of deep frustration and disgust. The musical styles heard in this song bring in elements of Reggae and smooth jazz, in her singing with a slight Jamaican dialect during the chorus, and Hip-Hop, by rapping in an aggressive style that matches some of the gangsta rap she was answering through U.N.I.T.Y., and the message comes through very clearly.
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True or false: Today, we will be looking at three solo artists who practically defined the 1980s pop music scene, not only through their music, but through everything about their image: their fashions, dance styles, stage personae. These And of course their MTV music videos helped to promote them and propelled them into superstardom. These three are Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna. Keep in mind, there were plenty of other solo artists and bands who were very popular around the same time, were financially successful, and gained long term fame. Just to name a few, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Guns N' Roses, the Bangles, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, etc. Look up any of the Billboard Hot 100 from any year in the 1980s, and you will probably recognize many of the names on the list. But remember in the early 1980s when the economy was in a serious state of recession, music industry executives really had to focus their attention and their money on a select number of solo artists who seemed to have the greatest potential for commercial success, and thus financial return. Thet had to have the look, the moves, the sound, etc., all of which was cultivated and promoted through MTV music videos—that format was an essential element in getting the mainstream audience's attention, so they would go out and buy the records, and concert tickets, merchandise. It was a booming industry, and Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna were absolutely major contributors. Today, as a basic representative survey, we will discuss Jackson's ground-breaking album Thriller from 1982, Prince's success through the 1984 film Purple Rain and related album (and, in particular, the song "When Doves Cry," which exemplifies his unique approach to songwriting and production), and Madonna's almost constantly-changing image during the 1980s, and especially her manipulation of female stereotypes, often seeming to encourage disapproval among critics.
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True or false: Today, we will be looking at two categories of pop music: the first is alternative rock as one part of what our textbook describes as "alternate currents" in the 1980s-90s; the second is Electronic Dance Music (EDM) which has its roots in the 1970s dance scene, amid the development of the other dance styles we have discussed recently, disco, funk, salsa, and hip hop. The use of the adjective "alternative" should raise the natural question, "Alternative to what?" It can't really be defined easily. As a term of convenience, it described anything that seemed to move purposefully in a direction different from that recognized as its mainstream equivalent. As the textbook suggests, "By the end of the 1990s, almost every major genre had sprouted an alternative subcategory." The examples cited include alternative dance (under which EDM might be loosely classified), alternative country, alternative rap, adult alternative, and of course, alternative rock, among others. This designation might be in reference to a particular approach to lyric writing, specific instruments used, singing or rapping style, studio production, stage performances, the overall image of an artist or band, or a combination of these elements. Since it is impossible to cover all of the really interesting creative output in the alternative category that occurred during the 1980s-90s, we will look at one of the most influential bands of the 1990s, Nirvana, who established the so-called "Seattle Sound" or Grunge Rock, one of the most recognizable alternative rock categories that essentially defined the decade. The song Smells Like Teen Spirit is a particularly excellent example of how this style of alternative rock had really developed from a combination of musical influences, from punk rock in the 1970s, through hard core in the 1980s, and even a smoother melodic quality heard in some 1960s singer-songwriter music. This song, from the 1991 album Nevermind was carefully designed to capture the attention of the teenage audience looking for a rebellious, expressive, sophisticated, style of music for their generation. It was an excellent production quality, was radio friendly, with a clearly-defined formal structure (including a catchy chorus), a memorable lead vocal by Kurt Cobain (who explores several singing styles here), accompanied by traditional rock instruments, with a strong focus on the electric guitar. And, of course, the MTV video featuring real-life teenagers, alongside Nirvana, in an actual high-school gym. This became the anthem of the 1990s teenager, and even thirty years later, its expression of everything that adds up to teenage angst still resonates with audiences today. Electronic Dance Music can mean as many things in terms of style, production, and performance as Hip Hop, Rock, Country, or any other broad commercial genres. Turning again to Wikipedia, look at the article on EDM and you will find almost countless genres that are classified broadly using this term. But just as Hip Hop had its roots in the Bronx in the 1970s, the earliest genres of EDM can also be identified as belonging to specific local contexts: in mid-1970s Chicago, the popular gay club called the Warehouse featured a particular style of DJing that emphasized turntables, the use of samples (maybe even just one, repeated as part of the texture), electronic synthesizers, and drum machines. All of this was typically presented in a tempo much faster than disco, with a strong thumping beat, and plenty of volume. This music was locally known as "House," a designation that eventually caught on with the broader commercial audience. Around the same time, similar approaches to creating dance music were developing in Detroit, often with a far more complex use of numerous samples drawn from a variety of musical sources, and combined with synthesizers, drum machines, sequencers, and special effects, emphasizing technology—hence the term "Techno." In both House and Techno, the focus was on the virtuoso performances given by DJs, who cultivated their own unique image and gained a substantial fanbase among local clubgoers, just as pop stars (e.g., Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince) did, through MTV videos, elaborate concert performances, and album sales. This concept of the EDM DJ as a different kind of superstar remains an essential part of the category—and although albums of this music have been produced over the years, the live performance element is an essential feature. Again, EDM as a category today encapsulates an almost countless number of genres; but this is where it all began, simply as House and Techno, amid the other styles of dance music developing around the same time: disco, funk, salsa, and hip hop.
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True or false: Today, we will discuss some landmark moments in the early history of Hip Hop (meaning the 1970s-80s). As you probably know, Hip Hop is a very broad category of music that, for today's audiences, can mean so many different things. In addition to the Starr-Waterman textbook and the Brackett anthology, you will find plenty of books, journals, online articles, etc. that address this topic. Even just looking at Wikipedia, there are numerous pages devoted to Hip Hop—the main article actually gives a fairly good overview of the topic as a whole; a separate article "List of Hip Hop Genres" gives various styles in relation to American cities and regions, those observed elsewhere in the world, and, more broadly, styles derived from Hip Hop. There are almost countless genres, subgenres, subsubgenres, to the extent that becomes difficult to define in simple terms just what Hip Hop is. But I think most people would agree that they know it when they hear it. There are certain style elements in common, such as the use of synthesizers, drum machines, and various digital production elements. Also, the use of samples, short audio clips drawn from existing sources and incorporated into the production, are common. In live performances, turntables are a major feature. And one of the true hallmarks of Hip Hop, rapped lyrics— some with a narrative element, some offering direct communication of a message to the audience, and others more abstract. The fact that the human speaking voice offers such individuality of sound through range, timbre/tone color, rhythmic emphasis, pronunciation/accent, etc. means that rapping can be presented in any number of styles, in relation to that one performer. And sometimes rapping is combined with singing, depending on the style or specific artist. There is really a boundlessness to this category, in terms of creative expression. The fact that Hip Hop has become a global phenomenon, with such an ongoing commercial presence, is truly remarkable, given its initial development as a localized style in the Bronx (NYC) in the early 1970s. The South Bronx in particular, a largely African-American community, developed a unique identity through what became recognized as a broader Hip Hop culture, which involved far more than just music: it was breakdancing, and street art (graffiti), fashion, language—all cultivated for personal expression, communication, social commentary, and entertainment. This was a culture that one would not have observed unless they were actually in the Bronx. While some newspapers, magazines, and TV reports commented on these activities vaguely in special interest articles, some critics seized on the negative aspects (all graffiti, for instance, was dismissed as vandalism, rather than some of it representing artistry, creativity, and personal expression.) Music as part of this Hip Hop culture was originally a liveperformance style, provided by DJs spinning records, experimenting with using turntables to create new sounds and textures, and sometimes improvising rapped lyrics for the crowd. Kool Herc, one of the founding fathers of Hip Hop music, was DJing for house parties and community room dances, and he was improvising much of what he was doing—he developed scratching techniques on the stop, and experimented with multiple turntables to create intricate textures using existing records. James Brown was a favorite source of rhythm and melody samples for Kool Herc, and many other DJs who followed in his path. Remember, this early activity was all done live—it wasn't recorded, it wasn't on the radio yet. If you weren't at one of those parties, you simply wouldn't have heard it. The first commercial Hip Hop record was the 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. This was produced by Sylvia Robinson, who had some success in the 1960s as an R&B singer. The fact that the first Hip Hop record was produced by a woman is notable, considering this is still often recognized as a male-dominated genre. We will hear a bit of "Rapper's Delight" in class—it's a great dance track, with entertaining lyrics, catchy rhythmic phrases, and excellent rapped vocals. This song actually went to the top of the charts, world-wide—nobody could have predicted just how popular this genre would ultimately become; but this was the first hint of the potential for widespread commercial success. But as Hip Hop started to reach the mainstream audience, artists were beginning to use this music as a platform for addressing distinct social concerns. In 1982, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, brought to light the grim realities of life in the South Bronx. Synthesizers and drum machines create an artificial sound world, blended with actual samples of street sounds (traffic, breaking glass, etc.) while two MCs (rappers) describe in vivid detail the sights and sounds of the city, with local references to run-down buildings, gang violence, drugs, prostitution, racial conflict between the African-American community and law enforcement. The somewhat detached style of rapping emphasizes the unfortunate normalcy of this grim scenario, amid an obvious sense of growing hopelessness, and the feeling that one can't escape from this reality. "The Message" is a very effective early example of the expansion of Hip Hop beyond dance music, to present a serious social message. And it is put together very artfully, in a fairly standard verse-chorus formal structure: introduction, then alternating between increasingly intense verses, and a catchy chorus, all rapped lyrics, and even an instrumental interlude, all synthesizers and drum machines. We will have a chance to discuss other examples of socially-conscious Hip Hop in another class.
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True or false: We have spent some quality time in the 1970s, through an exploration of a variety of musical styles. This was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg—there was just so much music out there; our textbook presents this variety of styles as the so-called "1970s Jukebox." (You may read about Elton John, Carole King, the Eagles, etc. on your own.) And we will revisit this decade when we discuss early hip-hop and EDM, two categories that are essential in today's popular music.) For now, we have arrived in the 1980s. This is the decade of the Reagan Administration, and yet another major economic recession; social consciousness was on the rise, through the AIDS epidemic, and the war on drugs, especially the crack-cocaine epidemic. Re: the recession, America's economy had actually improved by the end of the 1970s (two factors: the Vietnam War had ended in 1975; and the growth of popularity of disco music after the release of the movie Saturday Night Fever significantly drove record sales.) New technologies in the early 1980s continued this economic progress in pop music: ongoing development of synthesizers (since the 1970s); introduction of the CD (compact disc) format in 1982; and the beginning of MTV, in 1981. MTV in particular changed the landscape of popular music, by emphasizing image and the concept of the "pop star" more than had been seen in the past. Of course, television broadcasts had brought performing artists into people's homes, so to speak, since the Postwar Era, the late 1940s, etc. But now the MTV music video format offered a much broader potential for those in the music business to cultivate individual "superstars"—to identify those with a particular commercial value, through their fashions, dance styles, their physical appearance, etc., and to invest their money in those artists, with the expectation of making the majority of their profits from them. While plenty of bands and solo artists became "one hit wonders" in the 1980s, some—Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, for example—went on to become the true icons of the pop music world, and the MTV video format contributed significantly to their success. Today, we will consider some early MTV examples that demonstrate different approaches to this new format: these will include songs by the Eurythmics ("Sweet Dreams") and Van Halen (Jump), and we will at least start to discuss Michael Jackson's ground-breaking album from 1982, Thriller.
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What genre of music had protest songs? What did the lyrics address? Who was this genre influenced by and what is one song they wrote? Where was this genre rooted?
Urban folk music Social and political ideals Woody Guthrie - this land is your land, this land is my land Greenwich Village (NYC)
What genre was Bob Dylan? Who did he largely model his image after? What was his name at birth? Where was he born?
Urban folk music Woody Guthrie Robert Zimmerman Minnesota
How popular was the Led Zeppelin IV album and why? How many copies were sold? What number was it on the Billboard Top 10 LP charts? How long did it stay on the charts?
Very, the one stairway to heaven song took up a whole disc so you had to purchase more than usual just to get the album. 14 million Two Five years
What are six recent trends in performance and production?
Virtual productions: Eric Whitacre, Water Night - takes many voices and combines Pop/classical crossovers: Gabriel Prokofiev, Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra (D. J. Switch) (The grandson of Sergei Prokofiev; here, he speaks about the turntable as an instrument.) Hologram performances - such as Michael Jackson - uses mylar screen streaming hologram performances Maria callas (1923-1977) hologram concert tour
Do people blend world music with popular styles?
Yes
Was the economy heading towards a recession in the 1970's?
Yes
What was the main audience of Punk rock?
Young boys/men
Fill in the following blanks regarding the song Unity (1933): From the album Black Reign (1933) by Queen Latifah. Is a response to misogynistic (_____________) rap. Describes disrespectful treatment of women by strangers as well as family. Video features masculine and feminine imagery. The message is that men and women should treat each other with love and respect, directed at the African American community. The chorus is sung with a Jamaican dialect; Reggae, R&B, and jazz influence • Verses: rapped in an aggressive tone that reflects the kind of rap she is answering (verse-chorus). It uses the sample A message from the inner city from the crusaders, 1973.
gangsta
Fill in the following blanks regarding the song Oye Como Va: Mostly ________________ dance track. ________-__________ recording allows complex ______________(elements recorded separately and then spliced together). Improvised _____________ and _________ solos.
instrumental Multi-track textures guitar organ
Name one or two songs of Madonnas from the following years: 1983 1984 1984 1986 1989 1990
lucky star - 1983 like a virgin - 1984 material girl - 1984 open your heart - 1986 like a prayer - 1989 vogue - 1990
What song structure is thriller?
verse-chorus