MUS 1600 Test IV
Lyrics are honest depiction of hard life in NY urban ghettos. Hugely influential to later rap artists.
"The Message"
This song opens with drumbeat produced by Roland TR-808 and keyboard synthesizer
"The Message"
Song has unusual Instrumentation. Begins with virtuoso electric guitar; features drum machine, keyboard synthesizer, and processed vocals - no bass guitar.
"When Doves Cry"
The featured single on no. 1 album Purple Rain (no.1 1984, sold over 12 million copies)
"When Doves Cry"
The song is a blend of funk, "synthesized pop," and rock
"When Doves Cry"
Based heavily in sampled music of George Clinton, who gets co-author credit Ex: Clinton song "Atomic Dog"
"Who Am I (What's My Name)?"
Rhythmically creative rap delivery (syncopation); distinctive style Heavy use of slang (understandable to some, not others) Gangsta bragging: references to cop killing, drugs, sex, etc.
"Who Am I (What's My Name)?"
Blends intensity and timbres of hardcore punk with elements of conventional pop songwriting: Power chords; distortion Clear melody (even if screamed); verse-chorus form
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
The scope of technological change in popular music during our lifetime is greater than at any time since the
1910's-1920's
Early rap was largely shaped by what decades popular styles?
1970's - especially disco and soul
What decade saw the rise of mega stars who controlled the industry?
1980
What decade was "The Message" written in?
1980's
What decade was "Walk This Way" recorded in?
1980's
What decade was "When Doves Cry" written in?
1980's
Disco died by early ______. Rock music had ______. Country music became the ______ genre.
1980's fragmented into hundreds of styles best-selling
What decade was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" written?
1990
How recordings are made (personal DAWs; autotuned) How recordings reach us and what form they take (MP3s; digital streaming platforms; radio) How we heard recordings (smartphone speakers; AirPods; etc.) How we pay for recordings (if we do)
21st Century Technology Change in Music
Old 1975 version of "Walk This Way"
A natural fit for a rap-rock remake Run - DMC wasn't originally into it; convinced by Rick Rubin Verses are close to rap Rapping over rock/funk records was commonplace
1990's Hip hop deversification
As the popularity grew, hip hop splintered into different styles (like rock in 1970s)
"Back That Azz Up" (1998)
Bounce
Based on distinct local style of dance-driven hip-hop music
Bounce
Led by Cash Money Records Prominent artists - Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, Lil' Wayne, Mystical
Bounce
Conscious Hip-Hop - elements of music video Video - layered meanings and symbols; References to African-American history Pointing out societal problems Upbeat music and dancing despite the violence/chaos
Childish Gambino - "This is America"
NYC-based huge record company. Large distribution reach and money
Columbia Records
"Raising Hell" and "Licensed to ill" were both in the new record label ______ and produced by ______.
Def Jam records Rick Rubin
Who produced "Who Am I (What's My Name)?"
Dr. Dre
uSeveral sub-genres rap came to prominence in the mid 1990s
G-Funk (West Coast) Bounce (New Orleans)
Often samples from 1970s funk musicians George Clinton ("P-Funk") Dre's proteges include Snoop Doggy Dogg, Eminem
G-funk
Style of gangsta rap developed by Dr. Dre (earlier group N.W.A.)
G-funk
rap based in New Orleans
G-funk
lyrics tied to criminal lifestyle (ex: N.W.A.) Initially on the fringe - not mainstream
Gangsta rap
Who performed "The Message"?
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Struggled with depression, heroin addiction Committed suicide in 1994 at age 27
Kurt Cobain
Prince, the Music Industry, & Piracy - 1990's
Loudest critic of industry Resent record company control, profits Abandoned his name in protest
Who has a vocal style that is gritty and frustrated, and uses complex rhythms and rhyme scheme?
MC Melle Mel
Who eventually became the the main feature in hip hop music?
MC's
In 1984 her album "Like a Virgin" sold over 10 million copies.
Madonna
One of the 1980's and 1990's biggest celebrities; career began in NYC dance clubs
Madonna
Who is considered a "controversial pop star"?
Madonna
Album is considered synthesizer and drums machine driven, and sexually evocative and controversial
Madonna's "Like a Virgin"
Began a solo career in the 1970s and achieved unprecedented success in the 1980s
Micheal Jackson
Motown beginnings - lead singer of the Jackson 5 (1960s)
Micheal Jackson
What artist wrote and recorded "Beat It"?
Micheal Jackson
1980's Mainstream Popular Music
Music was promoted on the newly-minted MTV Launched in 1981 Extremely popular cable TV network featuring music videos Record companies use MTV to promote their artists Almost exclusively featured white rock and pop performers
Success of "Rapper's Delight" (1979) and "The Message" (1982) expands reach of hip hop beyond
NYC
Peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing began with a website called _____ in 1999.
Napster
The album "Like a Virgin" was produced by who?
Nile Rodgers
2nd album, Nevermind (1991), broke into mainstream, drew national attention to grunge Only three full-length albums from 1987-1999
Nirvana
Grunge band from Washington state fronted by Kurt Cobain
Nirvana
Popular success upset _______ identity of themselves as outsiders They began provoking fans, trying to shock their new followers
Nirvana
Who wrote and recorded "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?
Nirvana
Why did DJ's begin to manipulate records on live performances?
Noticed that crowds reacted positively to instrumental "breaks" in records
During the early 1980s and 1990s he sold a string of million selling albums
Prince
Extremely talented musician - multi-instrumentalist best known for guitar playing
Prince
Was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1958 and began working as a pro musician as a teenager
Prince
Who cultivated a controversial and bizarre persona, was very sexualized, very private, and exerted complete control over his music?
Prince
Who produced "I"
Rahki
Who recorded "Walk This Way"?
Run - D.M.C. and Aerosmith
All from middle-class families in NYC; all attended college
Run - D.M.C. and The Beastie Boys
Who were the two pivotal groups in the popularizing of hip hop
Run - D.M.C. and The Beastie Boys
Who recorded "Who Am I (What's My Name)?"
Snoop Doggy Dogg
Micheal Jacksons album "Thriller" (1982) is the best selling album of all time.
Sold 32 million copies in a year Had 7 Top 10 and 2 No.1 hits Collaboration with other huge stars like Paul McCartney and Eddie Van Halen
Japanese corporation with international reach and focused on ROI
Sony Corporation
Who is associated with "Rapper's Delight" (1979)?
Sugar Hill Gang
Who wrote "The Message"?
Sylvia Robinson, Ed Fletcher, and Melle Mel
What are other important pieces of technology used in early DJ-ing?
The drum machine Especially the Roland TR-808
Most superstars blended several popular genres to...
appeal to a wide range of fans
Some hip hop was aimed toward _____. (ex: M.C. Hammer and Vanilla Ice) Led to backlash (not "authentic" enough)
broad mainstream commercial success
Mid-1980s: recorded audio goes _____ with use of CDs. Which leads to easier borrowing of prerecorded music through ______.
digital digital sampling
A world of music available at your fingertips for free The near-death of the record industry Young musicians can't earn money through records, making musical careers much more difficult
effects of piracy
From margin to center: becomes most profitable sub-genre of hip hop by mid-1990s
gangsta rap
Led to public arguments at a time of rising racial tensions in U.S. Celebration of gangsta lifestyle or reflection of social reality?
gangsta rap
Originated in mid 1980s as a regional style, but became the best-known type of alternative rock in the 1990s
grunge rock
Use of electric guitar with timbre altered through heavy distortion Intense, anguishing style of singing/screaming Bleak lyrics: anxiety, apathy, depression, cynicism about the future
grunge rock
A style of alterative rock from Pacific NW, especially Seattle Continued some traditions of 70s punk rock
grunge rock (1990's)
Have the same record on both sides and mark where the break begins with crayon Backspin the record on one side to repeat the loop
hip hop DJ's
Rhymes were rooted in _________ ________.
local culture References to neighborhood life, friends, streets, places, people, etc. Often funny, often serious
Music borrowing in hip hop started with
manipulation of funk, disco records by DJs
When did hip hop "cross over," draws a wider base of listeners, including young white males (more money) Earlier examples of this process: ragtime, the blues, jazz, R&B ( → rock 'n' roll) Most successful crossover artists have usually been white, raising questions of _____
mid-1980 Appropriation
The record industry is controlled by
multinational corporations
Lots of complex litigation. Most sites closed or went underground, but ______ persists
piracy
This song appealed to ______, _______, and ______ fans.
pop, disco, rock
Kacey Musgraves Combines pop styles with country influences Career began outside Nashville establishment - in Austin Critically acclaimed; commercial success Unusual approach to country music - musically experimental, socially liberal
progressive country
Mainstream rock bands like The Eagles dominated the radio in the 1970's, however, _________ was the reaction against the commercialism and popularity of mainstream culture
punk rock
DJ's had microphones, which eventually led to them
rhyming over the breaks and instrumental mixes
"Raising Hell" and "Licensed to ill" blended _____ and _____
rock and rap (sometimes called "rap rock")
What music video was not shown on MTV until pressure by Columbia Records
"Beat It"
Lyrics: alienation, powerlessness, feeling of being trapped in your own body A metaphor for musicians' relationship to big record labels
"Bodysnatchers"
Lyrics - modern love songs; references to everyday life
"Lover"
Lyrics depict troubled love between a couple; somewhat ambiguous and possibly autobiographical
"When Doves Cry"
Prince wrote the song, played every instrument, and recorded it himself
"When Doves Cry"
Who wrote "Walk This Way"?
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler
Early hit - "Merry Go Round" (2012) Traditional pop-country sound Instrumentation; vocal accent; verse-chorus form Cynical lyrics - criticizes small-town life Recent Music - blends country elements (drug use, loneliness, LGBTQ rights, cynicism, etc.) with country imagery "High Horse" (2018) Lyrics - traditional country music references Music - basically a modern disco song
Kacey Musgraves
Who recorded "I"?
Kendrick Lamar
Born in Duckworth, raised in Compton, CA (epicenter of W. Coast rap of 1990s) Overtly political ("conscious hip hop") Albums: artistically exploratory, ambitious
Kendrick Lamar (b. 1987)
Who wrote "I"?
Kendrick Lamar, the Isley Brothers, Rahki
Taylor Swift Combines pop styles with country influences Career began within Nashville establishment Critically acclaimed; commercial success Tenuous relationship with "country" label
Mainstream "Nashville" Country
Who wrote, produced, and performed "When Doves Cry"?
Prince
hip hop
Refers to the entire realm of youth culture including Hip hop music (DJ's and MC's; eventually called rap) Hip hop visual art (graffiti) Hip hop dancing (breakdancing)
Extremely successful albums in 1986
Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell (3 million records sold) Beastie boys: Licensed to ill (7 million records sold)
Early hit - "Love Story" (2009) Traditional pop-country sound Instrumentation; vocal accent; verse-chorus form Lyrics - naïve first love; celebrates small town life; celebrates small town life; traditional values Later career Gradually abandons sound for new pop style (2012 - present) Gains massive following ("Swifties") but some early fans feel alienated New Album - Lover (2019) Combines pop sensibilities with some earlier Country influences
Taylor Swift
uCountermovement's (like earlier punk rock and progressive country) continued to grow in the 1980s and 1990s "Alternative" (and "indie") became most common word to describe countermovement's Nearly every genre of popular music has had an "alt-" version since the 1990s Sometimes linked to outsider status, claims to authenticity, anti-commercialism Sometimes commercial, sometimes anti-commercial
"Alternative" Music and the 1990s
Sonic power of alt-rock - guitar driven, heavy distortion - 3 electric guitars
"Bodysnatchers"
Music - references to older country music Traditional honkytonk band 6/8 meter (common in country ballads) Studio Effects Heavy hall reverb (simulates empty music hall) Slap-back echo on bass guitar (reminiscent of Elvis's Sun Records Songs)
"Lover"
One of the first hip hop songs - introduced the style to non-NYC Americans From this moment on Rap and Hip Hop have been the top popular song to today
"Rapper's Delight" (1979)
Distrust of consumer culture, entertainment industry
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Video reflects alternative vision: a subversive version of high school pep rally
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Record sales declined significantly until
Competing forms of entertainment Piracy Economic recession
Based in political or social issues, including race. Sometimes controversial (ex: Public Enemy)
Conscious hip hop
How did hip hop music begin?
DJ's playing recorded music at dances, parties, etc. in the Bronx
Micheal Jackson is considered the
King of Pop
What DJ's developed a technique to "loop" sections?
Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash
British alt-rock band; first gained popularity in early 1990s (similar to Nirvana)
Radiohead
Who wrote and recorded "Bodysnatchers"?
Radiohead
studio musicians play Chic's "Good Times" behind Sugarhill Gang
Rappers Delight (1979)
New 1986 version of "Walk This Way"
Revitalized Aerosmith's career Was the epitome of a "crossover hit" Has hip-hop music elements - Sampling - digitally processing pat of old recording for new use - Use of scratching - Visual aspects of video; fashion
Produced by Mannie Fresh, performed by Juvenile (feat. Mannie Fresh and Lil' Wayne)
"Back That Azz Up" (1998)
This song features synthesizers, drum machines, and electric guitar
"Beat It"
Lyrics: sense of unease, helplessness, dissatisfaction I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now, entertain us
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Two turntables allowed DJs to seamlessly transition from one song to another (cueing) in what decade?
70's Disco DJ's
Who originally wrote and recorded "Walk This Way"?
Aerosmith, a popular hard rock group of 1970s, but by the mid 1980s, Aerosmith's popularity was fading
1980s - 1990s Country Music becomes bestselling genre of music in U.S. Artists like Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire blend pop, rock and country elements; sell millions of records Today - many styles and subgenres; remains highly profitable
Country music today
Co-founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons in a dorm room at NYC; focused on local NYC rap and punk groups
Def Jam Records
Died during drug overdose in 2016
Prince
Like other early 1990s alt-rock bands, signed to major label After ending their contract, released 2007 album In Rainbows independently online Users could pay however much or little they wanted Results - $2.7 million direct to band Reflects changes in 21st century music industry/user experience
Radiohead
Concept album about personal transformation + growth Themes of self interrogation Insecurity, depression: not usual hip-hop subjects Themes of social criticism Stylistically experimental: aspects of many African-American music styles (jazz, funk, soul, rap) spoken word poetry
To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Slower speed, often with laid-back feel
G-funk
Who wrote and recorded "Lover"?
Taylor Swift
Early 1980s change style to rock influenced rap; always an element of parody
The Beastie Boys
Following success of Run - DMC, signed to Def Jam Records; tour with Madonna gives exposure
The Beastie Boys
Middle-class, college educated members
The Beastie Boys
Recorded "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" in 1986
The Beastie Boys
What group formed in late 70s as a hardcore punk-rock band?
The Beastie Boys
Rivalry between E. Coast and W. Coast gangsta rappers in mid 1990s led to murder of
Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
What decade was "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" written?
1990's
What decade was "Bodysnatchers" written in?
2000's
What decade was "I" written?
2010's
What decade was "Lover" written in?
2010's
Style - complex digital sampling with distinct drum sounds, sometimes "call and response" vocals
Bounce
Sub-genre of rap developed in New Orleans in mid 1990s
Bounce
What are the two streams of country music?
Progressive Country - Kacey Musgraves Mainstream "Nashville" Country - Taylor swift
Simple, upbeat music aimed at participation and a social message Music could be played by beginners; small bands; participation and community mattered Anti - commercial Musical Style - electric guitars and bass; drums; aggressive vocals; fast tempos; distortion effects; power chords Ex: The Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
Punk rock
Who founded Def Jam Records?
Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin
Prince, the Music Industry, & Piracy - 2000's
When file sharing and piracy nearly killed the music Prince became the loudest critic of piracy and artists giving away music for free
Who wrote "Who Am I (What's My Name)?"
by George Clinton, Gary Shider, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and David Spradley
By late 1980s, hip hop often sampled from dozens of older records, _____
creating a sonic collage of past music
