History of Pop Music - Written Final Study Guide

One of the first hit "blues" songs. It was recorded in 1920 and sold 75,000 copies in only one month.

"Crazy Blues"

Which Louis Armstrong song knocked the Beatles off the #1 Billboard spot in 1964?

"Hello Dolly"

Name of the first "hit" song in 1919 - it sold 300,000 records in only three months.

"Mary"

This 1927 song sold five million copies and was a major hit in its time. For comparison, it sold as many copies as "She Loves You" (Beatles) and "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (Elvis Presley). What was this 1927 song that talked about the joys of marriage?

"My Blue Heaven"

Most popular song of all-time. It has sold over 150 million recordings, and it continues to be sung every year.

"White Christmas"

Several dances were associated with Swing music. Which one of the following was a popular dance of the Swing era?

Lindy hop

True or False: Two of early jazz bands were the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the Creole Jazz Band. These were divided by race, with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band being black and the Creole Jazz Band being white.

False

True or False: Urban folk was rural folk music sung by urban intellectuals. This music was often performed in large outdoor theatres with large audiences.

False

The musical structure of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (the bluegrass example we saw in class) was: 1) melody, 2) various improvised solos, and 3) melody. This is similar to what other genre of music?

Jazz combo

The music business of the 1920s and 1930s attracted a large number of people from this religion. They made up 25% of the city's population, and there was little (if any) religious discrimination. (You succeeded based on your own talents.)

Jewish

President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Central High School so nine black students would attend this public school. This happened in what city?

Little Rock, Arkansas

Major dance craze of the postwar era. It was a Cuban dance, up-tempo, highly energized, and polyrhythmic.

Mambo

Latin music of the era (1950s) came mostly from what country?

Mexico

Mississippi Delta blues man who achieved fame in R&B, especially with the electric guitar.

Muddy Waters

This city was perfect for a new kind of music in the 1920s. It has a hybrid culture (white, black, Creole, French colonial). Because of the many different kinds of music played in the city, it was has been called "The Birthplace of Jazz".

New Orleans

Latin music was also big during this period, especially in what large east coast city?

New York City

Tin Pan Alley is located in what city?

New York City

"To rag" means shifting the rhythmic accents to what beats?

Off beats

Name of the independent record company that was at the forefront of Hillbilly Music and Race Records.

Okeh Records

A successful dance team, they were some of the biggest stars during the 1910s and 1920s. Their dance manuals made complex dances easy, and their name appeared on clothing, records, books, etc. (The first example of mass marketing and "swag".)

the Castles

Name given to the music publishing business in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Tin Pan Alley

The songwriter who wrote "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" said his music was so popular because he kept it in a limited vocal range. "Even a baby can hum my songs"

True

True or False: Popular music relies heavily on media, while live performances are still influential in classical and folk music.

True

True or False: The dialect often used in minstrel songs was a hybrid of rural southern/black/Creole dialect that didn't really exist.

True

True or false: In 1920 there were only three (3) radio stations in America. By 1927, this grew to 1,000 radio stations.

True

True or false: Paul Whiteman, who led a very successful white jazz band, had over 150 recordings ranked in the Top 10 between 1920-1933. This is more than any other popular musician in history.

True

True or false: Tin Pan Alley songs are often closely associated with their original performer.

True

Louis Armstrong played what instrument?

Trumpet

The dance craze sweeps the nation between 1910-1919. One of the biggest dances was the...

Turkey trot

Minstrel shows were an example of which group of people "expressing their marginalization in society by identifying with African Americans".

Young whites

Early Rock 'n' Roll often catered to teenagers in the lyrics of the songs. Which of the following is NOT one of the type of teenage lyrics? a. Having kids b. School and Vacations c. Fashions d. Social Dancing

a. having kids

Match the following technological advancement with the correct popular music time period. 1. Movies 2. Sheet music 3. Phonograph 4. Radio

1. 1930s 2. 1800s 3. 1900 4. 1920s

Give the standard instrumentation of a Swing band, not counting the rhythm section. 1. Trombones 2. Trumpets 3. Saxophones

1. 4 players 2. 4 players 3. 5 players

Match the following performer with the famous Tin Pan Alley song they premiered. 1. "Thanks for the Memory" - from the film The Big Broadcast of 1938. This singer sang this song for decades and frequently changed the words to suit the situation. 2. "I Got Rhythm" - from the musical Girl Crazy. This Broadway belter (loud, brassy singing style) went on to a major career in musical theatre. 3. "White Christmas" - from the film Holiday Inn. This crooner sang this song for decades, especially on Christmas specials.

1. Bob Hope 2. Ethel Merman 3. Bing Crosby

Pop Music can be divided into Centers and Peripheries. Match the following. 1. Places where popular music is produced. 2. Cities like New York, Los Angeles and Nashville 3. People - southern whites, poor blacks, working class, Latinos, etc. 4. Places that are often the source of Pop Music

1. Center 2. Center 3. Periphery 4. Periphery

Match the following early Rock 'n' Roll artists with the correct description. 1. He grew up in St. Louis and had a major crossover appeal to both black and white teenagers. 2. A singer from Georgia, he had an outrageous performing style, wore stylish clothes, and wore makeup. 3. A singer from New Orleans, his music was most directly influenced by R&B.

1. Chuck Berry 2. Little Richard 3. Fats Domino

Match the standard instrumentation for a Dixieland band. 1. Plays the counter melody; often improvises around this counter melody. 2. Plays the bass line; often improvises around the bass line 3. Plays the melody, often with embellishments

1. Clarinet 2. Trombone 3. Trumpet

Identify which of the following characteristics below to Classic Blues or Country Blues. 1. Songs written by professional songwriters, who were trying to write "authentic Negro music" 2. Sung by sharecroppers and laborers 3. Oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation 4. Music is deeply informed by African American musical traditions 5. "St. Louis Blues" is an example of this kind of blues. It was a huge hit with both black and white audiences, and was #3 on the record charts.

1. Classic blues 2. Country blues 3. Country blues 4. Country blues 5. Classic blues

Music is often how we express our identity. Match the following. 1. Family is the biggest influence in our choice of popular music. 2. Music takes you back to important events in your life 3. Popular music is our music and reflects our generation

1. Early life 2. Nostalgia 3. Adolescent

Popular music is heavily influenced by the music business. Match the following. 1. Has the most influence in how a recording sounds. 2. Rewrites the song to fit an individual artist or group. 3. Oversees the entire operation - sells the product. 4. Writes the song.

1. Engineer 2. Arranger 3. Producer 4. Composer

Match the following recordings with their correct performers. 1. "Back in the Saddle Again" 2. "Wabash Cannonball" 3. "In the Mood" 4. "Brazil" 5. "One O'clock Jump" 6. "Sing, Sing, Sing"

1. Gene Autry 2. Roy Acuff 3. Glenn Miller 4. Xavie Cugat 5. Count Basie 6. Benny Goodman

Correctly match the right music with the right target audience. 1. Southern, white music for a (mostly) southern white audience 2. Music that came out of New Orleans and was the most popular music of the 1920s. 3. Music for urban, white, middle class audience 4. African American music for an African American audience

1. Hillbilly music 2. Jazz 3. Tin Pan Alley 4. Race Records

Match the following performers with the correct type of music. 1. Carter Family 2. Bessie Smith 3. "Ma" Rainey 4. Jimmie Rogers 5. Blind Lemon Jefferson 6. Woody Guthrie

1. Hillbilly music 2. Race records 3. Race records 4. Hillbilly music 5. Race records 6. Hillbilly music

Match the following singers with their respective styles. 1. Kitty Wells 2. Pete Seeger 3. Rosemary Clooney

1. Honky-tonk country 2. Urban folk 3. Crooner

Match the three kinds of jazz bands in the 1920s and 1930s. 1. Syncopated music, improvisations, "true jazz" 2. Music from Cuban immigrants who lived in New York City. 3. Bland, romantic, dance bands

1. Hot bands 2. Latin bands 3. Sweet bands

Match the following with either 45 or LP. 1. Boon for Classical and Broadway recordings. 2. Has 3-4 minutes per side. 3. Teenagers prefer this one. 4. Favorite medium for hit singles.

1. LP 2. 45 3. 45 4. 45

Match the following definitions for passive listening and active listening. 1. Listening to music while exercising 2. Listening to music and identifying historical context 3. Listening to music for content and meaning 4. Listening to music while studying

1. Passive 2. Active 3. Active 4. Passive

Swing bands were either Sweet (dance bands with little/no improvisation) or Hot (jazz bands focusing on syncopation and improvisation). Match the bands. 1. Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey 2. Duke Ellington 3. Glenn Miller 4. Benny Goodman 5. Count Basie

1. Sweet 2. Hot 3. Sweet 4. Hot 5. Hot

In the song "Maybellene", the singer compared a Ford V8 and a Cadillac Coup de Ville to what? 1. Ford V8 2. Cadillac Coup de Ville

1. boy 2. girl

Tin Pan Alley songs are in two parts. Match the correct definition with the correct part. 1. Opening part of the song. It sets up the story line. Today, this part is often omitted from performances. 2. Main part of the song; the "tune". This is the melody everyone remembers.

1. verse 2. refrain

Certain musical forms in popular music are used in a variety of popular styles. What musical form was used in the classroom examples of "St. Louis Blues" (1920s Jazz), "In the Mood" (1940s Big Band), and "Tutti Frutti" (1950s Rock 'n' Roll)?

12 bar blues

When did the minstrel shows first emerge as popular entertainment?

1820s

What are the approximate dates for the Swing Era?

1935-1945

Which year becomes the pivotal year for Rock 'n' Roll on the Pop charts? In this year, one early Rock 'n' Roll singer dominates the charts for 25 weeks.

1956

The "King of Swing" played an instrument that was not a standard instrument in a Swing band. What was that instrument?

Clarinet

Duke Ellington played at this Harlem club in the 1920s, drawing a large audience of black and white listeners. What is the name of this club?

Cotton Club

Term for recording a song that has previously been recorded by other artists.

Cover version

The advent of electronic recording meant a new style of pop singing. This style was more intimate and gentler than Broadway singing. What is this style of singing called?

Crooning

Stephen Foster's song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" uses what musical form? (This form will be used extensively in popular music.)

AABA

The part of a Tin Pan Alley song that is the "tune". (The melody that everyone remembers.) What is the musical form of this part? (Taken from 19th century songs.)

AABA

This subgenre of Swing music was popular during World War II. It was made famous with a song by the Andrew Sisters.

Boogie Woogie

Name the generation that dominates Rock 'n' Roll from the 1950s through the 1970s?

Baby Boomers

Nat King Cole broke down the color barriers in music the same way that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in which professional sport?

Baseball

Frank Sinatra was one of the biggest singers of the postwar era. What is the best description of his style of singing?

Based on classical (bel canto) singing.

After World War II, a new jazz idiom replaces Swing music. It flourishes in small ensembles (not big bands) and the music is for listening, not dancing.

Bebop

Who was the "King of Swing"?

Benny Goodman

Vocal harmony groups (doo-wop) like the Dominos had a sound that was closely linked to what kind of music?

Black gospel

Name for the kind of special makeup used by minstrel performers.

Blackface

Kansas City Swing relied heavily on what kind of music?

Blues

The "western" of Country and Western music becomes popular in the 1940s. Country performers begin to wear cowboy hats, boots, and western shirts. Singing cowboys are also popular in the movies. Which star sang in over 90 movies and influenced pop culture with his original recording of "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

Gene Autry

Tin Pan Alley songs almost always were upbeat songs. They dealt with love (both successful and unrequited), and were generally an escape from the reality of bad times. This is ironic because a majority of Tin Pan Alley songs were written during what terrible time in America?

Great Depression

What was the name of the movement of African Americans from the South to the North in the 20th century?

Great Migration

The most significant country artist of the postwar era, with 36 songs in the Country Top 10 between 1947-1953. Due to alcohol addiction, this singer was divorced, fired from the Grand Ole Opry, and died of a heart attack before age 30.

Hank Williams

Popular songwriter who wrote "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". This song, written 1908, is a great example of older popular music still sung today.

Harry von Tilzer

Roy Acuff becomes a major country star in this period. His music is closely related to what kind of previous music from the 1920s and early 1930s?

Hillbilly music

Emotional country music genre that talked about the troubles of life. Common topics were alcohol, divorce, and love gone wrong.

Honky tonk

Term for record companies paying DJs under the table to promote their records. DJs would give these records preference and play them more often than other records.

Payola

Race Records were distributed almost exclusively through this medium.

Phonograph

Nat King Cole was a major singer in the postwar era. What instrument did he play in addition to singing?

Piano

Ragtime music was arranged for many different ensembles, but it was originally for what instrument? (This is the instrument most closely associated with ragtime music.)

Piano

Another name given to minstrel songs.

Plantation songs

For the first time, record companies in the post war era target what age market?

Teenagers

The first "talkie" (sound picture) was about a young Jewish cantor who wants a career in popular music. What is the name of this film?

The Jazz Singer

The collaborators for pop music are many: composer/lyricist, arranger, artist, engineer, producer, etc. Name one artist mentioned in class who did nearly all of these.

Prince

The term "Rock 'n' Roll" was coined by a DJ who noticed young white teenagers kept requesting what kind of music on his radio station?

R&B

Rhythm and Blues (R&B) was music by black musicians for a mostly black audience. This makes R&B similar to what earlier music?

Race records

Minstrel shows began as social satire but evolved into what?

Racial stereotypes

Hillbilly Music was disseminated almost exclusively through what medium?

Radio

By 1920, "Jass" or "Hot Music" replaced what as the most important popular music in America.

Ragtime

Tin Pan Alley songs combined 19th century song forms with what kinds of music?

Ragtime and Jazz

One of the most popular composers of ragtime music, he was from Missouri.

Scott Joplin

Tin Pan Alley songs were popularized by many different media. Which of the following was NOT a primary way these songs were popularized?

Sheet music

Stephen Foster was the first major popular songwriter. His music was disseminated to the public through several different ways. Which was the most important?

Sheet music sales

Popular theatrical entertainment that supersedes minstrel shows. It was a series of variety acts (singers, dancers, comedians, etc.). These shows lasted through the early 20th century.

Vaudeville

Xavier Cugat, probably the most famous Latin entertainer of all time, had a three decade gig at which hotel?

Waldorf-Astoria

Though Tin Pan Alley songs were popular with a large part of Americans, what was the primary audience for a Tin Pan Alley song?

White, urban, middle class

Urban folk music drew inspiration from what earlier Hillbilly singer?

Woody Guthrie

Ragtime dominates popular music during the time immediately before which war?

World War I

Shows like the Grand Old Opry helped to popularize Hillbilly Music. This show has a format that uses musical performers and comedians using redneck humor. This kind of format is called what?

barn dance

Which of the following technological advances in the 1920s had a big impact on popular music? a. Sliced bread b. Telephones are common in homes c. Car ownership is widespread d. Radios common in homes

d. radios common in homes