1950’s Critical Listening – Jazz became a massive genre in the 50’s, even though it started in the 1920’s and 30’s. Miles Davis is one of the most influential and greatest artists of all time, especially when talking about jazz and 20th century music. He was a trumpeter and composer. He is most famous for his 1959 album, Kind of Blue. As well as Miles Davis, this album featured two saxophonists, John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley; there were also two pianists, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly; the bassist Paul Chambers; the drummer Jimmy Cobb and the trumpeter Miles Davis. This line-up has some of the greats of jazz music all on one album. This probably had the most talent on one album than any other. The thing that made this album so great is that it changed the style completely. It went from Bebop, which is a style that is reliant on chord changes and improvisation. Even though there are many chord changes, you are always stuck playing in with the chords. However this album changed to the style of Modal Jazz, which became the preferred style after this album. Modal Jazz uses modes, which are a much more free form way of playing, which gives the artists a much better way of playing, as they can do much more than in Bebop.
12 bar blues is a certain way of playing music. It is used in many genres such as rock and pop however it is mainly used for blues. 12 bar blues is made of 3 chords, chord 1, chord 4 and chord 5. In the most common way of 12 bar blues, this is the way it is played:
The chord can be whatever chord progression the artist wants it to be, but it sticks to this structure. Blues and this way of playing was made famous and was listened to a lot in the 1950’s but was invented a long time ago. Blues came from slaves singing about how good life could be, or how bad life is at the moment. This is where the term “feeling blue” came from, as it means feeling sad, and blues is sad music.
Rock n Roll became massive in the 1950’s. Artists like Elvis became huge, with albums such as his self titled album, and Elvis’ Christmas Album. He became a known as the King of Rock and Roll. Chuck Berry was also a big star in the 1950’s, he pioneered Rock and Roll with Elvis. Chuck Berry was very influential, as there were always black artists, however he was one of the first mainstream black artists. Rock was listened to by usually young teenagers, because most adults thought that the dancing was too sexual, and the songs induced sex, drugs and violence.
During live performances in the 1950’s there weren’t many mics as the technology wasn’t there yet. There was at the most 3 mics used, compared to today when there is at least 3 mics just on the drum kit. There was always a mic for the whole room, usually for the singer and sometimes for the drummer or another instrument. This meant the sound quality was quite bad and it didn’t sound very good. Stereo was invented in 1957, which meant that it wasn’t just one signal, it was 2.
At this time, many songs were being stolen from artists, and in most cases it was white people stealing it from black people and they made the songs famous and mainstream and the original artist got no credit for it. Such as Elvis stealing many songs, such as All Shook Up, Return to Sender and Don’t be Cruel, which were all written by Otis Blackwell. Chuck Berry was a very big artist at the time, and one of his hits, Maybellene, was actually stolen. It was stolen from the old western song, Ida Red. This is strange as at this point in time, it was usually white artists stealing from black artists and not crediting them, however this was the opposite.
In the 1950’s life was very different to how it is today. People were treated differently and it was a completely different life. There was a lot of discrimination and stereotypes that aren’t a thing today. There was a lot of racism in the 1950’s. White people most of the time wouldn’t mix with the other races as they were seen as inferior by them. The civil rights movement started in the 1950’s and it really took off. Rosa Parks and bus boycott started in 1955 until 1956, when they finally were able to sit where they wanted. At Little Rock High, 3 black children joined the school and the armed police had to come help them as the other students did not like it. After this, the president at the time, Eisenhower, asked armed police to escort them to and from lessons. There was also the civil rights movement of 1957, which helped African Americans to vote. Even though they could vote, it was difficult in the southern states, so this act made it illegal to stop anyone from voting.
Fashion in the 1950’s was very different to today. At the time, stereotypes and men wouldn’t allow women to wear what they want, they had to dress very conservatively. As most women were housewives, they usually all worse the same kind of clothes, which was a blouse and a skirt. Men usually wore suits, different colours and different styles for different occasions, but suits were very popular. A sweater above a shirt was also very popular. Teenagers at schools would usually wear jeans.
1960’s Critical Thinking – During the 1960’s there was a massive change in music. Rock and Roll came from the US with artists such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, however in the 1960’s British bands and artists took over. The Beatles were the main example of this, as they came from Britain and became the biggest band of all time. They had fans from all over the world, especially in America. In 1965, half of the 26 Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers were British. The Rolling Stones were also massive in the 1960’s. They are a British band that are massive. Some of their biggest hits were in the 1960’s, such as Paint it Black and Sympathy for the Devil.
Surf Rock was also a big genre in the 1960’s, it is associated with surfing culture, surprisingly by the name. It was especially popular from 1962 to 1964. It originated in Southern California and has two main genres, instrumental surf and vocal surf. Instrumental surf had very reverb heavy electric guitar which were meant to evoke the sound of crashing waves. Some bands that had this sound were The Ventures, The Chantays and The Lively Ones. Vocal surf was inspired by Doo-Wop and Rock & Roll. However lead electric guitar was almost completely gone. Instead there was more saxophones and vocal harmonies. The band that led forward Vocal Surf and Surf music in general was The Beach Boys.
Psychedelic Rock was another genre that started in the 1960’s. Psychedelic Rock is inspired by hallucinogens, they were also called “mind-expanding drugs.” The drugs they used were marijuana, LSD and magic mushrooms. The music reflects drug-induced state using feedback, electronic sounds, intense volume or even the opposite, very chilled and quiet volume. Psychedelic Rock became the soundtrack of the hippie movement. It was initially created in the west coast of America. However it spread to the rest of the world especially Europe. Some of the big bands from the West Coast of America were The Charlatans were a big Psychedelic Rock band with songs such as The Only One I Know and One to Another. Bands such as The Doors and Jefferson Airplanes had the same vibe as The Charlatans, which even though it is still Psychedelic Rock, it is very chilled and laid back. Compared to the 13th Floor Elevators who were a lot darker than these other bands. Jimi Hendrix’s debut album, “Are You Experienced?” fused the psychedelic rock sound of the late 1960’s. It is regarded as one of the best debut albums of all time. They delved into the bad side of LSD, the psychotic and dark side. They did this by using overdriven guitars, amplified feedback and droning guitars. The lead singer got hospitalized for mental illness years later. Some established bands and artists started getting into Psychedelic Rock, such as The Beatles with their 1966 album Revolver and their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The rolling Stones also tried to do this with their album Their Satanic Majesties Request, however that wasn’t very successful. The movement is called Counterculture movement, this is where psychedelic rock came from. The people in this movement are called Hippies, and their slogan was “Make Love, Not War.” This came from these opposing the Vietnam war.
The civil rights movement is still going strong and working towards their goal in the 1960’s. In February of 1960, four African Americans in Greensboro went to a white only lunch counter. They refused to leave even though they weren’t getting served. This was a protest so that segregated bars and restaurants shouldn’t be a thing. This came to be known as the “Greensboro sit in”. This sparked many more of these sit in’s across the country. Ruby Bridges was the first African American to integrate into the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. She had to be escorted by armed guards. Throughout 1961, activists, named freedom riders, took bus trips down to the south of America and used the “whites-only” toilets and restaurants. These freedoms riders were of all races, however the people with the opposite view to them were very violent towards the freedom riders. On August 28th 1963 around 250,000 people took part in The March on Washington. Many people walked up to the Lincoln Memorial and many civil rights leaders and activists gave a speech. The most famous one is Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. In July of 1964 president Lyndon B. Johnson signs the civil rights act of 1964. This act prevented discrimination in employment due to race, colour, sex, religion or national origin. In February of 1965 Malcolm X, a black religious leader, was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam, which was a group he used to be in. President Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Act, this meant that attorney general’s could contest state votes so that if they didn’t count votes due to race or gender, the attorney general could contest that and make then count it. There was the 1968 Fair Housing Act which stopped not selling houses to people due to race or gender.
Fashion for women was a big innovation in the 1960’s. It introduced high fashion for women, which reflected the movement in real life. This meant that women could dress smarter and attend these events which meant they could wear these kinds of things. Trousers were also introduced for women, as trousers were seen as masculine before this. Drainpipe jeans and capri pants were big at the time. Due to the space race and science fiction, space age fashion was a big thing in the 1960’s. This involved synthetic materials and tight clothes, and excessive body accessories. Hippie clothing was a big thing for men and women, this is due to the hippie movement. This included frayed jeans, tie dye t-shirts and “Jesus sandals”. There were backlash from feminists because in the fashion industry there was enforced femininity, so women started to dress less feminine to rebel against this. For men, it is very similar to the 1950’s. Suits and tuxedos were still very big. This was influenced by Sean Connery who played James Bond at the time. Casual wear was the same for middle class men, who wore sweaters. Surf fashion was also a big thing in the 1960’s due to surf rock, this was very colourful t shirt with shorts.
The Beatles were an English rock band, they were active from 1960 – 1970. They are known as the most influential band of all time. They were probably the biggest band of all time. The band was made up of John Lennon, the singer, songwriter and harmonicist; Paul McCartney, who was a multi-instrumentalist, who sang, was a songwriter, played piano, guitar and bass guitar, however he mostly sang and played guitar; Ringo Starr, the drummer and George Harrison, the bass guitarist. They are the best selling music act of all time, they sold over 600 million units worldwide. They are also the best selling music act in the US, which is interesting to say they are a UK band. They’re most famous albums are Abbey Road, The Beatles, Let it Be and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Clubs Band. Their biggest songs are Here Comes the Sun, Yesterday, Come Together and Let it Be.
I Want to Hold Your Hand is a song by The Beatles and was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It is from their 1964album “Meet the Beatles!” The song consists of vocals, drums, bass guitar, electric guitar and clapping. The song is in 4/4 and the form of the song is verse, chorus, verse, chorus, post-chorus, verse, chorus, post-chorus, verse and chorus. John Lennon and Paul McCartney Harmonise during this song so there is no real lead singer. This song was made because their manager, John Epstein, wanted to make a song that could break into the American market.
Tomorrow Never Knows is a song by The Beatles and was written primarily by John Lennon but Paul McCartney was also credited for writing. It was on their 1966 album “Revolver”. The song consists of vocals, drums, guitar, bass, sitar, piano and organ. The vocals are electronically processed, the drums are highly compressed and the song is in 4/4. This song has 3 verses in a row, then a breakdown, then 3 more verses in a row and then an outro. The song is about meditation and how it should transcend waking, sleeping and dreaming. John Lennon was into psychedelics when this song was written and this song was influenced by that.
1970’s Critical Thinking –
The 1970’s was again a big time for British Rock with artists such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Queen. Led Zeppelin had 8 number 1 albums in the UK and 6 number one albums in the US. The band consists vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboard player John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. Their first two albums were much more acoustic and folk, then they turned into a more heavy rock/metal band. They are seen as the founders and influencers of heavy metal. Even though they turned into a more rock/metal band they still drew from blues and folk music as the guitarist Jimmy Page has folk and blues roots. Their song “Whole Lotta Love” from their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II is famous for its breakdown. In the breakdown, it has a lot of strange sounds such as a door closing and the audio of a mill being knocked down. They used panning in the breakdown as well so it sounds like it’s going round your head. There is a Theremin which has a loop antenna and an upright antenna that controls the pitch. In this song it makes a very high pitched whistle like sound.
Black Sabbath are a British rock and metal band, and were active from 1968 to 2006. The original lineup and the one that made their most famous music is; guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and lead singer Ozzy Ozbourne. Tony Iommi’s fingertips got cut off in an accident, and he made handmade leather and plastic fingertips. He basically played with two fingers and really made the sound of the band. They are the one of the first big and commercial metal band, they really inspired up and coming artists and made the genre what it is. With albums such as Paranoid, Master of Reality, Black Sabbath and Vol. 4. Also with songs such as War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man and Children of the Grave.
Queen are a British rock band who are one of the most iconic bands of all time. Their line-up is made up of lead singer and pianist Freddie Mercury, bassist John Deacon, drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May. Their Greatest Hots compilation is the best selling album in the UK and is certified 8 times platinum in the US, which means it sold at least 8 million times. Their career wasn’t an instant smash hit, or amazing sales on all of the albums. Their popularity kept growing from album to album, then rose to stardom on their fourth LP. Their fourth album was “A Night at the Opera” is a legendary album. The biggest song on the album, and the band’s biggest song, is Bohemian Rhapsody. A song that before it was released, their record labels and radio stations were afraid to play it as it was six minutes long. Even John Deacon thought it would be their biggest mistake. However it turned out to be their greatest success. With songs such as Killer Queen, We are the Champions, Don’t Stop Me Now and Another One Bites the Dust. All of these songs and even more hits solidify Queen as one of the most iconic bands of all time, especially in the 1970’s.
Punk was a breakthrough genre in the 1970’s. Punk is basically a very rough, hard and unrefined way of playing. Punk is a sub genre of rock, called Punk Rock, and it is basically people just wanting to go mental and rebel against everything. A lot of Punk songs are rebelling against current politics. They would stick safety pins into their ears and face instead of having piercings. They did this to show how crazy they are, and they didn’t want to be mainstream so they did stuff like this to put a lot of people off. Bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and Misfits.
The Sex Pistols are probably the most influential and groundbreaking punk bands of all time, even though their career only lasted from 1975 – 1978. They were that influential, at a concert they did in 1976, the members of Joy Division and The Smiths created a band. They were at the concert, and because of how amazed they were, both bands decided to start and they become some of the biggest rock bands of all time. The Sex Pistols are the definition of a Punk band. With songs such as Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen, all their songs and especially these 2 were songs that the UK both loved and hated. God Save the Queen even got banned from radio. For a normal band this would be hell for them, however it was the kind of thing that The Sex Pistols would’ve wanted. The song was so controversial as the title is taken straight from the national anthem, and says how the UK and the monarchy is a “Fascist Regime.” It was also released around the time of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee which made it even more controversial. However the song wasn’t intended to link to the Silver Jubilee.
Disco was a big pioneer for the LGBTQ+ community in the 1970’s. As before 1969, it was illegal for 2 men to dance together. The Stonewall Riots happened because police raided the Stonewall Inn, they then arrested anyone that was a man and was dressed as a woman. This then caused something known as The Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots were members of the LGBTQ+ community fought back when the police started to be violent towards them. This is considered to be one of the most influential events in the gay liberation movement. So after the riots, it was legal for 2 men to dance together. In the 1970’s, disco was a big thing for the LGTBQ+ community. Such as Diana Ross’s song, “I’m Coming Out”. Even though until close to releasing the song she didn’t know what it meant, the song become an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community. It started in the 1960’s in New York but really became big in the 1970’s. As people were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted, be with whoever they wanted and dance however they wanted. This made disco especially in New York a pioneer for women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights. Disco was big with artists such as KC and the Sunshine Band and Gloria Gaynor. KC and the Sunshine band were big in disco as they were one of the first big successful white artists in disco. This helped the image of in disco being whoever you wanted to be, including any race and gender. Gloria Gaynor was also a big disco artist with songs such as I will Survive and Never Can Say Goodbye. Guitar strings and horns section were big in Gloria Gaynor’s songs and disco in general. The fashion was very heavy on wearing whatever you want to, however the main clothing was bell bottom pants, silk shirts and platform shoes.
Soul Train was a show that started in 1971, and was all about music. It was a very regular and popular show that showcased all the new songs. It was a way to show African American’s music off to the world. As at this point in time it was still difficult to be a mainstream artist if you are African American. This show consisted of all different kinds of music, such as dance, pop, jazz and blues. This influenced black artists all over the world, especially in the US and the UK.
There were many advancements in music technology in the 1970’s. Such as 24 and 32 track recording. As before this the max was 16 tracks on a record, but with the invention of 24 track artists had a lot more freedom on their albums and compilations. There were also cassette players in cars during the 1970’s, which gave listeners a new way to listen to music and a new place to. The Minimoog was also invented in 1970, which gave artists an easier way to play. The Minimoog was a portable synthesizer, the first one ever, so it meant artist could now play with synthesizers live, which made live performances even better. The Fender Rhodes was also the first popular electric piano, and it was used by artists such as Stevie Wonder. This made a piano even more interesting as it could sound newer, more modern and have an amplified sound. Karaoke was also invented in the 1970’s, and became a fun way for people to enjoy music. A very weird piece of technology was invented in the 1970’s, and that was the Talk Box. This meant you could play a key on the keyboard, and then if you talk into the pipe, it makes a sound that links to the key you just played. It made some very weird sounds but was used a lot in the 1970’s.
Stevie Wonder is an American artist. He has been active from 1961 to the present day. He is blind, yet one of the best and most influential artists of all time, which makes him a very special artist. He covered many genres such as R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. When he was 13 in 1963 he got his first number one hit with “fingertips”. He is the only artist that won 3 Grammys for 3 consecutive album releases. He is a multi-instrumentalist, he can play the piano, synthesizer, harmonica, congas, drums, organ, bongos, clavinet, melodica and he can sing. He is known as a one man band. His most famous and well known albums are Songs in the Key of Life, Talking Book and For Once in My Life.
Songs in the Key of Life is Stevie Wonder’s eighteenth album. It was releases in 1976. It is known as Stevie Wonder’s magnum opus and one of the best albums of the many genres he covers. It was released as a double LP with a four song bonus EP. It was the best selling album of 1977, as it released late 1976 and was certified diamond in 1976. The album won four Grammys, which where: Album of the year, best male pop vocal performance, best male R&B vocal performance and producer of the year.
Sir Duke is a Stevie Wonder song from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is a tribute to a jazz legend Duke Ellington, that’s where a lot of the songs inspiration comes from. Such as the swing feel with the drums and bass, which is a very big jazz feel. The song is in 4/4, and uses chords called the Doo-Wop chords. Which is the chord structure, 1, 6, 4, 5. This song features drums, keyboard, bass, vocals, guitar, trumpets, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone. The structure of this song is quite complicated, it is :verse, pre-chorus, chorus, shout chorus. It then repeats twice but after the last chorus there is no shout chorus. A shout chorus is a jazz style chorus which is like a solo for the horn players to “show-off”. This is something Duke Ellington did a lot.
I Wish is a song by Stevie Wonder and is again from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is about Stevie Wonder’s childhood in the 1950’s and early 1960’s and how he wishes he could relive them. The song was a soul, funk and pop song. The song features bass, alto saxophone, trumpets, tenor saxophone, keyboard, synthesizer, vocals and drums. Stevie Wonder played the drums, keyboard, synthesizer and sang in this song. The song is in 4/4. The structure of this song is very simple, it is: verse, chorus, verse then chorus.
1980’s Critical Listening –
The 1980’s was a big time for the world and for music in general. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, concert of al time happened in 1985, Live Aid. Live Aid was in support of the relief for the Ethiopian Famine. The concert raised $127 million, which makes it the highest grossing charity concert of all time. Live Aid was played in 2 stadiums, Wembley Stadium in London, England and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, USA. It’s legendary line up consists of David Bowie, Phil Collins, Queen, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ozzy Osbourne and many more. This is known as one of the best concerts of all time, and looking at the line-up it is clear to see why. At Wembley, there were 72,000 people there and at the JFK Stadium, there were around 90,000 people there. The most impressive fact however, is that there was an estimated audience of 1.9 billion watching at home. This is absolutely mind-blowing fact as this was 40% of the population at the time. 40% of people watching one concert all at once. Queen’s performance is the most famous performance that came from Live Aid, as the way Freddie Mercury interacted with fans was amazing. He did his now famous “Ay-Oh” at Live Aid for the first time, it is now known all around the world as Freddie Mercury’s thing. However, this was all improvisation as he didn’t get time for a vocal warm up, so he did it on stage while also interacting with fans and making them more engaged. It is called call and response, and this is a perfected version of it.
The Berlin Wall was also a big talking point in the 1980’s, as there were many protests against it. Many people found the wall to be pointless and there should be no divide in Germany anymore. In 1989, it was allowed to travel through the Berlin Wall without a visa. During the same year, half a million people gathered in East Berlin to have the wall knocked down, so 5 days later they started the demolition. Many artists like Iggy Pop and David Bowie helped tear the Berlin Wall down. A big musical event was David Bowie performing “Heroes” in 1987 at the Reichstag in West Berlin. This was a key event in the wall being taken down. Even the German Government appreciated his help as after his death he was acknowledged for “Helping to bring down the wall.” They also said “You are now among Heroes.” David Bowie was a big artist in the 1980’s, with his effect on the world such as with the Berlin Wall and his music. With songs such as Heroes, Space Oddity, Starman and Let’s Dance. Let’s Dance was his second No. 1 single, and it made a lot of people aware of his older music that didn’t already know it, as Let’s Dance was a more simple and accessible song. The iconic guitar solo at the end of the song is done by Stevie Ray Vaughan, who at the time wasn’t well known. However this song put him up there and is no a well known blues guitarist.
Bloody Sunday was a big event that was still talked about in the 1980’s, even though it happened in 1972. There were peaceful civil rights protestors in Londonderry Northern Ireland, and the army were sent on them. 13 were killed and 15 were injured. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a song by U2 which talks about the event and how bad it is. As they are from Ireland, the event means a lot to them. This song is taken from their third album, War, which is seen as a very political album. The album wasn’t received that well at launch, however over time people have learnt to like it. The album explores war, the physical aspects, emotional and mental effects of it.
Gated drums and gated reverb was a big sound in the 1980’s. It was discovered by Phil Collins. When he was playing drums, he didn’t realise but there were gates on the reverb, which cut off sound at a certain frequency. This created gated drums as it was a sound never heard before and was created. Once it was created it was huge in the 1980’s, with it even getting over used. The first big use of gated reverb was Phil Collins’s biggest hit, “In the Air Tonight. Phil Collins also used it heavily in most of his solo music and his work with genesis after he discovered it. It is also used on the James Bond theme song for “A View to Kill” and Bruce Springsteen’s big hit “Born in the USA.” Gated reverb became a defining sound of the 1980’s as it was used extensively. Peter Gabriel also discovered gated reverb as he was working with Phil Collins at the time. He used this on his 1986 song, Sledgehammer. It was also famous for being one of the first videos and pieces of media to use stop motion, which was then used in things like Wallace and Gromit. It was also a very strange music video, and really made music videos what they are today.
Margaret Thatcher was a big influence in music and the world in general. She was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. She was a very divisive Prime Minister, some people loved her and some people hated her. However she won landslide re-elections, even though she was hated by many people. She was very popular with the upper class people and the south of the UK, however when it came to the working class and the north of the UK, she wasn’t liked. A big reason was the UK miners’ strike that happened in 1984-85. Margaret Thatcher was trying to decrease the power of Trade Unions, but she had to shut down mines and collieries. The effect of these riots was that people lost their jobs, got arrested, injured and killed. This led into music as there were countless songs about it. The band UB40 got their name from the unemployment benefits at the time. Some songs that are written about Margaret Thatcher and her time in office are: Panic by The Smiths, Margaret on the Guillotine by Morrissey, Tramp the Dirt Down by Elvis Costello and I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher by The Notsensibles. There were a wave of songs all about Margaret Thatcher during the 1980’s, and most of them aren’t very positive towards her.
MTV was also debuted in 1981. Their debut was with Video Killed the Radio Star. MTV was a moderate success, until the mid 1980’s, when most people started to get TV’s and they became a common thing in households. MTV became a show everyone watched and it became a common way to listen to music and get the new music. John Landis, who was the director of MTV, has done amazing work for the show and he also worked on the Thriller music video.
Michael Jackson is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. He is known as the “King of Pop” and is regarded as one of the most influential figures on the 20th century. He started out his career as a member of the Jackson 5, he was only 8 when he started his professional career. This group consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson. They were all in the same family and were brothers. They were a very big group with many hit singles, Michael was the lead singer of it. However they broke up in 1973, and that’s when Michael Jackson’s illustrious career started. He is famous for albums such as Thriller, Off the Wall and Bad. Also for songs such as Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and Smooth Criminal.
Rock With You is a pop and disco Michael Jackson song from his 1979 album Off the Wall. This song is about dancing and about moving with the beat and feeling good. It also has some sexual implication like a lot of pop music. This track was originally called “I Want to Eat You Up,” however this was changed to fit Michael Jackson more as the title was seen as very violent. The song is in 4/4, and has many different instruments in it: lead vocals, backing vocals which sing in harmony with Michael’s lead vocals, bass, clapping, drums, keyboard, synthesizer, horns and strings. Strings and horns aren’t something that you usually see in pop songs, which makes this song even better. The structure of this song is: verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus and outro. This is a simple structure, however for the song that it is a complex structure wouldn’t really work.
Thriller is the title track of Michael Jackson’s sixth album, Thriller. It is a mix of funk, disco and pop. Thriller has a horror theme to it, it’s about monsters and creatures of the night. This song is the first big song which has a serious horror theme to it which makes it very unique. The most interesting thing about this song is the music video, it was ground-breaking. The director, John Landis, wanted to make it into a short film, and Jackson liked the idea. John Landis is known for films such as The Blue Brothers and Beverly Hills Cop 3. However Jackson picked him because of his work on An American Werewolf in London, as Jackson wanted to be a monster in this video. The video is 13 minutes long, and instead of just being a marketing campaign it is an actual film. It was released to the world through MTV, which made album sales shoot through the roof. The song is in 4/4 and has these instruments in it: 2 synthesizers, a drum machine, a piano, an electric guitar, a pipe organ and a horn section including trumpet, trombone, flugelhorn, saxophone and flute. Again there is an interesting horn section which makes this song again interesting. The structure of this song is: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus and outro. Even though it is quite a basic structure, it doesn’t need a complicated structure as the song is great and all the parts are good.
1990’s Critical Listening –
Grunge was probably the biggest new genre to come out of the 1990’s. Grunge is very heavy rock music, that is distortion filled and unpolished. Grunge took over America, especially Nirvana. Nirvana were massive in the 1990’s, with hits such as Come as You Are and Smells Like Teen Spirit, they took over America. However, Come as You Are was very heavily influenced by “Killing Joke” by Eighties. The guitar riff is practically identical. Nirvana became legends, and when Kurt Cobain died in 1994, it was a massive hit to the genre and music in general. When he died, so did grunge as a genre, there were still bands making Grunge music and new bands making Grunge music, however it was never the same. Nirvana were the epitome of Grunge, so once they couldn’t make music anymore, Grunge died off. However when it was at its peak, it was massive. With other bands such as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Britpop was a big genre in the 1990’s with bands such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, Blur, Supergrass and The Verve. The 1990’s produced some of the most iconic British bands and figures of all time. It even affected fashion as after the success of Oasis and The Stone Roses items of clothing like bucket hats, parkas and a general casual and cool look. Manchester was also a massive place in England, with bands such as Oasis and The Stone Roses. Manchester was the biggest place in the UK and maybe even the world for music in the 1990’s. Britpop was a response to grunge in the US. With bands like Nirvana dominating the US, bands like Oasis were dominating the UK. It was a different style as grunge is very heavy, whereas Britpop can be laid back. However they are very similar as Kurt Cobain and Ian Brown and many other artists when they were singing, they were singing very softly and very relaxed. Like they were talking almost. There were many influences from British Rock in the 1960’s and 1970’s. With the biggest one probably being Oasis with The Beatles, as a lot of people think Oasis copied The Beatles. Oasis themselves have been very vocal in their copying of other artists. With Noel Gallagher saying that Yellow Submarine influenced Supersonic, Let It Be influenced Be Here Now and Helter Skelter influenced Fade In Out. Noel Gallagher also said, that they’ve used David Bowie’s song All the Young Dudes, and from that song they’ve got “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Stand by Me.” Also the guitar riff from “Cigarettes and Alcohol” was very blatantly copied from “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” by T-Rex. Even though a lot of Britpop bands in the 1990’s could’ve copied other people’s work, they were massive at the time and they still have influence today. They defined the UK during the 90’s with their music and just the way they were.
Dance was a big genre in the 1990’s, however it changed and evolved immensely. Instead of dance being played at clubs, which it still was, it changed to being played in warehouse raves and acid houses. The aesthetic changed as well, it was no longer all about being happy and dancing, it was very heavily influenced by drugs and the aesthetic was all about drugs as well. Dance in the 1990’s became very different, it had many different genres. Genres such as Drum and Bass, Jungle and Trance became the big dance genres that would be played at the popular places. There was a lot of sequencing used, which means that it was made by a person, however it was played by a computer or a machine. So it created a different sound to what came before. There was also a lot of arpeggios used, which meant that the notes of the chords were played quickly, and ascended or descended. This created the sound of dance in the 1990’s. What is Love by Haddaway is a dance song from the 1990’s, however it is more of a classic dance song with a modern 90’s twist on it as it is electronic. Children by Robert Miles is another big dance song from the 1990’s and that is a lot more of a 90’s style song, as it is Trance.
Rap became very prominent in the 1990’s. It was very close to its popularity today, and set the groundworks for the genre. With artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, N.W.A, The Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. A big event that happened and influenced rap was the Rodney King incident. Rodney King was in a high speed chase with the police for drunk driving, then when they caught him, the two officers nearly beat him to death. A civilian caught this on video, and it sent America into unrest. However the part that made the most unrest, was the fact that at the first trial, they were found not guilty. On their second trial they were found guilty. From the 29th April to the 4th May 1992, the LA Riots took place. It wasn’t just in LA, it was all over America, however it was mainly in LA. The rioting consisted of looting, assault, arson, protest and property damage. It was not a good time for America as 64 people died and around 2,300 people were injured. This event inspired music and especially rap. After they weren’t charged the first time, N.W.A made their popular song “Fuck Tha Police” an anthem about this event. Because of its controversy, it got banned and couldn’t get played. N.W.A would’ve gotten fined if they played it during this time, however after the riots the song was allowed to be played again. Another big thing in Rap in the 1990’s is the East Coast vs West Coast. The East Coast consisted of The Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan and 50 cent. The West Coast consisted of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, 2Pac and N.W.A. The big feud was between The Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. Multiple tracks from both of them were written about each other and they didn’t get along. However they both got murdered in drive-by shootings. This kind of made all of the rivalry and arguments between them seem pointless. Another thing that kind of fixed the East Coast vs West Coast was the fact that Dr. Dre, who is from the West Coast, signed Eminem, who is East Coast, to Aftermath record label. There were many iconic songs and albums in the 1990’s, such as The Chronic and 2001 by Dr. Dre, Illmatic by Nas, The Slim Shady LP by Eminem Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G and All Eyez on Me by 2Pac. All of these albums have become classic albums, with Illmatic being known as one of the best Rap Album and The Slim Shady LP kicking off the most iconic careers of all time.
Smells Like Teen Spirit is a Grunge/Alt Rock track from Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind. When Kurt Cobain was writing the song, he wanted to sort copy pop songs, and write about nothing. However he also wanted to make a post punk song, and write about freedom and revolution. So the song ends up having no meaning and not making much sense, but still being a smash hit. It was an unexpected smash hit, and came out of nowhere and topped the charts. Even Kurt Cobain himself said that he doesn’t think it’s their best work. However by critics and listeners it is known as one of the best songs of the 20th century. The song is in 4/4 and features drums, guitar, vocals and bass guitar. Cobain used a cheap guitar pedal which gave it the sloppy and distorted sound Nirvana and Grunge are known for. The structure of this song is: Instrumental intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, post-chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, post-chorus, guitar solo, verse then pre-chorus. It is quite a good structure as even though it repeats, it changes up at the end to make it not seem repetitive. Also a pre-chorus at the end of the song and after a chorus isn’t something that you normally expect.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band who have been together from 1983 to the present day. They are best known for albums such as Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, By The Way and Stadium Arcadium. As well as songs such as Californication, Otherside, Can’t Stop, Under the Bridge and Snow (Hey Oh). The band covers many different genres, such as alternative rock, funk, punk rock and psychedelic rock. They change genres a lot and aren’t stuck to the same kind of music. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Kledis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante. The members have switched in and out, especially Frusciante, however this is the most famous and most consistent line up.
Give it Away is a funk/rap rock song from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The song actually has quite a deep meaning, as it is about lead singer Anthony Kledis, relationship and ideology. It is about selflessness vs being selfish, and getting the right balance between being nice and having nothing. The song was the band’s first top 10 hit, however got overshadowed by Otherside, a song from the same album. The song is in 4/4 and consists of bass, guitar, drums, tambourine, vocals and jaw harp. A jaw harp is a very strange and ancient instrument. It creates a sort of twang and it is a very rare instrument to be used. The song’s structure is: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, backwards guitar solo, verse, chorus, then a repeat of the first verse, chorus then outro. It is a simple structure for about half of the song, then it becomes quite different. With a backwards guitar solo, which isn’t seen often and is a nice part to the song. Then a repeat of a verse and not doing a different verse is unique.
2000’s Critical Listening –
Some big world events happened in the 2000’s, with the most impactful being 9/11. 9/11 was when terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11th 2001. 2 planes flew into the building, and caused the building to collapse. The first one was seen as an accident, until the 2nd one hit only 18 minutes later. As it was only 18 minutes in between the attacks, many people wouldn’t have had time to evacuate and leave the building. 2,605 died, including the 19 attackers. However there was more damage than just deaths and the building being no more. It caused everyone who worked in the World Trade Centre lost their jobs, also America started their “War on Terror”, which has put them $20 trillion more in debt than they would be without it. It had the impact on music that people weren’t allowed to talk as freely using music. As streaming services were still becoming a thing, so all the money was from radio plays and gigs. So artists weren’t able to speak their mind after this event.
Crazy
Umbrella
Eminem
Stan