MUSIC EXAM 2

EXAM PREP FOR 2nd Music exam

Wall Of Sound

A dense, layered music production style created by Phil Spector to sound massive on AM radio.

Brill Building

A NYC office building famous for housing professional songwriters and publishers in the 1950s and 60s.

Payola

• An illegal, undercover practice where record companies or promoters paid radio DJs or station managers (often with cash or gifts) to play specific songs on the radio. The goal was to manufacture popularity and boost record sales. A major scandal in the late 1950s led to congressional hearings, ruining the careers of prominent figures like DJ Alan Freed.

Overdubbing

Recording additional sounds or musical parts over an existing recording.

Double_tracking

Recording the exact same vocal or instrumental part twice to create a thicker, richer sound.

Concept Album

A studio album where all musical or lyrical ideas contribute to a single, unified theme.

Synthesizer

An electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals to create diverse, often futuristic sounds.

mellotron

An early, pre-digital keyboard instrument that played pre-recorded tape loops of real instruments.

Counterculture

A 1960s social movement whose values and norms rejected mainstream American society.

Hi-Fi

• High-fidelity sound reproduction; meaning a high-quality, highly accurate audio recording format.

Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton: A powerful R&B singer who originally recorded the hit "Hound Dog" years before Elvis Presley did.

Johnny Mathis

A highly popular pop and easy-listening singer known for his romantic ballads in the late 1950s.

Nat "King" Cole:

A pioneering African American jazz pianist and pop crooner who was one of the first Black entertainers to host a national TV show.

Alan Freed

A prominent DJ who popularized the term "rock 'n' roll" but whose career was ultimately ruined by the payola scandal.

Chuck Berry

A founding father of rock 'n' roll, famous for his electric guitar riffs, clever storytelling lyrics, and iconic "duck walk."

Little Richard:

A flamboyant rock 'n' roll pioneer known for his wild, energetic piano playing and shouting vocal style (like in "Tutti Frutti").

Elvis Presley

The "King of Rock 'n' Roll," who popularized rockabilly and became a massive, controversial cultural icon in the 1950s.

Buddy Holly

A rock 'n' roll pioneer who popularized the standard rock band lineup (two guitars, bass, and drums) before his tragic death in a plane crash.

Wanda Jackson

The "Queen of Rockabilly," known for her raspy singing voice and pioneering role as a woman in early rock and roll.

The Temptations

A highly successful Motown male vocal group known for their tight harmonies and synchronized choreography (e.g., "My Girl").

The Supremes:

Motown's premier female vocal group, led by Diana Ross, who achieved massive crossover pop success.

Berry Gordy Jr.

: The visionary founder of Motown Records, who created a highly successful "assembly line" system for producing polished Black pop music.

Ray Charles:

The "Genius of Soul," who pioneered soul music by controversially blending R&B, gospel, and blues.

Sam Cooke

A pioneer of soul music known for his smooth vocals and writing the powerful civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come."

James Brown:

The "Godfather of Soul," whose intense focus on rhythm, groove, and complex beats laid the direct foundation for funk music.

Aretha Franklin

The "Queen of Soul," a powerhouse vocalist whose recordings demanded respect and became anthems for civil rights and female empowerment.

Dionne Warwick:

A successful pop and R&B singer who frequently collaborated with legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Stevie Wonder

: A Motown child prodigy who grew into a highly innovative singer-songwriter, pioneering the use of synthesizers in 1970s R&B and funk.

Sly and the Family Stone:

A groundbreaking, racially and gender-integrated band that blended soul, rock, and funk with psychedelic influences.

George Clinton

The mastermind behind Parliament-Funkadelic, famous for his heavy funk grooves, Afro-futurism, and sci-fi stage shows.

Phil Spector:

The highly influential (and later infamous) record producer who invented the dense "Wall of Sound" recording technique.

The Beatles:

• The most influential band of the British Invasion and pop history, known for their rapid evolution in songwriting and studio experimentation.rock

The Rolling Stones

A leading British Invasion band known for their gritty, heavily blues-influenced rock sound and "bad boy" rebellious image.

Brian Wilson:

The creative genius behind The Beach Boys, known for his complex vocal harmonies and groundbreaking studio production on albums like Pet Sounds.

Jimi Hendrix

A revolutionary guitarist who transformed how the electric guitar was played using intense distortion, feedback, and virtuosic psychedelic techniques.

Eric Clapton

A highly influential British blues-rock guitarist who played with bands like the Yardbirds and Cream before a massive solo career.

Bob Dylan

A central figure in the 1960s urban folk revival who famously "went electric," bringing deep, poetic, and socially conscious lyrics into rock music.

Simon and Garfunkel

A prominent folk-rock duo known for their beautiful vocal harmonies and thoughtful songwriting.

Jefferson Airplane

A pioneering San Francisco psychedelic rock band featuring Grace Slick, whose music became synonymous with the 1960s counterculture.

David Bowie:

A pioneer of glam rock known for his theatrical, constantly changing alter-egos (like Ziggy Stardust) and musical reinvention.

Miles Davis

A legendary jazz trumpeter who constantly innovated, eventually pioneering the heavy fusion of jazz and rock (Jazz Rock) in the late 60s.

Allman Brothers Band

A foundational Southern rock band known for their twin lead guitars, extended improvisational jams, and blues-rock roots.

Patsy Cline

A pioneering country music singer who achieved massive crossover pop success thanks to the smooth, orchestral "Nashville Sound.

Carole King:

A legendary Brill Building pop songwriter who later became one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 1970s with her album Tapestry.

Dolly Parton

A country music icon known for her brilliant songwriting, distinctive voice, and massive crossover success into mainstream pop.

John Denver:

A highly popular singer-songwriter in the 1970s known for his acoustic, country-pop sound and nature-themed lyrics.

Elton John

A flamboyant, piano-playing British singer-songwriter who dominated the 1970s with a massive string of theatrical pop/rock hits.

The Bee Gees

A British-Australian trio whose soaring falsetto harmonies and driving beats became the absolute defining sound of the late-1970s disco era.