MUS1014 Midterm #1

For History of Rock n' Roll, 1970-Present

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (band)

Progressive rock band prominent between 1970-1973, best known for Brain Salad Surgery. Used classical and jazz music techniques as a basis for their elaborate live performances. Continued to release music intermittently until disbanding in 1979.

Boston (band)

American rock band formed in 1975, releasing “Boston” (The album) in 1976, which remains one of the best-selling American rock albums. After hitting their peak in the late 1970s, they have continued to release music even after the deaths of several members of the band.

Bruce Springsteen (artist)

Released first albums in 1973, known for a very successful rock career spanning 6 decades. Very much in the classic rock n’ roll genre of freedom and youth, he was especially prominent in the 70s but remains relevant today.

Patti Smith (artist)

One of the first singers to perform true “punk” music, Patti Smith had her start at the CBGB OMFUG. She was especially popular from 1973 through the rest of the 70s, pioneering the very free-willed and unartistic nature of punk. She has remained active in the music industry, often working with several bands and projects beyond the Patti Smith Band.

The Sex Pistols (band)

Formed in 1975 and ending in 1978, the Sex Pistols were the first truly punk band in the UK and had a huge influence on punk culture/fashion. Their whirlwind group broke up in 1978 shortly after a tour. Known for being very unapologetic, the Sex Pistols continued to have one-off shows, though they often replaced members (i.e., Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious)

The Ramones (band)

Debuting as a punk rock band in 1974, the Ramones never achieved the fame of other punk bands but were influential in the punk scene. They continually put out 14 albums and toured until 1996. The Ramones also contributed considerably to the style of punk music.

The Clash (band)

One of the original British ‘punk rock’ groups, The Clash formed in 1976 and continued until 1985 after disagreements within the band. They were known for their combining of traditional punk elements with reggae, ska, and funk to create a unique but commercially successful sound.

Elvis Costello (artist)

Elvis Costello was the stage name for Declan McManus, active from 1970 to the present. He was most prominent from 1977 to 1980, releasing several successful albums. His music was primarily punk, but used influence from R&B, jazz, and country to create practical lyricism with raw punk energy.

Run- DMC(band)

Made up of Jam Master Jay, D.M.C., and Run, Run-DMC was a group formed in 1983 that was one of the first true hip-hop/rap groups. Mostly active from 1984-1986, Run-DMN was the first rap group to appear on MTV and Rolling stone, pioneering the field.

Public Enemy (group)

A hip-hop/rap group formed in 1985 that remains active to this day, Public Enemy was one of the first ‘conscious rap’ groups, talking about black oppression in America. They won several gold/platinum album awards, helping rap become a mainstream genre. Active mostly 1985-1994.

Arena rock (term)

Genre of rock music that was meant to be commercially digestible/relatable to listeners, such as the Rolling Stones and Boston. Emerges in the late 1960s with the Beatles and remains prominent through the mid-1970s.

Disco (term)

Genre of music meant to be more dance-like with origins in Gospel and R&B, disco utilizes all kinds of music to create a polished image. Starting in the late 1960s, disco had a similar run to arena rock through the mid 1970s, serving as a counterculture to the largely white-dominated arena rock culture. Disco continued to evolve well into the early 1980s, grinding to a halt after Disco Demolition Night in 1979. Included bands such as Chic and the Bee Gees.

Funk (term)

Funk originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s to create more danceable environment. Influenced by soul and gospel music. Remained an influential yet small genre well into the 80s. James Brown and Stevie Wonder.

Verse (term)

A portion of a song with unique lyrics that follows a similar musical pattern to other parts of the song. Often musically unengaging and meant to tell a story.

Bridge (term)

An unheard portion of a song meant to contrast the rest of the song. Often the part of the song with the most emotional impact, occurring after the 2nd verse/chorus.

Chorus (term)

A set of lyrics/music repeated several times throughout the song. Meant to be the most catchy portion of the song.

Pre-Chorus (term)

A musical section leading the verse to the chorus.

Scratching (term)

A part of turntableism, where a DJ moves a vinyl record around a turntable to produce a percussive sound. In early turntabling, was often used to transition from one record to another. It emerged in the 1970s, but has gained use across several genres.

Synthesizer (term)

An electronic music instrument developed originally in the 1940s, began with the RCA Mark II Synth in 1957. The Moog Synth developed in 1964, solidifying a synth’s capabilities. It contained oscillators that could generate noise at different pitches, record them, and play it back. By 1970, the Minimoog was developed and made a standard of synths with keyboards/other tools, rather than programming each frequency. In 1978, storing tracks on synths became possible, and have since evolved to become much more self-contained. Largely saw use in prog-rock and more electronic bands.

Digital sampling (term)

An electronic instrument that can record and play back sound samples, whether from another song or track. Developing in in the late 1960s, it began to see use in the musical world in hip-hop and when it became commercially available in 1976. It developed separately as well in the turntabling scene, where DJs like Grandmaster Flash could run several records at the same time, cutting them in and out to mix new music.

Digital Audio Workstation (term)

Software originally developed in the 1970s, becoming commercially sound in 1978. Largely intertwined with the use of computers and synthesizers in creating music.