popular music 1970-90

the 1970s

• vietnam war winds down

• oil crisis

• watergate

• nostalgia for simpler times

  • grease

  • american graffiti

• industry consolidation

• album oriented rock (AOR)

• rock as spectacle

oil crisis

embargo on all nations who supported israel, gas went up in price

watergate

brought down nixon administration, growing distrust of government

industry consolidation

80% of record sales by 6 major labels

• CBS, warner, RCA, capitol/EMI, MCA, united artsits/MGM

• FM v. AM radio formats

album oriented rock (AOR)

treated records as a complete work (~40 minutes of music)

how was rock a spectacle in popular music?

• new virtuosity

• competing with films, bringing that on stage

the 1970’s transition

• deaths of jimi hendrix, janis joplin, jim morrison

• beatles break up

punk

• back-to-basics R&R

• cultural style

• CBGB in new york

• the ramones

punk: back-to-basics R&R

anti virtuosity, garage band style

punk cultural style

rebellion against authority & middle class values, angst, “blank” generation

punk CBGB in new york

originally folk, club but later became home for punk groups

the ramones

more basic, 50s rock, used very fast but catchy songs

• johnny, dee dee, joey, tommy

popular music singer-songwriters

• john prine

• joni mitchell

• tina turner

john prine

discovered by kris kristofferson

• songwriter: “sam stone”, “hello in there”, “paradise”, “angel from montgomery”

tina turner

first black artist to be on the cover of rolling stone

• partnership with ike turner (ike & tina turner review)

  • touring on the chittlin’ circuit (the ikettes (backup dancers))

  • abusive relationship (divorced)

• rebirth & redemption in 1980s = private dancer

the 1980s

• new conservatism (reaganomics)

  • tax cutting

  • recession that hits record sales

• corporate radio (bland, “white” rock)

• flowering of styles

• globalization (record companies became global = access to world music)

1980’s flowering of styles

• electronica

• early rap

• hip hop

• dance

• boy bands

mtv early days

radio-style format, music clips played

mtv today

pioneered reality shows, less & less music

mtv

dominated by white pop (until michael jackson & prince)

• producers afraid of their advertisers

michael jackson

made thriller

• CBS & MTV

• thriller is top selling album of all time, music videos revolutionized

bruce springsteen

made born in the USA

• combined rebellious image of 50s rockers with socially conscious folk music in 60s

• working class roots in new jersey

madonna

made like a virgin

• revolutionized visual aspect of music videos

• singer, songwriter, actress

• madonna’s playbook

madonna’s playbook

• fashion

• religion

• feminine icons

• sexuality

age of blockbuster records

pop stars become corporate entities, establishes celebrity paparazzi culture

• michael jackson: thriller (1982)

• prince: purple rain (1984)

• bruce springsteen: born in the USA (1984)

• madonna: like a virgin (1984)

• van halem: 1984 (1984)

• bon jovi: slippery when wet (1986)

• guns & roses: appetite for destruction (1987)

• whitney houston: whitney (1987)