Music History Lecture Review

Country and Western and the Postwar Music Landscape

• 1949: Billboard magazine designates country and western as a separate core category for record sales.
• Early influential country artists mentioned: Bob Wills, Mopatze Montana, Ernest Tubb.
• By the late 1940s to early 1950s, country music broadens with stars like Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash.
• Note that the lecturer intends to delve deeper into Cash, Patsy Cline, and others later in the course.

The Birth of Rock and Roll (Early 1950s)

• Postwar shifts: up-tempo beats influenced by swing and rhythm & blues; the big-band era becomes too expensive (40–50 musicians plus leader).
• Cost-conscious groups: bands shrink to about 4–6 members (instrumentation varies).
• Emergence of electric blues as bands adopt electronic sounds.
• A new popular music form rises: rock and roll, characterized by up-tempo, energetic music with simple lyrics and danceable beats.
• Prominent early rock and roll figures:
  • Alan Freed (Cleveland DJ) coined the term "rock and roll".
  • Bill Haley: drove rock and roll ground with hits like "Rock Around the Clock" and "See You Later, Alligator" (1953).
  • Elvis Presley: major figure in 1950s rock and roll; hits include "Jailhouse Rock", "Don’t Be Cruel", "All Shook Up", and "Hound Dog"; later had a late-60s resurgence and a significant 1970s legacy.
  • Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly are also highlighted as pivotal.
• The rock-and-roll hit debate: which song marks the first true rock and roll hit?
  • Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley) vs. Rocket 88 (often cited by a minority of scholars).
  • No conclusive consensus; these two are typically considered the top contenders.
• Chuck Berry: from St. Louis; learned guitar in high school; early hits include "Maybellene" and "Ida Red"; credited with cementing the guitar as the primary instrument in rock and roll.
• Elvis Presley: discussed as the period’s defining star; blend of blues, gospel, and rockabilly; string of hits; cultural impact.
• Patsy Cline: part of the country-pop crossover movement; early success with "Walkin’ After Midnight"; later hits include "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces".
• Johnny Cash: early guitar and fame in the 1950s; wrote "Folsom Prison Blues" while in the Air Force; notable for recording a concert in a prison; first artist inducted into both the Country and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• Film reference: Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line (Joaquin Phoenix as Cash; Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash, who won an Oscar for her role).

Folk Music and Its Revival (1930s–1965)

• Folk scene persisted from roughly 1935 to 1965; experienced a lull in the 1950s.
• Revival acts cited: Peter, Paul and Mary; The Chad Mitchell Trio; Joan Baez.
• Folk revival remained strong through 1965; question raised: why did folk lose some steam afterward?
• Transition context: the postwar era and the British Invasion affected folk’s visibility.

Payola Scandal and the 1959 Turning Points

• 1959 was a pivotal year for rock and roll for negative reasons: the payola scandal.
• Payola definition: record executives paying DJs to play certain songs to boost popularity; effectively an illegal bribe.
• Alan Freed implicated in payola scandal; his career never recovered.
• Dick Clark avoided scandal and continued to thrive (e.g., American Bandstand).
• The 1959 plane crash that devastated rock and roll: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper).
• Names to remember:
  • Buddy Holly: major influence; hits like "Peggy Sue"; recognized as a key figure in 1950s rock.
  • Ritchie Valens: first Latino hitmaker in rock and roll; hits include "La Bamba" and "Don’t Go Home
  • The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson): known for the hit "Chantilly Lace".
• Cultural moment: the crash is memorialized in the Don McLean song "American Pie" (the day the music died).

The Beach Boys and International Rock Growth

• After the 1959 losses, the Beach Boys rise with surf-rock sounds: "Surfin’ Safari", "Surfin’ USA", "Good Vibrations", and "Wouldn’t It Be Nice".
• Brian Wilson’s death noted; the band’s legacy continues through later iterations.
• The lecture emphasizes the global spread of rock: not only U.S. and Britain, but international acts also make significant impact.
• Notable international acts discussed: ABBA (multilingual releases), with a story about refusing a billion-dollar offer to perform a single concert; ABBA’s multilingual albums and wide impact.
• Other non-English-speaking rock acts from non-U.S./non-Britain/Australia are acknowledged for shaping international rock; examples include bands from France, Germany, and elsewhere, plus German-language rock preferences.

Motown, Soul, and the Cross-Cultural Shift (Late 1950s–1960s)

• Barry Gordy Jr. (former boxer) starts Motown in 1960 with a $600 loan, signifying a major shift in music integration and desegregation.
• Motown’s impact: desegregation era, national reach with acts such as The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, and others.
• Gordy’s financial success: retires and sells Motown to MCA Records in 1988 for 61,000,000.
• Rolling Stones and other outlets note Motown’s role in the broader cultural shifts of race and music in America.

The British Invasion (Early 1960s–Mid 1960s) and Folk Revival Decline

• The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr) emerge in 1962–1964; their U.S. arrival and success mark the start of the British Invasion.
• Key milestones:
  • "I Want to Hold Your Hand" becomes a number-one hit in the U.S. and Britain.
  • The Beatles' innovations include boundary-pushing lyrics and experimental instrumentation; they pioneer the stadium concert format, with Shea Stadium performance in 1965.
  • The Beatles yield 20 number-one hits during their time together.
• Following the Beatles, other major bands follow: The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks.
• By 1970, The Beatles break up; the end of the British Invasion era is often marked by this breakup.
• Folk revival wanes as the British Invasion gains momentum; folk’s mainstream visibility declines in this period.

Bob Dylan and the Protest Song Tradition

• Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman) inherits Woody Guthrie’s folk tradition.
• Dylan’s hallmark: prolific lyricism and activism, especially related to civil rights and anti-war protests.
• He’s described as the father of protest songs in popular music, shaping the era’s political songwriting.

The Rise of the Producer and the Studio Era in Rock

• Producers become as important as artists in shaping albums: they assemble songs, writers, technicians, and performers.
• Example: Rick Rubin’s later works with Johnny Cash, U2, Nine Inch Nails, and Tom Petty illustrate the producer’s pivotal role.
• In rock, the producer’s influence can redefine the sound of an entire project.
• Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (released 1973) is highlighted as a landmark work; Alan Parsons is credited as the producer; the album is noted for its atmospheric, cohesive, and psychedelic sound that conjures themes of alienation and psychological tension.
• Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound is introduced as a major production technique:
  • Concept: place the singer in the center of a dense, surrounding wall of instrumental sound.
  • Visual image: a large ensemble (potentially 20–30 players) captured in a single sonic space.
  • Spector’s approach produced several hits (e.g., Darlene Love, The Ronettes) but his career later took a negative turn due to personal issues.

Late 1960s to Early 1970s: Subgenres and Sound Experiments

• Rock evolves into subgenres as artists push boundaries beyond what’s danceable or easily live-performed.
• A Day in the Life (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) is highlighted as an example of studio experimentation:
  • Lennon as the primary vocalist on the track.
  • The song blends real-life events with orchestral crescendos to create a monumental, non-traditional rock arrangement.
  • Notably, this track includes the lyric line I’d love to turn you on, one of the early controversial lines of the era.
• Emergence of country/folk/pop blends in rock:
  • The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac (notably the album Rumours), and other acts fuse country, folk, and pop with rock sensibilities.
• Big selling albums and cross-genre influence:
  • Rumours (Fleetwood Mac) is cited as one of the biggest selling albums of its time.
  • Thriller by Michael Jackson becomes the biggest selling album of all time (a distinction that has often shifted in lists; Thriller remains a top contender for top-selling album).
• The discussion of the era also touches on the broader popularity of Southern rock and other hybrid sounds (e.g., Allman Brothers, Leonard Skinner) and the ongoing influence of country-tinged rock.
• Leonard Skinner anecdote: the band’s name reportedly honors a high school coach who told them they’d never amount to anything; their choice of name satirically rejects that verdict.
• International rock and non-English-language acts: recognition that rock music’s reach extends globally, including bands from non-English-speaking countries; ABBA is given as a notable example of a multilingual, internationally influential act.
• ABBA details: a Swedish band with multilingual releases and widespread impact; a famous anecdote about a billionaire offering a huge sum to play one concert (the band reportedly declined).

Country in the 1980s–Today and the Rolling Stone Rankings

• Urban Cowboy (1980s) revitalizes country music’s mainstream profile; John Travolta’s film is used as a reference point for this revival.
• Contemporary country artists mentioned: Rascal Flatts; Johnny Cash’s later era; Carrie Underwood; country maintains a strong industry foothold.
• Rolling Stone’s top five country artists (as cited by the lecturer):
  • #5 Carter Family: credited with creating modern country by evolving from white gospel and incorporating the banjo.
  • #4 Loretta Lynn: coal miner’s daughter; songs about independent women and social themes.
  • #3 Johnny Cash: a pillar who persisted with original material and endured across generations; celebrated for his broad influence.
  • #2 Hank Williams Sr.: remains a foundational figure in country’s sound and style.
  • #1 Merle Haggard: noted for his electric tinge and cross-genre influence; his work impacted rock, reggae, and even rap in broader cultural terms.
• Overall theme: country remains popular today due to lyric-driven themes (love, heartache, family, middle age, social rituals like red solo cups) and its continued cross-genre resonance, contrasting with the more provocative themes often associated with rock.

Reggae and the Global Spread of Caribbean Sound

• Reggae emerges in late 1960s to early 1970s as a Caribbean adaptation blending blues, soul, West African rhythms.
• Key figures: Bob Marley (the most recognized), Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer.
• Origins trace to Kingston, Jamaica; reggae quickly gains popularity in the U.S. and Great Britain, achieving top-40 status soon after its rise.

Rap, Hip Hop, and the Culture of Breakdancing and Graffiti

• Hip hop and rap develop in the 1970s–1980s, evolving from a blend of dance, DJing, MCing, and visual art.
• Origins commonly dated to 1973 with DJ Kool Herc, who found ways to make danceable versions of otherwise non-danceable tracks.
• Breakdancing (B-boying) and graffiti art become central to hip hop culture.
• Grandmaster Flash popularizes the technique of cutting and scratching to provide a continuous beat-driven backdrop.
• Global spread: hip hop becomes a worldwide phenomenon with region-specific flavors (e.g., themes addressed vary by country; U.S. rap often focuses on race and gender dynamics).

MTV and the Media Transformation of Music (1981–1990s)

• MTV launched on 08/01/1981 by Robert Pittman (age 27) with a simple concept: play music videos to put faces to the music.
• First video aired: "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.
• MTV’s impact:
  • Face-to-face marketing for artists; boosted visual branding.
  • Campaigns like I Want My MTV boosted engagement and adoption.
  • Genre-specialized programming emerged: Yo! MTV Raps (rap/hip hop), Headbangers Ball (heavy metal), etc.
• 1990s shifts: MTV experiments with reality and varied formats but faces criticism for diluting music video focus.
• Real World (debuted 1992): a pioneering reality show featuring seven college-age individuals living together; later multiple seasons and spin-offs.
• The Real World and subsequent reality staples (e.g., Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant) illustrate MTV’s transition from music videos to reality-based programming.
• The speaker’s critique: reality TV reshaped MTV and, in their view, diminished the platform’s original music-centric mission.

Summary of Key Connections and Implications

• Postwar to 1950s saw a fusion and cross-pollination: country, blues, gospel, rock and roll, and folk influenced one another, creating a vibrant, hybrid popular music landscape.
• Production and media shifts (payola, producers, and MTV) fundamentally altered how music was made, promoted, and consumed.
• The British Invasion and the globalization of rock redefined audience expectations and pushed folk and traditional forms into new roles within pop culture.
• The rise of Motown and cross-cultural integration reshaped American music industry dynamics and race relations in popular culture.
• The progression from studio-centric rock to subgenres and concept albums (e.g., symphonic rock, progressive experiments) demonstrates the increasing complexity and ambitions of popular music.
• The globalization of music highlights the increasing importance of international acts (e.g., ABBA, reggae acts, non-English-language rock) in shaping the modern musical landscape.
• The use of historical events (e.g., the deaths in the 1959 plane crash) shows how tragedy can become a catalyst for cultural reflection and stylistic shifts (e.g., the rise of other genres and the evolution of rock’s narrative storytelling).

Notable Names and Terms to Remember (Quick Reference)

• Alan Freed: coined the term rock and roll; central to early marketing of rock.
• Rocket 88 vs Rock Around the Clock: early debate on the first true rock and roll hit.
• Chuck Berry: guitar as central instrument in rock; early hits include "Maybellene" and "Ida Red".
• Elvis Presley: cultural icon; bridge between blues/gospel and pop mainstream.
• Johnny Cash: prison concert recording; cross-genre Hall of Fame inductee; enduring legacy.
• Patsy Cline: key early female country-pop star; tragic death in 1963.
• Bob Dylan: folk revival leader, protest songs, civil rights and anti-war themes; influence on lyric-driven rock.
• Rick Rubin: modern producer shaping rock and alternative music.
• Alan Parsons: producer for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
• Phil Spector: Wall of Sound production technique.
• Barry Gordy Jr.: founder of Motown; desegregation-era cross-cultural label.
• The Carter Family, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard: Rolling Stone’s top country artists list.
• Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer: reggae pioneers.
• Kool Herc: early hip hop innovator; DJing and breakbeat foundations.
• Grandmaster Flash: developed cutting and scratching in DJ culture.
• The Buggles: "Video Killed the Radio Star" (first MTV video).
• The Beatles: British Invasion catalyst; stadium concerts; prolific chart success.
• ABBA: international, multilingual pop phenomenon; infamous for multilingual releases and global touring.
• Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles: major rock/pop acts blending country into rock; Rumours as a landmark album.
• Thriller (Michael Jackson): arguably the best-selling album of all time.
• Urban Cowboy: revival of country music in the 1980s.
• MTV Real World and reality programming: a cultural shift in media consumption and artist exposure.

Connections to Broader Themes

• Genre evolution is driven by economic, technological, and cultural forces: size of ensembles, use of electronics, production technologies, and mass media platforms.
• The interplay between geography and sound: U.S. regional scenes (Nashville, Cleveland, New York), the British Invasion, and international acts all shape what becomes dominant in mainstream music.
• Media and promotion practices (payola, MTV, reality TV) have profound impacts on which genres gain prominence and which artists achieve visibility.
• Cross-pollination across genres (country-rock, soul-infused pop, pop-rock hybrids, reggae-influenced rock) expands the musical vocabulary and audience reach.

Key Formulas, Numbers, and Dates (LaTeX)

• 1949: Billboard designates country and western as a separate core category for record sales.
• ext{Band size in early rock production: } 4 ext{ to } 6
• 40-50: typical size of big jazz bands, before downsizing.
• 1959: Payola scandal year; Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson crash سال; year often cited as pivotal.
• 1960: Motown founded with a 600 loan from Barry Gordy Jr.; later sold to MCA in 1988 for 61{,}000{,}000.
• 1962-1964/1965: Beatles era of major US hits and Shea Stadium concert (1965).
• 1973: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon released; Alan Parsons as producer.
• 1981-08-01: MTV launch date; first video aired: Video Killed the Radio Star.
• 1988: Motown sale to MCA for 61{,}000{,}000.
• 1992: The Real World debuts on MTV.
• 1994-1996s: The era of MTV’s reality programming expands; references to Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant indicate the ongoing trend into the 2000s.

If you’d like, I can reorganize these notes around specific exam prompts (e.g., “Explain the impact of payola on rock music,” or “Trace the rise of Motown and its cultural significance”) or expand any section with more examples and dates.