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Tin Pan Alley (1885-1955; focus on 30s-40s)
Tin Pan Alley was a music producing company that sold music as sheet music. They got as many singers as possible to sing the song and get it known so that people would buy the music for it. Music was a social event because of this. Example: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland -
Country & Western (1920-1955; continues now)
Country and Western were two regional styles of music. They singers had a twang and bent the notes when they sang; also yodeling. Example: "Blue Yodel #9" by Jimmie Rodgers -
Rhythm and Blues (1920s-Present; focus 40s-50s)
Rhythm and Blues was part of the beginnings of Rock n Roll. The lyrics were about hardships in life. Example: "Midnight Special" by Leadbelly -
Folk Protest Music
Bob Dylan became the voice of folk protest music. He sang songs about and for the people that could not get their voices heard. He created the image of folk music for protests and was booed offstage because he tried to perform with an electric guitar. Example: "Only A Pawn in Their Game" by Bob Dylan -
James Brown/Otis Redding (1960s)
James Brown was a pop singer that changed his style and became the originality of funk because of its focus on rhythm patterns. Also part of Civil Rights movement by singing "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)". Otis Redding was the sound of southern soul. He appeared at the Monterrey Pop Festival. Example: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding -
British Invasion (1963-1968)
The British Invasion coincided with Motown. Artists from England became popular in the U.S. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are two examples. The Beatles were the "nice" boys while the Stones were the opposite. You were either a Beatles or a Stones fan. Examples: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones -
Motown (1964-1968)
Motown had a specific style. They found singers, had Maxine Powell teach them beauty and etiquette, made them songs with catchy hooks as the title, and had them perform with the best jazz band around, The Funk Brothers. Example: "Baby Love" by The Supremes -
Art Rock (late 1960s-1970s)
Art Rock was the focus on the craft and artistic approach to music creation. There was an emphasis on studio technology and mix of styles. This brought about Rock Theater: shows in stadiums and arenas, costumes (David Bowie), make-up, and Rock Operas like Tommy. Example: "Roundabout" by Yes and David Bowie dressing as Ziggy Stardust -
Acid Rock (1968-1970)
Drugs and Hippies. Centered in San Francisco (Haight/Ashbury District). Had the Monterey Pop Festival where bands all came together to play. The lifestyle was about the community: "Tune in, turn off, and drop out". Timothy Leary deemed that term to describe not working or going to school, but only doing drugs and living together enjoying music and life. Example: "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane -
Explosion of Punk (1976)
Punk was an agressive music. It began in Detriotand in New York there were the New York Dolls (NYD): Glam and Hard Rock. Malcolm McLaren owned a biker clothing store in England and met the NYD; hemanaged the NYD then returned to England and reopened his shop as "Sex": a leather and fetish apparel store. This brought along the Sex Pistols which became hugely popular but had some troubles for swearing. Epic break up. Example: "Anarchy in the U.K." by The Sex Pistols -
Explosion of Disco (1978)
Soul Train was like a black version of "American Bandstand" that played Soul, RnB, and Funk. Discotheque were clubs where people would go to dance to disco music. The Bee Gees were a successful disco band. They were Beatles imitators that wrote the movie soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. There were themed discos like Star Wars Disco. Disco Demoltion Night was the destruction of disco music. Example: "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. -
Hip Hop (1980s -Now)
Hip Hop began with DJs. Kool Herc was first to us an MC and MCs developed into rappers. Scratching became popular by Grandmaster Flash. Example: "Walk This Way" by Run DMC/Aerosmith -
Alternative/Grunge (early 1990s)
Sub styles, indie style, new genres. Local, underground, and independent. Influenced by 70s metal and 80s post-punk. Sub Pop record company in Seattle founded by Bruce Pavitt. First signed Nirvana. Grunge is a slow metal/punk: distortion and intensity, unfashionable (messy fashion), lyrics of disillusionment, emphasis on third-relations (harmonies in thirds). Example: "In Bloom" by Nirvana -
Reality TV (2000s-Present)
The X-Factor, American Idol, etc. Ways to find new artists. Example: "One Thing" by One Direction
