Popular Music

50s, 60s, 70s, 80s

The 1950s

• • • • • • • Big Band and Swing era ends. Pop music begins.

The beginning of fan hysteria.

First half – Crooners Dominate (Perry Como, Patti Page) Second half – Rock and Roll Dominates (Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Pat Boone) Electric instruments developing.

Development mainly in North America.

The focus is on an individual artist.

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1950s

• • • • • Crooners – Patti Page , Perry Como , Nat King Cole Rock and Roll – Elvis Presley , Chuck Berry, Pat Boone R&B – Little Richard Blues – Charles Fats Domino , Ray Jazz – John Coltrane, Miles Davis , Thelonious Monk

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1950s

• • • Country – Patsy Cline , Bill Monroe , Chet Atkins , Johnny Cash Folk – The Kingston Trio , Harry Belafonte , Pete Seeger Latin – Ritchie Valens , Daniel Flores

The 1960s

• • • • • • • • Formation and evolution of Rock.

Development in N. America and Europe.

More international sound (influences from foreign music).

Singer – songwriter – more musicians wrote their own original music.

British Invasion Woodstock – August 1969 More genres and subgenres.

More of a focus on the group, rather than the individual.

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1960s. - UK

• • • Rock, British Invasion – The Beatles , The Kinks , The Yardbirds Blues Rock – Rolling Stones Psychedelic – The Who , Cream

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1960s. - USA

• • • • • • Folk – Bob Dylan , The Mamas and the Papas , Simon and Garfunkel Psychedelic – The Doors , Jefferson Airplane , Jimi Hendrix Surf – The Beach Boys , The Surfaris Pop – The Monkees , Chubby Checker Motown – The Temptations , The Supremes Bossa Nova – Mendes Stan Getz , Sergio

The 1970s

• • • • • Psychedelic rock loses popularity after deaths and break-ups of performers.

Growth in electronic music.

Emphasis on dance music (disco) New genres.

Development spreading around the world, however main developments in music are still in the USA and UK.

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1970s

• • • • Disco – the Bee Gees , Donna Summer , Gloria Gaynor New Wave – The Knack , Blondie Hard Rock/Heavy Metal – Led Zeppelin , Queen , Alice Cooper , Black Sabbath , AC/DC Southern – Lynyrd Skynyrd , The Allman Brothers

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1970s

• • • • Punk – The Ramones , The Sex Pistols , The Clash Soft Rock – The Osmonds , The Carpenters , Fleetwood Mac R&B – James Brown , Stevie Wonder Country – Willie Nelson , Glen Campbell , Dolly Parton , Loretta Lynn

Popular Genres and Artists of the 1970s

• • • Pop – Elton John , ABBA Progressive – Pink Floyd , Yes , Jethro Tull Reggae – The Wailers , Desmond Dekker

The 1980s

• • • • • • Emergence of new genres.

Continuation and development of genres from the late 70s.

Rise in dance and pop music.

Increase in use of digital synthesizers and improved recording technology.

MTV gave viewers easy access to new music.

Pop as we know it today became a prominent genre.

Popular Genres and Artists from the 1980s

• • • • • Pop – Michael Jackson , Madonna , Rick Astley , Whitney Houston , Phil Collins … tons Hard Rock – Guns n’ Roses , Aerosmith , Bon Jovi , Joan Jett Metal – Maiden Metallica , Iron Alternative Rock – R.E.M.

, The Bangles , The Pixies Post Punk The Smiths , The Police , The Cure

Popular Genres and Artists from the 1980s

• • • • • Contemporary R&B – Kool & the Gang , Diana Ross , Earth, Wind, and Fire Hip Hop – Doug E. Fresh , Biz Markie , Beastie Boys Soft Rock – Bruce Springsteen , Tracy Chapman New Wave – The Go-Gos , Duran Duran , the B52’s , Culture Club Synth Pop – Pet Shop Boys , Eurythmics , Depeche Mode

Popular Genres and Artists from the 1980s

• • Latin – Menudo , Los Chicos de Puerto Rico Japan – Shonen Knife , X Japan