Transcript Chapter 5: Sound Media - Whatcom Community College

Chapter 5: Sound Recording &
Popular Music
U.S. Popular Music & the Rise of Rock
• Popular music or “pop” was possible as the
result of recorded music.
• Pop music today has numerous genres.
– Rock & Roll, jazz, blues, country, Tejano, salsa,
reggae, punk, hip-hop, dance and more.
• Pop music is big business, creating a broad
range of products that the music industry
packages and sells to ever increasing narrowly
defined demographics.
Pop and Rock
Roots of pop found in places like Tin Pan Alley
where musicians hammered out songs to sell in
the form of printed or “sheet” music.
Pop Music
• Other influences include jazz, blues, and
vaudeville.
– Paved the way for Rock n’ Roll
• Insight into American history is gained through
analysis of popular music genres:
– Blues and Rhythm & Blues
– Rockabilly
– Soul
Why Rock n Roll changed things
• Spoke to repressive societal norms
– Segregation
– Sexism
– Fears stemming from the Cold War
• Rock blurs boundaries
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High & Low culture
Masculinity / Femininity
Country / City
North / South
Sacred & Secular
Rock n Roll Controversy
• Black artists were exploited by white artists.
– Royalties and copyright
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“Devil” music spawned juvenile delinquency.
Promoted sexual promiscuity
Subverted segregation
Industry tried to clean up image by promoting
wholesome white singers.
– Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Ricky Nelson
The Evolution of Pop Music
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Brits
Motown
Folk
Psychedelic
Disco
Reggae, New Wave, Punk, Grunge, A.R. & I.R.
Hip-hop
Country
Economics of Sound Recording
Who are the key
players?
Songwriters, singers,
and musicians,
producers, record
labels, promoters,
managers, agents.
Money making industry
Three Major Corporations control over
85% of the industry
$$$ generated by music industry relied
on control of the product, music.
• Sales down dramatically
• By 2010, U.S. music sales had fallen to $8.5
billion from $14.5 billion peak in 1999
• Internet has replaced record stores, general
retail outlets, and music clubs as the major
music retailer
• Illegal downloads and unauthorized recordings
hurt sales
$$$ Costs
• Artist development (A&R agents)
• Technical facilities: technical production
specialists
• Manufacturing costs
• CD packaging design
• Advertising and promotions
• Artists’ royalties
• Performance and mechanical royalties
Music in a Democratic Society
• How can popular music uphold a legacy of
free expression while resisting co-optation by
giant companies?
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