1950s Flashcards

1
Q

what types of innovations caused significant transformations in the music industry in the early 50s?

A
  • jukebox: democratization of music taste
  • tape recordings: allowed for overdubbing and stereo recording
  • marketing of new records and up and coming artists in magazines
  • record technology changed: 78 rpm singles replaced by 33.3 rpm LPs and 45 rpm singles (invention of the album, while also allowing consumers to pick and choose singles)
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2
Q

at the time of its creation, what was R&B? what were its 4 primary sub-categories?

A
  • in the early 50s, R&B referred to pop music intended specifically for Black urban listeners, replacing race music
  • R&B was blues-based music that used jazz elements

sub categories included:
1. swing influenced jump band songs
2. tin pan alley styles love songs performed by crooners
3. various styles of urban “uptown” blues
4. gospel-influenced vocal harmony groups and solo artists

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3
Q

define and describe uptown blues. how did it differ from jump blues?

A
  • a product of rural blues musicians who grew up in the country blues context, stemming from the invention of the electric guitar and migration of Black communities to the North
  • based on relatable themes and gritty realities
  • while jump blues was horn-heavy, uptown blues is more rhythm section heavy, with guitars at the forefront; uptown blues left behind many jazz signifiers
  • characterized by stop-breaks in the verses that sounded like a conversation between the band and the voice
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4
Q

what are some primary sonic signifiers of the crooning genre? what made R&B crooning distinct?

A
  • orchestral backing
  • smooth sensual articulation
  • sentimental lyrics
  • tin pan alley aaba form
  • R&B crooners like Nat King Cole took this standard formula of crooning and adopted more R&B style vocals
  • R&B crooning was intended for a Black audience
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5
Q

define and describe vocal harmony/doo-wop groups

A
  • combined church/gospel music with popular music (controversial)
  • overdubbing technique and stereo recordings were prominent
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6
Q

who is Ruth Brown?

A
  • “miss rhythm”
  • genre: combination of tin pan alley and blues form; heavily influenced by gospel
  • one of the biggest artists signed to atlantic records at the time: “the house that ruth built”
  • was not granted much agency over her music and is largely overlooked in the modern era due to the fact that she was a Black woman
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7
Q

describe the the generational divide in terms of popular music in the late 50s. what did the charts look like?

A

pop/mainstream charts:
- crooners like frank sinatra were popular with the conservative parent generation
- rock n roll was popular with teenagers; older generations perceived rock n roll as dangerous and overly sexualized

country and western and r&b began to overlap more with mainstream taste
- country and western: dominated by rockabilly
- r&b: dominated by soul and gospel

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8
Q

what were the consequences of R&B becoming so popular in the late 50s?

A
  • suspicion arose about why R&B was so successful, leading to racist accusations and calls for censorship as many were convinced of a conspiracy involving bribery/payola
  • DJ Alan Freed was investigated for accepting payments from R&B labels to promote music on his radio show
  • R&B’ newfound popularity was seen as a threat and as something dangerous capable of corrupting the youth
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9
Q

what is the “hit cycle”? how was it born?

A
  • the hit cycle is characterized by mass turnover in the charts
  • it was born from increasing attempts to create crossover hits for profit, as singles became increasingly popular and everyone was trying to make the next big hit
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10
Q

what were some of the characteristics of the historical context of the 1950s? what effect did it have on music/music taste?

A
  1. economy: post-war economic prosperity -> suburbia and increase in car ownership -> sense of individuality in music taste
  2. technology: AM radios in cars + accessible TVs -> more widespread sources of entertainment; tv musical entertainment conformed more to conservative family values, while AM radios allowed for teenagers to develop their own music tastes away from parents
  3. political climate: early legal victories to overturn segregation -> white youth’s music taste increasinly shaped by Black trends
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11
Q

what are some of the main characteristics of rock n roll?

A
  • song lyrics reflect youth audience: themes of school, summer vacation, dancing, love
  • heavy rhythm guitar and drums
  • fast-paced, too frenetic for swing or ballroom dance
  • combines elements of blues form and tin pan alley tradition
  • pentatonic double stops are characteristic of rock n roll (heard at the beginning riffs of Roll Over Beethoven and Surfin USA)
  • rock n roll performers had expressive and energetic stage presence
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12
Q

what was arguably the main factor in Elvis’ success?

A

crossover appeal: popular among both Black and white audiences; singles charted in pop, R&B, and country and western categories all at once
(that and his stage presence)

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13
Q

why is Little Richard often underappreciated?

A
  • queer Black artist; twisted gender tropes and didn’t fit into hyper-masculine trope of typical rock star
  • ended his musical career to become a religious minister
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