genres (final)

Question 1

progressive rock
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)

Answer 1

• early 70s
• emerged out of the splintering of countercultural rock
• long complex forms, emphasis on guitar virtuosity
• concept albums
• coded as white and intellectual/pretentious
• eg. Pink Floyd

Question 2

funk
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)

Answer 2

• 1970-74
• emerged out of 60s soul, but abandoned the tin pan alley tradition to make it perceived as more “authentic” Black music
• funky, down to earth, danceable, focus on rhythm over chords/melody/form
• driving bass line, jazz horns (sometimes), call and response
• popular among younger Black audiences
• eg. James Brown

Question 3

hard rock
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)

Answer 3

• 1970-79
• rebelled against high art-rock and prog rock by emphasizing anti-progress, anti-virtuosity, and back-to-basics themes
• about personal expression
• popular among lower-middle class white youth
• eg. the Velvet Underground

Question 4

heavy metal
(when? what were its characteristics? who was the audience?)

Answer 4

• 1970-79
• originally used interchangeably with hard rock, but later became more associated with satanic imagery, more guitar and bass virtuosity, and a heavier bottom, tremolo picking, palm muting, bass drum rolls
• popular with middle class white audiences
• eg. Black Sabbath

Question 5

glam rock (when, what)

Answer 5

• 1970-79
• androgynous male stylization, theatrical performance culture
• more UK phenomenon
• heavy guitars, flamboyant vocal intonations
• eg. Ziggy Stardust

Question 6

disco (when, what, who)

Answer 6

• 1975-79
• glamorous aesthetic, electronic instruments, DJs, focus on dance, sexual freedom, and hedonistic pleasure
• popular with urban audiences, predominantly Black and gay (at least in the beginning)
• eg. Donna Summers

Question 7

reggae (when, what, who)

Answer 7

• 1970-84
• slow tempos, drum fills, influences from US, UK and Africa
• themes of independence and freedom
• political messages appealed to audiences internationally (eg. working class UK, mod culture)
• eg. Bob Marley

Question 8

old-school 80s hip hop (when, where, what)

Answer 8

• 1979-85
• emerged out of the Bronx in NYC
• forged by African- and Caribbean-American youth in NYC
• culture associated with visual art, breakdancing, dress, etc.
• rejection of glamorous glitzy Black dance music, while still being shaped by disco DJ techniques
• focus on gritty realities
• sampling culture
• eg. Sugarhill Gang

Question 9

punk (when, where, what, who); US vs UK

Answer 9

• 1975-79
• emerged in NYC, stemming from hard rock (but took more inspiration from reggae than from blues)
• loud, fast, simple, associated with radical politics, nihilism, anti-virtuosity, and anti-establishment
• associated with cassette culture
• US punk: leather jackets, ripped jeans, homogenous look (eg. Ramones)
• UK punk: more about personalization, eyeliner, mohawks, distinctly working class (eg. Sex Pistols)

Question 10

post punk (when, what, where)

Answer 10

• 1975-79
• late 70s punk trajectory of bands, specifically from the UK
• applied the ethos of nihilist punk to different genres, incorporating the use of synthesizers, jazz influence, reggae, funk, etc.
• lost the political thrust of punk
• eg. Joy Division, the Smiths (later–early 80s)

Question 11

new wave (when, where, what)

Answer 11

• 1975-84
• describes the late 70s trajectory of punk bands specifically from the US
• scenes centred in NYC at CBGB
• ironic, cool, and distant
• eg. the Police, the Talking Heads

Question 12

what were the mainstream sounds of the 80s?

Answer 12

• pop music was a combination of new wave, post-disco dance music, adult contemporary, early hip hop
• these were the genres portrayed on MTV

Question 13

British heavy metal (when, what)

Answer 13

• 1980-84
• stiff riff-based music, power chords, heavy distortion
• some satanic lyrics and references to the occult, gloomy style
• half singing, half screaming, high falsetto voice
• eg. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden

Question 14

what were the two main factions that heavy metal split into? when?

Answer 14

1. toward the mainstream: hair/glam metal (early-mid 80s)
2. away from the mainstream: thrash/speed metal (late 70s, early 80s) and hardcore punk (1980-84)

Question 15

glam/hair metal (when, what)

Answer 15

• emerged from heavy metal in the early 80s (to mid 80s)
• metal sound, inflected by pop-style structure, length, lyrics
• more hooks, less solos
• eg. Bon Jovi

Question 16

thrash/speed metal (when what)

Answer 16

• emerged from metal in the late 70s, early 80s
• lyrics were focused on dark themes of power, violence, aggression, death
• favoured complexity, virtuosity, polyrhythms
• eg. Metallica

Question 17

hardcore punk (when, what)

Answer 17

• 1980-84
• faster, meaner, more intense, extreme, and aggressive form of punk; emphasized masculine aggression
• rejection of punk fashion in favour of a more casual masculine attire
• anti-genre
• associated with pogoing and violent mosh pits at concerts

Question 18

new school hip hop/golden age (when, where, what)

Answer 18

• mid 80s to early 90s
• shift toward harder, street-oriented sounds and aesthetics
• more complex flows and rhythms, development of new sampling techniques
• increasing mainstream success

Question 19

first hip hop act to be played on mtv:

Answer 19

run DMC

Question 20

gangsta rap (what, when)

Answer 20

• 1990-94
• less use of samples
• sung choruses, lyrics about material wealth and sex and drugs; generally more explicit
• gentler rapping, laid back delivery
• split into west coast and east coast rivalry

Question 21

what were the record labels associated with west coast vs east coast rap scenes?

Answer 21

• west coast: death row records
• east coast: bad boy records

Question 22

riot grrrl (where, when, why)

Answer 22

• 1990-94
• alternative punk movement aligned with second wave feminism
• response to violent masculine culture of hardcore punk through the use of satire

Question 23

grunge (when, where, what)

Answer 23

• 1990-99
• seattle, Sub Pop label created a network of indie producers, bands, etc. that developed a similar sound
• dynamic live music scene, diy aesthetic
• sad guitar music, loser stereotype, casual dress

Question 24

90s alternative (when, what)

Answer 24

• 1995-99
• women who weren’t part of the mainstream
• combination of riot grrrl sensibility with intimate singer-songwriter trope
• eg. alanis morissette

Question 25

90s r&b (when, what)

Answer 25

• 1995-99
• versatile genre, wide vocal range and extreme vocal virtuosity, lots of runs, breathy voicing, melisma
• defines what constitutes a good singer, reasserted Black women as the conscience of pop
• women who bridged the gap between R&B and hip hop, yet sat in an alternative space
• eg. Lauryn Hill, TLC, Destiny’s Child

Question 26

country-pop (when, what)

Answer 26

• 1990-2009
• country that incorporated pop and rock
• featured fiddle, banjo, slide guitar

Question 27

teen pop and boy/girl bands (when)

Answer 27

• 1995-2004

Question 28

reality tv effect (when, what)

Answer 28

• 2000-2009
• popularized cursive singing, emphasized importance of powerful voice and good range

Question 29

chicago house (when, what)

Answer 29

• 1985-89
• 125 bpm
• gradual buildup of instruments
• takes eurodisco model and removes the pop song structures, making the beat heavier and increasing the bass

Question 30

detroit techno (when, what)

Answer 30

• 1985-89
• faster tempo than house
• emphasized experimental noisy timbres rather than refined disco elegance
• driven by radical futuristic sound potential
• clap sound

Question 31

drum n bass (when, what)

Answer 31

• 1990-94
• began as “jungle” in the uk
• permeated mainstream in UK, spawned rave culture
• fast tempos up to 160 bpm

Question 32

EDM (when, what)

Answer 32

• catch all term, but surpassed the “techno” label in 2000
• edm pop from 2010-2015
• transitioned from underground club culture to popular music

Question 33

dubstep (when, what)

Answer 33

• 2010-present
• subgenre of EDM that was more about virtuosic mastery of electronic sounds rather than danceability–overly produced textural experience