Lecture 7 - Pop, Singer-songwriters, Disco, and Rock (1970s) Flashcards
What events took place in the 1960’s
- Civil rights movement
- race riots
- Vietnam War
- Assassination of president Kennedy, Martin Luther king and Watergate
What happened to Music tastes in the 60’s
Music tastes shifted in response to the shared experiences people had gone through
- There was less of an appetite for new experimental, popular music
- people were more interested in “musical comfort food” (more conservative, traditional tastes)
What media was idealized as representations of America in the 50’s?
Happy days (TV Show), Grease (musical), American Graffiti (film)
What is Happy Days?
-One of the most popular sitcoms
-Idealized the 1950s white middle-class American family
-Put music front and center
What musical components are portrayed in the opening of Happy Days
- A vinyl playing a role in framing the main title sequence
- jukeboxes
What were the two main American Music Markets?
- New generation of teens born in the late 50s and early 60s : interested in POP
- Adults (aged 25-40) : grown up with rock ‘n’ roll and were looking for something more mature
What were other audiences mourning?
The end of an era
- deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
- their lives ended too early and their music had a big impact on the people listening but also other musicans
During lockdowns and other traumas in what way did people use music as a coping mechanism?
- more people listened to music of the past
-more current artists were releasing covers of familiar songs
-more social media posts featuring older music
What 70s song posted on TikTok went viral and brought the song back to the top 20s?
“Dreams” - Fleetwood Mac (1977)
- went viral when a man was skateboarding while lip-syncing it
What trends were occurring with major labels?
Columbia/CBS, Capitol-EMI, United Artists-MGM:
- emerged in the 70s and created less space for indies
-hard for industry to move forward when there are no indies producing some innovation
On which artist’s shoulders were the music industry precariously balanced on?
Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder
the fear of those in the industry was if something were to happen to these people (change their mind, change their direction) the industry can bottom out financially
as of 1973: $2 billion
as of 1978: $4 billion
What was a change in distribution in the 70s?
Majority of listeners consumed popular music on vinyl
In the 70s cassette tapes were starting to be used
(cassettes took over in the second half of the 80s)
What trends were seen with the Radio ?
AM offers little choice: favouring Top 40 hits, new artists find it hard to find a breakthrough
FM radio becomes preferred medium for hard rock
Why was FM radio favoured for hard rock?
- High-fidelity stereo broadcasting
-increase and surpass AM stations
What 7 sub-genres of popular music were heard on radio and in music stores?
Pop rock
Adult contemporary
Singer-songwriters
Soft soul
Country pop
Bubblegum Pop
Disco
What is pop rock?
Upbeat variety of music
umbrella term that came to represent many different post-WWII sounds and styles
associated with young, white male audiences and musicians
EX: Elton John, Rod Stewart
What is Adult Contemporary
An extention of the old crooner tradition
EX: Barbara Streisand , Roberta Flack, the Carpenters
What is/are Singer-songwriters?
A cross between folk and pop
-musicians who wrote and performed their own music (bridged the gap between folk and pop)
EX: Carole King, Joni Mitchell
What is soft soul?
A slick variety of R &B; smooth romantic style
- it’s roots in Motown
EX: O’Jays, Barry White
What is Country Pop?
Soft rock mixed with country
EX: Kenny Rogers
What is Bubblegum pop?
Cheerful songs aimed at a young audience
EX: Jackson Five
What is disco?
New form of dance music with elaborate studio production and recurring beat
genre for dance and movement
EX: Donna Summer, the Village people, Bee Gees
What was Stevie Wonder considered as? He was an example of what?
- considered a musical progidy
- an example of Pop and Mowtown pop from the 70s
What did Stevie Wonder experiment with?
- wide variety of sounds and timbres
- ESPECIALLY synthesizers
- specifically an instrument called the clavinet
What is Stevie Wonder’s first musical hit
“Fingertips” at the age of 13
“Superstition” was written by who? Who was the music produced by? What did the hook consist of? What is there a reprise of and what does the hook bring back in?
written by Stevie Wonder
Music was produced by wonder (playing most of the instruments)
- Hook consisted of repeated syncopated riff that grabs our attention
Reprise of the intro where the hook comes back to bring back another verse or chorus
What is a riff?
a short repetitive musical patter (often used as an introduction to a song or an accompaniment )over an unchanging chord
What is a Clavinet
electric keyboard that recreates the sound of the clavichord (an instrument that dates back to the renaissance )
“Living for the City” was written by who? Produced by who? In what fashion does it tell a story? What do the first 2 A sections have?
Written by Wonder
Music was produced by Wonder
- tells a story in narrative fashion like a ballad
- first two A sections has riff then a bit of instrumental interlude
What story does “Living for the City” tell?
A tragic story about a young black man’s struggle
a way to comment on race relations and compassion
What form was “Living for the City”?
the 7 minute song is in Compound AABA
What makes “Living for the City” Compound form?
One of the sections has its own form as well
Who is Marvin Gaye?
- Motown pop exmaple
- Motown’s top selling male vocal star
What’s Marvin Gaye’s best selling album; what is it about?
“What’s Going On”
-social justice
-the planet
-the welfare of children
-suffering of the poor
Why didn’t Mowtown want to release Gaye’s album ?
Berry Gordy Jr. Didn’t think think it would sell because it was pop music with a purpose (unusual)
What genres does the album “What’s Going On” consist of? Who were the songs co-written and produced by?
- soul
- gospel
- rock
songs were co-written and produced by Gaye
What texture was the track “What’s going on”
-Thick texture: created by overdubbing Gaye’s voice to sound like a larger vocal group
- large combination of instruments: including the members of the Funk Brothers and Detroit Symphony Orchestra
How is “What’s Going On” personal to Gaye?
- he sang to his own family; his younger brother Frankie
- a Vietnam Veteran
How did Marvin Gaye pass away?
-his father shot him
- he had a bad relationship with his father
-he never found peace with him
Who is Carole King?
- used to be part of the songwriting duo with Gerry Goffin at Aldon music (one of the songpluggers)
- takes on the role of singer and perform her own works
What was Carole King’s album? When did it come out?
“Tapestry”; came out in the 70s and was on the number 1 hit album for 15 weeks
- stayed on the charts for 6 years
-“Tapestry” sold 10 million copies
What form is “It’s Too Late” by Carole King ? What is extended before the final verse and chorus? What genre is the extended part of the song? What market did Carole King reach?
Verse-Chorus form
- extended instrumental section before final verse and chorus
-instrumental section is more light jazz rather than folk
- King reached the female market (older female market)
What is the tone and subject of “It’s Too Late” by Carole King? What does Carole King come to terms with in this song? What instrument enters near the end of the song and to play what evoking jazz?
Mature subject matter and tone
- King describes coming to terms with the end of a relationship
-accepted that people change and grow apart
-Near the end of the song, the saxophone enters to play the melody evoking jazz (adult contemporary)
What key is “It’s Too Late” set in? How is the acoustic piano amplified? What does this do for the voice and lyrics?
-Set in a minor key (unusual for pop music)
- Acoustic piano amplified by other instruments (intimate opportunity or voice to be foregrounded and lyrics to come across)
What is unexpected in “It’s Too Late”? When do they occur? What does it serve?
-there are unexpected chord progressions
-the chord progressions usually occur in the verse when things start to sour
-serves as a kind of a musical question mark
Who is Joni Mitchell? What is she known for? What do her songs blend elements of?
-Singer-songwriter (Canadian)
-known for her subtle, intimate songs)
-songs blend elements of:
- bare bones
-sparse vocals
- folk
-pop
- rock
-classical
- Jazz
What is Joni Mitchell’s album “Blue” about? From what decade?
intense personal journey through a cycle of songs about the complexities of love
from the 70’s
consists of songs about the complexities of love and also of loss
What is the song “Little Green” by Joni Mitchell about? What do these songs offer? What are they more like than just lyrics? What is it a shared human experience of?
a child given up for adoption
-these songs offer little stories
-more like poetry than just as lyrics
-shared human experience of emotional loss
What is “The Circle Game” about? What subject matter and tone? What does it use as a metaphor for the years that go by?
- Tells the story of a child’s journey to adulthood
-Mature subject matter and tone
-Uses a carousel as a metaphor for the years that go by
What is the form of “The Circle Game”? How does the form give the song variety in terms of texture? What is the nature? What do the acoustic guitar and voice provide?
-Verse-chorus form with additions of extra voices during the chorus
-gives the song variety in terms of texture but also makes it sound like a children’s song
-simplistic repetative nature to the song
-basic and simple
- the acoustic guitar along with the voice provide a simple and thin texture
Who removed their catalogue from Spotify in protest to the platform’s role of spreading misinformation about COVID?
Joni Mitchell
Where does the term “disco” come from?
comes from the place where a lot of prerecorded dance music was performed
“discothèques” the french word
popular in the 70s
What are common characteristics of disco?
Regular bass drum accents on every beat
-not just on the backbeat
-emphasis on every beat - perfect kind of force to rock and move to
What instruments are used frequently in disco? What are the lyrics about?
Orchestral instruments and synthesizers
widening of the instrumental palette in disco
- simple lyrics about dancing and romance
What were people looking for from disco? Where did it emerge from?
-looking for an alternative to rock
emerged underground in urban gay communities and clubs in NYC
What was an early hit in disco? What did it consist of? What was involved in emphasizing all of the beats equally? How do you describe the vocal line? What 2 things does it focus on?
“Rock Your Baby”
- consisted of recurring beats
-percussion involved in emphasizing all of the beats equally
-simple vocal line over top like frosting
-focusing on beat and repetitive nature of music
How did disco reach the mainstream media?
-the film “Saturday Night Fever”- starring John Travolta
- The soundtrack featured “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees
The song “Staying Alive” extensively used ..
Falsetto
Brian Poole and Tremelos showed Falsetto but also the Bee Gees
- the Bee Gees have the ability to sing really high when they want to
What did the Village People specialize in? What song are they famous for?
- Songs that took a playful slant on life in the gay underground
- Famous for “YMCA”
started with 2 french producers who saw a huge potential in marketing music to gay men (black and latino)
What is a “Macho Man” ?
Latino men often dressed up in very stereotypical macho outfits such as:
- police officer
-construction worker
-cowboy
and they called each other “Macho Man”
Who is Donna Summer?
Singer of disco hit from 1979 “Love to Love You Baby”
What is the form of “Love to Love You Baby”? Is there a verse? What happens with the chorus? What is there along the way in the song? What does the singer overt/show openly in the song?
(A A’ A” A”’ …)
-Repetitive form
no real verse, only a chorus that is repeated and modified throughout the song
lots of variation along the way but she essentially
overt musical expression of sensuality and physical sexual pleasure
What instruments are presented in “Love to Love You Baby”?
drums
bass
guitar (plucked and wah-wah)
strings
piano
synthesizer
horns
lead and backing vocals
What are 3 ways to describe Rock?
- commercially produced popular music aimed at youth
- amplified with a strong beat and draws heavily on African-American musical sources like call-and-response and backbeat
- It often idealizes authenticity and originality and is created as an attempt to be taken seriously
What typical instruments are presented in rock?
consists of guitar
bass guitar
drum kit
singer
What are the different types of Rock?
pop-based rock (the beatles)
blue-based rock (Rolling Stones)
psychedelic Rock
Progressive rock
punk rock
hard rock
alternative rock
indie rock
industrial rock
jazz rock
What is rock used in contrast to?
in contrast to Pop: generally perceived as the more commercial and less serious
Who are Pink Floyd
A british psychedelic rock band
What is Pink Floyd’s famous album?
Dark Side of the Moon
-stayed on the charts for 14 years
sold 25 million copies worldwide
-the album is about madness and things that drive us : time, work, money, warmadn feer of death
What is “Us and Them” by Pink Floyd about?
addresses the isolation of the depressed
What is “Any Colour You Like” by Pink Floyd about?
Tackles the illusion of choice one has in society
What is “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd about?
looks at how the relentless pursuit of fame and success has become more important than the basic needs of self
What does the song “Money” by Pink Floyd feature?
the coin instrument providing a few sound effects at the beginning to paint the picture of a cash register and its song that deals with greed and consumerism
What do the lyrics of “Money” by Pink Floyd portray?
mock greed and consumerism
What should you listen for in “Money” by Pink Floyd?
steady, catchy, guitar riff
repeats many times in succession as other musical elements
gets our attention
What is unusual about “Money” by Pink Floyd?
time signature
7/4
unusual for popular music
because the song is around 7 minutes there is opportunity for developmental sections :
- improvisatory, disorienting, unpredictable, aimless and thrilling
What happens to the riff in “Money” by Pink Floyd?
the riff isn’t there all the way throuh; it is abandoned halfway through
Who are Led Zeppelin? What are they described as? What do they fuse? What sources do they look at as a way to elevate their music?
A British rock group
“the grandaddy of heavy metal music”
-fuses rock and roll, psychedelia, art rock
-often look to classical sources as a way to elevate their music, folk and blues
What was Led Zeppelin’s album ranks in the UK and US?
-a string of 9 number one albums in the UK
- 6 number one in the US
Who was the most successful British band of the 70s?
Led Zeppelin
- finding that marriage between blues and folk and psychedelic sounds
What are Led Zeppelin famous for ?
Heavier elements
- also have a softer acoustic side
EX: “Babe I’m Gonna LEave You”
What can you hear in “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” by Led Zeppelin?
starts with acoustic and soft
around the second minute it sounds liek they are pulling out
different walls emerge with instruments getting ramped up and the drums far more active
What does “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin bring to mind?
Folk music
- the song juxtaposes 3 dimensions of the band’s style: hard rock, classical and folk music
What form is “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin?
Long tripartite (in 3 parts) compound form lasting 8 mins
opening, 2 min quasi clssical guitar solo accompanied by recorders
straightforward 4- and 8- measure phrases
What happens to the tempo in “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin?
The tempo gradually and substantially picks up speed and edginess (common in LZ music)
Why was “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin never released as a single?
They wanted listeners to buy the whole album
Listen to:
*‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder
‘Living for the City’ by Stevie Wonder
*‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye
*‘It’s Too Late’ by Carole King
‘Stayin’ Alive’ by Bee Gees
*‘Love to Love You Baby’ by Donna Summer
‘Money’ by Pink Floyd
‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’ by Led Zeppelin
‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin
