Music Flashcards

1
Q

Example of popular music during/after WW1

A

Ivor Novello - Keep the Home Fires Burning- (1918 while WW1 continued) Appealed to families- they were kept apart due to requirements to fight WW1.

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2
Q

Did Ivor Novello lose or keep his popularity after WW1?

A

Remained popular until early 50s. Style of music was “crooning”- essentially popular music before “pop” music developed as part of youth culture in the years after WW2.

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3
Q

Were jazz or blues artists ever popular in Britain?

A

Duke Ellington- one of many US jazz and blues artists that became increasingly popular in Britain and influenced British culture after 1920/1930.

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4
Q

Did jazz or blues music have an impact on British culture?

A

Influx of jazz altered dance culture, began to make our dancehall culture much looser than it was traditionally. Americanisation of popular music continued post-WW2; ultimately, British band influenced by US artists in turn became most successful pop/rock/blues artists in world.

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5
Q

After WW2, what new type of music was Britain obsessed with?

A

Blues and skiffle which takes basic rules of jazz and blues and mixes with it with traditions of folk music. Originally played on DIY instruments, creating a much more rustic and broken sound.

e.g. the Vipers ‘Don’t You Rock me Daddio?’ and Lonnie Donnegan ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’

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6
Q

How did this new post-WW2 jazz/blues type of music impact music in Britain?

A

In as much as it was an evolution of earlier music principles, DIY element mixed w/its popularity w/teen audience made it blueprint for Punk Music to develop in 70s

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7
Q

Were all 50s and 60s music artists purely influenced by skiffle?

A

Groups developed that used story-telling and “hooks” of skiffle but in much more straight-forward rock fashion. Some, e.g the Beatles, the Who and the Kinks became some of biggest selling musical artists in world; helped grow our music industry as essential part of economy.

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8
Q

What helped the popularity of music post-WW2?

A

Changes in how people “consumed” music. Post-war years saw a massive baby boom.

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9
Q

How were Baby Boomer teens different from their parents?

A

By 50s, they were growing up in era of full employment, growing economy and a culture of consumerism that was radically diff to their parents. Never before seen intergenerational tensions developed.

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10
Q

How were the Baby Boomers’ music tastes different to their parents?

A

New music, new styles became emblematic of “teenage” independence and teens had the money to be able to indulge these tastes. Largely, that was the extent of rebellion really, rock music and spending money on it.

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11
Q

By the 1970s, which music genres were well established?

A

Rock and pop music. Principle of three-chord storytelling was well known and used by musicians.

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12
Q

What were the younger baby boomers facing in the 70s?

A

They were facing economic uncertainty and bitterness at prospect of unemployment and Britain as a fading power.

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13
Q

What American genre of music came to Britain in the 70s?

A

Punk. First developed in NYC, centred around the famous CBGB club played by bands like The Ramones, Dead Boys, Blondie and Black Flag.

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14
Q

Were 70s British punk bands influenced by first wave or second wave American punk?

A

Second wave-bands incl Scream, Bad Brains and Youth of Today/Shelter but 1st gen influenced Brit 70s punks bands e.g. the Clash, the Sex Pistols and, later, the poppier sound of the Buzzcocks.

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15
Q

What did the Buzzcocks develop?

A

Often thought of as the band that invented pop-punk, which continues to be a popular genre of music today.

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16
Q

How diverse was British music after WW2?

A

Incorporated sounds from across the world, and no coincidence that this happened since turn of the second half of the 20th century first w/greater immigration and later assimilation of different cultures into British life.

17
Q

What was reggae music in its purest form?

A

Form of music from the caribbean. By 60s it was a form of pop music in Britain, probably best reflected by success of one singer in particular, Desmond Dekker and his song Israelites which was no 1 for several weeks in mid-60s.

18
Q

What was ska music in its purest form?

A

Traditions of reggae fused w/principles of punk in the 1970s. Initially, originated in Jamaica in 50s, but seen as a new genre to enter British society in the 1970s in Brit context.

19
Q

By the 1970s, what had music become with the emergence of glam rock?

A

Means of expressing/challenging ideas of gender identity.

20
Q

How were glam rock stars like David Bowie and Marc Bolan received?

A

These artists et al looked androgynous, made statements about their sexuality. Both shocking to older generation and fascinating to younger fans who saw them as radically diff and subversive.

21
Q

What have some pop culture historians argued caused the increased interest in subversive (in terms of gender) artists in the 70s?

A

Argue the cause was improved living standards in Britain. As teens had more disposable income + greater leisure time, some sought new ways of distinguishing themselves from their parents.

22
Q

What was ‘Ziggy Stardust’, David Bowie’s alter-ego, like?

A

Androgynous crossdressing alien messiah. 1st appears on Top of the Pops in ‘72, brought Bowie 2 shocked/fascinated mass audience, w/hair, makeup, + camp mannerisms- deliberately rejected male heterosex.

23
Q

Who were the most popular artists of the 1970s?

A
  1. Elton John- 16 top 50 albums in the 70s
  2. Queen- 19M records between 1975-77
  3. Generally, artists like Elton John, Queen, and the Bee Gees w/their feel-good pop were more popular than eg ska, punk.