1980s Popular Music
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Transcript of 1980s Popular Music
1980s Popular Music
Day 45: Intro to the Eighties
• John Lennon murdered on Dec. 8, 1980• Ronald Reagan is President.• Slump in the music industry– Home taping (illegally taping records instead of
buying them)– Piracy (selling illegal copies of records)– VCR was developed– Video Game Market took away some money (Atari)
Day 46: Early Music Television• The visual impact of a performance enables music to
deliver its full measure of pleasure.• First music video: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen• MTV was launched on August 1, 1981 as the first 24-hour
music video cable channel by Warner Communications and the American Express Company.– Music industry was slow to warm-up to the idea.– 85% of its audience was white suburban viewers between the
ages of 12-24.– Was the most effective way for a record to get national
exposure.
MTV continued…• Three Periods of MTV– 1981-1983
• 24-continuous flow of music (a visual radio station)• MTV was forced to rely on British music videos.
– 1983-1985• Channel became available in NY and LA.• New music video outlets were created to fill the gaps left by MTV’s
rock-oriented programming.– Black Entertainment Television (BET)
• MTV entered into exclusive agreements with major labels.– Third Period
• Broadening of musical scope and deeper commitment to youth culture• Videos aimed at 25-44 year-olds were transferred to adult-oriented
VH-1• Abandoned the continuous flow of music format
Second British Invasion• MTV devoted a lot of time to introducing white rock acts
from other English-speaking countries (like Britain)• The channel’s first music video that they aired, was Video
Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles (British Group)• Beginning in 1982, MTV showcased so many English
groups, that it helped start the second British Invasion.• Many British groups made their US debuts in 1983 on MTV
and exploited that exposure into International Stardom.• July 16, 1983 – no fewer than 18 singles of British origin
charted in the US Top 40
Day 47: MTV Racist?
• MTV’s selection process favored British groups at the expense of American artists, especially African American artists.
• Only African American video was Donna Summer’s She Works Hard for the Money
• MTV was trashed in the popular press for its racism. MTV executives defended their practices by claiming that few black artists recorded the kind of R&R that the channel’s format required. But, the format was the cause of the racial bias.
Michael Jackson
His incredible success with Thriller finally broke MTV’s racist ways
Thriller won 12 Grammy Awards in 1983. Spent $300,000 on the production of 15-minute version of the video.
Did not “earn” the title of ‘King of Pop’ until decades later because of racial prejudices
The Girl is MineBillie Jean – first performed on Motown 25 and launched the moonwalk. Broke the color line on MTV.
Beat It – MTV first refused to play the video. Jackson spent $150,000 on the production.
Women and Gender Roles in Videos
• Treatment of women and the portrayal of gender roles in music videos have the longest running debates.
• Madonna’s Material Girl• Lionel Richie’s Hello• Early music videos sometimes challenged the
traditional images of men and women.– Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Day 48: Superstars
• In order to move out of the music industry recession, major record companies started focusing on fewer artists.
• They wanted to make more money, using fewer artists.
Prince1984 belonged to Prince
Combined funk and rock
A singer, guitarist, and producer…his first albums were entirely self-written, played, sung, and produced.
Little Red Corvette
Purple Rain – Assembled the Revolution as his band. Released the album and movie.
Bruce Springsteen1985 belonged to Bruce with his release of Born to Run
Album generated seven Top 10 singles and remained in the Top 40 for nearly 2 years, selling 11 million copies
Combined the image of a hard-driving, blue collar rock ‘n’ roller with a socially conscious 1960s romantic – “working class hero”
Born in the USA
Focused on charity work and playing benefit concerts to raise money
Whitney Houston
Worked as an actress and model before becoming a singer
Emerged as a pop entertainer instead of a soul diva
2nd album, Whitney, tallied seven #1 hit singles in a row
Dance with Somebody
Lionel Richie
Started as a founding member of the Commodores
Began by playing the saxophone, then became lead vocalist and main songwriter
Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) – also sold a “making of” documentary
Madonna
Combined good promotion, danceable material, engaging choreography & visual appeal
Began her career as a disco diva with Borderline and Lucky Star
Used music videos to transition to rock star
All of her albums have been certified platinum
Superstars continued…
• Movie Tie-ins– Kept albums in circulation for months– Music became essential for movies– Dirty Dancing (1987) completed the fusion of music
and film.• CD developed– Compact Disc was introduced by Sony and Phillips in
the late 1970s– Greater reliability and ease of use than either records
or cassette tapes
African American International Superstars
• African American producers: Quincy Jones & Nile Rogers paved the way for LA Reid and Babyface Edmunds
• A trend started that released a number of well-calculated cross-racial ethnic duets from 1984.– Attempted to break down the segregation of the
music industry
Day 49: Charity Rock and Mega-Events
• Band Aid– Bob Geldoff was inspired to action
after seeing a BBC documentary on Ethiopian famine
– Wrote the song Do They Know It’s Christmas Time and organized the biggest names in British pop to record the song as Band Aid
– Was the first charity rock event and the biggest selling UK single ever
Charity Rock continued…
• We Are the World– US charity rock initiated by
African Americans with Michael Jackson providing the leadership and musical direction
– Song was co-written by Jackson and Lionel Richie
– Released by an all-star ensemble recording as ‘U.S.A. (United Support of Artists) for Africa’
Charity Rock continued…• Live Aid
– Organized by Bob Geldof as a Band Aid project
– Concert was staged simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985.
– Was the largest single event in human history!
– Used corporate sponsors like AT&T, Kodak, Chevrolet, & Pepsi.
– Most important function was fundraising…raised over $67 million!
– Bob Geldof was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Day 50: Mega-Events• Farm Aid– Organized by Willie Nelson, John Cougar
Mellancamp, & Neil Young– Concert brought together rock and country
artists– Raised $10 million and became an annual
event
• Sun City– Politically charged song supporting the UN-
sponsored cultural boycott of South Africa to end apartheid
U2
Irish rock band from Dublin
Headlined US tour titled Conspiracy of Hope, for Amnesty International
Acted as advocates for prisoners of conscience around the world
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Amnesty International USA
• Conspiracy of Hope Tour– Connected rock with the human rights movement– Goal was to recruit new “freedom writers” to
participate in letter-writing campaigns– Tour targeted 6 political prisoners, three of whom
were freed within two years as a result• Human Rights Now! Tour– Bruce Springsteen and Sting both headlined
Nelson Mandela Concerts at Wembley Stadium
• June 11, 1988– First concert held to celebrate Mandela’s 70th
birthday– An 11-hour tribute, broadcast to about 600 million
people in more than 60 countries– Called for the release of the imprisoned leader of
the African National Congress• April 16, 1990
– Celebrated the end of his 30 years of imprisonment– Organized by An International Tribute for a Free
South Africa– 72,000 tickets sold– 4-hour concert broadcast in 64 countries
Global Environmental Concerns
• Greenpeace– Geffen Records and VH1 teamed up– VH-1 produced more than 24 60-second sports called
“World Alerts” which featured celebrities discussing a range of environmental issues
– Rainbow Warriors, compilation album• Our Common Future– Stage at Lincoln Center in 1989– Provided a platform for scientists and world leaders to
voice their concerns over global environmental decline
Paul Simon’s Graceland Album
• A defining contribution to world music in 1986.
• Music was based primarily on South African styles.
• Won the 1986 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and 1987 Grammy Award for Record of the Year
• 1992 South African Tour
Day 53: Technology• Digital Audio Tape (DAT) – made it possible to make studio
quality recordings in your own home• PMRC – Parents Music Resource Center, a Washington, DC-based
pressure group who launched a campaign against explicit lyrics in popular music– PMRC initially targeted heavy metal, but then moved on to rap
• Technology – Builds the connection between youth, their music, and its politics. Rap and metal artists incorporated advances in technology into the very essence of their music.– Heavy Metal with their heavy guitar sound (power and volume)– Rap with dual turntable rigs and boom boxes that became localized
radio stations.• Samplers – digital devices capable of recording, storing, and reproducing any
sound in nature perfectly• Less about melody and harmony – more about organized sound or noise.
New Wave of British heavy metal• AC/DC – Formed in Australia, outrageous stage shows, broke the
US Top 40 with Highway to Hell (1979)• Def Leppard – Debut album, On Through the Night (1980)• Iron Maiden – Were pegged as a Satanist group with their album,
The Number of the Beast• Motorhead- Leaned toward a hardcore punk style
• The new wave of metal featured shorter, catchier songs, more sophisticated production techniques, and higher technical standards.– Van Halen – Turned out nothing but Top 10 platinum albums
throughout the 80s. Jump
Los Angeles Heavy MetalMotley Crue• Leaned toward glam rock
appearance and a lite metal sound
• Rose to stardom after opening for Kiss in 1983
Quiet Riot• Scored two hit singles from
their Metal Health album in 1984
• Cum on Feel the Noize
LA Heavy Metal continued…• US ‘83 Festival – organized by Steve Wosniak (founder of Apple
Computer)– Organized around different genres on different days– Heavy metal day drew the largest crowd– Made many heavy metal groups move to LA
• Hair Bands – Defined by carefully tended, artfully moused, blow-dried hair (example: Poison)
• Exposure on MTV was crucial to the growth of metal, since metal had been excluded from radio since its beginnings– “Headbanger’s Ball” was a weekly late-night program on MTV devoted
solely to metal, became MTV’s most popular show with 1.3 million viewers
Day 54: Metal Fragments
• Distinctions between metal categories– Traditional or classic heavy metal– Lite or pop metal **– Glam metal– Thrash and speed metal **– Death metal– Black metal– White metal
Lite Metal
• Was favored by MTV, gained greater access to radio, and expanded the music into arena and stadium-sized venues
• Audience shifted in 1985 away from primarily male high-school teenagers to include older (college-aged), younger (pre-teen), and more females.
• Romance themes – Bon Jovi’s, Slippery When Wet album
Bon Jovi
Named after lead singer John Bon Jovi, formed in NJ in the early 80s
Early 80s, they were a standard heavy metal group
For the album, Slippery When Wet, they restructured their image and their sound.
Biggest Hit – Livin’ On a Prayer
Speed/Thrash Metal
• Didn’t want to become mainstream• Wanted to keep metal all-male• Began on the West Coast with groups like Metallica,
Slayer, Testament, Megadeth, Exodus, and Possessed• Influenced by hardcore punk• Lyrics focused on chaos, alcohol and drugs were judged
as bad• “Ugly, Nasty, Angry”• Also included themes of justice and environmental
concern
Metallica
Became the best-known speed/metal group
Formed in LA in early 80s
Master of Puppets (1986) became first platinum-selling speed/thrash album
Achieved Top 10 status and platinum sales with virtually no radio air play in 1988 with And Justice for All
The 1988 Grammy’s
• New Grammy Award established for Hard Rock/Metal Performance
• Because it included hard rock, they gave the award to Jethro Tull instead of Metallica
• Metallica finally won in 1989 when they separated Hard Rock from Metal
Guns ‘N’ Roses
LA group who had 2 albums in the Top 10 most popular albums of 1989
Appetite for Destruction rose to #1 and generated three Top 10 singles
They loved to stir up trouble wherever they went…became the new bad boys of heavy metal
Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle
Living Colour
Most prominent African American group to hit the Top 10 with their album, Vivid in 1989
Received hard rock Grammy in 1990
Had trouble getting signed to a label, were assigned a new marketing category, funk metal
Female Heavy Metal GroupsHeart• What About Love
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Female Heavy Metal Continued…Lita Ford
• Was a member of the Runaways in the 70s
• Managed by Sharon Osbourne
• Kiss Me Deadly
Vixen
Day 55: Hip Hop
• Rap music is one cultural element within a larger social movement known as hip hop, which also includes break dancing and graffiti art.
• Hip Hop flourished as a genuine street movement.
Old School Rap
• DJs – were the heroes of hip hop and had big followings and territories
• Dancing – Break dancing (b-boys and b-girls)• MCing – Members of the DJs crew who
provided vocal entertainment as a means of crowd control
• Rapper’s Delight – First rap record from the Sugar Hill Gang sold 2 million copies
Old School Rap continued…
• Hip Hop Discovered – the phenomenal success of Rapper’s Delight alerted the mainstream media to the existence of hip hop
• Flashdance – Blockbuster film that brought hip hop to the attention of a mass audience.
Hip Hop: The Next Generation
• Second generation of New York rap artists included Whodini, The Force MDs, The Fat Boys, and Run-D.M.C.
• LA Rap Scene included Dr. Dre, Yella, Ice-T and Kid Frost.
• The Album – NY hip hop moved from the 12-inch single to the album
EAST COAST RAPRun-D.M.C.Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell
Came from lower middle-class neighborhood of Hollis in Queens, were college-educated and wanted to conquer both the rock and rap markets
King of Rock album featured live guitar backing them up (Rock Box)
Walk This Way – the first “rap” video played on MTV
Beastie Boys
Group of white bohemians from Manhattan
Had bad boy images
You’ve Got to Fight For Your Right to Party
Day 56: Rap continued…• West Coast Rap & Gangsta Rap
– Featured harder rhymes set to a slower pace– Ice T– Ice Cube
• Public Enemy– Had the most politically advanced lyrics in rap– Formed in Long Island, NY– Chuck D, MC Flavor Flav, DJ Terminator X, The
Bomb Squad, Professor Griff, & Security of the First World
– Wanted to advance the cause of Black Nationalism
West Coast Rap & Gangsta Rap continued…
• N.W.A. – Portrayed the rough side of LA gang life…they lived the things they talked about in their rap.
• A Generation Gap developed in black music as rap was mainly listened to by 12-24 year olds.– Black radio stations were reluctant to play rap on
the air.
Female RappersSalt-N-Pepa• Helped start the trend to
promote female rappers with success of their double platinum album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1988)
Queen Latifah• Projected a powerful and
dignified image• Ladies First
Stop the Violence• Violence was prevalent in rap lyrics as well as at their
concerts.• A number of rap groups initiated a campaign, called ‘Stop
the Violence’ in 1989, which was aimed at black-on-black crime
• Self Destruction – East Coast• We’re All in the Same Gang – West Coast• Found that rap lyrics actually had a very high percentage of
anti-violent, anti-drug messages, aimed at improving self-esteem and encouraging the youth of the 80s to continue their education
Day 57: Rap continued…• Yo! MTV Raps – rap show on MTV that became one of its
most popular• Grammy Awards add a rap category in 1988. Will Smith
received the first Rap Grammy.• Television
– The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Will Smith)– A Different World and The Cosby Show.– In Living Colour
• Film– House Party starring Kid N Play– Spike Lee made movies about life in the “hood”
MC Hammer
Rapper/Dancer
Album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990), became the best-selling rap album ever. Sold over 10 million copies.
He was “dissed” by the hip hop nation for being too mainstream
2 Legit to Quit
U Can’t Touch This
Vanilla Ice
Toured as Hammer’s opening act
Released To The Extreme and skyrocketed to #1
He falsified his own biography to make himself look more “street”
Ice Ice Baby
LA Gangsta RapCypress Hill
• Known for their “old school” hook lines and harmony approach to rap
House of Pain
• Brought an Irish experience to rap with Jump Around
Day 58: Popular Music and Censorship
• Popular music communicates on many levels. Its meaning may be different for different people in different places, and that meaning may change over time.
• In the 80s and 90s, the reaction to popular music seemed to lack a sense of proportion. It was being treated as if it were solely responsible for the social problems it referenced.
PMRC
• The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC)– Founded in 1985 by a group of prominent women in
Washington, DC– They were concerned about the growing trend in music
towards lyrics that were sexually explicit, excessively violent, or glorifying the use of drugs and alcohol.• Wanted to “educate and inform” parents
– August 1985: Parental Advisory/Explicit Lyrics stamp on music
– November 1985: began a “voluntary” rating system
PMRC continued…
• In 1988, PMRC produced Rising to the Challenge, a video in which the group outlined “5 major themes” in popular music that were of concern to them:– Abuse of drugs and alcohol– Suicide– Graphic Violence– Fascination with the occult (the unexplained, mythology)– A sexuality that is graphic and explicit
– They directed this push toward heavy metal music.
Day 59: Violence in Rap
• 1992 – police received not guilty verdict after beating Rodney King in LA…lead to a lot of violence.
• Ice-T’s Cop Killer song sparked further debate over rap’s encouragement of violence.
• Many rap artists were being arrested for allegedly crossing the line into violence in real life.
• TV station fought back with anti-violence campaigns and PSA’s.
Violence in Rap continued…
• NPCBW (National Political Congress of Black Women) – pushed for government hearings about violence in rap (1994)– Why do so many fans find offensive rappers appealing?
• Tupac died on September 13, 1996 after being shot in Las Vegas while riding in a car
• Biggie Smalls foretold his own death on his debut album Ready to Die (1994). Was killed March 1997.– P Diddy’s tribute, I’ll Be Missing You