A Music Revolution Music of the 1950s and 1960s
1950s Rock n’ Roll The term rock and roll was “invented” by a disc jockey named Alan Freed ( ) on the Moondog Show program in Cleveland Rock music was seen as “dangerous” Popular Musicians: Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Elvis, and Buddy Holly
Chuck Berry His first record “Maybellene” (1955) took full advantage of the electric guitar Explosive tempo (12 bar blues – very strict) No vocal-based rhythm and blues had ever gone at this pace before Possibly the most influential of the Fifties rock 'n' roll musicians
Chuck Berry Hit: Johnny B. Goode
Elvis Born in Mississippi In 1954, he came to the attention of Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records: billed as the king of “country bop” Contract bought out by RCA records in 1955 and transformed into pop idol
Elvis Hit: Don’t be Cruel
Music in the 1960s 1960s known to be a tumultuous time Music was written to be socially engaging Many different styles were formed
Motown Founded by Barry Gordy in 1959 Maintained total commercial and artistic control Commercial peak: 1966/7 Motown’s music was not directed primarily at black audiences Groomed recording artists to be charismatic and sophisticated live performers
Motown Hit: Isley Bros - This Old Heart of Mine
The Beatles The BEST Band EVER!!!
The Beatles Band members: John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr First American Appearance: Feb , Ed Sullivan Show “Beatlemania” “More popular than Jesus” Music Evolution
The Beatles Albums: Hard Day’s Night Help! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band White Album Let it Be Abbey Road
The Beatles Ed Sullivan Show: February 1964
The Beatles
British Invasion Other musical acts that came from Britain: Rolling Stones The Kinks The Who The Animals Herman’s Hermits
The Beach Boys Brian Wilson (b. 1942) formed the Beach Boys with his two brothers, a cousin and a friend in Hawthorne, California in 1961 Lead creative force of Beach Boys (stopped touring in 1964) Brian Wilson’s response to Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul: Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beach Boys Hit: Good Vibrations
Counterculture Ideas and values that differ from those of the “mainstream culture” or social “norm” East vs. West Largest counterculture of the 1960s: Hippies racial equality, women's rights, sexual liberation, recreational drugs, and an end to the Vietnam WarVietnam War
Jefferson Airplane “Psychedelic” rock Throughout the late 1960s, Jefferson Airplane was one of the most sought- after (and highly-paid) concert acts in the world Hit: “Somebody to Love”
Woodstock August Music festival exemplifying the 1960s counterculture 32 of the best musicians of this time period performed 500,000 “hippies” present
Velvet Underground Hired by artist Andy Warhol to accompany his “happenings” Lead singer: Lou Reed Minimalist blues band Added a drone, feedback distortion and sped up the tempo/speed
Velvet Underground Song: Venus in Furs
MC5 Example of “Detroit Rock” Influence on punk rock High energy live performances Song: “Motor City is Burning”
Canadian Musicians of the 1950s and 1960s Paul Anka The Diamonds The Band Neil Young Gordon Lightfoot Joni Mitchell