7.3: History of Popular Music

An early type of popular music, known as rock ‘n roll, evolved largely out of the jazz traditions from ragtime through the 1940’s. The name ‘pop’ music came from the word popular and was used to describe the contemporary music that appealed to a large audience. The music was often found on radio stations with short song durations, it had easy to remember lyrics, and often, danceable tempo and style. The 1950’s were a time when TV’s stormed into American homes and the radio industry began to cater to popularity and influence. The ‘Top 40’ radio format was introduced in 1955 and popular songs were often played as many as 30 or 40 times a day. The radio industry was driving record sales and the music industry had changed for good.

A new style of music began to emerge from Chicago in the 1950’s that was being referred to as rhythm and blues, or R&B. Although record sales of R&B were segregated from white music records, the music was classified as “race music,” and it was even banned from some radio stations, artists such as B. B. King and Muddy Waters were rising to incredible levels of popularity and appealing widely to audiences with an estimated 40% of sales to white consumers by 1952.

Around this time the term Rock and Roll began to emerge. Musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard contributed greatly to the continued popularity of the new genre. Elvis Presley was also one of the early stars to popularize this style of music. His contributions and popularity earned him the nickname, the “King of Rock and Roll.” His music was widely played on the radio, he was regularly seen on TV, and had enormous record sales. However, his greatest contributions were his willingness to perform and record music written by black artists and his popularization of rockabilly music, which was a combination of rock and country music. Elvis was undeniably the first rock and roll icon and he paved the way for many to follow.

Elvis’ popularity and the American domination of the Rock ‘n Roll industry lasted until 1964 when the Beatles arrived as part of the British music invasion. They were an instant success. Some of the British bands that were also rising to the forefront during this time were the Kinks, the Zombies, the Animals, Herman’s Hermits, and the Rolling Stones.

In Detroit, soul music began to emerge as a new genre that combined R&B, pop, gospel, and blues. The musicians sang about the lives of black Americans. Notable performers of this music included James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. This music industry led to the launching of the Motown record label. Motown was one of the most successful Black-owned businesses and one of the most influential independent record companies in American history.

Two other uniquely American styles also developed during the same time period, a new wave of music arose on the American west coast led by the Beach Boys which was referred to as surf music with bands of young men singing about cars, beaches, surfing, girls, and the California youth culture. Country rock was a fusion of country and rock that grew to incredible popularity with bands such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Credence Clearwater Revival, Charlie Daniels Band, and the Eagles.

By the late 1960’s, folk music was emerging as the sound of social activism. Many of these singer-songwriters performed music about civil rights, discrimination, feminism, environmental issues, and to protest the Vietnam War. Popular artists of this era were Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Bob Dylan. The Protest music of the 1960’s was also aligned with the hippie culture, drug use, rebellion, and free speech. Many artists of this time include Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and The
Doors. This era culminated with the Woodstock music festival in the summer of 1969.

The 1970’s led to two new music styles, glam rock and disco. The creation of glam rock was a reaction to the previous hippie generation. It was an extravagant form of rock that incorporated flamboyant costumes, heavy makeup, and elements of hard rock and pop. It was primarily a British movement that featured artists such as David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Freddie Mercury, and Elton John. The disco movement occurred during this same time period. Disco was also very flamboyant but focused more on electronic sounds with the intention of getting people to dance. Prominent performers included KC and the Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor, the Bee Gees, and the Village People.

Although glam rock was primarily a British phenomenon, in the United States, there was a similar movement led by musicians such as Alice Cooper that ultimately led to the heavy metal and hair bands of the 1980’s. This was also sometimes referred to as glam metal. These bands performed heavy metal styles while incorporating the costumes, makeup, and theatrics of glam rock. Examples of this style are Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Bon Jovi, and Poison. This was the most popular and commercially successful music of the time.

Rock music continued throughout the 1980’s as well. Some of the most successful musicians of this time were Michael Jackson (the “King of Pop”), Whitney Houston, Prince, Madonna, Bruce Sprinsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, Pat Benatar, and Phil Collins. Some of the most popular bands were REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Chicago, Styx, Journey, The Police, Queen, and Fleetwood Mac.

The 1980’s also led to the rise of hip-hop. The music and culture of the black American youth were represented through the lyrics, break dancing, graffiti art, and musical techniques including rapping, sampling, and scratching records. Lyrics were often political and social in nature with the frustrations of the culture being expressed through the music. Early rap artists included Run D.M.C., Ice-T, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and MC Hammer. The popularity continued into the 1990’s with
Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dog.

Grunge music came to the forefront during the 1990’s. Originating in the NW United States, it was inspired by punk and heavy metal. Soundgarden, Nirvana, Green Day, and Pearl Jam were the most popular of this genre. In the 2000’s, artists like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, originally considered to be country singers, became more mainstream. While some artists found success in the alternative or emo worlds, by 2010 hip-hop was by far the most popular genre due to artists like Eminem and Kanye West. The past 90 years have seen an explosion of different styles. It will be exciting to see what takes hold next!