9781422274392

EVOLUTION & CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF MUSIC POP MUSIC

COUNTRY ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM) HIP-HOP LAT IN AND CARIBBEAN POP MUSIC R&B, SOUL , AND GOSPEL ROCK STAGE AND SCREEN EVOLUTION & CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF MUSIC

EVOLUTION & CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF MUSIC POP MUSIC

ERIC BENAC

MASON CREST PHIL ADELPHIA | MIAMI

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D, Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

© 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #ECIM2019. For further information, contact Mason Crest at 1-866-MCP-Book. First printing

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4374-9 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4369-5 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7439-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file at the Library of Congress. Interior and cover design: Torque Advertising + Design Production: Michelle Luke Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTENT You may gain access to certain third-party content (“Third-Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products, or services on such Third-Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third-Party Sites. Our linking to such Third-Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third-Party Sites or the information, products, or services offered on or through the Third-Party Sites, nor does it imply an endorsement or sponsorship of this publication by the owners of such Third-Party Sites.

Chapter 1: The Roots of Pop Music ................................. 7 Chapter 2: Pop in the Twenty-First Century . .............. 19 Chapter 3: New Influences ............................................. 35 Chapter 4: International Pop ......................................... 49 Chapter 5: Pop in a Holding Phase . .............................. 61 Chapter 6: The Future of Pop Music .............................. 75 Series Glossary of Key Terms ......................................... 86 Chronology ....................................................................... 88 Further Reading . ............................................................. 90 Internet Resources .......................................................... 91 Chapter Notes .................................................................. 92 Index . ................................................................................ 93 Author’s Biography and Credits .................................... 96 K E Y I C O N S T O L O O K F O R : Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

Madonna is known as the “Queen of Pop” because of her constantly changing musical sound and her influence on fashion. Her popularity has allowed Madonna to become an outspoken advocate on important social issues.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

contemporary —considered belonging to or currently occurring in the present time period. disco —an uptempo form of music with strong rhythm that is popular for dancing. genre —a category of music that uses particular instruments or follows specific forms or rules. For example, songs in the rock genre are usually written in 4/4 time, with emphasis on beats two and four, and the music is played with guitars and drums. innovative —something that is new or creative. loop —a short piece of music that is often repeated during a pop song. resurgence —an increase or revival of something after a period during which it was unusual or unpopular. synthesizer —an electronic keyboard instrument that can produce many different sounds.

6

The Roots of Pop Music Have you ever heard of a popular rock star getting paid in beer to help another musician with a pop song that ends up becoming a major hit? It happened! Pop music is full of interesting stories, including the time when Eddie Van Halen ended up recording the guitar solo for Michael Jackson’s iconic song “Beat It” off his Thriller album. Award-winning music producer Quincy Jones was working on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album in the spring of 1982, when he called Eddie Van Halen and asked him to contribute his guitar playing talents to a new song. Eddie’s band Van Halen was one of the most popular rock groups of the 1980s. The band members had promised each other they wouldn’t do side projects, but Eddie was interested in the idea. According to music journalist Brent Lambert, Eddie agreed to create the guitar solo on three conditions. “First, he would never be credited for the work because he didn’t want other members of Van Halen to find out about it,” wrote Lambert. “Second, he didn’t need to be paid because it was just a favor, so all he wanted was a case of beer in return. And third, Eddie also asked for Michael to ‘teach him how to dance someday.’” Eddie rewrote part of “Beat It” to make his guitar solo work. The song hit #1 on the music charts soon after it was released. The success of “Beat It” helped Thriller become the best-selling album of all time.

7

Today, Michael Jackson is often called the “King of Pop” and not just because his songs were popular and he sold millions of albums. He revolutionized pop music in many ways even though the basic elements of pop music have stayed relatively steady over the past several decades.

“King of Pop” Michael Jackson arrives at a celebrity event. The entertainer’s music has remained enduringly popular despite disturbing allegations about Jackson’s personal behavior.

8

What Is Pop Music? A key component of pop music is that it is popular and appeals to a wide audience, particularly of young people. There is no one particular formula for what makes pop music. However, when you hear a pop song on the radio or through a streaming service such as Spotify or Pandora, you can easily identify that you’re listening to a pop song. Pop songs are often short—around three to five minutes in length—and catchy. They’re easy to remember and make listeners want to dance or move with the beat. Pop music is unique in that it often blends elements frommany other types of music—just like Eddie Van Halen’s distinctive solo on Michael Jackson’s dance track. Today, music fans can find the sounds of rock, R&B, country, funk, disco , hip-hop, latin, soft rock, ballads, dance, jazz, and other genres all mixed into pop songs.

Scan here to see Michael Jackson introduce the Moon Walk:

9

Chapter 1: The Roots of Pop Music

Pop is considered contemporary music, which means it is heavily influenced by current trends in music and society. It is different from classical music in that it is much shorter and doesn’t always use "classical" brass or woodwind instruments to produce its sounds. Pop music also relies heavily on technology to produce many of its sounds, no matter which other genre styles it’s using. Sometimes pop songs are written by the person singing the song, but often times they are written by someone else. Pop songs generally use simple chords and melodies so that they are easy to remember and

Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen contributed to one of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s. His group Van Halen was one of the most successful pop/rock acts of all time.

dance to. Sometimes, a pop song has just a basic riff or musical loop that repeats itself. But simplicity doesn’t mean that creativity must be sacrificed. Songs that become popular often incorporate a creative way to use riffs and beats to create a song that resonates

10

Pop Music

with many people. One of the reasons Michael Jackson was so popular was because of the innovative way he used music, catchy sounds, and dance to draw people to his music. His lyrics were also creative. They were not written with the same clichés of earlier songs that would make people bored to hear them after just a few times. Many other performers had a major influence on the evolution of pop music over the past fifty years. The Beatles were wildly popular during the 1960s, and they caused many changes in the pop music world. They wrote most of their own music, and they were among the first groups to make promotional movies to accompany their songs—the forerunners of music videos. They also tried to make sure every song on their albums was high quality, where earlier groups had focused on making hit songs. While pop music is often meant to be fun, some pop stars have succeeded in expressing socially conscious messages through their music. One of the first was singer Marvin Gaye. His 1968 album What’s Going On focused on social justice, the environment, and other issues that American society was dealing with at the time. What’s Going On showed that pop music didn’t have to always be about love and heartache. That same year, James Brown told black Americans to “Say it loud / I’m black and I’m proud.” Strong and confident women also took charge of their music and careers and heavily influenced pop music as a result. Aretha Franklin perfected her craft and brought amazing vocals and performances to life. Performers from Pat Benatar to Beyoncé left their mark on pop music with empowering messages that challenged the music industry. Cindy Lauper reminded everyone that “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” while Madonna told fans that it was okay to “Express Yourself.” These are only a few of the many talented performers who helped pop music evolve with their creativity and influence.

11

Chapter 1: The Roots of Pop Music

The Beatles changed pop music forever during the early 1960s, and their success led to a crazed fan phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” The group included John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. History of Pop Music in the Twentieth Century The pop music of today evolved from other styles of music that were popular in the first half of the twentieth century. One of these genres was blues, a form of music developed by black Americans during the 1920s and 1930s. Blues music was not popular among mainstream audiences, mainly because racial attitudes kept the music from being played on the radio. However, without the black blues artists, pop music wouldn’t be what it is today. Another early influence on pop music was bluegrass, which was rooted in traditional Irish music. In the 1950s, white and black artists would blend blues and bluegrass music to create a new form, known as “rockabilly.” The rockabilly sound would influence country, rock, and pop music in the 1950s and 1960s.

12

Pop Music

Pop music continued to evolve. The 1960s saw an explosion of artists and a wide array of different styles blending into pop music. Popular music included the folk music resurgence by artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez; the catchy harmonies of the Beach Boys and the Beatles; and the danceable music of Motown. During the 1970s, pop music moved in new directions. The innovations of the later Beatles music inspired many groups. Rock performers like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Led Zeppelin influenced the sound of pop. In the mid-1970s, the disco music of Donna Summer, KC & the Sunshine Band, and the Bee Gees dominated the airwaves. The 1960s and 1970s were all about pushing boundaries, and artists of the time did just that.

The Bee Gees—Maurice, Robin, and Barry Gibb—dominated pop music during the disco era of the 1970s.

13

Prince was an innovative pop music songwriter and performer. He died of an accidental overdose of painkillers in 2016.

14

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker