History of Pop Music

Indie & Punk

The DIY PhilosophyPunk is not strictly a type of music, it is an attitude and

a philosophical approach to making music.

Indie & punk stretch across every style and genre of movement.

It boils down to one simple question: “why are you making music?”Is it for money and fame?Or, is it to get your voice heard?

Indie & punk revolve around the idea that major labels slow you down and destroy the creative process.

Origins• By the 1960s, major

record labels like (Capitol, Atlantic, etc.) had a lot of power over artists.

• If you did not conform to the sound that was on the radio then it was nearly impossible for you to be signed to a deal.

• It did not take long for artists to rebel. Some of the early rebels include:– Frank Zappa, The Velvet

Underground, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, & MC5.

Punk Emerges Punk rock began to emerge in

NYC during the 1970s. Punk music became known for its

raucous live shows at clubs like CBGB’s.

The music was not alike in style but shared the DIY characteristic.

The music mainly appealed to the youth at the time, especially those that did not feel comfortable in NYC’s disco scene.

The bands that were known during this time include: The Ramones The Talking Heads Blondie Patty Smith Richard Hell & the Voidoids Television Suicide

Punk in the U.K. Influenced by the New York style of

punk, bands began to emerge throughout the U.K.

The Sex Pistols soon became the epitome of punk rock and inspired many other bands to form. Sex Pistols became known for their

crazy live shows and controversial behavior.

Spurred on by the success of the Sex Pistols, the Clash started to also gain prominence in the U.K.

Other bands from this era include: Siouxsie & the Banshees Joy Division The Damned Buzzcocks

Hardcore In the early 1980s punk

developed a more hardcore sound.

Bands began to spring up in the Washington, D.C. area that would push the sound into a faster and more aggressive style.

Many of the lyrics centered around politics and the frustration of being young and powerless.

Some of the key groups during this time were: Dead Kennedys Black Flag Bad Brains Minor Threat (Straightedge

movement) Husker Du

The Emergence of Indie Punk rock left a legacy of

going against major labels. Many bands and artists were

inspired by this legacy and began to make music without the support of major labels. The sound was different, but

the attitude was the same. Some important early indie

bands include: R.E.M. The Smiths The Cure New Order The Replacements Pixies Sonic Youth

Indie in the 1990s Without the pressures of a

major label, bands and artists on independent labels were free to make more interesting music.

Experimentation became very important and indie artists began to inspire a generation of music.

Artists include: Radiohead Jesus & Mary Chain My Bloody Valentine Blur Belle & Sebastian Weezer

Indie Today Indie music is still a thriving

movement in music. The rising importance of

the internet and social media have made it easier for artists to put there music out for everyone to hear.

Some current important indie artists include: Bright Eyes Arcade Fire Yeah Yeah Yeahs TV on the Radio The White Stripes

Indie Hip Hop Indie music is not a sound but a

way of producing music. Indie hip hop emerged in the

1990s and is still going strong. Social media and music

streaming has made it easier for hip hop artists to get their music to listeners.

Indie hip hop artists include: Little Brother Atmosphere Immortal Technique Tech9 Odd Future Blackalicious MF Doom