Music Through The Ages

Holly Crossley Turner

1950’s• The decade of the Fifties gave birth to Rockand Roll. When Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock became popular in 1955, the nation learned to swing to a whole new sound. Prior to that the Big Band Era from the 40's was still the driving force in music.

• The feel-good innocence of a lot of the Fifties music reflects on the post World War II optimism in America. The young people of the time, an emerging force called teenagers, hadn't struggled through

the war years. They were looking for something more exciting. They discovered that vitality in Rock and Roll.

1950 Music Icons• Perry Como

Mario Lanza Nat King Cole Tony Bennett Elvis Presley Bill Haley and the Comets Chuck BerryJerry Lee Lewis Johnny Cash Ella Fitzgerald Dean Martin Doris Day Frank Sinatra Connie Francis Jim Reeves Cliff Richard

1960’s• Popular music entered an era of "all hits", as numerous artists released

recordings, beginning in the 1950s, as 45-rpm "singles" (with another on the flip side), and radio stations tended to play only the most popular of the wide variety of records being made. Also, bands tended to record only the best of their songs as a chance to become a hit record. The taste of the American listeners expanded from the folksinger, doo-wop and saxophone sounds of the 1950s to the Motown sound, folk rock and the British Invasion. The Los

Angeles and San Francisco Sound began in this period with many popular bands coming out of LA and the Haight-Ashbury district, well-known for its hippie culture. The rise of the counterculture movement, particularly among the youth, created a market for rock, soul, pop, reggae and blues music produced by drug-culture.

1960’s Music Icons• The Beach Boys

The Beatles Buddy Holly The Drifters The Monkees The Rolling Stones The Supremes Fleetwood Mac Aretha Franklin The Bee Gees Pink Floyd David Bowie

1970’s Music• 1970s Music The 1970s created a perfect musical bridge

from the rebelliousness of the 1960s and the happy songs that are characteristic of the 1980s. Following the counterculture of the 60s, the 70s created a trend of relaxing music as well as dance music. People may have grown tired of the fighting that happened the previous decade and many of them sought a refuge in dance

clubs and other places to enjoy a good time. Out of this idea emerged the Disco movement.Of course, there was still the bands and artists that continued to speak of the ills of society,

typically characterized by the punk music of the era. But it seemed to be a much happier era than the 60s proved to be. If ever a musical style defined a decade, Disco was the definition of the 1970s.

1970’s Music Icons• Bee Gees

Black Sabbath Blondie Bob Marley and the Wailers Commodores David Bowie Elton John Gloria Gaynor John Lennon Kiss Marvin Gaye Michael Jackson Paul McCartney & Wings Pink Floyd Queen Rod Stewart The Jackson 5 The Osmonds The Police The Rolling Stones The Who Village People

1980’s Music• Like many other decades, the 1980s was a • decade where music was a way to chronicle• the times and events of the era. In some ways, • the musical genres during the 1980s redefined the way many

bands and artists made new music and it still continues to influence music today. Many of the musicians during the 1980s have maintained staying power and are still popular today. Other artists enjoyed a modicum of success during the decade and they are not even widely recognized today, save for the television programs that strive to reunite the bands and give exposure to artists of the time. Following is some descriptions and explanations of the bands and interests that helped to change the face of music in the 80s.

• MTV, or Music Television, may have been the single most influential entity in music industry during the 1980s . Premiering in 1981, MTV gave bands and artists greater exposure for their music in a greater and more widely popular medium.

• Typical genres of 1980s music included new wave and Synthpop, Rock ‘n Roll, glam rock and thrash metal.

1980s Music Icons• Blondie

Bruce Springsteen Bucks Fizz Cher David Bowie Depeche Mode Diana Ross Dolly Parton Duran Duran Elvis Costello Erasure John Lennon Lionel Richie Madonna Michael Jackson New Kids On The Block Olivia Newton-John Paul McCartney Paula Abdul Phil Collins Prince Queen R.E.M The Bangles The Cure

1990s Music• The musical era of the 1990s was one filled with a variety of pop,

rap, and alternative music artists as well as a plethora of one-hit wonders. It was a time when musical taste was as varied as the events that were happening at the time. Many of the most popular acts that emerged in the 1990's were bands and artists who enjoyed a type of resurgence in the mainstream music scene after their popularity had dwindled for a decade or so. Other artists

were just starting out during this decade and make a huge impact on the musical scene. Following is an explanation ofsome of the most memorable artists that helped to define the era in terms of musical differentiations as well as some artistswho are best forgotten. Typical genres of 1990s music included techno, hip-hop Grunge, alternative rock, happy rock and bubblegum pop.

1990s Music IconsIce Vanilla Ice Whitney Houston Take That Oasis Boyzone Spice Girls All Saints Cher Britney Spears The Backstreet Boys Westlife

2000s MusicThe beginning of the decade had a peak and decline ofBoy bands and Girl groups, notably those produced fromthe reality TV shows. There was a notable return to raw garage rock'n'roll withgroups such as The Strokes, The White Stripes and TheKings of Leon. While, hip-hop music has dominated theBillboard Hot 100 list most of the first half of the decade inthe 2000s. • Pop music, hip hop music, contemporaryR&B, new wave and alternative rock dominated and defined the decade's music with Electropop and dance music becoming dominant by end of the decade.

2000s Music Icons• Britney Spears• Kylie• Outkast• Coldplay• Franz Ferdinand• Amy Winehouse• Gorillaz• Green Day