MAINSTREAM ROCK OF THE 70’S & 80’S

70’S MAINSTREAM ROCK

• Decade of Non-Direction• Beatles Disbanding• The Three J’s – Death’s• Altamont Festival

• Society Fragmented into hundreds of Self-Interest Groups. “Me-Decade”• TV expanded into over 40 channels• Radio discovered Formatting – Segregation of Music

• Included both American & British Influences

OTHER GROUP OF THE BRITISH INVASION

• The Rolling Stones• - Formed a Counter-Image to The Beatles• - Performances were more sexually suggestive• - had long hair• - scruffy unkempt look

• “I Want to Be Your Man” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6-sRjMqvIg

• “Satisfaction” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7cHPy04s8

6 MAJOR COMPANIES

• By the end of the 1970s, the Rock market would be controlled by just six major companies.• CBS• Warner Communications• Polygram• RCA• MCA• Capitol – EMI

• Negative Side-Effect: Music was not an Art, It was a Product.

TWO SIDES OF BRITISH MAINSTREAM

HARDER SIDE• Cream (Eric Clapton)• Diraeli Gears (1967)• “Sunshine of Your Love”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt51rITH3EA

• Rod Stewart• Gasoline Alley (1970) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q64aVDA-s3UStyle Fragmented into Hard Rock – Heavy Metal – Punk-Rock

SOFTER SIDE• Fleetwood Mac• “Go Your Own Way” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ul-cZyuYq4• Elton John• “Rocket Man” -• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LX7WrHCaUA

• There was NO ONE star who equaled the success of Elvis or the Beatles

MAINSTREAM ROCK IN THE STATES

• For Each British Mainstream Fragment, There was an American Parallel.• Usually Less Hard than the British Counterpart

• Creedence Clearwater Revival• San Francisco Based Group• “Suzie Q” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mxaA-

bJ35s

• CCR’s southern sound was closer to Rockabilly and sometimes to Original Blues.• The group broke up due to a sibling rivalry between

Tom and John Fogerty.• Doobie Brothers• The Captain and Me (1973) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kJq4QAPxE

• Good Vocals & Harmonies• Clean Playing with Sophisticated Recording Prodution

• Steve Miller Band• Steve Miller, originally from Dallas, TX• Achieved some success during the late-1960s but it wasn’t

until the 1970s that he reach his greatest success.• “The Joker” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzSC2__LXk4

• Steve Miller’s Style• - Blues Roots, colored by touches of Country and the Old San

Francisco sound.

• Journey• San Francisco Based• Began in the 1970’s but didn’t reach success until the 1980’s

• Journey’s Style:• Early Mainstream material was more milder.

• Open Arms: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lLmYLw0WRI• Later songs reflect a style closer to hard rock and heavy metal

• “Edge of the Blade” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjk6HD0ZQEw

SOUTHERN ROCK

• By the 1960s, most rock came from big cities: Detroit, LA, San Francisco, Philadelphia,• In the 1970s, there was an effort to get back to

basics of Southern Rock & Roll

• The Allman Brother’s Band• “Midnight Rider” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBf48xUIBLo• Lynyrd Skynyrd• “Sweet Home Alabama” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye5BuYf8q4o

MAINSTREAM ROCK OF THE 1980’S

• Bruce Springsteen• One of the only iconic Rock & Roll stars of the 1980s• Not an overnight success (paid his dues during the 1970s)• Raw, Unsophisticated voice like Dylan, Joplin, Hendrix • Lyrics reference to the frustrations, confusions, dreams of the

average person.

• Born to Run (1975) – Showed a multi-faceted musicians• “Born to Run” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3t9SfrfDZM• Instrumental breaks – sax solo

• Went through several albums with relative success:• The River (1980)• Nebraska (1982)

• Biggest Success came with Born in The U.S.A. (1984)• “Born In The U.S.A.” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4• “Dancing in The Dark” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYtwQ7DCWAo

U2

• Irish Rock Group formed in 1976• Began by opening for several groups touring in

England and Ireland for four years.• Signed by Island Records in 1980• Had several underwhelming albums for over 7 years.

• The Joshua Tree (1987) Grammy for AOY• “With or Without You” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ• “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY75dw64sqI