American Vernacular Music: Listening Journal Chapter 13 & 14

Chapters 13 & 14

At the start of the 1980s, there were new forms of entertainment, which included home video, cable television, and video games. Personal boom boxes which tapes that could record a song off the radio were popular. Also for the first time tapes surpassed the record. The 80’s also saw the rise of new technology with the compact disk (CD) and in 1988 CD’s would surpass records.

In 1981, MTV would change the way that music industry operated. MTV became the way a new artist would be introduced to their listening audience. More than 750 videos were shown in the first eighteen months of MTV being on the air. The move toward global corporate consolidation of music changed the marketplace for popular music. This caused a creation for new genres, marketing categories, and radio formats.

Digital recording replaced analog recording which broken the song down into a series of 0 and 1’s. The sound of the Hammond B-3 organ became popular in R&B and jazz for its rich fat sound. Digital samplers were introduced in 1984 by Enqsoniq, they would allow the creator to make a loop or create a repeated sounds. Also during this time drum machines were used for sampling with used of MIDI technology that were used by rap artist and dance music during the 1980’s.

Michael Jackson worked with veteran producer Quincy Jones to create an album that achieved boundary-crossing popularity. The success of Thriller had achieved the goal that his old boss Gordy Berry worked for in Motown. The album contained Beat it which was a gesture to heavy metal bands. Jackson’s would score seven top ten hits and thriller would sell over two million copies.

Bruce Springsteen continued with the rock tradition of the rebelliousness of rock ‘n’ roll. Springsteen’s success with Born in the U.S.A would pack stadiums on a tour through the country. The album followed Michael Jackson’s thriller and sold over 15 million copies. Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen filmed videos for each song on their albums to promote on MTV.

Paul Simon already found success being a part of the popular singing duo Simon and Garfunkel. Simon would create one of the great world albums called Graceland. The album was recorded in five different locations and was a great success. He would use popular Latin American band Los Lobos and Louisiana zydeco band Good Rockin’ Dopsie and the Twisters to create his music.

Madonna became very popular in the time periods between 1984-1994 she would have eight top ten hits. These included the successful Like a Virgin, True Blue and Like a prayer. She was also a purposeful controversial figure and a has strongly polarized reactions from listeners. Like other artist of the 1980’s she used MTV to publicize her music and expander her image to the public. She continued her success in the 90’s and 2000’s.
Prince would have nine albums in the top ten between 1982 and 1992. With his hits Purple Rain, Around the world in a Day and Batman he would connect with the listeners. One of the first things that strike the listener about Prince’s career is his productivity. Prince’s records had a variety of musical inspiration from funk, guitar based rock ‘n’ roll, urban folk, new wave, jazz and psychedelic rock. His music would also receive criticism from well know televangelist about it being evil which created more appeal to the young listeners. Prince also stared in a Purple Rain a movie that closely mirrored his life.

The 1990’s music artists would be varied with adult contemporary artist Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, and Maria Carey. Country music stars Clint Black, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and Garth Brooks. R&B artist BoysIImen and gangsta rappers Snoop Doggy Dog, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. Hard rock and heavy metal bands Aerosmith and Metallica. Alternative rock bands Nirvana, Pear Jam, Alanis Morissette, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In the 1990’s the single continued to shrink but many artists found success with the singles. Elton John would have a hit single with Candle in the wind and a dance craze called the Macarena swept the nation in 1996. Hip-Hop also found fame in the 90’s with Run D.M.C. album Rising Hell. Run D.M.C. was the most influential act in the history of rap music. In the tradition of socially engage rap was from a New York-based group Public Enemy founded in 1982. The groups members Flavor Flav, Chuck D, Terminator X, Professor Griff would create breakthrough albums in rap with their second album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.

M.C. Hammer offered pop-friendly styles of rap while rapper Vanilla would chart the maintained the number one position on the billboard 200 pop album charts. There would be many rap artist that would find fame in the 1990’s, Ice Cube, N.W.A, Ice-T, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E. The Chronicle an album made by Dr. Dre and introduced Snoop Doggy Dog sold three million copies. Death row records recorded upcoming rap stars 2Pac, Sean “puffy’ Combs, and Notorious B.I.G.

Queen Latifah and Salt N Pepa became the world first female hip hop stars. They would use their music to empower women and provide an alternative to gangsta rap. Queen Latifah would reach number one with U.N.I.T.Y and Salt n Pepa had success with Push it and other hits. Techno music was music made for dance clubs or raves and the youth-obsessed culture. Orb, Orbital, Prodigy, and Moby were solo acts for their genre.

In the 1990s, alternative rock became popular with the nation. REM, Sonic Youth were influenced by the New York punk scene. Nirvana a trio centered around its guitarist Kurt Cobain, Krist Noveselic and later Dave Grohl would have a chart hit with the album Nevermind. The album had mass appeal from many fans of other genres of music. Their next album Utero became number one in 1993 and sold 4 million copies.

Ani DiFranco would be a folk singer in punk rock clothing. Ani became successful on a small label and has a wide range of fans. Lauryn Hill is Hip-Hop star that has worked with Dr. Dre and other popular rap artists. Hill also was committed to female empowerment. K.D. Lang is a country star is known for her Patsy Cline style and rhinestone outfits. In the 1988 Shadowland and 1989 Absolute Torch and Twang, Lang music was more traditional honky tonk. She won the best female vocalist grammy after her first appearance on the county top 40 charts.

County stars George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Toby Keith demonstrated the traditions in country music. Taylor Swift became a teen idol and pop phenomenon for her music and the way the music related to her audience. Gretchen Wilson displayed her strength with her debut hit Redneck Woman. Gloria Estefan and Selena shared the same ambition to reach the broadest audience possible. Estefan has sold over 90 million albums worldwide and her performances are geared toward international Latin audiences. Selena did not get the chance to reach the audience that she had wanted because a fan club manager shot her. Selena won a grammy for the album Amor Prohibition.

Talking Timbuktu was produced by the singer Ry Cooter and won a Grammy for best world album in 1996. Alin Farka Toure would be featured on the album he was a guitarist, traditional praise singer from Mali.