1970’sRock ‘n’ roll had become big
business• Recording sessions more
elaborate• Performances become
more staged• Thanks to the sheer scale
of the industry, rock’s identity as an outsider’s art form had never been so precarious
1980’s
• We will watch a video, “Up from the Underground”
• What are the major musical styles and who are the main contributors?
1980’s• What was the operating philosophy of MTV? What is its
significance?• How did rock re-invent itself in the 1980s?• In what ways were the videos of Devo and the Eurythmics a
breakthrough?• What is the race barrier? How did “Billie Jean” cross it?• How does Run DMC change rap music?• To what degree does Madonna’s steamy video “Justify my Love”
show the limitations of music videos?• Why is Lollapalooza important to the history of rock?• How do “alternative” rock with its outspoken and unkept
musicians relate to music as a business, an industry?
The 1980’s
Rock Videos and MTV
• Radio vs. Cable
• MTV debut Aug. 1, 1981
• Vee-jays
• Friday Night Videos
The 1980’s
Technological Developments
• Cassette tapes vs Compact Discs
• By 1983 ca. 50% of total profits came from cassette sales ($3.78 billion)
• Walkmans
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
• Thriller biggest selling album of all time
• Over 45 million sold
• Transitions from Jackson Five to solo artist
Thriller
• Mini-film vs. promotional video
• “White only” policy changes
• Elaborate staging
• Sophisticated special effects
• Plot
• Innovative choreography
Thriller
• Uniquely recognizable bass riff
• Strong backbeat and vocals
• Slowly rising melody climaxes on title creating tension
• Superior production values
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
• Born to Run, 1975• Lyrics are arguably poetic• Frustrations, confusions, dreams
and disappointments of average working-class person
• Themes of unemployment, social issues, Vietnam vets, rage and frustration against “the establishment”
Born to Run
• Double-time drum flourish
• Transitions to saturated 8-beat rhythm– Would come to typify punk and
new wave
• Whole band lays down driving rock beat
• Simple guitar riff
Born to Run
• Thickens texture with sax
• No subtlety
• Little or no syncopation
• Memorable riff
• Basic I IV V harmonies – Wanders into distant
harmonies as song progresses
Born in the USA
• Strong story line• Simple riffs and rhythms• Subtle details
– “Sent me off to a foreign land/to go and kill the yellow man”
• Heavy backbeat– Electronic enhancement– Resembles a rifle shot
Born in the USA
• Riff becomes title phrase but organic unity throughout– Doubles with high piano line
• Other instruments layer in and out
• Riff and backbeat ever-present even thoughout drum solo
Madonna
MadonnaBorderline
• Essentially un-original music
• Simple rhythms and synthesized sounds grafted to pop style
• Sounds up-to-date because of layered texture
• 16 beat rhythm
MadonnaBorderline
• Melody and harmonies traditional and simple
• Verse could be late 60’s or early 80’s
• Chorus echoes 50’s teen pop
Like a Prayer
• Keeps same basic approach
• Very simplistic
• Begins with string of jarring juxtapositions
• Guitar figures with quasi-hard metal sound
• Religious accompaniment– choir and organ
U2
U2Gloria
• General characteristics true for much of U2’s music in the 1980’s
• Four textures– Low– Middle– High– Vocal
Gloria
• Repeated notes at 8-beat speed in bass
• Beat-keeping on bass drum (low)
• Angular guitar line moving at 8-beat speed (high)
• Strong bass, wide range
• Insistent drum patterns
Gloria
• Little syncopation– Mostly in irregular accents on
Edge’s guitar line
• Chorus– Bass stops persistent beat– Drums shift to disco beat– Guitar less relentless– More harmonic activity– Higher register
Gloria
• Bono’s vocals meant to evoke a choirboy– Reverberation sounds like a
cathedral
• Extended instrumental interlude (ca. 2:20)
• 8-beat bass added to 16-beat drums and choked guitar
Gloria
• Trademark sounds– “Open sound”– Wide registral spacing– Prominent timekeeping at 8-
and 16-beat levels– Relentless guitar and bass
Gloria
• Trademark sounds– “Open sound”– Wide registral spacing– Prominent timekeeping at 8-
and 16-beat levels– Relentless guitar and bass
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
• What does the song mean?
