Week 11 Textbook: pag.402-472 CHAPTER 11: I Want my MTV 1980 1990 - In the 1970s, disco and punk challenged the rock status quo - Subsequently punk retreated to the underground early in the 80s, replaced by new wave, and disco disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared - By the mid 80s, MTV began to challenge radio for priority in establishing hit records and artists and heavy metal and rap began a climb from the underground into the spotlight MTV is on the air - Since the beginning of rock music, artists have used films as a vehicle for advancing their careers and increasing their popularity - Given the wide range of TV shows on the three major networks in the US, most artists promoted their newest records by performing on American Bandstand, Hullabaloo, Shindig, Where the Action is or variety shows like the Ed Sullivan Show. - For the European market, it became practical to make short films that could be shown not only in Europe but also in the far flung corners of the British Commonwealth (Australia and New Zealand) - In the late 1960s, the idea of a television network devoted to nothing but promotional videos would have seemed absurd seemed strange to some broadcasters even in the 80s - MTV also grew out of the way cable TV developed in the US in the 70s - The question for people who developed MTV was not whether teens would tune in, but whether they would watch music television around the clock on a specialty channel - There were two models on the table in the early days of planning: Show nothing but promotional videos provided by record companies at their expense- critics emphasized that this would make MTV nothing more than an advertising billboard for labels The second model suggested that videos should be experimental and innovative not simply commercials - In the end, the first model was chosen and on August 1, 1981, MTV went on the air with a video of the Buggles video killed the radio star - MTV faced enormous challenges in its earliest day, the first of which was having enough videos to fill the broadcasting hours - Record companies were not convinced that investing money in music videos would pay off in additional sales and many of the first music videos were shot on shoestrings budgets - One reason for reservations was that cable television was not yet widely available in America - For its first couple of years, MTVs main audience was white teenagers in the Midwest and to appeal to these viewers, MTV played videos by mainstream rock artists who were, with only rare exceptions, white as well
- In 1983, Michael Jackson s Billie Jean was climbing the pop charts and by some accounts MTV refused to play Jackson s video because he was black (they believed their white viewers would not want to watch a black artist) - Legend has it that Epic threatened to remove all videos from all of their artists if Billie Jean was not played and in aired in March 1983 - MTV began to rival FM radio as the place to make or break hit records - By the late to mid 1980s, MTV was an important aspect of the popular music business as was it a source of much controversy it tended to privilege the visual aspects of artists over the musical ones if the artist looked good in the video it hardly mattered what the music sounded like - MTV provided the perfect platform for artists who used visual dimension as an important part of their act Michael Jackson, Madonna etc. - Michael Jackson: Throughout his run on the charts, Michael Jackson not only sold tens of millions of records for epic, but he also won numerous awards, making him arguably the biggest star in popular music during the 80s and earning him the title King of Pop MJ Seemed perfect for the newly emerging video age of pop continued the tradition of slick and sometimes athletic choreography made famous by The Temptations, updated his silver glove and patented the moonwalk dance step MJ s music in the 80s was almost always driven by a strong beat, showing not only his roots in 70s black pop but also his experience with disco Jackson s records after the 70s no longer appeared on motown but continued the practice of courting white listeners duet with Paul McCartney on the girl is mine and a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen on beat it He was criticized for his efforts to bridge the gaps he saw between black and white culture but never back down from his efforts - Madonna: She depended as much on the visual aspect of her music as the sonic dimension the material girl s appeal was almost exclusively to white audiences Her first recordings enjoyed success within the New York dance club scene Her 1984 debut album Madonna contained two hit singles and the videos for these songs provide an early glimpse of what would soon become one of the most controversial figures in the video age Her videos were rich in symbolism and striking juxtaposition Music was often driven by a dance beat, perhaps under the influence of her dance club background Throughout her career, Madonna has played an active role in the creative aspects of her music, earning songwriter and production credits on many of her albums Madonna s commercial success has not flagged much in the years since these albums and singles established her as an important figure in pop music and she remains among the most successful acts in the music business She put on the role of sex object in order to call it into question. Throughout her career she explored boundaries of sexual conduct, racial issues, women s roles spirituality - Prince
He deserves credit for both opening up MTV for black artists as well as for testing the boundaries of sexuality in music His video 1999 aired of MTV before Billie Jean and his practice of using blatant sexual images in his songs and live performances dates back to the 70s One of the most prolific artists of the 80s writing and producing his own music as well as a number of other artists He developed his image as a sexually charged and an androgynous figure and songs like head and jack you off provided opportunity for him to project his image live - Janet Jackson Janet projected a new image of confidence and independence Hard driving beats behind this new music showed the influence of hip hop and funk Her later albums took on a more serious, socially conscious tone and subsequently a more adult, sexier and seductive image As with her brother, dancing was as important as singing in Janet s videos - Olivia Newton-John Among the highest profile women in pop music during the early 80s In many ways, her image and career changes in the years before MTV paved the way for Madonna and Janet Jackson First appeared on the pop radar in the 70s with a series of country flavoured hits, but her fame rose considerably when she starred in grease in 1978 Character in grease paralleled her real image as she became a rock bombshell in the 80s - Duran Duran The most successful British pop act to use MTV to advance their career new wave sound was driven by infectious dance beats and visual dimension was marked by a concern for style and rebellious elegance They had three top ten hits went into regular MTV rotation - Culture club also exploited the visual side of their act fronted by singer Boy George who dressed in women s clothes and sported long dread locks Three top ten hits that were played heavily both on MTV and radio - The Eurhythmics They took advantage of the synthesizer pop sound that has emerged in the UK at the end of the 70s and combined it with an innovative approach to music video (avant garde and art literature elements) Combined the soul influences vocals, synthesizer wizardry and penchant for intellectual experimentation - Tears for fears They based their stylistic approach in British synthesizer pop Hits were bolstered by a heavy rotation on MTV Lyrics dealt with serious topics, with sometimes complicated music and tunes that run into one another to produce long tracks = reminiscent of progressive rock
- MTV and the video age are often thought to challenge some of rock s deeply held values: the centrality of video images seems to take attention away from the music itself, raising suspicions that the music could never stand on its own - In the 70s, concept albums pushed the boundaries of rock music by exploring a variety of musical styles while pursuing serious minded themes - As the 80s progressed, music videos followed a similar path, though now the focus was no longer on exploring a variety of musical styles as much as it was on exploring the ways in which music and images can work together to create a compelling synthesis The Wave Continues - Mainstream rock and new wave continued to develop into the 80s, mostly with more emphasis on the aural than on the visual - One of the most successful bands to come out of the new wave movement at the end of the 70s was the police, a group that was clearly interested in creating sophisticated musical arrangements along with self consciously poetic and at times intellectual lyrics - Another group, U2, began a string of enormously successful albums that continues to the present day - They wrote simple songs but arranged them in innovative ways, featuring lyrics that strived for poetic quality with guitar that created a rich backing texture - New wave emerged also from Australia as Split Enz, led by brothers Tim and Neil Finn, formed in 70s as an often experimental, post psychedelic band. By the end of the 70s, the group s sound had become securely pop based - The return to simplicity credo of the late 70s was the working principle for a scene that would develop on US college campuses in the second half of the 80s - College rock got its start in Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia and a local band called REM - Became heroes of the burgeoning college rock scene in the second half of the 80s a scene that celebrated its lack of affiliation with major labels and corporations and in which music was circulated through recordings released by small independent labels, airplay on college radio stations and live performances at clubs that formed a circuit of the country s most important college towns - The smiths became the darlings of the British underground and their music also helped fuel the college rock scene in the US - The late 70s had ushered a new era for women in rock music with The Go-Gos, Cyndi Lauper and the Bangles becoming successful - These bands influenced the idea that women can not only sing in rock bands, but they can also play instruments The New Traditionalists: - In the 80s, a distinct approach to appropriating earlier rock music styles and features was to employ such sounds and images in earnest, meaning that bands used elements of earlier rock music because they sincerely thought the music sounded better this way. - This collection of bands and artists were traditionalists concerned with returning rock to what they considered to be its core aesthetic values and are referred to as the new traditionalists
- Tom Petty: Originally considered to be a new wave artist, however, was later reinterpreted as a new traditionalist. His music had a strong 60 s element to it, even though his career spanned the 70s and 80s (it was therefore out of fashion). Nonetheless, He was considered a keeper of the rock and roll flame during this era with hits such as Free fallin and I Won t Back Down amongst others. - Bruce Springsteen: He was never considered as a new wave artist as he possessed a more traditional rock and roll sound with poetic, socially conscious lyrics. He was considered an important force in rock in roll during the mid-70s and into the 80s. One of his most recognizable hits was Born in the U.S.A, a song that was deeply critical of American values, and that was told by the perspective of an individual powerless in effecting change. This song was mistakenly used by Ronald Reagen during his presidential campaign to promote traditional values and American Pride. Springsteen personally asked for a stoppage to the use of his song in this manner. - John Mellencamp and Dire straits: John Mellencamp was considered a central figure in an Americana strain of new traditionalism during the 80s. He portrayed the image of a small town, plain spoken, average person, with an interest in social justice and emotional self-understanding. His music demonstrated a strong celebration of middle-american culture and was not successful in the UK. The Dire straits, on the other hand, found success overseas. They employed a non no-nonsense approach in their music, with a respect for older styles and a simple, more transparent approach to production. - Brian Setzer, The Stray Cats In the 1980 s, a rockabilly revival was taking place in the UK. Led by skilled guitarist Brian Setzer, the Stray Cats successfully celebrated rockabilly s past by blending pop sensibility and instrumental prowess. Setzer is largely considered the world s foremost rockabilly guitarist. Although, they initially did not make a mark in the American market, the Stray Cats were a successful group overseas - Blue Eyed Soul Other traditionalists were white artists, inspired by 1960 s black pop styles such as Daryl Hall, John Oates, George Michael and Michael Bolton. Hall and Oates possessed the most direct connections to late 60 s-early 70 s rhythm and blues and were established as the most important American blue-eyed soul act in the first half of the 80s. Wham! was similar to Hall and Oates and sparked the release of hits. Despite the success, Michael decided to go solo; releasing Faith, an album that produced four number one hits in the U.S. George Michael s work is deeply associated with the soulful singing of 1960 s black pop.
Bolton emerged and escorted blue-eyed soul into the 90s, becoming one of the most successful singers in the 90s and reinforcing 1960s soul. The Revenge of the Prog Nerds and Mainstream Rock: - In the 70s, Progressive rock bands had built their careers on long, complicated album tracts, yet, bands such as Kansas and Styx, simplified the genre, thereby making it more accessible to the public. - Progressive rock bands were particularly commercially successful in the 80s as they were more radio friendly, adapting to changes in the pop culture to reinvigorate their careers. - Genesis, originally led by Peter Gabriel, emerged in the 70s but never was as popular as other progressive rock bands at the time. - Peter left the band mid-decade and Phil Collins took over the lead vocals duties. With Collins, Genesis shifted to have a poppier style and began to increase in popularity (therefore, adapting to pop culture). - Gabriel and Collins later went on to pursue successful solo careers, with Collin s solo music containing direct lyrics, simple harmonies and radio-friendly arrangements. Gabriel became popular in the UK and was more of a tribute to Hokum blues, as with Sledgehammer, a song with lyrics that allude to sexuality, giving it double meaning. - Gabriel later became one of the most influential songwriters in the 90s - Other prog bands to emerge in the 70s and 80s included Yes and Asia, while some bands from the 60 s and 70 s continued to maintain a central role even into the 80s - Foreigner, Styx, David Bowie, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney all performed well in this era. - The 80s made is clear that rock artist careers could span decades, and that the artists could successfully maintain their original style even though it may have passed from popular favour in the present market. - For example, ACDC played a music that seemed more suited to an earlier time and were strongly influenced by British blues rock of bands like Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Nevertheless this band did not become popular until the late 70s where they experienced great stateside success. - Huey Lewis and the News was also out of step with time, with an easy rockin, sunny wholesome feel that contrasted with the edgier music of the 80s. This made them favourites of listeners who yearned for sense of nostalgia from the good old days and pop music was more fun. - In all, MTV had a great influence on the ways that rock and pop changed during the 80s. Critiques argued that the visual component of music videos took away from the music itself, while supporters embraced the notion of fusing music with video in creative ways. There is no doubt that MTV had become a central element in pop music culture. Listening Guide: Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A The form of this song is simple with a two-bar melody and identical repeating eight-measure sections.
After verse 3, the form appears to break off lyrically to drive to verse 6 and the final statements of the chorus. The song s instrumentation includes drums, guitar, bass, piano, synth and vocals This song was meant to portray a Vietnam veteran that is unsure of which way to turn, which actions to take. Listening Guide: Sledgehammer : Consists of two large sections with contrasting verse form in the first and simple verse form in the second Southern rock influence Lyrics are a tribute to hokum blues Drums, guitar, bass, piano, synth, brass, percussion, lead and backup vocals