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Rock and Roll
Rock & Roll began in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1954, a bacn called Bill Haly and the Comets launched a smash hit called Rock Around The Clock. This is often referrerd to as the beginning of Rock and Roll. -
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Pop
In 2009 the world mourned the death of Michael Jackson, one of the most successful and influential popular music identities of all time. Michael Jackson was known as the "king of Pop." The word pop is short for popular.Pop can be influenced by many different genres of music and therefore the sound of pop music has changed over time, depending on what else is popular.Other pop artists of the 1980s included Madonna, Bruce Spingsteen, and Prince. Madonna has continued to change her style of music. -
The King of Rock and Roll
He was discovered by Sam Phillips(Head of Sun Records.) During Preslye's life,it is believed that he sold over 1 billion records and earned more awards and chart-topping positions than any other artist in history. It all began during a recording break with an impromptu rendition of an old r&B song by Al Crudup called That's Alright Mamma. It became one of Elvis's first overwhelming successes. -
The Day The Music Died
A small charter plane took off from an airport in Iowa, USA. On board, on their way to a scheduled tour destination, were three of the 1950s great American Rock and Roll stars, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper. The plane crashed soon after take off, leaving no survivors. -
Soul
Singing was also a comfort in an otherwise terrible life and it gave them some hope that their life would get betterThis style of singing would eventually evolve into many different genres, including Soul, R&B, Gospel, Blues, Doo-Wop. Two most notable Soul record labels are Motown and Stax records. Motown records was started by Berry Gordy, Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. Stax label comes from Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton. Some of the most notable Soul artists include Aretha Franklin etc. -
Surf
During the early to mid 1960s, few American groups were able to compete with the wave of British music that dominated the pop charts.There are basically three styles of surf music. The first is the purely instrumental style, made up of both lead and rhythm guitar, bass, and drum set. Use of the Whammy Bar and reverb created the effects that became synonymous with the Surf sound. Two other types are vocal styles. The third type is the rock or beach style. The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. -
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Woodstock
It started in the late 1960s to early 1970s.It was the age of peace,love,and happiness.It was the age of a three day music festival called "Woodstock,"that drew a crowd of thousands and changed the history of Rock and Roll music.Performers included the fold musicians Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (CSNY) and Joan Baez. The psychadelic rock style was loud and heavy and included lots of long insturmental solos with very few lyrics. -
British Invasion
The British first invaded the United States during the American Revolution in 1775. Almost 200 years later, the British invaded again! The Beatles made their American debut in 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show, a variety show that ran from 1948 to 1971. An appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show usually guaranteed a successful career. The Beatles became a voice for young people. -
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Solo Artists
Solo artists have played an important role in the music industry and continue to produce popular music. Billy Joel and Elton John are known as the top piano men of pop music. Eric Clapton, well known for his guitar playing, has played in many rock bands throughtout his musical career, although he still maintained his interest in American Blues. He has collaborated with artists as diverse as BB King, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Mary J.Blige, Luciano Pavarotti, and Elton John. -
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Disco
In the 1970s, it was the standard dress for an evening spent at the local discotheque. Disco is a style of music that was popular from the early 1970s until mid 1980s. It was influenced mostly by funk and soul music, and is well known for its rich and varied instrumentation. One of the best known disco groups was The Village People. Another well known group was ABBA. The disco dance movie, Saturday Night Fever came out in 1977 when disco was at the peak of its populatiry. -
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Dance Music
The Dance music of the 1980s was really an evolution of the disco music genre of the 1970s. It developed purely for the nightclub scene, and was designed to be used by a DJ. Many early songs from the dance music were available on 12"singles-12"vinyl records that included several mixes of the same song. Electronic Dance music inevitably developed into various sub genres including House, Trance, Drums 'n' Bass, HI-NRG, Techno, and Electro. Music groups include Duran Duran & The Pet Shop Boys. -
One Hit Wonders
One Hit Wonders are typically artists who produce a hit song that either makes the Billboard lists, or gets played frequently on MTV,VH1,or the radio. Just because a group is a One Hit Wonder in one country doesn't mean that it is one in other countries. There are songs that are doomed to be One Hit Wonders just because they were novelty songs. Although lists of the most notable One Hit Wonders in history differ, often varying from country to country, most of them are easily recognizable.
