4. POP MUSIC
1. THE 50'S
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​After World War II, popular music expanded globally due to international cultural exchange, the rise of mass media (radio and TV) and the economic prosperity. Until the early 1950s the U.S. music industry was strictly divided into racial categories:
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Race music /race records: music by and for African American consumers, focused on blues, gospel, jazz, etc. In 1949 the music industry replaced the term "race music" with "rhythm and blues".
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White music: music by and for white consumers, focused on country, swing and crooners.​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Ike Turner y Jackie Brenston - "Rocket 88"
(rhythm & blues)
Hank Williams - "Move It On Over"
(country)
​Rock and roll mixed rhythm & blues with country. It was featured by a heavy backbeat (accents on beats 2 and 4), 12-bar blues structure and the prominence of the electric guitar and piano. It was a major sociological phenomenon: a new generation of teenagers used this genre to find their own identity, choosing to forget the trauma of World War II through rebellion, energy and rhythm. It had a short life (1954-1958) due to military service, legal scandals and untimely deaths.
E.g. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis.
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High school was characterized by clean, smooth voices and sweet melodies, focusing on the innocence of first love and tailored to a teenage audience.
E.g. Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka.
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Doo-wop was characterized by falsetto harmonies and nonsense syllables (like "doo-wop" or "sh-boom") sung as rhythmic accompaniment.
E.g. The Platters, The Five Satins, The Tokens, The Crystals.
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Surf rock was characterized by falsetto harmonies, rapid staccato picking and a reverb guitar sound that mimicked the waves. It emerged in California and reflected a carefree lifestyle focused on beaches and cars.
E.g. The Beach Boys, Dick Dale & The Del Tones.
2. THE 60'S
​United States
Soul was characterized by melismatic singing with broken voices, call-and-response patterns derived from gospel and powerful brass accompaniment. It served as a powerful expression of Black identity, the Civil Rights movement and feminist empowerment. Later, it evolved into a more pop-oriented version through the Motown record label.
E.g. Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding; Motown: The Supremes, The Jackson 5.
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Folk & protest song was characterized by acoustic instrumentation, simple melodies and a focus on oral tradition. It searched for "authentic" American roots to denounce social injustices and political scandals.
E.g. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez.
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Folk rock was characterized by electric instrumentation and poetic lyrics expressing hippie aspirations of happiness and new hope. It was born at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when Bob Dylan "went electric", switching from an acoustic to an electric guitar. Folk purists were shocked because they thought rock was "too commercial".
E.g. Bob Dylan, The Mamas and The Papas, The Byrds.​​​
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Underground was characterized by a raw sound with distorted guitars, hypnotic repetitions and recited lyrics. It was deeply influenced by the heroin subculture.
E.g. The Velvet Underground.
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Psychedelic rock was characterized by distorted
guitars, Indian classical influences (like the sitar) and
extended, improvisational solos. They experimented
with sound effects (such as wah-wah and feedback)
to replicate the mind-altering experiences of
hallucinogenic drugs like LSD.
E.g. The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix.
United Kingdom
Beat music was characterized by a strong beat on the first part of each bar, catchy melodies, vocal harmonies and upbeat lyrics. Born in Liverpool, then became a global sociological phenomenon known as "Beatlemania" with The Beatles.
E.g. The Beatles, The Searchers.
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British rhythm and blues was characterized by gritty voices, distorted guitars, an aggressive riff that structures the song, and a heavy soul rhythm. It featured a provocative attitude and critical lyrics. It represented a return to "pure" blues, marking the transition from "rock and roll" to the "rock era"
E.g. The Rolling Stones, The Animals.
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Mod was characterized by gritty voices, energetic rhythms and a highly amplified sound using feedback. It emerged from working-class youth, focused on socially critical lyrics, and culminated in the creation of the "rock opera" by The Who.
E.g. The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces.
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Progressive rock was characterized by virtuosic improvisations, experimental guitar effects and the
innovative use of synthesizers. Its staging included elaborate light shows and projections. It mixed jazz, folk and classical music within complex, long-form
compositions.
E.g. Pink Floyd, King Crimson.
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Hard rock was characterized by powerful high-pitched
vocals ("banshee screams"), distorted guitars with
baroque picking and thundering drums.
E.g. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple.
3. THE 70'S
Reggae was characterized by skank offbeat rhythm and strong bass sound. Its lyrics often talked about social problems, politics and cannabis. It emerged in Jamaica, along with the Rastafari movement.
E.g. Bob Marley.
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Funk was characterized by syncopated rhythms, percussive guitar riffs, strong bass lines and energetic horn sections. It developed from soul and rhythm & blues, focused more on rhythm than melody.
E.g. James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Kool & the Gang.
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Disco was characterized by a four-on-the-floor rhythm (bass drum hit on every beat in 4/4 time), strong syncopated bass lines. It was a major sociological phenomenon that brought together people
of different ethnic, social and sexual backgrounds on the dance floor.
E.g. Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor.
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Electronic music was characterized by repetition and
timbral exploration with synthesizers and electronic
instruments. It developed from experimental and
classic avant-garde music.
E.g. Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan.
​Glam was characterized by simple and catchy songs, strong guitar riffs and a blend of rock and pop elements. It emphasized visual identity with androgyny, theatrical performances and flamboyant clothing and makeup.
E.g. T-Rex, David Bowie, The Sweet.
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Soft rock was characterized by melodic songs with a polished sound that blended rock, pop and folk elements. It was successful with the general public, but it was often criticized for being too commercial.
E.g. Supertramp, Dire Straits.
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Heavy metal was characterized by powerful vocals, loud distorted guitars, long virtuosic solos and thundering drums. It evolved from hard rock with
sinister, satanic and aggressive stage performances.
E.g. Black Sabbath, Judas Priest.
Punk was characterized by short and fast songs with
a raw sound that expressed rebellion against the
system and mainstream culture.
E.g. The Sex Pistols, The Ramones.
4. THE 80'S
New wave was characterized by rhythmic guitars, synthesizers and catchy melodies. It was a polished and pop version of punk with sarcastic lyrics about modern life (fear of technology, urban alienation) from the perspective of an "outsider" or "geek". E.g. Devo, Talking Heads, The Buggles.
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Synth-pop was characterized by the use of synthesizers and drum machines to create simple, commercial pop songs. E.g. Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, A-ha.
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Guitar pop was characterized by clear vocals, melodic guitars using innovative effects like delay and tremolo, and a strong influence from Celtic folk with introspective and sincere lyrics. It emerged as a reaction against synthesizers and the sarcasm of New wave. E.g. The Smiths, U2.
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Post-punk was characterized by angular guitars, prominent basslines and dark atmospheres with serious and poetic lyrics about urban decay and deep emotions like angst or sadness.
E.g. Joy Division, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees.
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Mainstream pop was characterized by synthesizers,
gated-reverb drums and perfect sound quality. It was
created combining R&B, rock and disco to be very
popular on the radio and TV.
E.g. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner.​
5. THE 90'S
Hip hop was characterized by repetitive backing tracks (beats) and spoken lyrics. It emerged in the late 70’s in the Bronx in New York. It expresses by graphic arts (graffiti), dance (breakdance), music (disc jockey or DJ) and the message (master of ceremonies or MC). E.g. Sugarhill Gang, N.W.A., 2Pac.​
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Some of the most successful genres of Electronic music were:
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House was characterized by "four-on-the-floor" rhythms and the use of samplers to create loops. It is very hypnotic and perfect for dancing. E.g. Technotronic, Daft Punk.
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Big Beat was characterized by syncopated rhythms and the use of samplers of old funk or rock songs. It mixed electronic music with rock energy. E.g. The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim.
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Some of the most successful genres of Alternative rock were:
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​​​Grunge was characterized by "quiet-loud" structures with soft verses and loud, distorted choruses. The lyrics expressed the sadness and frustration of Generation X. It mixed the energy of punk with the guitars of hard rock. E.g. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden.​​​
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Britpop was characterized by upbeat, catchy melodies and clean guitars. Inspired by British bands from the 60s, it was a positive reaction against the sadness of Grunge. E.g. Blur, Oasis, Elastica.​
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Rap metal was characterized by distorted guitars and rapped lyrics with a strong political message. E.g. Rage Against The Machine.​​​​​
6. SPAIN
​The 50's
The entrance of new cultural trends in Spain was very difficult due to the civil war and the dictatorship. Radio stations played canción española (Lola Flores) and Latin music (Los Panchos). In the late 50s, the American influence came through Hollywood films and military bases, whose radio stations played rock and roll. Bands such as Dúo Dinámico emerged with a High School style.
The 60's
Popular music had a big expansion due to the economic development and some opening.
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Pop: it was the first golden age of Spanish pop (1964-68). E.g. Fórmula V, Los Bravos, Miguel Ríos. Styles like soul, folk-rock or psychedelic rock were not very popular in Spain, which led to the end of the first golden age of Spanish pop.
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Nova cançó & protest song dealt with committed issues. E.g. Serrat, Mª del Mar Bonet.
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Melodic song emerged with the success of “La la la” by Massiel in Eurovision. E.g. Marisol, Raphael.
The 70's
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Melodic song was very successful. E.g. Nino Bravo, Camilo Sesto.
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Urban rock paved the way to the heavy of the 80s. E.g. Burning, Coz.
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Andalusian rock mixed progressive rock with flamenco. E.g. Triana.
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New flamenco mixed flamenco with jazz and rock, and it was criticized by flamenco purists. E.g. Paco de Lucía y Camarón de la Isla, Las Grecas.
The 80's
During this decade there was an opening of Spain to the foreign.
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La movida was a cultural movement that included music, literature, film, fashion, etc. The music was influenced by punk and new wave. It emerged in Madrid and later spread to other cities like Barcelona and Vigo. E.g. Radio Futura, Alaska, Siniestro Total.
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New flamenco mixed flamenco with blues and Latin music. E.g. Pata Negra, Ketama.
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Urban rock, heavy metal: Obús, Leño, Kortatu.
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Songwriters: Mari Trini, Joaquín Sabina.
The 90's
The diversity of styles and the consumption of Spanish music increases.
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New flamenco: Navajita Plateá, Niña Pastori.
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Urban rock, heavy metal: Platero y Tú, Extremoduro.
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Songwriters: Rosana, Pedro Guerra.
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Indie, alternative rock: Los Planetas, Los Piratas, Dover.
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Fusion: Manu Chao, Kepa Junkera, Amparanoia, Luar na Lubre.
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Hip hop: 7 notas 7 colores, SFDK, Mala Rodríguez.
Dúo Dinámico - Oh Carol
(50s)
Los Bravos - Bring A Little Lovin'
(60s)
Marisol - Corazón contento
(60s)
Camarón - La leyenda del tiempo
(70s)
Radio Futura - Escuela de calor
(80s)
Manu Chao - Clandestino
(90s)