The topic of most music, especially pop music, is personal experiences, particularly concerning love, or love lost. However, sometimes musicians have an altruistic message they wish to convey; for example, messages of protest, or social comments, or critique of political issues. We can refer to these songs as songs that make social commentary, or as “protest songs.” The more successful protest songs are usually associated with some kind of social or cultural change. Some songs may not actually protest against anything; however, the song may still be recognized as a protest song because of its close association with the social or cultural change that occurred at the time that the song was prevalent.
To conclude our series on modern English music we will listen to a selection of protest songs. Listen to the songs, read the lyrics (hand outs), and identify the genre. What is “message” of each song? What are they “protesting” against, or what is the social commentary that the song makes?
“No More Auction Block for Me” – A “sorrow song” about the abolition of slavery.
“Strange Fruit” – Billie Holiday
“Uncle Sam Says” – Josh White
“This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land” – Woody Guthrie
"Old Man Atom" – Adam Miller (Originally by Vern Partlow)
“The Times They Are a Changin’” – Bob Dylan
“Masters of War” – Pearl Jam (Originally by Bob Dylan)
You can read more about “The Politics of Bob Dylan” here.
“Eve of Destruction” – Barry McGuire (1965)
“Univeral Soldier” – Donavan (1965)
Skunk Anansie: “Little Baby Swastika”
“Imagine” – John Lennon
“Peace Train” – Cat Stevens
“Janis Ian” – Society’s Child (1965)
“American Idiot” – Green Day
“Soldier Side” – System of a Down
“Talking About a Revolution” – Tracy Chapman
“Wavin’ Flag” – K’naan
“Kingdom of Loss” – Pain of Salvation
“Luka” – Suzanne Vega
“Dear Mr President” – Pink
“20 Minutes with the President” – Original script by Charlie Sheen
For more on protest music, visit Tom Zarecki's hub post "Songs of Protest, Revolution & Change in America.". Also visit Antiwarsongs.Org for anti-war songs from different countries and languages, including Korea.
Postmodern Music
Last week we listened to Pop music; in other words, very popular music. The week before last we listened to Alternative Rock music. Today we will listen to even more “alternative” music – especially in how it sounds. I call this music Postmodern Fusion, also known as Postmodern music, because very different styles are fused into a new “sound.” Postmodern music is therefore eclectic in style and genre.
One example would be Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which we listened to at the beginning of this semester (Week 3: Harmony). “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a fusion of two unique genres, namely classical rhapsody and rock music. A rhapsody is a single piece of music, but with different parts representing different moods. Listen, for example, to Johannes Brahm’s “Rhapsody in G minor” Op. 79, No. 2. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is similar, in that it has different parts with different moods. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a postmodern composition because it mixes two different genres with each other.
Listen to Alanis Morissette’s “Baba” in the YouTube-video below. The song is from one of my favourite albums “Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.”
This song also has a mixture of genres. The first genre is Rock. What is the other genre(s)? Maybe the lyrics can give you some clues.
Now listen to Fiona Apple perform “Shadow Boxer.” What music genres can you identify in this song?
How about Fiona Apple’s song “Extraordinary Machine”?
Another artist known for interesting fusions is the Dave Matthews Band. Listen to their song “Spoon.”
Watch the video of a live performance of Björk performing her song “Enjoy.” What instruments are being used? What sampled sounds are used together?
Beck is another artist that makes use of many synthesized sounds, including sampled audio clips from popular culture. “High 5” is an example:
Nightwish, a band from Finland, is described as a “symphonic power gothic metal band” with opera-style vocals.
Also mixing metal music with symphonic sounds is Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Listen to their “Good King Joy.” Notice the fusion of Christmas carols with metal music.
One example would be Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which we listened to at the beginning of this semester (Week 3: Harmony). “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a fusion of two unique genres, namely classical rhapsody and rock music. A rhapsody is a single piece of music, but with different parts representing different moods. Listen, for example, to Johannes Brahm’s “Rhapsody in G minor” Op. 79, No. 2. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is similar, in that it has different parts with different moods. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a postmodern composition because it mixes two different genres with each other.
Listen to Alanis Morissette’s “Baba” in the YouTube-video below. The song is from one of my favourite albums “Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.”
This song also has a mixture of genres. The first genre is Rock. What is the other genre(s)? Maybe the lyrics can give you some clues.
Now listen to Fiona Apple perform “Shadow Boxer.” What music genres can you identify in this song?
How about Fiona Apple’s song “Extraordinary Machine”?
Another artist known for interesting fusions is the Dave Matthews Band. Listen to their song “Spoon.”
Watch the video of a live performance of Björk performing her song “Enjoy.” What instruments are being used? What sampled sounds are used together?
Beck is another artist that makes use of many synthesized sounds, including sampled audio clips from popular culture. “High 5” is an example:
Nightwish, a band from Finland, is described as a “symphonic power gothic metal band” with opera-style vocals.
Also mixing metal music with symphonic sounds is Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Listen to their “Good King Joy.” Notice the fusion of Christmas carols with metal music.
Contemporary R&B
I make a distinction between Rhythm & Blues, as we discussed it earlier this semester, and R&B (or “Contemporary Rhythm & Blues”). R&B, in my opinion, is basically Rhythm & Blues Pop Music. It therefore contains much of the common characteristics of Commercial Music, focussing primarily on revenue. This new style of R&B became popular in the 1980s, and inherited the synthetic dance rhythm from Disco music, and sometimes even use Hip-Hop style beats.
An interesting characteristic in R&B is the use of “melisma” or “melismatic singing.” Usually when people sing, one syllable is sung on one musical note. In melismatic singing, one syllable is sung over several musical notes. The success of melisma singing in R&B may also be a contributor to the popularity of the “Auto-Tune”-phenomena over the past decade and a half. Some popular melisma singers include Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Following is a short selection of representative R&B songs:
Exercise: Discuss how the music, for instance the melodic contour, contributes to the lyrics in this song.
An interesting characteristic in R&B is the use of “melisma” or “melismatic singing.” Usually when people sing, one syllable is sung on one musical note. In melismatic singing, one syllable is sung over several musical notes. The success of melisma singing in R&B may also be a contributor to the popularity of the “Auto-Tune”-phenomena over the past decade and a half. Some popular melisma singers include Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Following is a short selection of representative R&B songs:
- Leo Slayer: “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (1976)
- Anita Baker: “Giving You the Best that I Got”
- Michael Jackson: “Billy Jean”
- Whitney Houston: "I Will Always Love You"
- Mariah Carey: "We Belong Together"
- R Kelly: “I Believe I Can Fly”
- The Fugees: “Killing Me Softly”
- Alicia Keys: “Fallin”
Exercise: Discuss how the music, for instance the melodic contour, contributes to the lyrics in this song.
Hip Hop: The Good, the Bad, The Ugly
We already listened to one of the first Rap / Hip-Hop songs, when we discussed Disco music. Do you remember the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”; rhyming rapped over looped vamp sampled from Chic’s “Good Times”?
But what is Hip-Hop? It is important to note that “Hip-Hop” firstly refers to a subculture; particularly an African American subculture that developed in the Bronx in New York City in the 70s. Part of Hip Hop is a creative expression through art (graffiti writing), dancing (B-boying), as well as music in the form of DJing and MCing. DJing refers to the use of synthetic instruments like a turn table, drum machines, and music editing controllers to “sample,” “loop,” “scratch,” and so on. MCeeing refers to “rapping,” in which the rapper / MC perform rhythmical rhymes, or poetry put to beat. The MC may also “beatbox,” which is the act of mimicking percussion instruments, i.e. drums, using one’s mouth and voice.
In the 1970s, particularly in the Bronx area, youth had parties (e.g. “block parties” and “tennis court discos”) in which DJs created dance music. The music were often a combination of sampled snippets from the popular songs of the day, for instance Chic’s “Good Times.” Over these sampled rhythms people would perform their rhymes.
One of the first DJ’s during this time was Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc), known as the “Father of Hip Hop.” DJ Kool Herc sampled beats from different songs and mixed them together, or one after the other, to create syncopation and polyrhythm. DJ Kool Herc’s prodigy was Joseph Saddler (aka Grandmaster Flash).
Watch a part of an episode called “The Perfect Beat,” from a series called “Rock & Roll,” below. While listening to it, try to answer this question: How is Hip-Hop music different from all the other established genres of music?
Below is a list of some representative Hip-Hop music:
Traditionally Hip-Hop music made social commentary, expressed political concerns, and contemplated personal issues; however, the themes in Hip-Hop have evolved to less noble topics.
Thematically Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” (2002) is quite positive. How would you summarize this song? In other words, what are the topic, idea, and theme of this song?
Unfortunately few contemporary Hip-Hop songs are so inspirational. Instead, Hip-Hop music have has become a medium for promoting a warped idea of masculinity and gender violence (misogyny). Learn more about these issues at the Independent Lens’ Hip-Hop page.
Following is a trailer for the great documentary Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which is well worth seeing.
You can learn more about this documentary at the Independent Lens website. The website also includes a timeline of Hip-Hop’s development and a glossary of common terms when discussing Hip-Hop music.
But what is Hip-Hop? It is important to note that “Hip-Hop” firstly refers to a subculture; particularly an African American subculture that developed in the Bronx in New York City in the 70s. Part of Hip Hop is a creative expression through art (graffiti writing), dancing (B-boying), as well as music in the form of DJing and MCing. DJing refers to the use of synthetic instruments like a turn table, drum machines, and music editing controllers to “sample,” “loop,” “scratch,” and so on. MCeeing refers to “rapping,” in which the rapper / MC perform rhythmical rhymes, or poetry put to beat. The MC may also “beatbox,” which is the act of mimicking percussion instruments, i.e. drums, using one’s mouth and voice.
In the 1970s, particularly in the Bronx area, youth had parties (e.g. “block parties” and “tennis court discos”) in which DJs created dance music. The music were often a combination of sampled snippets from the popular songs of the day, for instance Chic’s “Good Times.” Over these sampled rhythms people would perform their rhymes.
One of the first DJ’s during this time was Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc), known as the “Father of Hip Hop.” DJ Kool Herc sampled beats from different songs and mixed them together, or one after the other, to create syncopation and polyrhythm. DJ Kool Herc’s prodigy was Joseph Saddler (aka Grandmaster Flash).
Watch a part of an episode called “The Perfect Beat,” from a series called “Rock & Roll,” below. While listening to it, try to answer this question: How is Hip-Hop music different from all the other established genres of music?
Below is a list of some representative Hip-Hop music:
- Sugar Hill Gang: “Rapper’s Delight” (1979)
- Kurtis Blow: “The Breaks” (1980)
- LL Cool J (with Rolando Hudson): “I Need Love” (1987)
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith): “Summertime” (1991)
- Will Smith: “Men in Black” (1997)
Traditionally Hip-Hop music made social commentary, expressed political concerns, and contemplated personal issues; however, the themes in Hip-Hop have evolved to less noble topics.
Thematically Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” (2002) is quite positive. How would you summarize this song? In other words, what are the topic, idea, and theme of this song?
Unfortunately few contemporary Hip-Hop songs are so inspirational. Instead, Hip-Hop music have has become a medium for promoting a warped idea of masculinity and gender violence (misogyny). Learn more about these issues at the Independent Lens’ Hip-Hop page.
Following is a trailer for the great documentary Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which is well worth seeing.
You can learn more about this documentary at the Independent Lens website. The website also includes a timeline of Hip-Hop’s development and a glossary of common terms when discussing Hip-Hop music.
Final Presentation Requirements
Presentation Day: Thursday, December 10th, 2009.
For your final presentation (which counts as your final exam mark), you need to present and discuss a recent English song. The song should not be older than 15 years.
You need to hand in a typed document which should contain the following:
1) Metadata
2) Full lyrics and indication of the Song Structure.
3) A summary of the lyrics, the topic and the themes, as well as identification of poetic devices, if any.
- Becoming Familiar with a Song
- Topic, Idea, and Theme
- Mention its social significance. (E.g. Does it have any effecy on society? Does it make social comment? Is it representative of social or political ideas?)
4) A full analysis of the music:
- Melody: Use appropriate vocabulary like “pitch,” “scales,” “melodic contour,” “ascending and descending motion,” “range,” “countermelody,” and so on.
- Harmony: Use appropriate vocabulary like “chord progression” and “dissonance and consonance.”
- Rhythm: Use appropriate vocabulary like “polyrhythm,” “syncopation,” and so on.
- Other: Orchestration & Instruments Dynamics / Timbre / Texture / Density / Form
5) A historic contextualization (Which previous genres influenced this song).
- Write a short essay in which you discuss what genres of music influenced the song you are presenting.
Keep the complexity of the song in mind:
Choose your song carefully. Keep the level of complexity of the song in mind. If the song that you choose is complex, you will probably have more to say about it. An analysis of a complex song is likely to get higher grades than an easy analysis of a simple song. However, if the song is too complex, it may take too long to discuss, which means that you may not be able to finish it in time.
Class presentation:
Your class presentation should be a summary of your full analysis. During your presentation you will play the song to the class and provide the metadata, and the lyrics with the song structure indicated; after which you summarize the lyrics, indicating the topic & idea, and theme(s). Also point out poetic devices if appropriate. Finally, give a short analysis of the music with reference to the melody, harmony, rhythm, and other important aspects. You do not have to play the whole song, you need only play sections that will reveal the points you wish to explain. Remember to mention the historical musical influences on the song, and be sure to mention if the song has any social significance.
Your whole presentation should be around 5 minutes.
For your final presentation (which counts as your final exam mark), you need to present and discuss a recent English song. The song should not be older than 15 years.
You need to hand in a typed document which should contain the following:
1) Metadata
2) Full lyrics and indication of the Song Structure.
3) A summary of the lyrics, the topic and the themes, as well as identification of poetic devices, if any.
- Becoming Familiar with a Song
- Topic, Idea, and Theme
- Mention its social significance. (E.g. Does it have any effecy on society? Does it make social comment? Is it representative of social or political ideas?)
4) A full analysis of the music:
- Melody: Use appropriate vocabulary like “pitch,” “scales,” “melodic contour,” “ascending and descending motion,” “range,” “countermelody,” and so on.
- Harmony: Use appropriate vocabulary like “chord progression” and “dissonance and consonance.”
- Rhythm: Use appropriate vocabulary like “polyrhythm,” “syncopation,” and so on.
- Other: Orchestration & Instruments Dynamics / Timbre / Texture / Density / Form
5) A historic contextualization (Which previous genres influenced this song).
- Write a short essay in which you discuss what genres of music influenced the song you are presenting.
Keep the complexity of the song in mind:
Choose your song carefully. Keep the level of complexity of the song in mind. If the song that you choose is complex, you will probably have more to say about it. An analysis of a complex song is likely to get higher grades than an easy analysis of a simple song. However, if the song is too complex, it may take too long to discuss, which means that you may not be able to finish it in time.
Class presentation:
Your class presentation should be a summary of your full analysis. During your presentation you will play the song to the class and provide the metadata, and the lyrics with the song structure indicated; after which you summarize the lyrics, indicating the topic & idea, and theme(s). Also point out poetic devices if appropriate. Finally, give a short analysis of the music with reference to the melody, harmony, rhythm, and other important aspects. You do not have to play the whole song, you need only play sections that will reveal the points you wish to explain. Remember to mention the historical musical influences on the song, and be sure to mention if the song has any social significance.
Your whole presentation should be around 5 minutes.
Pop Music & Pop Icons
Pop Music
Pop music is music enjoyed by a wide audience. Pop music is usually not very complex, with melodies that are easy to follow, and often with strong hooks. The song structure in pop music is also quite standard -- verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus – with occasional variation. The songs tend to be relatively short. The themes in pop music are usually (but not exclusively) about romantic love.
Often the main purpose in pop music is to make money. It is therefore also sometimes referred to as Commercial Music. Crossroads in Music (p. 64) explains: “Music created for the primary purpose of generating revenue for the writers and performers can be considered commercial.” To make the most amount of money the music needs to appeal to the greatest number of people (biggest audience).
Pop Icons
Some pop artists become so successful and famous, that they become known as Pop Icons. A “Pop Icon” is a person that is well known in popular culture. In this course we have listened to the music of quite a number of Pop Icons like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Cher, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain(Nirvana), Freddie Mercury (Queen), The Rolling Stones, and so on.
On the list above, Elvis Presley is probably the most prominent Pop Icon. We have already spend a couple of posts looking at the music of Elvis Presley.
Let’s look at two other Pop Icons, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Madonna
Madonna is called the “Queen of Pop” and in 2006, according to Mail Online, she is the “highest earning female singer on earth.” Bloomberg Press reported that Madonna’s “Sticky & Sweet” word tour is the highest-grossing solo tour and sold over $280 million in tickets.
Probably Madonna’s greatest asset is her ability to continuously re-invent herself, changing not only her appearance, but also her “sound.” Let’s listen to a couple of her songs – note how her look and sound has changed through the time.
"Like a Virgin" (1984)
"Express Yourself" (1984)
“Secret” (1994)
“Frozen” (1997)
“Die Another Day” (2002)
“Give it 2 me” (2008)
Michael Jackson
The title for “King of Pop” goes to the late Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s singing, dancing, and music style have influenced innumerable artists in many different genres, for instance Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, and numerous more. Although a good number of Jackson’s songs are “love songs,” many of them contained other themes in which he attempted to make people aware of social issues like war, abuse, AIDS, environmental issues, and the like.
Apart from his influence on music, Michael Jackson was also an extraordinary philanthropist, and it is estimated that he donated over 300 million dollars to charities. However, as a pop icon he was also involved in many negative media hype.
It is extremely difficult to assess how great Michael Jackson’s legacy to pop music, pop culture, and the world is. You can read more about this in the article "The Battle Over Michael Jackson's Legacy" on Time.Com.
Following are some famous singles by the King of Pop:
Billie Jean (1983)
Thriller (1984)
Black or White (1991)
Blood on the Dance Floor (1997)
Unbreakable (2002)
Question:
Are there commonalities that most of Madonna and Michael Jackson's music share? If yes, what are they? Do you think that this has contributed to their respective world wide success?
Pop music is music enjoyed by a wide audience. Pop music is usually not very complex, with melodies that are easy to follow, and often with strong hooks. The song structure in pop music is also quite standard -- verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus – with occasional variation. The songs tend to be relatively short. The themes in pop music are usually (but not exclusively) about romantic love.
Often the main purpose in pop music is to make money. It is therefore also sometimes referred to as Commercial Music. Crossroads in Music (p. 64) explains: “Music created for the primary purpose of generating revenue for the writers and performers can be considered commercial.” To make the most amount of money the music needs to appeal to the greatest number of people (biggest audience).
Pop Icons
Some pop artists become so successful and famous, that they become known as Pop Icons. A “Pop Icon” is a person that is well known in popular culture. In this course we have listened to the music of quite a number of Pop Icons like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Cher, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain(Nirvana), Freddie Mercury (Queen), The Rolling Stones, and so on.
On the list above, Elvis Presley is probably the most prominent Pop Icon. We have already spend a couple of posts looking at the music of Elvis Presley.
Let’s look at two other Pop Icons, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Madonna
Madonna is called the “Queen of Pop” and in 2006, according to Mail Online, she is the “highest earning female singer on earth.” Bloomberg Press reported that Madonna’s “Sticky & Sweet” word tour is the highest-grossing solo tour and sold over $280 million in tickets.
Probably Madonna’s greatest asset is her ability to continuously re-invent herself, changing not only her appearance, but also her “sound.” Let’s listen to a couple of her songs – note how her look and sound has changed through the time.
"Like a Virgin" (1984)
"Express Yourself" (1984)
“Secret” (1994)
“Frozen” (1997)
“Die Another Day” (2002)
“Give it 2 me” (2008)
Michael Jackson
The title for “King of Pop” goes to the late Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s singing, dancing, and music style have influenced innumerable artists in many different genres, for instance Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, and numerous more. Although a good number of Jackson’s songs are “love songs,” many of them contained other themes in which he attempted to make people aware of social issues like war, abuse, AIDS, environmental issues, and the like.
Apart from his influence on music, Michael Jackson was also an extraordinary philanthropist, and it is estimated that he donated over 300 million dollars to charities. However, as a pop icon he was also involved in many negative media hype.
It is extremely difficult to assess how great Michael Jackson’s legacy to pop music, pop culture, and the world is. You can read more about this in the article "The Battle Over Michael Jackson's Legacy" on Time.Com.
Following are some famous singles by the King of Pop:
Billie Jean (1983)
Thriller (1984)
Black or White (1991)
Blood on the Dance Floor (1997)
Unbreakable (2002)
Question:
Are there commonalities that most of Madonna and Michael Jackson's music share? If yes, what are they? Do you think that this has contributed to their respective world wide success?
Assignment: The Dark Side of Rock 'n Roll -- Sex, Drugs, and Violence
Write an essay in which you discuss the problem of violence, sex and drugs in Rock Music. Take a personal opinion and then connect your discussion with any artist(s) of your choice and give examples from lyrics where appropriate. Your essay should contain references to other sources, with correct citation where appropriate.
Female Rockers
Female Rock artists usually find their niche in an alternative rock genre, possibly because the Heavy Metal and Hard Rock genres tend to emphasize masculinity so much. Let’s look at some female rock vocalist.
Tina Turner is known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll.” Although her career started already in the 60s, she was especially popular in the 80s, at which time she won Grammy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989! Here is “Simply the Best”:
Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” remained on the top ten on the U.S. Billboard for over a year. This album is one of only three albums, alongside Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" and Celine Dion’s "Falling into You," to achieve this. Let’s listen to the single “You Learn” from that album. What would you say is the topic and controlling idea of this song?
We have already listened to Sheryl Crow singing a duet with Kid Rock. Crow is a celebrated crossover artist and have won Grammy Awards in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2003. Below is her cover of Guns ‘n Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” (You can listen to the original here.)
Pink (Alecia Moore) is a pop-rock artist that started out as an R&B singer. Pink is known for her rebellious and tough-chick attitude. Let’s listen to her song “So What” from her latest album, “Funhouse.”
Tina Turner is known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll.” Although her career started already in the 60s, she was especially popular in the 80s, at which time she won Grammy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989! Here is “Simply the Best”:
Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” remained on the top ten on the U.S. Billboard for over a year. This album is one of only three albums, alongside Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" and Celine Dion’s "Falling into You," to achieve this. Let’s listen to the single “You Learn” from that album. What would you say is the topic and controlling idea of this song?
We have already listened to Sheryl Crow singing a duet with Kid Rock. Crow is a celebrated crossover artist and have won Grammy Awards in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2003. Below is her cover of Guns ‘n Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” (You can listen to the original here.)
Pink (Alecia Moore) is a pop-rock artist that started out as an R&B singer. Pink is known for her rebellious and tough-chick attitude. Let’s listen to her song “So What” from her latest album, “Funhouse.”
More Rock Subgenres: Alternative & Punk
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, College Rock, Grunge
Another subgenre of Rock Music is Alternative Rock, and refers to rock music that is not as popular as some of the other mainstream rock bands. It is rooted in the smaller bands that often played at colleges, and which created an alternative and more creative sound. Since many of these bands were not picked up by the big music producers, they were more likely to produce their own music independently. They are therefore also known as independent rock, or indie rock.
Alt-rock songs frequently focus on social issues, or reflected the angst and expectations of the youth in the 80s and 90s.
One of the early alt-rock bands to become very successful is R.E.M. Below is their song “It’s the End of the World.”
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock which started in the Seattle area with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hammerbox, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. The grunge-sound usually had a slower tempo than the typical rock music, but still retained a heavy distorted electric guitars, dissonant harmonies and complex orchestration, although it is generally not as dense as hard rock and heavy metal.
Thematically grunge focuses on feelings of apathy, angst, “outsidership” (feelings of social alientation), and a bleak view of the future. Some grunge songs, however, are satirical, made fun at the issues they contemplated.
Many Alternative bands gained a cult following. Few bands had a cult following like the grunge band Nirvana. Listen to “It Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “In Bloom.” Identify the topics and themes for each of these songs.
Another grunge band from Seattle is Pearl Jam, which became “the most popular American rock & roll band of the 90s,” according to Stephen Erlewine. Listen to Pearl Jam’s “Alive”; how would you describe the message of this song? Is it a positive or a negative message?
A very diverse alternative rock band is The Smashing Pumpkins. Listen to their song “The World is a Vampire.” What do you think is meant by this metaphor?
The UK alternative band, Placebo, is another band that sings about topics of (teenage) angst and uncertainty. Gender issues are also a common theme in some alternative rock bands, for instance Placebo’s song “Nancy Boy.” My personal favorite Placebo song is “Protect Me from What I Want,” especially the French version.
Punk Rock
Punk Rock is another alternative rock genre noted for their high rhythmic density, but fairly low instrumental density. The lyrics are usually short and often cover socio-political themes and anti-establishment or anarchistic topics. The vocals in punk rock are usually high pitched, generally with an adolescent sound.
The artist Patti Smith is known as the "Godmother of Punk." She combined “beat poetry” with fast paced rock music – creating a style that would be taken up by other artists and would become the familiar punk rock sound. Her song “Because the Night,” which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen, is probably her most recognizable.
Another original punk band is the Sex Pistols. Here is there famous (and controversial) “God Save the Queen”:
What do you think is the political message sent by the song? What themes does it address?
Green Day is one of the most successful Punk Rock bands. They have been nominated at the American Music Awards for Favorite Alternate Artist on numerous occasions. In 1995 their album “Dookie” won the Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album, in 2000 “American Idiot” won Best Rock Album and in 2006 they won Record of the Year for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
We will listen to “Basket Case” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
Other famous Punk Rock bands include The Offspring and Blink 182. Good representative examples of their music are“Hit That” by The Offspring and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182.
Extra Credit Assignment: “Did Punk Rock evolve from Blue Grass?” In an essay, answer the question above. Remember to motivate your answer with examples. The assignment should be handed in before the final exams start.
Another subgenre of Rock Music is Alternative Rock, and refers to rock music that is not as popular as some of the other mainstream rock bands. It is rooted in the smaller bands that often played at colleges, and which created an alternative and more creative sound. Since many of these bands were not picked up by the big music producers, they were more likely to produce their own music independently. They are therefore also known as independent rock, or indie rock.
Alt-rock songs frequently focus on social issues, or reflected the angst and expectations of the youth in the 80s and 90s.
One of the early alt-rock bands to become very successful is R.E.M. Below is their song “It’s the End of the World.”
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock which started in the Seattle area with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hammerbox, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. The grunge-sound usually had a slower tempo than the typical rock music, but still retained a heavy distorted electric guitars, dissonant harmonies and complex orchestration, although it is generally not as dense as hard rock and heavy metal.
Thematically grunge focuses on feelings of apathy, angst, “outsidership” (feelings of social alientation), and a bleak view of the future. Some grunge songs, however, are satirical, made fun at the issues they contemplated.
Many Alternative bands gained a cult following. Few bands had a cult following like the grunge band Nirvana. Listen to “It Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “In Bloom.” Identify the topics and themes for each of these songs.
Another grunge band from Seattle is Pearl Jam, which became “the most popular American rock & roll band of the 90s,” according to Stephen Erlewine. Listen to Pearl Jam’s “Alive”; how would you describe the message of this song? Is it a positive or a negative message?
A very diverse alternative rock band is The Smashing Pumpkins. Listen to their song “The World is a Vampire.” What do you think is meant by this metaphor?
The UK alternative band, Placebo, is another band that sings about topics of (teenage) angst and uncertainty. Gender issues are also a common theme in some alternative rock bands, for instance Placebo’s song “Nancy Boy.” My personal favorite Placebo song is “Protect Me from What I Want,” especially the French version.
Punk Rock
Punk Rock is another alternative rock genre noted for their high rhythmic density, but fairly low instrumental density. The lyrics are usually short and often cover socio-political themes and anti-establishment or anarchistic topics. The vocals in punk rock are usually high pitched, generally with an adolescent sound.
The artist Patti Smith is known as the "Godmother of Punk." She combined “beat poetry” with fast paced rock music – creating a style that would be taken up by other artists and would become the familiar punk rock sound. Her song “Because the Night,” which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen, is probably her most recognizable.
Another original punk band is the Sex Pistols. Here is there famous (and controversial) “God Save the Queen”:
What do you think is the political message sent by the song? What themes does it address?
Green Day is one of the most successful Punk Rock bands. They have been nominated at the American Music Awards for Favorite Alternate Artist on numerous occasions. In 1995 their album “Dookie” won the Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album, in 2000 “American Idiot” won Best Rock Album and in 2006 they won Record of the Year for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
We will listen to “Basket Case” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
Other famous Punk Rock bands include The Offspring and Blink 182. Good representative examples of their music are“Hit That” by The Offspring and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182.
Extra Credit Assignment: “Did Punk Rock evolve from Blue Grass?” In an essay, answer the question above. Remember to motivate your answer with examples. The assignment should be handed in before the final exams start.
Psychedelic, Hard Rock, and Metal
Around the 70s and later, Rock ‘n Roll started to develop sub-genres. We have already listened some of these subgenres namely Country Rock (or Southern Rock) and Blues Rock.
Now we will look at some of the other famous rock sub-genres.
Psychedelic Rock
“Psychedelic” refers to the use of psychedelic- or mind-altering drugs that were emerging and prevalent during the sixties and seventies. Psychedelic Rock tried to capture these drug experiences in music. There was also a strong theme of “hedonism” – the believe that pleasure is the only goal in life.
Psychedilic Rock retained the typical orchestration associated with Rock music, but often incorporated exotic instruments, like sitars. The Beatles’ album “St. Pepper’s Heart Club Band” is considered by many to be a psychedelic album .
Another psychedelic rock band dating from the late 60s is The Yarnbirds. Eric Clapton was the lead guitarist for The Yarnbirds from 1963-1965. The Yarnbirds was known for their experimental use of the electric guitar. Below are two songs by The Yarnbirds.
“Over Under Sidewards Down”
“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
The word “Hard” in Hard Rock refers to the high dynamics of the music; in other words the loudness of the volume which is often so loud (due to amplification) that the sound becomes distorted and therefore has lots of dissonance. Distortion is a key feature in this genre. Hard Rock is strongly influenced by blues music and many of the songs are based on the 12 Bar Blues structure. The pentatonic scale is also frequently used, which is probably rooted in the Spirituals and Negro folk songs.
Jimi Hendrix was one of the initiators of Hard Rock. “The Jimi Hendrix sound and the instrumentation of his band – guitar, bass, and drums: the ‘power trio’ – were at the core of the hard rock style and of the heavy metal style that followed” (Crossroads in Music, p. 222). Hendrix was influenced by Psychedelic Rock, particularly their experimentation with the electric guitar, which, of course, was something he excelled at.
The term “Heavy Metal” was first used in the song “Born to Be Wild,” by Steppenwolf, which is also considered to be the first Heavy Metal song.
But what is the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? The two genres (if they are indeed two separate genres) overlap a great deal. Generally, I would say, that both have high dynamics with a big focus on the “metals” (the electric guitar and bass guitar); however, Heavy Metal tend to have more intricate melodies and harmonies, with longer guitar solos. Sometimes Heavy metal may also seem more aggressive, with lots of emphasis on being “macho”. It is also believed that the influence of Blues and Rhythm & Blues had a greater influence on Hard Rock, while other more complex genres like Jazz and Classical Music also contributed to Heavy Metal.
Let’s listen to “Born to Be Wild”:
The British band Judas Priest is one of the early Heavy Metal artists. Listen to their song “Breaking the Law.”
The idea of “breaking the law” is consistent with a theme in Heavy Metal that is anti-conformist and anti-establishment – even anarchistic.
A common characteristic in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the use of guitar riffs. A “riff”, as you may remember, is similar to the “vamp” in Disco. Listen to the highly recognizable guitar riff in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”
Did you notice the use of the organ in this song? The use of the organ as an instrument in music is rooted in Gospel music.
Now we will look at some of the other famous rock sub-genres.
Psychedelic Rock
“Psychedelic” refers to the use of psychedelic- or mind-altering drugs that were emerging and prevalent during the sixties and seventies. Psychedelic Rock tried to capture these drug experiences in music. There was also a strong theme of “hedonism” – the believe that pleasure is the only goal in life.
Psychedilic Rock retained the typical orchestration associated with Rock music, but often incorporated exotic instruments, like sitars. The Beatles’ album “St. Pepper’s Heart Club Band” is considered by many to be a psychedelic album .
Another psychedelic rock band dating from the late 60s is The Yarnbirds. Eric Clapton was the lead guitarist for The Yarnbirds from 1963-1965. The Yarnbirds was known for their experimental use of the electric guitar. Below are two songs by The Yarnbirds.
“Over Under Sidewards Down”
“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
The word “Hard” in Hard Rock refers to the high dynamics of the music; in other words the loudness of the volume which is often so loud (due to amplification) that the sound becomes distorted and therefore has lots of dissonance. Distortion is a key feature in this genre. Hard Rock is strongly influenced by blues music and many of the songs are based on the 12 Bar Blues structure. The pentatonic scale is also frequently used, which is probably rooted in the Spirituals and Negro folk songs.
Jimi Hendrix was one of the initiators of Hard Rock. “The Jimi Hendrix sound and the instrumentation of his band – guitar, bass, and drums: the ‘power trio’ – were at the core of the hard rock style and of the heavy metal style that followed” (Crossroads in Music, p. 222). Hendrix was influenced by Psychedelic Rock, particularly their experimentation with the electric guitar, which, of course, was something he excelled at.
The term “Heavy Metal” was first used in the song “Born to Be Wild,” by Steppenwolf, which is also considered to be the first Heavy Metal song.
But what is the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? The two genres (if they are indeed two separate genres) overlap a great deal. Generally, I would say, that both have high dynamics with a big focus on the “metals” (the electric guitar and bass guitar); however, Heavy Metal tend to have more intricate melodies and harmonies, with longer guitar solos. Sometimes Heavy metal may also seem more aggressive, with lots of emphasis on being “macho”. It is also believed that the influence of Blues and Rhythm & Blues had a greater influence on Hard Rock, while other more complex genres like Jazz and Classical Music also contributed to Heavy Metal.
Let’s listen to “Born to Be Wild”:
The British band Judas Priest is one of the early Heavy Metal artists. Listen to their song “Breaking the Law.”
The idea of “breaking the law” is consistent with a theme in Heavy Metal that is anti-conformist and anti-establishment – even anarchistic.
A common characteristic in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the use of guitar riffs. A “riff”, as you may remember, is similar to the “vamp” in Disco. Listen to the highly recognizable guitar riff in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”
Did you notice the use of the organ in this song? The use of the organ as an instrument in music is rooted in Gospel music.
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