Rock and Roll History XI

1
Rock and Roll History XI

• Its All in the Image

2
The 1980s

• The 80s were a disappointing period for rock
  and roll.
• A new wave of bands like the Cars, R.E.M., U2,
  and the Cure were becoming successful with a
  lighter, more accessible version of punk.
• Rock n roll which used to be about breaking
  rules, now seems to be about learning them.
  Music critic Greil Marcus.
• The assassination of John Lennon on December 8,
  1980 shocked many people and caused John Lydon to
  say that rock and roll is dead.

Source Shirley, 135-136.
3
Alternative bands

• At their best combined hard, aggressive rhythms
  and pure, irresistible melodies as successfully
  as Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix and the Clash. At
  their worst, they simply made noise.
• Among the best were the Replacements Let It Be,
  Sonic Youths Daydream Nation, Husker Düs Zen
  Arcade, and the Minutemens Double Nickels on a
  Dime.

Source Shirley, 136.
4
Music videos and MTV

• In 1980 the advent of 24-hour music video
  programming by MTV would change the face of rock
  and roll.
• The way musicians looked and acted on their
  videos began to be more important than how they
  sounded on their records.
• Groups like Duran Duran and Aha, known more for
  their good looks than their good music, rose to
  the top of the pop charts.
• MTV would be instrumental in launching the
  careers of Madonna and Michael Jackson.

Source Shirley, 137-138.
5
Madonna

• Born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (1958- ).
  Dropped out of U. of MI School of Music to pursue
  a career as a dancer in NYC.
• Began performing at clubs in a style that
  combined discos light grooves and punks
  attitude.
• In 1983 her debut album, Madonna, was released
  with its single, Holiday.
• MTV agreed to screen videos of Borderline and
  Lucky Star. Her next 15 singles would reach the
  top ten.
• In 1984 Like a Virgin rose to the top of the
  charts with hits like the title cut and Material
  Girl. Madonna also appeared in Desperately
  Seeking Susan to rave reviews.

Cover of Like a Virgin (1984).
Sources Shirley, 139-140. Yahoo! Images.
6
Like A Prayer (1989)

• Starred in disastrous film Shanghai Surprise
  (1986) with then husband Sean Penn.
• The video of the title cut of Like a Prayer
  offended many religious groups.
• Even after she became commercially successful she
  still tried to shock her audience, e.g., her
  sexually explicit 1990 video Justify My Love
  and her 1991 documentary, Truth or Dare.

Album cover, Like a Prayer.
Sources Shirley, 140-141. Yahoo! Images.
7
Michael Jackson

• First gained recognition with his brothers in the
  Jackson Five appearing on Ed Sullivan in 1969.
• Their first three singles were hits I Want You
  Back, ABC, and Ill Be There.
• During the 70s Michael split his time between
  tours and recordings with his brothers and his
  own projects (Ben and The Wiz.)
• In 1979 released his first solo album Off the
  Wall with hits Rock with You and Dont Stop
  Till You Get Enough.

The Jackson Five.
Sources Shirley, 141-142. Yahoo! Images.
8
Thriller (1982)

• Produced by Quincy Jones, Thriller featured a
  duet with Paul McCartney (The Girl Is Mine),
  Beat It, and Billie Jean.
• The videos featured his considerable dancing
  talent.
• 1987 saw the release of Bad, another impressive
  recording of slickly produced ballads and dance
  tunes which sold almost 20 million copies.
• In 1991 he released Dangerous with songs
  containing a coldness and bitterness that far
  fewer listeners could relate to.
• He is currently working to release a single in
  November 2005, From the Bottom of My Heart, to
  benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Most successful recording of all time.
Sources Shirley, 143-144. Yahoo! Images.
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
9
Prince

• Born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958 in Minneapolis,
  MN.
• On Purple Rain (1984), he combined Jacksons
  skills as a singer with the wild, big-guitar
  showmanship of George Clintons funk ensembles.

Prince (1983).
Sources Shirley, 144. http//en.wikipedia.org/wik
i/Prince_28artist29
10
Continued Importance of Reggae

• In the 1980s biracial English bands like General
  Public, English Beat, and the Fine Young
  Cannibals successfully combined the best elements
  of rock and roll and Jamaican music on their
  recordings.

Source Shirley, 144-145.
11
Emergence of Rap

• During the late 80s rap was inspired by the near
  spoken cadences of reggae and the muted rage of
  1970s urban street poetry.
• It combined hard, repetitive rhythms rhymed,
  harshly spoken verses, and an innovative style of
  sampling the recordings of other artists.
• Following Run-DMCs duet with Aerosmith on Walk
  this Way, rap began to gain a following with
  young white rock and roll fans.
• Rap was responsible for some of the most
  powerful and innovative musical performances of
  the late 80s and early 90s. Examples include
  KRS-Ones By Any Means Necessary, Public Enemys
  It Takes a Nation of Millions, and Ice Cubes The
  Predator.
• Soon a new wave of rap musicians like the Digable
  Planets, P.M. Dawn, and Gang Stars Guru began to
  mix elements of jazz, RB and pop into their
  music.

Source Shirley, 145.
12
World Music

• World music resulted from the combining of rock
  styles with elements of Brazilian, African,
  Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, or Indian music.
• Established artists such as David Byrne, Peter
  Gabriel and Paul Simon (e.g., Graceland) released
  world music recordings.
• Other world music artists include Milton
  Nascimento, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Youssou
  NDour, Black Uhuru, Caetano Veloso, and King
  Sunny Ade.

Source Shirley, 146.