I1950I1960I1970I1980I1990I2000I

Music Timeline__________________________________________

I By Shane Bingham I

1950’s

• It was 50’s when the world saw the birth of Rock and Roll and ever since Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock became popular there has

been a whole new type of sound to dance to.• During the 50’s most of the songs that were produced were donned

“feel good” tunes that reflected genuinely the mood of America after World War II.

• During this time artists such as Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney and Perry Como ruled the pop charts.

• Musicians such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Williams helped redefine the entertainment industry with their music.

• If asked about the music of the 50’s especially the early years, one would describe it as, light melodies, sweet lyrics, wholesome

singers, innocent and inoffensive songs.

1950 – 1959 “Crooners to Rockers”

1950’s Hit Songs

• Hank Williams – Long Gone Lonesome Blues

The song was released in 1950 and was Hank Williams’ second time as number one in the Country & Western chart. It stayed at the top for twenty-one weeks.

• Bill Haley and his Comets – Rock Around The Clock

The song was originally written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers but Bill Haley and His Comets’ rendition of it, released in 1954 is the most known and successful version of it.

• Little Richard – Good Golly Miss Molly

It was a rock ‘n’ roll hit during 1958 by Little Richard, an American musician. The song was written by John Marascalco as a 12-bar blues and was produced by Robert “Bumps” Blackwell.

1960’s

• The music difference between the 60’s and 50’s is typically defined as being when the “British invasion” occurred in American music.

• This refers to the fact a number of British groups, admirers and emulators of America’s rock and roll broke into the music market in

the time of the early 60’s.• It’s known that the Beatles were the ones who spearheaded this

invasion.• Many believe that the 60’s decade of music didn’t really end till the

early 70’s when the rise of disco occurred. • The Beatles made their American debut on Sunday 9th February

1964.

1960 – 1969 “Puppy Love to Acid Rock”

1960’s Hit Songs

• Ray Charles – I Can’t Stop Loving You‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ is known as a popular song that was written and composed by the country singer Don Gibson who is a songwriter and musician. It was recorded in 1962 by Ray Charles with his groundbreaking album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.

• Elvis Presley – Suspicious MindsIt is about being trapped in a relationship full of mistrust and dysfunction. The song is known to be a hit for Elvis Presley and was the single that jump started his career after his successful ’68 Comeback Special. It became his eighteenth and last number-one hit single in America.

• Rolling Stones - Lets Spend the Night TogetherThe song was originally released as a single by The Rolling Stones in 1967. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

1970’s

• The beginning and early 70’s saw a number of events that saddened the world. There was the Beatles breaking up and the

deaths of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.• There was a very noticeable change in the US with new groups

rising and new styles breaking out into the light. However Britain also saw the art of three-minute hit singles becoming rediscovered.

• The 70’s began with a massive increase of LP sales when music acts like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and The Who all spent time

topping the album charts with competition from Elton John.• Around the time of 1976 saw the era of punk music from acts such

as The Sex Pistols. • The more established music acts were able to survive the era while

others merely went underground till they believed it was the right time to re-emerge.

1970 – 1979 “Flower Power to Disco Nights”

1970’s Hit Songs

• Jackson 5 – ABCABC was a number one hit for The Jackson Five in 1970, it was written

along the same design as I Want You Back. It is considered one of the

Jackson 5’s signature songs.

• Elton John – Crocodile RockThe son was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, it was recorded in 1972 at the Strawberry Studios in France. It became his first number one single in the United States which stayed for a total of three weeks.

• Baccara – Yes Sir, I Can BoogieFrank Dostal and Rolf Soja wrote the song while Soja produced it. It is a

Spanish single in 1977 and became a major hit over Europe though it was the duo’s only number one single in the United Kingdom.

1980’s

• Like the 70’s the early 80’s began with the death of two musicians. Near the end of 1980 John Lennon was shot and in 1981 Bob

Marley died from melanoma.• The decade of the 1970’s began with a backlash towards anti-disco

in the United States with the 80’s music becoming characterised by the widespread use of keyboards and synthesizers.

• MTV launched in the US and music videos began to have a large effect in the record industry. Pop artists such as Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Prince, Madonna and Queen mastered the form and

helped in turning it into a profitable business.• Hard rock, heavy metal and glam metal grew more popular over the

decade and become one of the dominant genres. • Hip hop continued to evolve gaining recognition and showing a

stronger influence in the industry.

1980 – 1989 “New Wave to Shiny Pop”

1980’s Hit Songs• John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over

John Lennon wrote and performed the song for his album Double Fantasy, it was released on 24th October 1980. However it became number one in the UK and USA two weeks after he was murdered. It stayed number one for five weeks after having made an unprecedented moved from number 21 to 1.

• Michael Jackson – Billie JeanBillie Jean is a dance-pop/R&B song that was written and composed by Michael Jackson. It was produced by Quincy Jones for his sixth solo album Thriller. It was however disliked by Jones at the beginning causing the track to almost be removed when the two disagreed about it. Apparently there were claims about what the lyrics refer to.

• Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)The single was the first from her sound studio album Whitney, it was produced by Narada Michael Walden and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam. It was released in 1987 on the same day as her album which made her the first female artist to have an album at number one.

1990’s

• The 1990’s saw a large variety in music compared to previous decades, some of the notable ones were grunge, teen pop,

Eurodance and electronic music dance. It was also the decade where hip hop and alternative rock entered mainstream.

• During the 90’s the girl group Spice Girls managed to break into America taking the world by storm and becoming the most

commercially successful since The Beatles. • There were a number of deaths during the 1990’s however, Freddie

Mercury(1991), Kurt Cobain(1994), Selena(1995), Tupac Shakur(1996) and the Notorious B.I.G.(1997).

• Industrial music also saw a rise in the 90’s with the worldwide popularity of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Marilyn Manson.

• The rave genre in the late 80’s also branched into the 90’s and still is around now a days.

1990-1999 “Grunge to Rap Power”

1990’s Hit Songs• Madonna - Vogue

Vogue was part of Madonna’s album I’m Breathless which was released in 1990. It is known as one of her greatest hits worldwide with topping the charts in over 30 countries including United Kingdom, United States and Canada. It also became Madonna’s first single to become multi-platinum.

• Janet Jackson - RunawayThe song was written for her first greatest hits album Design of a Decade 1986/1996 in 1995. She wrote and produced it along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The song made Janet Jackson the first ever female artist to make it into the top ten of Billboards.

• Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Scar TissueScar Tissue is the first single released by alternative rock band Red Hot Chilli Peppers that was released in 1999. It became one of their most successful songs, spending an impressive 16 weeks at the top of the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 2000 it won a Grammy Award for Best Rock song.