shannonrocknroll

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One notable thing about early hip hop was the uniformity amongst the performers. This was the same thing that we had seen with early rock and roll; all of the members of the band would wear similar outfits in order to appear uniform. This group, Run DMC, took the uniformity to a different level. It was no longer about looking formal, as can be seen here with Adidas tracksuits and Adidas sneakers. The sneakers would never have shoe laces in them because you could not wear shoe laces in prison. Their image started to portray a sense of violence and harshness that early hip hop lacked. This started the change in hip hop.

Image Sources: https://carboncostume.com/run-d-m-c/

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This was the only rap song in 1980 to reach the number 1 spot. This, however, is not a rap song, in the actual sense of rap. This was released as a “safe” rap song. It was easily marketed to the general public. This relates to early forms of rock and roll; they used to release versions of songs that were easier to digest as opposed to the harder rock that was being released by other artists. 

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The Sugarhil Gang was a group that was made up of 3 MCs. The original version of this song is 15 minutes long. They were trying to emulate the original hip hop idea of going to a dance hall where the DJ would keep the music playing for hours on end. However, this is not actually their song; they stole it from Grand Master Caz. Stealing songs in the hip hop community was something that could be punished by death. It was a serious offense. 

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This article helps to explain why the Bronx, the South Bronx in particular, was very important for Hip Hop. There was a large African American community that grew up in places that were very poorly taken care of. From this community arose the music of hip hop. 

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The last recorded Beatles album was Abbey Road, though it was not the last one to be released. It would be the last time that all 4 Beatles were in a recording studio together. This was the first album for the Beatles to not have their name on the front, nor the album title; by now, everyone knew who The Beatles were. The photo for the album was taken outside of Abbey Road Studios. They recorded this album like they have recorded been previously, with George Martin as the producer. It is personally one of my favorite albums. 

Image Sources: https://www.thebeatles.com/album/abbey-road

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Another big artist to come out of the 1970s was Elton John. He helped to define that nothing was impossible on stage, such as over-the-top costumes and staying behind a piano during a concert. He released many beloved songs throughout his career, and he is still active today. Check out this performance of one of his hit songs “Bennie and the Jets” from 1984 at Wembley Stadium. 

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One of the most popular bands on the 1970s is Led Zeppelin. They were formed in London during the end of the 1960s. They were one of the bands leading the way with heavy metal, including Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. They are one of the most successful bands in history, as they are one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Their legacy lives on today as many people are still coming and finding their music for the first time. Take a list to “Stairway to Heaven”, one of the groups most popular songs. 

Image Sources: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/led-zeppelin-inside-debut-album-jimmy-page-robert-plant-775226/

https://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/the-20-greatest-led-zeppelin-songs-of-all-time/

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/14991/led-zeppelin-jimmy-page-interview

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As much as the 1960s were defined by the peace and love movements that came out of the San Francisco rock scene, it was also defined by the Vietnam war. This war lasted for the entirety of the decade, and many people were very much against it. This led to an enormous amount of war protests, breaking out mainly in college campuses. These are some photos that came out of the Vietnam war protests. 

Image sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-civil-rights-and-vietnam-protests-changed-america-today-they-might-be-illegal/2017/09/22/ae57f778-9ed9-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?utm_term=.9eb13458b29c

http://depts.washington.edu/antiwar/pnwhistory_vietnam.shtml

https://www.history.com/news/cia-surveillance-operation-chaos-60s-protest

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Another huge artist to come out of the 1960s was The Grateful Dead. The band was founded in San Francisco, and eventually reached an audience around the country. The Grateful Dead were known for lengthy performances of their songs, as well as drawing a devoted crowd of fans lovingly called “Deadheads.” One of their most popular songs in “Casey Jones”, which most people would be able to recognize from the opening lines “Driving that train/High on cocaine.” They are still touring today, despite only having a handful of original members left. 

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One of the most tragic parts of the 1960s music scene was the loss of great musicians. 4 musicians died within 2 years of each: Jim Morrison of The Doors, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. One of the most interesting things about these deaths is that all of these artists were 27 when they passed. Many years later, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana also passed away at the age of 27. This is when the term “The 27 Club” became popular in the media, as these were all great musicians that passed away at the same age. This article lists out a number of artists that also passed away at the age of 27. When Amy Winehouse passed away in 2011, more people began to realize the significance of the age. It is incredibly tragic. 

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One of the most prolific artists of late 1960s music is Janis Joplin, who was thrust into the spotlight during the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. This was a legendary performance that helped to launch her career. This article helps us to understand the impact that Janis Joplin had in her shortlived career. The article talks about how her she was one of the leading psychedelic singers during the time and how she was a pioneer for women in rock and roll. One thing that the article does not touch on is the impact her voice had on artists to come; many male artists would go on to try and replicate her voice for years to come, something that she does not get enough credit for. 

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This performance is from the last concert that the Beatles would ever do. They performed one the rooftop of Apple Recording Studios, and this taping of it was supposed to be the ending of the documentary Let It Be. Something that a lot of people have noted about this performance is that despite the animosity between the Beatles by this point, especially between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, they still could sing and play together. Lennon and McCartney even shared little looks throughout the performance, looks of shared understanding. They are getting to experience the thing that brought them together. The Beatles would break up shortly after this performance. 

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Released at the end of 1968, The Beatles, or known more frequently as The White Album, was a turning point for the Beatles. This album, unlike the others that were released, was focused more on the individual rather than the collective work of the group. It was released as a double album, mainly because it allowed each artist to have their own space to release the music that they wanted to. One of my favorite songs on the album, and one of my favorite Beatles songs, is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, which was written by George Harrison. It is one of the 4 songs that he was given on the album, and really highlights Harrison as an artist and songwriter. 

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1967 was a pivotal point for The Beatles. One of the biggest things to happen to the band was the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. This album is a landmark album, whether or not you like it or you don’t. It opened a lot of doors for psychedelic rock that would grow in the 1970s. This album also allowed for the introduction of different personas, like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. This album was also the first construction of a “concept” album, although it did not end up being. This article helps to explain why this album is so unique and cannot be copied or replicated. The Beatles had to physically replicate sounds that they wanted included on the album, whereas nowadays, people can replicate sounds with computers. This was a very important album, not only for The Beatles, but for the history of rock and roll.

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The look of The Beatles was something that would influence every British Invasion band that came after them. Brian Epstein had the biggest influence on the Beatles look. He had seen them performing around different clubs in Liverpool, and believed that they had a sloppy look. So, after becoming their manager, Epstein decided to send the boys to a tailor have suits made. This helped them to have a more polished on stage presence, and it is something that would influence their look for years after this. Epstein would also help them to establish their presence on stage, such as how to conduct themselves in front of an audience. 

Image Sources: http://missowl.com/10-years-fashion-beatles/

http://www.thebeatlesthroughtheyears.com/2015/09/photo-of-day-beatles_25.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1388489/The-Beatles-Ringo-Starr-Paul-McCartney-likes-think-hes-remaining-Beatle.html

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Sharing of music and crossing genres was a typical occurrence during the 1960s. A lot of artists would take influence from one another, and music was shared at a rapid pace. This video shows artist Little Richard covering the Beatles song “I Saw Her Standing There.” The Beatles had taken a lot of influence from and were impacted by Little Richard, and it’s obvious that that it also went both ways. Crossing of genres was also a huge part of this time period. It didn’t matter what genre anything was considered because it was just considered music.

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These 2 albums, Rubber Soul and Revolver, really marked The Beatles embark from traditional pop music to rock and roll music that should be taken seriously. With these two albums, experimentation in the studio really played a large role. For example, in Norwegian Wood on Rubber Soul, George Harrison added the sitar to the song, as he believed that it was the missing piece to the song. This introduced the idea of including instruments that were not traditional rock and roll instruments on a rock and roll song. Another example of this is Eleanor Rigby on Revolver. This song does not include any of the members playing an actual instrument on the song; the only thing that the members contributed to the song was the writing and the vocals. The introduced the idea that rock and roll artists did not need to include actual instrumental performances to be successful. These 2 albums really opened up the doors to what was possible for other rock and roll bands. 

Image Sources: https://www.thebeatles.com/album/rubber-soul

https://www.abposters.com/stickers/beatles-revolver-v13874