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1990s Popular Music. Day 61: Introduction. 1990 is remembered as the year rock ‘n’ roll was reborn. Two main cultural trends for youth: rap and metal. Sinead O’Connor – mainstay of alternative music, Nothing Compares to You. Day 62: Seattle, From Sub Pop to Superstars. Sub Pop Records - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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1990s Popular Music
Day 61: Introduction
• 1990 is remembered as the year rock ‘n’ roll was reborn.
• Two main cultural trends for youth: rap and metal.
• Sinead O’Connor – mainstay of alternative music, Nothing Compares to You
Day 62: Seattle, From Sub Pop to Superstars
• Sub Pop Records– Signed Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in
Chains, and Smashing Pumpkins
– Nirvana’s Nevermind album announced alternative music to the mainstream with a vengeance
Nirvana
Were aided by MTV’s decision to push their video of Smells Like Teen Spirit to an anthem for teens – was a defining moment in rock history
Nevermind album sold 3 million copies in 4 months, released by Geffen Records
Grew up in Aberdeen, Washington
“The Gold Rush”
• Soundgarden started the Seattle “gold rush” when they signed to A&M in 1988. A slew of major labels descended upon Seattle in search of the next big thing.
• Pearl Jam with Jeremy
• Alice in Chains with Man in the Box
Kurt Cobain’s Suicide
• Lived “two lives”• Married to Courtney
Love (lead singer of Hole)
• Had daughter Frances Bean
• April 8, 1994 body discovered– Instead of committing
suicide, he could have looked for help.
Sonic Youth
Used unconventional things to bend otherwise standard pop songs completely out of shape – became their trademark
Signed to DGC in late 80s
Had a female bassist who also sang lead vocals
Superstar
R.E.M.
Enjoyed success at a pace they could handle without compromising their artistic or personal integrity
Their album Murmur (1983) was selected as album of the year by Rolling Stone magazine over Thriller
Involved in environmental causes, animal rights, and antinuclear campaigns
Losing My Religion
Day 63: Lollapalooza
• Lollapalooza Festival in 1991 – brought together rap, metal, and alternative music– Organized by Perry Farrell
(leader of Jane’s Addiction)– The 7-act, 21-city Lallapalooza
tour played to a total of 430,000 people and grossed $10 million
– Also focused on political messages
Lollapalooza Festival 1992
• Doubled its audience attendance (800,000) and money ($19 million)
• Featured a second stage for lesser-known acts
Red Hot Chili PeppersCombined early hip hop sources with heavy metal
Lead singer, Anthony Kiedis, hovered between rapping and singing
Early skateboard-culture heroes, early pioneers of the mosh-pit marriage of funk, rap, and thrash
Under the Bridge
Pearl Jam
• A safer blend of heavy metal and psychedelic rock
• Eddie Vedder, lead singer
Sound Garden
• More dissonant with irregular tempos and time signatures
• Chris Cornell, lead singer• Black Hole Sun
Alternative Nation
• By 1993, Lollapalooza was so successful that other artists starting developing other festivals…the biggest of these was ‘Alternative Nation’
Soul Asylum
Their video for Runaway Train featured listings of missing children
Led to a performance at the White House as President Clinton signed the youth service bill
Country Music• Garth Brooks
– Top Pop Album Artist and Top Country Album Artist for 1991, 1992, & 1993
– NBC’s Garth Brooks special beat out Michael Jackson’s
– Brooks’ caused a shake-up in Nashville because he merged many styles into his music and used theater smoke, pyrotechnics, and sophisticated lighting effects in his arena shows.
– “Garth Bashing”– We Shall Be Free: written in response
to Rodney King beating and supports gay rights, raised $1 million
Ellen “Shania” Twain
Country-pop superstar
Born in Ontario, Canada
Both of her parents were killed in a car crash in her early twenties, turned to music to support her family
Her album, The Woman in Me, went 12x’s platinum without a tour
Album, Come On Over, sold 34 million copies worldwide, the most ever by a female
Faith Hill
Country-pop star
Hit superstardom with Breathe (1999)
Married to another country superstar, Tim McGraw
Day 64: The Search for the Next Big Thing
• In the 90s, the music industry still invested in one superstar. The major labels risked millions of dollars in search of that one artist or group who would make it worth their while.
• That leads to the belief that a single artist who can sell 40 million units is worth more than 40 artists who each sell 1 million units.– The plus is that they spend a lot less money on
marketing and promoting one artist versus 40 artists.
Mariah Carey
Combined incredible talent and potential for follow through with the best business plan on the planet
5-octave range, signed to Columbia Records
1990 – Won Grammys for Best New Artist & Best Pop Vocal Performance
Was biracial – mother was a white NY opera singer, father was a black Venezuelan
Love Takes Time
Superstars Cash In on New Record Company Contracts
• Janet Jackson - $30 million w/ Virgin Records• Aerosmith - $30 million w/ Columbia Records• Motley Crue - $25 million w/ Elektra Records• ZZ Top - $30 million w/ RCA• Rolling Stones - $40 million w/ Virgin• Madonna, Michael Jackson, & Prince - $60
million• R.E.M. - $80 million w/ Warner
New Record Company Contracts
• Record company mergers – Record companies were being sold for 20-30 times their earnings.
• Artists realized the value of catalogue sales.• Record companies were exploiting their rights
to artists.
The bottom falls out on record companies
• 1996 Record sales flat-lined (plateaued)– They were chasing hit singles rather than building
long-term careers.– They focused on new technologies, instead of
music.– Baby boomers completed the replacement of their
black vinyl collections.– Failed to recognize the potential of “urban music.”– Relied on a handful of superstars.
Electronic Dance Music
• Electronica – a catch-all phrase that included everything from hip hop, dance pop remixes, and r&b-flavored dance music to sounds of acid house, techno, and others that came from England and Europe.
• Frankie Knuckles – DJ from Chicago, Move Your Body• British Club Culture – Americans began to import British
club songs– Pump Up The Volume– Summer of 1988 became known as “Second Summer of Love”– Rave: all night events with crowds of up to 20,000 people located
in aircraft hangers, abandoned warehouses, and open fields
US ElectonicaThe Prodigy
• Signed to Elektra Records• Played at rock festivals• Firestarter
The Chemical Brothers
• Big Beat: rave-meets-rock ‘n’ roll hybrid sound
• Setting Sun
Moby
Born Richard Melville Hall, became a radical Christian and a vegan activist
The first techno producer to become a full-fledged pop celebrity
Tried to blend into his surroundings
All 18 tracks on Play album were licenses for use in films, tv shows, and advertisements before the album peaked on the charts
We Are All Made of Stars
Day 65: The Year(s) of the Woman
• 1996 was the Year of the Woman, the 6 best-selling albums of the year were by women or woman-fronted groups
• 1997 women took 5 of the 6 top spots• All different genres of music are represented
(pop/dance, alternative/pop rock, folk rock, country, and hip hop.
• Many of the women came from Canada.
Sarah McLachlan
Canadian singer-songwriter started with her debut album in 1989, Touch
Founded the Lilith Fair in 1996 as a self-described “Celebration of Women in Music” (featured only female-led acts)
Angel
Lilith Fair• Most successful concert tour of
1997.• Ran in the summers of 1997, 1998,
and 1999 as a multi-city, multi-date event featuring dozens of artists on multiple stages.
• A spectacular showcase for women.
• One dollar from every ticket sold was donated to a charity – donated $700,000 in 1997.
• Sarah McLachlan was the only artist to perform every date.
Celine Dion
Youngest of 14 children and born in Canada, started performing at her parents night club at the age of five
Released French and English albums
Sang title song for Beauty and the Beast and hit song from Titanic
My Heart Will Go On
Lauryn Hill
Started out as an actress
Wrote poetry, played basketball, ran track, was a cheerleader, and homecoming queen
Signed to Columbia Records as part of the group The Fugee’s
Solo career began in 1998, combined big-band jazz, soul, rap, reggae, and hip hop into its own hybrid
Doo Wop (That Thing)
Rage Rock & Woodstock ‘99
• Rage Rockers included Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock. All came from white working-class and mostly southern backgrounds. Combined elements of rock and rap in their music.– Rage Against the Machine: added directed rage into
their music• Woodstock ‘99 – Staged at Griffis Air Force Base in
Rome, NY– A lot of violence in the mosh pit– There were a lot of bonfires and rioting fans.
Day 66: Teen Pop (Boy Bands & Teen Queens)
• The Orlando/Disney Connection– Mickey Mouse Club (1993) started careers of
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and JC Chasez
– Lou Pearlman managed the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync
– Auditions for Star Search and a Southern Baptist upbringing are themes that run through many of these artists’ backgrounds. As well as an intense work ethic and rigorous sense of discipline.
Backstreet Boys
Started in 1993, signed to Mercury Records
Signed to Jive Records in 1994 and became big stars in Europe
Album, Millenium (1999), sold 1.1 million units in the first week. Tour for the album sold out all 53 dates (765,000 tickets)
2000 album titled Black and Blue
‘N Sync
1st album, ‘N Sync, sold more than 11x’s platinum and remained on the charts for more than 2 years
2nd album, No Strings Attached, sold 2.4 million copies in 1st week
3rd album, Celebrity, projected a more mature and musically diverse image
Made over $90 million on their 2001 tour
Britney Spears
Burst onto the charts in late 1998, signed w/ Jive Records
1st album, Baby One More Time, was certified 13x’s platinum
Started performing at age 5, career was thoroughly mapped out
Oops!...I Did It Again
Christina Aguilera
Large vocal range and power
Recorded Reflection for Disney soundtrack to Mulan
Won Best New Artist Grammy in 2000
First single was Genie in a Bottle went straight to #1
Beautiful
Took on alter ego, Xtina, for 2nd album, Stripped
Day 67: The Year of Latin Music
• 1999 Popular Music Charts had hits from Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Santana
• 2000 – Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (off-shoot of the Grammy’s) had its own separate prime-time telecast of the Latin Grammys
Ricky Martin
At the age of 12, he was already a star as a member of Menudo
Was an actor on soap operas and on Broadway
1999 he released his first English-language album
Livin’ La Vida Loca
Santana
Superstar of the 1960s who was a master guitar player
Released a hit album, Supernatural, with Arista Records in June 1999 – contained half vintage Santana and half collaborations
Smooth
Jennifer Lopez
Started out as an actress
In 1999, she turned her attention to music to record On the 6 with Epic Records
Dance/pop style with Latin flavor
Jenny From the Block
Shakira
Born in Barranquilla, Columbia
First became a pop superstar throughout Latin America, performing rock-oriented songs in Spanish
Signed to Sony Records (in Columbia) at the age of 13
Was influenced by Aerosmith, Nirvana, and Tom Petty
Her performance on MTV Unplugged was the channel’s first ever Spanish-speaking cablecast
Wherever, Whenever
What is Latin Music?
• The late 90s Latin boom showcased the diversity of artists and music that make up the Latin music category.
• Latin music has been defined as music made by Latinos for Latinos, but was in Latino?
• Latino is an umbrella term referring to people of Latin American descent who live permanently in the US.
• The use of the term Latino in music has more to do with social relations and ethnic backgrounds, than it does with a particular music tradition or style of music.
Day 68: Black Music at the Base
• Hip hop doo wop or Hip hop soul – hip hop vocal style which focused on harmonies– Signature sound for writers/producers
like P. Diddy, L.A. Reid, & Babyface• Toni Braxton– 1993 self-titled album sold 8x’s
platinum, generating 5 hits– Un-break My Heart
TLC
Discovered by L.A. Reid’s writer/producer wife Pebbles and signed to LaFace in 1991
Had a pop/rap/hip hop sound
2nd album CrazySexyCool (1994) sold about 11 million copies
Waterfalls
Boyz II Men
The top-selling smooth r&b group of the decade
Went from Philadelphia’s Creative and Performing High School to Motown Records
Motownphilly was 1st single off their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony
2nd album, Boyz II Men II (1994) established them as the premier r&b harmony group of the 90s, went on to sell 17 million copies and became Motown’s best-selling album ever
Destiny’s Child
Formed in Houston, TX in 1990, took 7 years to get signed to Columbia Records
Say My Name
The original group self-destructed. Their 3rd album, Survivor, showcased the new group and produced the hit Bootylicious
R. Kelly
Writer, producer, performer, and pro basketball player
Raised in South Side Chicago, saw music and sports as a way out of poverty
Wrote and produced music for big name artists
I Believe I Can Fly
The World’s Greatest at Winter Olympics
Sean “Puffy” Combs
One of the first moguls (successful artist playing roles of writer, producer, label head, and performer)
Career was plagued by tragedy in the 90s, Presided over Bad Boy Entertainment empire by 1997
First album, No Way Out, was certified 7x’s platinum
Best known for sampling in creating his songs
I’ll Be Missing You and Bad Boy for Life
Master P.Real name is Percy Miller
Wanted to build “the profile of a business man, not a gangsta.”
In 1988, P had built the No Limit record store into a label and a multimedia empire, earning $56 million a year. His artists called themselves the No Limit Army
Signed Snoop Dogg in 1998
Also became an actor-writer-producer-director, and author, and a sports agent
Has No Limit Records, No Limit Films, No Limit Sports Enterprises, No Limit clothing line (Soldier Gear) and a multimillion dollar deal with Converse
Rap Goes National
• The new era of hip hop was not confined to New York and LA, moved to Mid-West and “Dirty South”– No Limits and Cash Money Label in New Orleans. The LaFace
Label and So So Def in Atlanta (Def Jam also opened a branch there). In LA, Dr. Dre launched Aftermath. In NYC, Jay-Z launched Roc-A-Fella, and DMX launched Ruff-Ryders.
• Hip hop artists began to operate like extended social groups (posses, crews)– Bad Boy as “The Family,” Master P had “No Limit Army,” Snoop
Dogg had “Tha Dogg Pound,” and Wu-Tang Clan was a “Clan.”• PMRC was still “watching” rap for lyric content
Rap Ensemble Tours
• Bad Boy – No Way Out Tour• 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour (Jay-Z) earned $18
million and donated money to the families of victims of the Columbine shooting
• Up In Smoke Tour – featured Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Eminem
Day 69: Rap Continued…
Eminem• Born Marshall Mathers III in Detroit• Quit school in 9th grade, had a daughter – had
great “street cred”• Dr. Dre signed him after hearing his Slim Shady
EP that he released independently in 1997• Slim Shady was Eminem’s alter ego that
allowed him to take revenge on the world through his lyrics
• 2nd album, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) sold 7 million copies in its first year of release
• Many were outraged about his lyrics and the number of albums sold
• Many were bothered by the fact that he was white
Russell Simmons
Founded Def Jam and turned it into a multimedia empire
Film – The Nutty Professor
Television – Def Comedy Jam
Clothing Line – Phat Farm
Distribution deals with Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders
Jay-Z
Came from Brooklyn’s Marcy projects
Was a promising student, but got involved in trouble, until rap showed him a way out
Started Roc-A-Fella label which turned into a clothing line (Roca Wear), film division
Hit song, Hard Knock Life, doubled his audience
Laid claim to the NY rap throne in 2001
Married Beyonce Knowles and became president of Def Jam
Irv Gotti
Started out as a small-time drug dealer in Hollis, Queens
Real name was Irv Lorenzo
Launched Ashanti’s career and focused on making “chic records”
In 1997, he formed a joint venture with Def Jam, called Murder, Inc
Ja Rule
Flagship artist for Murder, Inc.
Added a chorus of female background singers on his 2nd and 3rd albums, which caused him to lose some of his “street cred”
Attacked physically and in lyrics by DMX, Eminem, and 50 Cent
Always on Time (duet with Ashanti)
50 Cent
Born Curtis Jackson in Hollis, Queens
Sold drugs at the age of 12. At 24, he was shot 9x’s – earned him great “street cred”
Signed to Shady/Aftermath label
1st album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, produced hit song In Da Club
Started a “war” with Ja Rule
Spent the early 2000s wearing a bullet-proof vest wherever he went
OutKast
Took rap in a more upbeat direction without losing their edge
From Atlanta (aka the Dirty South)
Hey Ya!
Shaggy
• Most popular rap artist of 2001
• Album, Hot Shot, certified 6x’s platinum
• Born in Jamaica, raised in Brooklyn; total opposite of NY gangsta
• Angel
Nelly
• Most popular rap artist of 2002
• Born in St. Louis• Blockbuster album, Country
Grammar, certified 8x’s platinum
Female RappersEve
• Part of the Ruff Ryders crew in the Bronx
• Broke into mainstream with her duet w/ Gwen Stefani, Let Me Blow Your Mind (2001)…also starred in movies
Missy Elliot
• Established as a writer and producer having her own company
• Skilled rapper and soul singer…spanned the worlds of rap, r&b/hip hop, and electronic dance music
Hip Hop Summit Action Network
• Founded in 2001 with Def Jam founder Russell Simmons at the helm
• Mobilized support among rappers and hip hop executives and across the spectrum of black political leaders
• Took on issues like freedom of speech and social injustice
• These efforts showcased the positive activities of the hip hop scene