Pop Music: The Golden Era (1951-1975)
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Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and explore the golden era of pop music from 1951 to 1975!
The Birth of Rock and Roll (1951-1955)
The first golden era of pop music begins with the birth of rock and roll in the early 1950s. This new style of music, which combines elements of blues, country, and rhythm and blues, quickly becomes popular with young people across the United States. By the end of the decade, rock and roll has become a global phenomenon, with artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Bill Haley and His Comets achieving widespread success.
The influence of Rhythm and Blues
In the early 1950s, a new kind of music was beginning to emerge from the southern United States. Called rhythm and blues, this music was a blend of African-American blues and gospel with elements of jazz and pop. It was a distinctly American sound that would soon have a profound impact on the world of popular music.
Rhythm and blues was initially popularized by African-American artists such as Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown. These artists had a major influence on the development of rock and roll, which would emerge as a new genre in the mid-1950s.
The influence of Country and Western
In the early 1950s, a new kind of music was born. Called rock and roll, it combined elements of both rhythm and blues and country and western. This new music was played on electric guitars, double basses, and drums, and it had a heavy, lively beat. Young people loved it, and they danced to it enthusiastically.
Rock and roll soon became the dominant form of popular music in the United States, and its influence spread to other countries as well. In the late 1950s, a number of British musicians (such as Cliff Richard and the Shadows) began playing rock and roll. They added their own distinctive touches to the music, and their success helped to make rock and roll popular in Britain as well.
The first Rock and Roll records
The first Rock and Roll records were made in the mid-1950s by a few artists who are now considered legends: Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Bo Diddley. These artists combined elements of Rhythm and Blues, Country, Jazz, and Gospel to create a new sound that was fresh, exciting, and energetic.
The first Rock and Roll song to become a hit was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released in May 1955, the song spent eight weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and helped to launch the careers of many other Rock and Roll artists.
In the years that followed, Rock and Roll continue to evolve and grow in popularity. By the early 1960s, it had become the dominant style of popular music in the United States.
The British Invasion (1964-1967)
It is generally accepted that the “golden era” of pop music began in 1951 and ended in 1975. This was a time when rock and roll was fresh and new, and the British Invasion was in full swing. Beatlesmania was at its peak, and the Rolling Stones were just getting started. This was a time when music was truly magical.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, started in Liverpool in 1960, who became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. By early 1964, they had reached number one in the UK charts with their single “Please Please Me”, and they released their debut album to similar success. From then onwards they produced a succession of hit songs and albums, both with themselves as a band, and with one or more of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as solo artists.
The Beatles are widely regarded as the most influential band of all time. The group’s heritage includes a vast catalogue of songs that remain popular across generations; groundbreaking innovation in both their recording methods and album sleeve design; award-winning films such as A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965); pioneering world tours; and creative control over all aspects of their work.
The Rolling Stones
Formed in London in 1962, the Rolling Stones originally consisted of lead vocalist and harmonica player Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, drummer Charlie Watts, and keyboardist Ian Stewart. Stewart was removed from the official line-up in May 1963 but continued to tour and record with the band until his death in 1985. Brian Jones was the band’s original leader, a slide guitarist who played a critical role in developing the band’s sound early on. Jones died of drowning at the age of 27 in 1969. songs like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Paint It, Black”, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, and “Honky Tonk Women” helped make them one of the most popular and influential rock bands of all time.
The Kinks
The Kinks, considered one of the most important and influential British rock bands of all time, formed in Muswell Hill, London, in October 1963. The group was composed of Ray Davies (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Davies (lead guitar and vocals), Pete Quaife (bass guitar) and Mick Avory (drums and percussion).
The Kinks are known for their unique sound, which was characterized by Ray Davies’ use of double-tracking, distorted guitars, Dave Davies’ innovative use of feedback, and the inventive pop songwriting abilities of both Davies brothers. The group’s debut album, 1964’s Kinks, featured the hit singles “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night.” Over the next few years, The Kinks released a string of successful albums including 1965’s Kinda Kinks, 1966’s Face to Face, 1967’s Something Else by The Kinks, and 1968’s The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.
The group also had a number of hits in the UK with songs like “Tired of Waiting for You,” “Set Me Free,” “Dedicated Follower of Fashion,” and “Sunny Afternoon.” In the US, The Kinks found success with songs like “Lola,” “Come Dancing,” “Do It Again,” and “Destroyer.”
The Kinks continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s including 1970’s Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, 1971’s Muswell Hillbillies, 1973’s Preservation Act 1 & 2, 1977’s Sleepwalker, 1979’s Low Budget, and 1981’s Give the People What They Want. The group also had a number of hits during this period with songs like ” SUPERSONIC ROCKETSHIP,” “A Gallon of Gas,” “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Better Things,” and “(I Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman.”
The Kinks disbanded in 1996 but have since reunited for a number of live performances.
The Who
The Who were an English rock band formed in London in 1964. The lineup consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist and lead singer Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for their energetic live performances and hits such as “My Generation”, “Substitute” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
The group first started performing on the London club scene in 1963 and their first single, “I Can’t Explain”, was released in January 1964. The following month they toured the UK as part of the British Invasion of music. Their debut album, My Generation, was released later that year. The album was a critical success and included the hit singles “I Can’t Explain” and “My Generation”.
In 1965, the group wrote and released their second album, A Quick One. The album was less successful than its predecessor but included the single “Happy Jack”, which reached number three in the UK. Later that year, they released their first EP, Ready Steady Who. It reached number two on the UK charts.
The group’s third album, Sell Out, was released in 1967 and reached number one in the UK. It includes the singles “I Can See for Miles” and “Pictures of Lily”. The following year, the group released their fourth album, The Who Sell Out. The album was a commercial success and included the hit singles “I Can See for Miles” and “Magic Bus”.
Glam Rock (1972-1975)
Glam rock was a musical movement that began in the early 1970s and ended in the mid-1970s. The genre was characterised by its flamboyant visual style and showmanship, as well as its aggressive and sexually charged lyrics. Glam rock was a reaction to the gritty, realism of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
David Bowie
One of the most iconic and influential musicians of the 20th century, David Bowie was at the forefront of the glam rock movement with his flamboyant style and progressive music. Born in London in 1947, Bowie began his musical career in the 1960s, releasing his first album in 1967. His breakthrough hit “Space Oddity” was released in 1969, and he quickly became one of the most popular musicians in the world.
Bowie’s biggest hits from this period include “The Jean Genie,” “Rebel Rebel,” and “Diamond Dogs.” He also starred in the cult classic film The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). In 1975, he released the album Station to Station, which saw him experiment with a more electronic sound. This period marked a change in Bowie’s image as well, as he adopted a thinner, more androgynous look.
Bowie continued to be an innovator throughout his career, constantly experimenting with new sounds and styles. He remains one of the most popular and influential musicians of all time.
Queen
Queen was an English rock band formed in London in 1970. Their classic line-up was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar). Queen’s earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.
Queen enjoyed great success in the 1970s and 1980s, releasing a series of hit singles and selling out stadiums worldwide. Their 1980 album The Game topped the UK Albums Chart for nine weeks and included the UK number-one single “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Between 1981 and 1991 they had five UK number one albums – Hot Space (1982), The Works (1984), A Kind of Magic (1986), The Miracle (1989) and Innuendo (1991) – plus 16 UK top 40 singles. They are one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with sales of over 170 million records worldwide. Queen were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001; Mercury was posthumously inducted in 2005.
Elton John
Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist, and composer. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 58 Billboard Top 40 singles, 27 Top 10, four No. 2 and nine No. 1. For 31 consecutive weeks in the 1970s, he had a Top 40 hit single in America. His 1974 hit “Bennie and the Jets” was named by YouTube as one of “the most influential songs of all time”. Throughout his career he has received five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards—winning two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music—an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and the Kennedy Center Honor in 1994. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him number 49 on their list of 100 influential musicians of the rock era and number 24 on their 2006 list of greatest singers of all time
Conclusion
By the mid-1970s, popular music had undergone drastic changes. The era known as the Golden Age of Pop passed away, and a new style known as disco began to take its place. The Beatles and other groups from the British Invasion were no longer together, and many of their fans had grown up and moved on to other things. Glam rock was another casualty of the times, replaced by a more serious form of rock known as arena rock. Singer-songwriters such as Carole King and James Taylor were still popular, but they no longer ruled the charts. In short, pop music was in a state of flux, and it would take a few years for it to find its way again.
