Planet Rock: The Music Video

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Planet Rock: The Music Video was an iconic music video of the 1980s. It featured Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force performing their song “Planet Rock” against a backdrop of outer space. The video was directed by Godley & Creme and is considered one of the most innovative and influential music videos of all time.

The History of Planet Rock

Planet Rock was released in 1982 by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force. The song was one of the first to popularize hip hop and electronic music, and it has been sampled and referenced countless times in the years since its release.

The music video for Planet Rock is a landmark of its own, directed by James Ruben and starring Bambaataa himself. The video is a montage of footage from various New York City parks and rooftops, set to the hypnotic beat of the song. It’s a striking visual representation of the city’s energy and diversity, and it helped to cement Planet Rock’s place in pop culture history.

The Making of Planet Rock

In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force released “Planet Rock,” a song that would go on to become one of the most influential tracks in the history of electronic dance music. The song’s innovative blend of electro, hip-hop, and Kraftwerk-inspired synth pop helped pave the way for the emergence of techno and house music, and its accompanying music video was an equally important piece of work.

Directed by Japanese avant-garde filmmaker Yoichi Kotabe, the “Planet Rock” video is a mind-bending mix of animation and live-action footage that tells the story of a group of astronauts who travel to a distant planet in search of new life. Upon landing on the planet’s surface, they are immediately attacked by a squadron of enemy space fighters, but they are saved by a trio of friendly aliens who help them destroy their enemies.

The “Planet Rock” video was groundbreaking in its use of rotoscoping, a technique in which images are traced onto animation cels to create the illusion of movement. Kotabe used rotoscoping to create the fluid movements of the space fighters, and the result is an action scene that looks unlike anything that had been seen before in a music video.

Although it was released over 35 years ago, the “Planet Rock” video remains one of the most visually arresting and memorable music videos ever made.

The Legacy of Planet Rock

In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force released Planet Rock, a song that would go on to become one of the most influential tracks in hip hop history. The song samples Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express andIOriginally released as a single, it was later included on the group’s debut album, Planet Rock: The Album.

The song’s popularity was bolstered by its accompanying music video, which was directed by Lionel C. Martin and aired regularly on MTV. The video features Bambaataa and his crew performing against a backdrop of images from outer space, giving the song an otherworldly feel.

Planet Rock was groundbreaking in its use of electronic music in a hip hop context, and its influence can be heard in the work of subsequent artists like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest. Today, the song remains an important part of hip hop’s legacy, and its impact can still be felt in the music of today.

The Influence of Planet Rock

Planet Rock was not only an influential song, but also an innovative and popular music video. The video was directed by Jon Griesheimer, and it featured heavy use of rotoscoping, a technique in which images are filmed in live action and then the live action is traced over frame by frame to create a seamless animated image. The result was a music video that looked like it had been pulled straight from a comic book or graphic novel, and it helped to popularize the use of rotoscoping in music videos.

The Significance of Planet Rock

Planet Rock was not only significant for its influence on the Hip Hop genre, but also for its innovative use of music video and animation. The music video was one of the first to use 3D animation, and it popularized the use of rapid-fire cuts and montages in music videos. It also featured a number of visual references to popular culture, including films, television shows, and comic books.

The Beauty of Planet Rock

There is no mistaking the beauty of Planet Rock. The colors are out of this world, the music is ethereal, and the message is one of hope and peace. What more could you want from a music video?

The video opens with shots of Planet Rock’s stunning landscape. The red rocks contrast sharply with the blue sky, and the viewer can’t help but feel a sense of awe at the sight. As the music begins to play, we see shots of the planet’s inhabitants going about their everyday lives. They seem happy and content, and it’s clear that they appreciate the simple things in life.

As the video progresses, we see more and more of Planet Rock’s unique features. The planet is home to strange and wonderful creatures, and it’s clear that there is a great respect for all forms of life. The video ends with a message of hope for the future, and it’s clear that Planet Rock is a place worth fighting for.

The Power of Planet Rock

Planet Rock is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song features Computer Voice samples from the Apollo astronauts talking about their “Planet Rock” mission as well as from an answering machine message supposedly left by photographer Gail Voyageur for her husband, which were actually sampled from the 1958 film noir Touch of Evil. The track also contains various sound bites from movies.

The Majesty of Planet Rock

Planet Rock is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song features lyrics about space travel, rock music, and dancing, set to a synthesizer-heavy techno beat. The song’s iconic music video features footage of outer space, rocks floating through the air, and people dancing.

The Importance of Planet Rock

Planet Rock is widely considered one of the most important hip hop songs of all time. It was one of the first songs to successfully fuse together elements of electronic music with traditional hip hop, creating a new and innovative sound. The song’s popularity helped to launch the careers of both Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force, and it remains an undeniable classic in the hip hop canon.

The Legacy of Planet Rock

Planet Rock is a song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song was released on July 28, 1982, by Tommy Boy Records and included on Afrika Bambaataa’s album Planet Rock: The Album. The song featured Marvella Murray, Yvonne Gage, and Linda Clifford on background vocals. Planet Rock peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it one of the earliest hip hop songs to appear on the chart.

The song’s style and production influenced many subsequent electro tracks and helped codify and pioneer what came to be known as “electro funk”, a term used later that year by Afrika Bambaataa himself in reference to this track. In 2010, the song was ranked number 241 on Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. In 451st place in the version of the same list published in 2010, it was ranked as one of the greatest songs of all time.

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