A Retrospective of 70’s Synthesizer Music: The Electronic Toys that Made
A look at the electronic toys that made 70’s synthesizer music what it is today.
The Birth of the Synthesizer
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, the first electronic music synthesizers were created. These new electronic instruments were used by artists to create new and innovative sounds that had never been heard before. This new type of music quickly gained popularity and became a staple in the 70’s music scene.
The first commercial synthesizer
In 1957, the first commercial synthesizer was released. It was called the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer and it was used by composers to create electronic music. This was the first time that synthesizers were available to the public and it ushered in a new era of music production.
The RCA Mark II was a bulky and expensive piece of equipment, but it allowed composers to create sounds that had never been heard before. This new type of music quickly gained popularity and soon Synthesizer-based bands were formed, such as The Beach Boys and The Beatles.
The 1970s saw the birth of many different types of synthesizers, each with their own unique sound. These instrument became increasingly popular with musicians and producers alike, as they allowed for a wider range of sonic possibilities.
Some of the most iconic synthesizer-based songs from the 1970s include:
-I Feel Love by Donna Summer
– another brick in the wall part 2 by pink floyd
-sweet dreams are made of this by eurythmics
-walking on sunshine by katrina & the waves
The first polyphonic synthesizer
polyphonic means many (poly) voices (phonic). Therefore, a polyphonic synthesizer is a synthesizer that can play multiple notes simultaneously. The first polyphonic synthesizer was the Polymoog, released in 1975 by Moog Music. The instrument was polyphonic, but only allowed the user to play a single note at a time; twonotes could be played together, but they would share the same timbre and envelope.
The Golden Age of the Synthesizer
If you were to ask anyone in the music industry what the most influential decade for music was, they would most likely say the 70’s. It was during this time that the first commercial synthesizers were released and they quickly became a staple in popular music. This article will take a look at some of the most popular synthesizers of the time and how they shaped the sound of music in the 70’s.
The rise of electronic music
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new style of music called electronic music began to emerge. This type of music was made using a variety of electronic devices, such as synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers.
Electronic music quickly gained popularity, and by the mid-1970s, it had become one of the most popular genres of music. This popularity continued into the 1980s, and electronic music remains popular to this day.
The golden age of electronic music was the 1970s. This was a time when many new and innovative electronic instruments were being developed. These instruments included the first commercially available synthesizers, such as the Moog synthesizer.
The 1970s was also a time when many new genres of electronic music were created. These genres included disco, funk, and New Wave.
The birth of disco
The history of the synthesizer is often told as a story of evolution, with each new generation of machines building on the successes and innovations of those that came before. But in the early 1970s, a group of visionary musicians and engineers took synthesizers in a completely different direction, paving the way for the massive popularity of disco.
In the late 1960s, Robert Moog’s eponymous company released the first commercially successful voltage-controlled synthesizer, the Moog 55. This machine, and others like it, quickly found their way into the hands of progressive rock bands who used them to create new sounds and textures. But it was not until 1973 that synthesizers truly entered the pop mainstream.
That year, Italian producer Giorgio Moroder released what is arguably the first disco record, “Love to Love You Baby.” The song, which featured a 17-minute synth solo by Moroder himself, became an international sensation and established disco as a viable genre.
The following year, another Italian producer, Piero Piccioni, released “Funkytown,” which would go on to become one of the most iconic disco tracks of all time. Piccioni’s use of synths was more restrained than Moroder’s, but no less effective.
As disco continued to gain in popularity throughout the 1970s, so too did synthesizers. The genre would come to be defined by its use of synthetic sounds, with classic tracks like Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and Chic’s “Le Freak” making heavy use of electronic instruments.
By the end of the decade, disco had reached its commercial peak and was beginning to fall out of favor with listeners. But its impact on popular music was profound; without disco, there would be no dance music as we know it today.
The birth of punk rock
The late 70s saw the birth of punk rock, and with it a new attitude towards music and society. Punk bands were often DIY, making their own instruments and eschewing traditional song structures. This DIY ethos extended to the use of synthesizers, which were often seen as tools of the establishment. Punk bands embraced synthesizers as a way to create their own unique sound, one that was often abrasive and aggressive.
The Legacy of the Synthesizer
When one thinks of the 70’s, they may think of the groovy, disco-infused music that was popular at the time. What they may not know is that a lot of that music was created using synthesizers. These electronic instruments were very new at the time and were used to create sounds that had never been heard before. This made them very popular with musicians who were looking to create something new and innovative.
The influence of synthesizer music
Few instruments have had as much of an impact on popular music as the synthesizer. Introduced in the late 1960s, the synthesizer soon found its way into the hands of innovative musicians who used it to create new and exciting sounds.
The 1970s was a golden era for synthesizer music, with artists like Klaus Schulze, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Vangelis pushing the boundaries of what was possible with this new technology. Synthesizers soon became an essential part of popular music, appearing on hits by everyone from Kiss to ABBA.
The 1980s saw the rise of electronic dance music, as artists like Depeche Mode and New Order used synthesizers to create pulsing rhythms that got people moving. Today, synthesizers are more popular than ever, with artists like Grimes and Chromatics using them to create beautiful and atmospheric sounds.
This retrospective will take a look at the history of synthesizer music, from its early days in the 1970s to its modern incarnation in the 21st century. We’ll explore the different ways that synthesizers have been used over the years, and hear some of the classic tracks that have defined this genre.
The synthesizer in popular music
In the 1970s, the synthesizer began to find its way into popular music, appearing on tracks by a wide variety of artists. One of the earliest examples is the song “Trans-Europe Express” by Kraftwerk, which was released in 1977. The band used a combination of analog and digital synthesizers to create their signature sound.
The synthesizer also played a role in the development of disco music. Many disco hits from the 1970s featured synthesizer parts, including “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer and “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc. The synthesizer was also used extensively in movie soundtracks from this era, such as Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
The 1980s saw the rise of synth-pop, a subgenre of pop music that relied heavily on synthetic sounds created with electronic instruments. Many synth-pop hits from this era featured catchy hooks and danceable beats, making them perfect for radio play. Some popular examples include “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen.
Today, the synthesizer is still widely used in popular music, appearing on tracks across all genres. While the sound of the synthesizer has evolved over the years, it remains an essential tool for many musicians and producers.
The synthesizer in film and television
The synthesizer was first used in film in the early 1960s in A Clockwork Orange, where it was used to create an unsettling and futuristic soundscape. It gained wider exposure in the 1970s with the release of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which featured an iconic scene in which a character is sent floating through space accompanied by the wailing sounds of a Theremin.
The synthesizer also became a staple of television scores in the 1970s, appearing in shows such as The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and The Waltons. It was also used extensively in advertisements, most famously in a series of commercials for Volkswagen starring actor William Shatner.
The synthesizer’s popularity continued into the 1980s, where it was used in films such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Tron, Blade Runner, and The Terminator. It also became a staple of pop music, appearing on hits by artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince.
The synthesizer has since become one of the most ubiquitous instruments in both film and pop music, appearing in everything from sci-fi movies to children’s cartoons. Its legacy as an influential and innovative musical instrument is secure, and it continues to be used by artists all over the world to create new and exciting sounds.
