COM 202 Final paper

WEEK 7- FINAL PAPER, MUSIC AND INFLUENCE

In this essay we will explore the relationship, effects and influence of music on high profile events or movements for each decade since 1960-2010. We shall look at them in three segments First of all, the sixties a new dawn was on its way around the world most African Nations were calling for independence from colonial powers whiles in America, the civil rights movements was at its peak, Civil rights activist like Dr Martin Luther King, Malcom X. the nation of Islam and others where calling for an end to segregation and other oppressive conditions they were experiencing. “ Joan Baez’s we shall overcome (1963) originally focused on the civil rights movements, was a powerful way to bring people of different classes, background ,religions –but one shared value – together, and now has become the song any group trying to stand against old and needing change, practices uses. So I think it both changed, and continues to change the world today. It is still song today by everyone Cooke’s A change is going to come were also influential during the civil rights movements .Although there were define changes but People like Dr Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were brutally murdered. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21143345

The Seventies now was slight better there were some changes and freedom in the air, when the Jackson Five dropped this ABC album. I was young then every young boy wanted to be Michael Jackson. Every young girl wanted to be with Michael Jackson. This change the way blacks were looked down on, there was hope, but was the white world like Motown ready for the change? Absolutely. Motown made the boys looked younger to attract younger audience in 1970 their first hit was number 1 in the US and number 8 in the UK. They even had their own cartoon show. http://hits-of-the-70s.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-1970s-jackson-five.html

Secondly the 80”s was most disco era, but in 1981 Stevie Wonder’s “ Happy birthday” Steve Wonder had devised a way to invigorate the campaign to have Dr Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday into public consciousness. This campaign had started in 1968 after the leader was killed. The King center turned to Stevie Wonder for help after they lost a petition in congress. At the rally for peace conference to inspire a favor for the petition, this brought six million signatures being the largest petition for a single issue and in 1983, Ronald Regan signed it into law. https://medium.com/cuepoint/how-stevie-wonder-helped-create-martin-luther-king-day-807451a78664#.bqsx7mjju

Paul Simon’ Graceland (1986) “changed the world too as part of a whole movement protesting against apartheid in South Africa. This Album introduced a commercial element to world music and significantly raised the profile of African musicians and performers. You can’t stop this by Mc Hammer was the number 1 on the charts in the 90’s
But however black music culture would eventually change for good with Snoop Dog, Dr Dre, with “nothing but a G thang” Biggie Smalls “Notorious B I G with juicy Puff Daddy with Faith Evan’s I’ll be missing you, Tupac, Coolio with Gangster Paradise
Rap and hip/hop took the music scene like a storm, In spite of the East coast and West Coast rivalry that led to the death of both Biggie Smalls and Tupac Black Artist started dressing down to perform instead of the 3piece suit which others like the “Temptations and O’jay’s or Marvin Gaye would wear it change to casual dressing. T-shirts, tennis shoes and pants hanging saggy.
Socially the rap lyrics help tell the story of teenagers back then to now, some of the conditions of hope/hopelessness/police brutality. People like Russell Simon stated having their own labels and co-founded DEF-Jams and others like “Suge Knight and Dr. Dre founded Death Row records in 1991 and it was home to some of rap’s biggest stars like Tupac Shakur .Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Da pound, Death row records nearly sold 50million units worldwide, and generated 750 million in revenue, its unique because most of its artist were parolees and some from actual death row. Most parolees do not get hired, much more Hollywood. But “death row” made history and millions for these artists. In 1992 they released their first solo “The chronic by “Dr. Dre” with Snoop Dogg’s Album quickly exploding in 1993 and eventually topping the bill board Top 200 albums selling 3 million copies ,but with criticism from activist, media about “Death row” glorifying violence all its shareholders were nervous and backing out then Suge Knight posted bail for Tupac who started working for the label,his album was released in 1996 .Topped the album chart and going Diamond and 10X platinum that was the biggest commercial success to date. http://www.rapartists.com/labels/27/Death_Row

Finally 2000 was a time when uncertainty was once again in the air that “the world has come to its end” we were not sure what will happen as Some Churches and other were certain that this will be definitely the end of the world. This was the time when “Brittney Spears” became the image and Princess of pop-music, Her 1999 Album debut “baby one more time” received platinum status 15x and its title song topped the billboard she became the idol of the millennial generations just like Madonna in the 90’s, her named became a brand and the scandals just keep on increasing her popularity. http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/31-12-2009/111519-ten_years-0/

And on a sad note Amie Winehouse who had won five Grammy awards for her 2006 Album “Back to black” “Rehab” “ Valerie” Suddenly died from Alcohol poisoning in 2011 age 27. This brought attention to the problems of Alcohol, drugs among musicians and teens, this led to founding of “The Amie Whitehouse foundation which works to prevent the effects of drugs and alcohol misuse among young people. With that said we actually went through a Fifty year period with the changes and up’s and down music was in our daily struggles. These are not the only or greatest people but by the type of music I listen to. These were some of those who inspired changed in our society. http://www.amywinehousefoundation.org/ http://www.biography.com/people/amy-winehouse-244469#synopsis The technologies that came along with these songs made it amazingly cool and helpful in the 60’s turntables and record players were replacing grammaphones,45rpm records and LP’s were common and made of vinyl
In the seventies 8tracks were also disappearing given place to AM and FM radio’s and cassette players in cars. The 80’s synthesizers, Walkman, and some color TV was almost everywhere and a relieve from the black and white TV’s .Then came VCR and Michael Jackson’s thriller and Belle Jean made MTV history and that changed music video industry. Then Cable TV was beginning to get popular and satellite dishes. By the 90’s there came CD’s replacing cassettes and vinyl records the sound was very clear you could her everything, By then personal computers were beginning to be common at homes and in 2000 to 2011 electronic technologies exploded with mp3 player replacing DVD, Which replaced VCR, laptops, iPhone, iPad, smart phone are all devices which we can share files and watch tons of music with today.

References http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21143345 http://hits-of-the-70s.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-1970s-jackson-five.html

https://medium.com/cuepoint/how-stevie-wonder-helped-create-martin-luther-king-day-807451a78664#.bqsx7mjju http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4353 http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/songs-that-define-the-90sfor-better-or-worse#.ju38eMlDQ http://www.rapartists.com/labels/27/Death_Row http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/31-12-2009/111519-ten_years-0/ http://www.amywinehousefoundation.org/ http://www.biography.com/people/amy-winehouse-244469#synopsis
http://www.calcable.org/learn/history-of-cable/