Popular Music: Genres Genre Characteristics Typical Artists AOR (Adult- Orientated Rock 'soft rock', 'melodic rock'. Guitar based, with elements of rock music, less hard-hitting. 'Power ballads' Polished, tight production. Controlled guitar distortion. Full drum sounds. Inoffensive (not controversial) lyrics, love based. 4/4 or 12/8 time signatures. Appealing hooks, emotive singing styles. 1970s-1990s Power ballads:- B.Adams, Everything I do Bon Jovi, Blaze of glory. Foreigner Michael Bolton Whitesnake Blues 12 or 16 bar phrases. Melancholic lyrics. call and response between vocal and lead instruments Country Blues Southern states (USA) in early 1900s. Grief-stricken vocals Slide guitar (using bottleneck). Exclusively acoustic, often solo singer providing own accompaniment. Blind Willie McTell Lightnin' Hopkins Blind Blake Chicago Blues Often known as 'Rhythm 'n' Blues' (1940s,50s) Created by Afro-Am. Population moving to urban areas. Amplification, bass, drums, harmonica, piano guitar. Coarse and forceful sounds. Origins for rock n rock Muddy Waters Howlin' Wolf B.B. King T-Bone Walker British Blues 1960s exploration of Chicago blues combined with rock music elements. Cream Yardbirds Rolling Stones Led Zeppelin
Country (Country and Western) Origins in American folk music (European influences) and blues. 1930s ff. Slow songs in ¾ or 4/4. Sentimental lyrics, nasal sounds, acoustic guitar accompaniments. 1990s emerged with commercial pop and rock styles as 'new country'. More punchy rhythm section, keyboards, commercial hooks and production values. Can feature dance remixes Hank Williams Johnny Cash Willie Nelson Garth Brooks Reba McIntyre Shania Twain BlueGrass Kentucky, 1940s. Upbeat form of Country with banjo picking, fiddles and mandolins. Bouncy rhythms, barn dance feel. Country Rock 1970s, 80s Rock musicians inspired by country music. Dixie Chicks Dolly Parton Eagles Dance music Specifically designed for dance. Emphasis on the beat rather than melodic or lyrical interest. Disco Origins in gay bars 1970s, popularised by 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977) Steady 4/4 bass drum. Abundant production principles, sounds often dictated by the producer rather than the performer. String and horn section accompaniments, drum machines, keyboards. Hi-NRG: faster from of disco. Village People Donna Summer KC and the Sunshine Band Bee Gees Van McCoy House music 1980s, retaining the disco 4/4 beats. Addition of 'soggy' bass lines, mechanical and sampled beat, synthesisers. Often just instrumental. Use of sampled vocals, often female singers, no words or meaningless phrases (e.g. 'Ride on time'), repeated with new forms of technology. Soul II Soul KLF Shamen Coldcut
Techno Developed from Funk and soul grooves (1970s) combined with electronic music (e.g. music of Tangerine Dream, Kraft-werk) Tempo = 115-160 bmp. Orbital Aphex Twin Prodigy Other forms of Techno:- Hardcore: very fast bmp Ambient: slower bmp, superimposed washy synth pads Jungle: more complex hardcore music, polyrhythms and fast break beats with dubbing Acid House: (prolific use of Roland TB-303 drum machine) Trance: use of repeated synth lines in hypnotic fashion IDM: Intelligent dance music Happy hardcore Garage Often techno styles are simply varied by addition of elements (dub, jazz, ragga) or differentiated bmp. Electric Folk Commercial and popular style of 1970s. Traditional or modern folk tunes played by a more rock-based line-up including drums, electric guitars and bass, traditional fiddles, accordions, acoustic guitars of folk music. Bob Dylan Steeleye span Fairport convention Pentangle Glam Rock Early 1970s. Combination of structures and rhythmic elements of rock n roll distorted guitars of heavy metal music catchy hooks of pop. Light weight music, lyrically naïve, dealing with teenage or RnR issues. Short song, very little development (reaction to 1960s psychedelic rock?) 1 or 2 guitars, bass, drums, vocals. Very glittery, flamboyant costumes worn by artists, often effeminate; presentation was more important than music? Gary Glitter Marc Bolan and T.Rex David Bowie The Sweet Some Elton John music The Kiss
Gospel Music 1930s ff. Large mixed-voice choir. Reflection of Christian faith. Developed among the black population (Southern states, USA), growing from spirituals and blues. Solo singer with choir in call-response (c.f. African Choral singing) Grunge Seattle, USA. 1990s. Unclear, dark guitar sounds. Fusion of heavy metal and punk. Depressing lyrics, build-up and sudden cut of dynamics. Brother Joe May Rev. James Cleveland Mahalia Jackson Clara Ward Singers Mudhoney Stone Temple Pilots Soundgarden Nirvana Heavy Metal Late 1960s ff. Characterised by white teenage males, macho image ('cock rock'). Female equivalent bands - 'frock rock' Distorted guitar-based music, usually fats and riffbased. Focus upon guitar and drummer performing skills (lengthy solos). Upper tenor registers for vocals, often screams and shouts. Black Sabbath Deep Purple Uriah Heep Magadeath Motorhead Metallica Nine Inch Nails Marilyn Manson Tool Thrash. Speed metal Death Metal. Black metal Industrial metal Faster versions of heavy metal. Use of palm muting for distinctive sounds. Pushy tempos and rhythms. Dark lyrical ideas of thrash and speed to disturbing extremes. Sounds of electronic dance music combined with distorted guitar sounds of heavy metal. Bleak, angry lyrical content.
Indie Label originally referred to Independent recording companies (small organisations of 1980s, 90s as alternatives to international corporations) Reaction to synth-and sample dance music. Reference to 1960s sounds of Beatles, Yardbirds, Kinks. Guitar-based, catchy hooks. Britpop (late 1980s, 90s) made Indie to the mainstream punters. Bought out by larger companies, hence loss of independence. Blur Oasis Pulp Supergrass travis MOR Inoffensive music. Smooth, mellow arrangements. (Middle of the Insipid lyrics, soft rock/pop feel. Road) Lush arrangements, love lyrics, easy listening of the 1970s ff. Carpenters Barry Manilow Dionne Warwick Captain and Tenille New Age 'Crossover' style of music: Classical Minimal Celtic folk-influences styles. Aim: meditative, spiritual, calming. Roots in ambient (atmospherical) music of Brian Eno (experimental). Washy synth sounds, samples, sound effects (natural sound sources), traditional instruments, multi-layed vocals. Enya Adiemus David Van Teighem Brian Eno Prog Rock (Progressive rock) (Art Rock) 1970s ff. Built upon classical forms and structures, more than 3 minute verse/chorus guise. Complex pieces created by extended structures, shifting or unusual time signatures, even modified sonata forms. Importance of clear compositional techniques and instrumental virtuosity, supported by grandiose stage presentations. Vague lyrics. Combination of glam rock and art rock typified by Queen. Yes Genesis Pink Floyd Gentle Giant King Crimson Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) Psychedelic rock (Acid Rock) 1960s ff. Inspired by drug-related experiences. Loud sounds, distortion, strange sounds, bizarre electronic effects to mimic the experience of LSD or marijuana. Lengthy, improvised. Pink Floyd Jimi Hendrix Cream Jefferson Airplane The Grateful Dead
Punk Rock Late 1970s reaction to excesses of progressive rock and lack of social realism in pop music (esp. disco). Raw music, few simple chords, high energy levels. Reaction to political issues, hence anger. Designed to shock, lyrically and visually. Sioux-se and the Banshees used an 'arty' stance, combining punk with more complex sounds and structures. Style largely superseded by hardcore? Sex Pistols Buzzocks Stiff Little Fingers The Damned Jam Rap (Rapping) Hip-pop 1970s, 80s popularity, ff. Rhythmical talk over music, often political/social commentaries (Sampled) rhythmic features. Softer form of rap catering for white audiences, with less offensive lyrics, bland beats and less ard-hitting. New York style of rap. Consists of several genres of music, including hardcore (black politics) and Gangsta (violence, drugs and abuse of women) Reggae Global term, encompassing earlier forms of Jamaican music (Ska, rock steady, dub). Bob Marley and the Wailers Ska Energetic Jamaican interpretation of rhythm and blues, mixed with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and instrumental sounds Toots and the Maytals. Skatalites Rock Steady Influence of soul music upon Ska, producing slower, more mellow feel. Played through huge sound systems. Burning Spear Dub Reggae DJs mixing backing tracks with lots of effects ('FX') and deep, growling bass lines. Choppy off beats. Politically and socially-aware lyrics UB40 (Two-tone) (often Rastafarianism). Sunny, good-time mood. The genre influenced such bands as:- Police Two tone bands (white and black musicians) such as the Specials, and the Selector. Two-tone enjoyed success in 1980s.
Rock 'n' Roll Grew out of rhythm and blues, country music and gospel music in 1950s. Universally popular. 3 chords in 12 or 16 blues pattern. Fast, danceable and catchy hooks. Lyrics communicated:- some form of rebellion, referring to rock 'n' roll itself freedom of dancing teenage love (including misunderstood slang words for sex) R'n'R adopted by white musicians, maintaining the vigorous energy, while communicating sanity. Guitar, upright bass (later bass guitar), drums, vocals, piano. Backing vocals used in call-response manner. Generally 4/4, shuffle rhythm (swung quavers, legato style, moderate speed) Elvis Presley Chuck Berry Buddy Holly Little Richard Jerry Lee Lewis Bill Haley and the Comets Soul 1960s, result of rhythm and blues moving into urban centres over USA. Commercialised, esp. Detroit. Expressive vocal style, high-pitched, emotionally charged lines, technical improvisation around the melody (c.f. gospel music). Love, instrumentation featuring strings, horn sections as well as standard band line-up. James Brown Mary Wells Wilson Pickett Aretha Franklin Roberta Flack Ben E. King Motown label focused upon polished pop-soul, featuring girl groups and lush production (c.f. Phil Spector and the 'Wall of sound'). Motown: Supremes Shrangri-las Ronettes