Lesson 5 Disscusion and - Assignment Example

History of Rock Music Motown sound is known for its soulful music and special features. It was founded by Berry Gordy and its popularity lasted till1970s. One basic characteristic of Motown sound was its consistency for which it could be easily identified by the radio listeners. Its main musical instrument was the drum which was initiated by Benny Benjamin. Another common instrument was sharp-sounding guitar which could be heard in most Motown records. Another element was the electric bass which was played by James Jamerson.

Then there were the songs themselves which were filled with melody. The lyrics were written by big talents and were very innovative. In most Motown music albums, it appeared that the sound engineers placed the echo and equalizer right on the tape when they were moving between the rhythm tracks. In every Motown album the musicians and equalizer were same, but each album was different from the other. Making the albums required loads of creativity and most of the times it was the combinations of all the songs in an album that is more admiring than any individual song of the album (Coffey, 82-83).

One popular Motown album was released in 1960 by the American singer Sammy Ward also known as Singing Sammy. The bestseller song of the album was “That’s Why I Love You So Much” which he sang duet with Sherri Taylor. Tin Pan Alley was the name given to the West 28th Street in New York where many musicians did business during the period between 1880 and 1953. Some examples of this model are Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart”, Cole Porter’s “High Society” etc.Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (1967) It is not practically possible to pin down a definite year as the starting era of rock ‘n’ roll music.

It was in 1953 that rock ‘n’ roll gained significant popularity in the music industry with Crazy Man Crazy recorded by Bill Haley (Gillett, 3). The Beatles were an English rock band that originated in Liverpool in the year 1960, and it ruled rock ‘n’ roll industry for the next ten years. Their immense popularity worldwide can be attributed to their variety of wonderful songs that have become integrated in the modern music culture. Each song is characterized by unique sound. One interesting fact regarding the Beatles is that they composed their own songs, and the publishing rights of the songs were considered as commercial property to be sold by their manager, Brian Epstein (Richards, 1-2). The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the most popular rock ‘n’ roll album ever made by the Beatles who were considered as the monarch of rock ‘n’ roll genre of music.

Every technical aspect of this album has been inimitable till date which includes its concept, lyrics, sound, cover design, and studio technique. There are 13 tracks in the album all of which are major contributing factors for the global success of the Beatles. The brass and fuzz guitar used in the title song to the dying sound of the piano as concluding music of A Day in the Life are some that are worth mentioning. With the record-breaking success of the album the Beatles established themselves as artists and not mere performers.

ReferencesCoffey, Dennis. Guitars, Bars, and Motown Superstars, Univ. of Michigan, 2004Gillett, Charlie. The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock & Roll, Souvenir Press, 2011Richards, Leann. The Beatles- The Origin of 10 Songs, Leann Richards, 2014