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5. 1980s Rock to the Present
Lecture Outline:
– Mainstream 80s Rock and the Music Video
– 80s Heavy Metal and Hard Rock
– Pop Punk and Post Punk
– Indie
– Alternative Rock and Grunge
– Pop Punk
– Third Wave Ska
– Britpop
– CanRock
– Rap-Rock/Nu-Metal
– Garage Revival
– 2000s Country/Rock
– Rap Rock Crossover
We’ve already covered some 1980s-to-the-present material:Rockabilly; Singer-songwriter; Folk, folk-rock; Psychedelia; Punk; Heavy Metal
Bruce Springsteen• Singer-songwriter tradition & “rock traditionalist”
• Major label debut 1973
• Presents an average Joe, working class image
– Think BTO vs. other 80s images
Ex: Bruce Springsteen
– “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
• Dense production
– “Wall of Sound” style
• Socially conscious lyrics
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• “Jangly” folk style guitars
• Catchy pop rock songs
– Older rock styles, not so much
new wave or current 1980s-style rock
• Solo work and with supergroup Travelling Wilburys
Ex: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “The Waiting” (1981)
The Police
• British power trio
– (Although drummer
Stewart Copeland is American)
• Punk and reggae influences
Ex: The Police – “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” (1981)
• UK #1
• Contrasting verse-chorus
• Builds up as the song goes on, adding elements
A 1980s Aesthetic
• One specific drum sound dominated 1980s popular music:
gated reverb drums
Video Ex: Vox: How a recording-studio mishap shaped '80s musichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=375&v=Bxz6jShW-3E
• Return in the 2010s
– Part of the cyclical nature of popular music trends/sounds/styles
Music Videos
• Videos as promotional tools
– For album sales, tours, merchandise, etc.
• USA: MTV, 1981
• Canada: MuchMusic, 1984; MusiquePlus, 1986
– Building a sense of Canadian community
– Generally limited budgets
– Many of these videos featured local neighbourhoods, especially Toronto
Video Ex: The Shuffle Demons – "Spadina Bus" video (1986)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZnLjRi_g9o
– Sense of civic/local pride
Bryan Adams• Debut album, 1980
• 80s/90s successes
• Image
Video Ex: Bryan Adams
– "Cuts Like A Knife" (1983)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZhSkREYBc
• Waking Up The Neighbours
(1991) controversy
U2
• Rolling Stone magazine: “the band of the ‘80s”
Ex: U2 – “Where the Streets Have No Name” (1987)
• 2 minutes instrumental intro
– Sustained organ and synth
– The Edge’s guitar (delay pedal)
• The band’s signature sound
Delay Video Ex:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKp47EGJBBw
Heavy Metal in the Mainstream
• 1988: Metal makes up 11 of top 55 best-selling albums
• 1989: 10 out of top 40
– Mainly 80s pop metal and glam/hair metal
• 1991: grunge takes over from metal
Ex: Guns n Roses – “It’s So Easy” (1987)
• Transgressive for mainstream
• Album cover
• “Classic Rock” look
Hair Metal• Usually pop metal group that
use costumes and stage makeup
Mötley Crüe
• Pop song forms, virtuosic solos,
heavy distortion
Video Ex: Mötley Crüe
– “Looks That Kill” (1983)
• Sexist lyrics and imageryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wPHxQMgdKs
The Power Ballad• Popular with metal groups in the 1980s
– Shows sensitive side of the singer/band
Ex: Poison – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988)
• Very formulaic
– Quite start, usually just the singer
with guitar/piano
– Then bass, drums,
distorted guitar enterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IynXh593Bg
Classical-Metal Fusion• aka Neoclassical Metal
Video Ex: Yngwie Malmsteen
– “Far Beyond the Sun” (1984)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4OxW_0qqv8
• List some of the classical
and the metal elements…
AC/DC• Usually considered “hard rock” instead of “heavy metal”
– What are the differences between these two labels?
• Original vocalist Bon Scott dies, 1979; replaced by Brian Johnson, 1980
Ex: AC/DC
– “Back In Black” (1980)
• Blues-based riffs and solos
Rap-Rock Fusion
Video Ex: Run-DMC – “Walk This Way” (1986)
• Featuring Aerosmith’s Joe Perry (guitar) and Steven Tyler (vocals)
• Huge crossover rap hit
• Music Video: Rap and rock separate, literally, a wall between the twohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk
1980s Pop Punk• Overlaps with New Wave
The Go-Go’s
Ex: The Go-Go’s
– “We Got the Beat” (1980)
• Like the Ramones, simple lyrics,
mostly repeating title
• Spirit is the opposite though:
almost mindlessly happy
Joan Jett• Teen band, The Runaways (1975-79)
• Solo album, then forms Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Punk, Hard Rock
Ex: Joan Jett – “Bad Reputation” (1981)
• What are the punk elements
• What are the pop elements?
Post-Punk• Aggression of punk with outside influences like synthesizers
Sonic Youth
• Post-Punk, No Wave, Indie Rock
Ex: Sonic Youth
– “Hey Joni” (1988)
• Synth drone to start
• Dissonance and “noise”
1980s and 1990s Indie Rock• More a marketing label than a distinct musical style
• Like punk and hardcore scenes, simplicity is important
– In sound and look, presented themselves as amateur instrumentalists
– Often rejecting major labels
– DIY aesthetic, rejects commercialism of pop music
• Overlaps with 90s Alternative Rock
R.E.M.• Indie or “College rock”
• Simplicity of sound, basic instrumentation
– Model for alt rock to come
• No major labels (at least early on), indie
Ex: R.E.M. – “The One I Love” (1987)
• Simple verse-chorus form
• Verses are AABA
– Same lyrics for each verse
• Solo
Alternative Rock
• Umbrella term for rock-related, punk-inspired styles
• Alternative to what? Late 80s rock style mostly
– (Discussed further in grunge section)
– But it quickly became the dominant rock genre of the 90s
Grunge• Local scene in Seattle, Washington
• Image of amateurism
– Return to simplicity approach
• vs. glam or pop metal
– Non-virtuosic (like punk and folk)
– Simpler and shorter guitar solos
– Visually: no spandex, makeup or stage costumes
• The big launch of “grunge” as a format was
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991)
• Others Seattle grunge bands: Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains
Nirvana
• Intense touring like hardcore bands
• Second album: Nevermind (1991)
– Huge mainstream success, MTV stars
– #1 pop in US
– Same with next two albums, also in UK
Ex: Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991)
• Quiet-loud became a Nirvana hallmark
• Difficult to decipher the lyrics
– Unlike most pop
• Simple, catchy guitar riff
MTV Unplugged• Rock bands in “acoustic” performances
Video Ex: Nirvana - “Dumb” (live, 1993)
• Album released 1994, one of band’s best-sellinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2m3_wCJFYk
Riot Grrl
• Punk, feminism, activism
• Taboo issues
• “Grrl” like a growl
• ‘Zine culture
• Bikini Kill
• Video Ex:
Polyphonic: Riot Grrrl: The '90s Movement that Redefined Punkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbhaguKARw
Red Hot Chili Peppers• Fusion of styles: Rock, punk, funk, rap…
Ex: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Good Time Boys” (1989)
• Bass and guitar BOTH prominent and strong (rare up to now)
• Complex 16 beat rhythm over rock beat
• Rapped verses, sung choruses
• Funk
• Punk
• Metal
Beck• Hard to categorize overall:
– Hip hop, country, rock, soul, folk,
and sample & beat-based music (many styles blended)
Ex: Beck – “Loser” (1993/1994)
• Blues: slide guitar (song built on one chord/riff)
• Hip hop: drum sample, rapped verses
• Beat-based texture: instruments come
in and out in a pattern
• Other elements?
Weezer• Self-aware, parody, comedy in alternative rock
Video Ex: Weezer – “Buddy Holly” (1994)
• Rap slang: “What’s with these homies dissing my girl?/why do they gotta front?”
• Call and response between vocal and synth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUKb4f4
Pop Punk• Ironic genre label?
• Pop punk is both a product of, and a reaction to, grunge
• Compared to Punk– Distorted guitar, power chords
– Pop song structures
– Catchy melodies
– Easy to understand lyrics (comparatively)
– Less openly political
• I.e. Green Day, The Offspring,
Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World
Green Day• Dookie (1994) was the band’s major label breakthrough
Ex: Green Day – “When I Come Around” (1994)
• Power chords, heavy distortion
• Clear production
• Vocal harmonies
Green Day (cont.)• Greater range of styles starting in late 90s (“Good Riddance”)
• American Idiot (2004)
Ex: Green Day – “Wake Me Up When September Ends” (2004)
• Lyrics
• Gentle guitar opening,
then loud punk power chords and drums
• Slow, nostalgic tone
Third Wave of Ska: Sublime• Jamaican origins of ska
• 2nd wave of ska and connection with
punk in UK and NYC
Sublime
• 3rd Wave ska, but also punk songs
• First album 1996
Video Ex: Sublime – “Date Rape” (1992)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeMeDihwyrg
Other 90s ska: Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt
Britpop: Radiohead• Another surge in interest of British bands
– Oasis, Blur, The Verve, and others
• Draws on British Invasion sounds of the 60s
Radiohead
• More experimental with time
– Third album OK Computer (1997),
sound effects, samples, etc.
Ex: Radiohead – “Airbag” (1997)
• Experimental sounds at 3:27
• Outro with sound effects
The Tragically Hip
• Contribute to a sense of Canadian identity and mythology through songs with distinctly Canadian lyrics
Ex: The Tragically Hip – “Fifty-Mission Cap” (1992)
• Bill Barilko’s Stanley Cup-winning goal and mysterious disappearance
• Iconic status in CA; nearly complete obscurity elsewhere
• The fact that many Americans “don’t get the Hip” becomes a sense of pride, marks Canadians as different
– Being a Hip fan as a marker of Canadian-ness
Ex: The Tragically Hip – “Three Pistols” (1991)
• Tom Thompson’s ghost canoeing in Algonquin Park
Alanis Morissette
• Breakthrough Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Ex: Alanis Morissette
– “You Oughta Know” (1995)
• Anger, frustration
• Loud-quiet aesthetic like Nirvana
• Recorded with Red Hot Chili Peppers
as backing band
The Tea Party• Eclectic hard rock trio
Ex: The Tea Party – “Temptation” (1997)
• Middle Eastern-sounding intro
• Electronic elements
• Psychedelic, metal,
industrial metal, noise
Rap-Metal
• Rock audience hostility to rap: why?
• Among the earliest were rap-metal crossovers in the early 1990s
• Why would metal be the first rock subgenre to widely intermix with hip hop?
Video Ex: Public Enemy with Anthrax – “Bring The Noise” (1991)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1hgXfX5-U
• Tour
• Other early Rap-Metal: Ice-T’s band, Body Count
Nu MetalEx: Rage Against the Machine
– “Bulls on Parade” (1996)
• Guitar solos imitate DJ soundshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxKJLgfT7A
1:50 solo demo
• Bands with DJs:
Video Ex: Limp Bizkit
– “Nookie” (1999)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTMVOzPPtiw
Drum Machines in Rockhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiDs41Pr_0
Ex: Lenny Kravitz – “American Woman” (2000)
• Reasons to use a drum machine
• “Humanization”
Industrial Metal• Instrumental style of metal mixed with the precise, cold and rhythmic
style of electronica
• Electronica beats (4 on the floor)
Ex: Rammstein – “Du Hast” (1998)
• Hypnotic synth patterns create groove
• Dance-like beat
2000s• Too recent to know full cultural impact and influence
– Twenty years often seen as a good amount of time to judge important elements of an era
• But doesn’t mean this era can’t be studied at all, it’s just with less perspective than older music
• Fitting newer music into pre-existing genres
– Extensions and Repetitions (as always)
– Major artists/bands we will not discuss
New Technologies• The big one is digital music and file sharing
• Napster: June 1999-July 2001
• Disruptions to existing music industry
– Major labels, radio, physical media, distribution, revenue
• Leads to rise of indie labels
with power and major hits
• Unsustainable for
creators/artists/musicians
The White Stripes• Garage rock revival, but also many other styles
• First three albums indie releases
• Drum and guitar duo (Jack White and Meg White)
– Other instruments featured more prominently in
later releases (bass, piano, organ, percussion)
Ex: The White Stripes
– “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”
(2001)
• Garage rock aesthetic
Emo• Pop Punk with more serious (“emotional”) lyrics
• Somewhat derogatory term
Ex: Jimmy Eat World
– “The Middle” (2001)
• Lyrics
Country in the 2000s• Current country: compare sonically to rock
– What are the sonic signifiers of modern country?
• There are non-musical demarcations of “country” music as well– Audience; visuals, etc.
• Formerly standard elements of mainstream rock now common in county– i.e. Guitar solos
• Major country crossover starts in the 1990s– Garth Brooks and Shania Twain
Carrie Underwood
• American Idol
Ex: Carrie Underwood
– “Before He Cheats” (2005)
• Musically what are the country elements?
• What are the rock elements?
Rap-Rock Crossover• Some aspects of this topic were covered in our 80s and 90s sections
• Rapping in rock/pop music
– And the use of samples and/or beat-based production
• Rock sounds in Rap
• In the 2000s, several rappers released songs or full albums of non-rap material
Outkast• Genre and boundary pushing style
• Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
– Double album
– Major crossover, #1 pop album
Video Ex: Outkast – “Hey Ya!” (2003)
• Acoustic guitar; hand claps; simple and fun keyboard riff in chorus
• All instruments performed by André 3000
• Music video plays on the Beatles’
Ed Sullivan performanceshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw
