Pop Music in the 1960's
The 1960s were a time of creativity and innovation and many new styles of popular music developed in the aftermath of rock 'n' roll.
British beat music Many British pop groups in the 1960s were heavily influenced by American blues and R&B. These included The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
R&B stands for rhythm and blues – a style of black American music combining jazz and blues which emerged in the 1940s - not to be confused with today's R&B.
The Beatles helped to reshape Western pop music and were the most successful band ever. Every album was a huge hit from the early material on Please Please Me (1963) to the hugely innovative Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
They helped to create a distinctly British sound which used:
British beat music
The Beatles had a huge influence and pop groups sprang up all over the UK usually writing their own songs.
The Kinks were a four-piece band who had a string of hits during the 1960s including Waterloo Sunset, and Dedicated Follower Of Fashion.
Their songs were short and punchy with thought-provoking lyrics and elements of music hall. Songwriter Ray Davies' lyrics often used images of everyday British life.
Groups such as The Kinks, The Small Faces and The Who helped to establish a British tradition of:
British beat music Many British pop groups in the 1960s were heavily influenced by American blues and R&B. These included The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
R&B stands for rhythm and blues – a style of black American music combining jazz and blues which emerged in the 1940s - not to be confused with today's R&B.
The Beatles helped to reshape Western pop music and were the most successful band ever. Every album was a huge hit from the early material on Please Please Me (1963) to the hugely innovative Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
They helped to create a distinctly British sound which used:
- British (rather than American) accents
- standard song forms
- distinctive chord sequences and vocal harmonies
- rhythmic guitar work
- simple melodies
- clever lyrics
British beat music
The Beatles had a huge influence and pop groups sprang up all over the UK usually writing their own songs.
The Kinks were a four-piece band who had a string of hits during the 1960s including Waterloo Sunset, and Dedicated Follower Of Fashion.
Their songs were short and punchy with thought-provoking lyrics and elements of music hall. Songwriter Ray Davies' lyrics often used images of everyday British life.
Groups such as The Kinks, The Small Faces and The Who helped to establish a British tradition of:
- guitar-driven pop groups
- a classic line-up of lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals
- verse and chorus songs, rich in hooks and melodic interest
- conventional chord sequences
The chorus:
- sets the refrain of the lyrics and often contains the title words
- usually returns several times, always with the same words
- is normally the 'catchiest' part of the song
- a riff is a short, repeated melodic pattern, often forming the background to a solo or vocal line. It is usually one to four bars long.
- a hook is a short catchy melodic idea designed to be instantly memorable
- guitar licks are short solo phrases that can be heard at the ends of some of the vocal phrases
- fills are short flourishes used to fill a gap between phrases and are often played on drums
1960s soul music
1960s soul music was a style of black American music characterised by:
The most famous record labels were Tamla Motown, Stax and Atlantic. Tamla Motown was an all black record company set up by Berry Gordy in Detroit. Artists included The Four Tops and The Jackson Five. Stax was based in Memphis. Artists included Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.
1960s soul music was a style of black American music characterised by:
- gospel influenced vocals
- lyrical soulful melodies
- an emphasis on the rhythm section
- large horn sections (trumpets, saxophones and trombones)
The most famous record labels were Tamla Motown, Stax and Atlantic. Tamla Motown was an all black record company set up by Berry Gordy in Detroit. Artists included The Four Tops and The Jackson Five. Stax was based in Memphis. Artists included Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.
Listen to this sample from My Lover's Prayer by Otis Redding. Notice the soulful gospel-influenced singing and the prominent horn section. |
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