Histories of Popular Music

It can be said that new media was brought about in several revolutions and these are as followed;
1920's -  Jazz music was seen as bringing modernity to American music. Due to problems such as drugs and alcohol, it was seen as slightly misleading. 


The 1950's on the other hand were seen as revolutionary years within the media industry. All parts of media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and movies all entered a period of rapid change. A name which everyone knows which occurred during this time is Elvis. Sexualisation and leading women astray became very common and many people of society blamed this on public music figures such as Elvis using provocative dance moves and lyrics in order to lead women in this way. 
Popular music in general can be said to have started in the 1950's. Stars like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee were all part of this pop scene during this time. However classic pop declined during this time and Rock 'N' Roll had a more forceful approach and became a major force in American record sales. 


1960's - This era of Rock 'N' Roll music with figures such as Bob Dylan. This era brought electricity to music such as electric guitars which were connected to amps in order to create a louder sound and vibe for audiences. This product allowed the sell out of acoustic guitars as most people in this era were more interested in being like their idols. This time was also the time that The Beatles came to life and this band was seen as a bad example on the younger generation. Both boys and girls -including men and women after time- became infatuated with this band and the 'swagger' they had which they had never seen before. This is shown in the 1964 film A Hard Days Night which stared The Beatles and followed their life in the sense of a film. In the opening scene of this film you see the boys being chased by a gang of male and female fans. This portrayed to society the negative effect this band was having, turning society far more sexualised; relating to the abortion act and baby boom after the war. 


1970's - The era of Punk and Disco music. There were threatening fears for moral values and many people believed this type of music had the wrong influence -especially punk music-. Apart form this, Disco music at this time created 'disco divas' such as Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer and Anita Ward. The film Saturday Night Fever was released during the late 70's, including the soundtrack done by The Beegee's which was also another band which had a large impact on popular music. 
Punk music was often related to American acts such as The Ramones and Blondie who made it big in the UK punk rock scene. This music also heavily influenced Punk fashion which amplified mainstream culture. 


The biggest technological advancement was Amplification. This was related to the guitar shifts from percussion to the lead instrument of 'hegemonic' rock. This effectively changed the previous value of traditional instruments. Noise was in general much louder and the signers could therefore create a much more intimate relationship with their audiences. From this, microphones are now necessary for most performances of bands and singers of this day and age. 
As a summary, history can be portrayed as a shift from music to musical machines.