N.W.A., or N***** With Attitude, was an American hip hop group from Compton, CA, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre.

On a spring evening in 1991, the late Eazy-E accepted the invitation of Dr. Dre, his fellow member of the notorious "gangsta" rap group NWA, to come hang with him at a recording studio in Hollywood not far from where their mutual dream had been born.

The original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dexter Mickle, and MC Ren. Arabian Prince embarked on a solo career in 1989 and Ice Cube left that same year over royalty disputes. Active from 1986 to 1991, the group endured controversy due to the explicit nature of their lyrics. They were subsequently banned from many mainstream US radio stations and even at times prevented from touring. In spite of this, the group has sold over 9 million units in the US alone.

Remembering a young, bright-eyed Ice Cube with a pout on his lips—years away from starring in cheesy family comedies—rapping the words, "F*** the police" Doesn't a part of you kind of want that Ice Cube back? It seems we may get to revisit nostalgic memories of the pioneers of gangsta rap, N.W.A., in a new biopic Straight Outta Compton

.

The movie is set to be produced by Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and the widow of Eazy-E. Straight Outta Compton follows on the heels of the Biggie biopic, Notorious, the announcement of a Run-DMC film and apossible Tupac Shakur biopic. Besides their anti-cop anthem, N.W.A. is notable for selling loads of records, despite relatively little radio airplay due to their strong lyrics. Their albums were also among the first to carry the distinctive Parental Advisory warning.

Sources: http://www.discogs.com/artist/N.W.A.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/arts/music/17brow.html?ref=nwa

http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=686

Nirvana

Nirvana was a rock n roll band that changed music how we listened to it. To say, there ideal of a good time was drugs, sex, and rock n roll. Nirvana was a rock band started by a singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington. In the late 1980's Nirvana made a name for itself as a grunge band and released there first album Bleach in 1989. The band was known to have a different type of sound an rock that was of the usual. Nirvana came to get there own type of tune that relied on their own dynamic contrasts, mostly between quiet verses and loud ones.

Later Nirvana signed to a major label DGC Records and had plenty success there. With Nirvana's second album releasing in 1991, Nevermind,  the band saw great unexpected success from there single "Smells like Teen Spirit". As Nirvana was being taken in by the public ear, there new music was widely popularizing alternative rock. Front man Cobain was taking over the rock look with his face everywhere in media, on television, in magazines, Kurt was living life large and people were just soaking up there music. Cobain was called as "spokesman of a generation".

Nirvana went on to make there third album "In Utero" in 1993 but for the year later to be faced with a real sad situation. The death of singer, Kurt Cobain. Since Nirvana's debut, they have sold over 25 million albums in America and 50 million worldwide. Not to bad for a band that was putting out there own tune in the category of alternative rock. Nirvana had its most success in the 90's and influenced many people during the time period. Cobain's death was due with his addiction to heroin, also he went through deep depression. Nirvana changed the music industry in their own way. It is said Nirvana changed the way alternative rock was forever, while other bands had there hits in alternative rock , Nirvana "broke down the doors forever."



sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)
http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/nirvana/artist.jhtml
http://rock.about.com/od/nirvana/p/Nirvana.htm
images:
http://blogs.1077theend.com/files/2010/10/nirvana-46431.jpg
http://files.myopera.com/musiclyrics/blog/Nirvana_Kurt_Cobain_005.jpg
http://www.oxmonline.com/files/u11/nirvana.jpg

A Blog About Nothing

As the eighties faded out, a revolutionary television show gripped viewers across America. What did the plot revolve around? Nothing. The show amazingly lacked a central theme. Rather, Seinfeld told the mundane story of four friends in New York City. After its debut in 1990, the sitcom ran for nine years. Seinfeld was ranked the #1 Greatest Show of All Time by TV Guide in 2002. This seems a ridiculous feat for a show that bragged to be "the show about nothing".



The show tracked the events of four average, boring, New York City residents. The main character is the rising comedic star Jerry Seinfeld who plays himself on the show. Most scenes originate in is apartment. His closest friends include Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and George Costanza (Jason Alexander). Each episode follows rather normal occurrences in the lives of average New Yorkers, but Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the show's producers, add an entertaining twist to such events.

Most people today get the Seinfeld references adults a little past our generation drop in casual conversation. However, their television viewing lives are more directly impacted by shows Seinfeld inspired.


A very popular show today is Modern Family. The show has no riveting plot line, but rather follows the common lives of three families in their day to day endeavors. Also on this bandwagon is The Middle. This show follows a set of average, lower middle class parents as they try to overcome the daily tasks of raising three children. Seinfeld started the idea of turning boring daily events into hysterical plot lines.




A more mature twist on Seinfeld can be seen in the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This show follows five friends as they concoct schemes to earn a quick buck. The influence of Seinfeld can clearly be seen in the show.



Seinfeld producer Larry David continues to make television shows, but few rival the success of Seinfeld. This show, which capitalized on late 80's and early 90's humor, showed how many Americans viewed life during this period. It set the bar for shows Americans can just tune into without any prior knowledge of the story line. Even today Americans tune in to watch re-runs of this classic.

Sites
http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,266,00.html
http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/135333-the-best-tv-of-2010/

Images
http://maryloukayser.com/2010/06/04/predictably-irrational-the-keys-to-your-success-may-be-the-opposite-of-what-you-think/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/living-room/jerry-seinfelds-apartment-then-and-now-095767
http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/A_F/Cq_Cz/Curb_Your_Enthusiasm/season7/curb-your-enthusiasm11.jpg
http://www.tvfanatic.com/gallery/modern-family-cast-pic/
http://img.listal.com/image/786410/600full-the-middle-artwork.jpg
http://elvzonline.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Its-Always-Sunny-in-Philadelphia.jpg

The Us Festivals were two early 1980s music festivals operated and sponsored by former of Apple employee Steve Wozniak. Steve pretty much paid for all the expenses of the two show held on Labor Day weekend in September 1982 and the second was Memorial Day weekend in May 1983. The expenses includes the bulldozing and construction of a new open-air field venue and the construction of an tremendous state-of-the-art temporary stage at Glen Helen Regional Park near Devore, San Bernardino, California. (Later on known as the Block Buster headquarter) The festival stage has resided at the Disneyland theme park in California since 1985 and has operated under various names and functions as the Videopolis dance club, the Videopolis Theatre, and the Fantasyland Theatre.

The plane accident that Woz got into made him rethink his priorities and he decided that he wanted to go back to college to earn his undergraduate degree. He enrolled in the engineering program at UC Berkeley. In the summer of 1981, Woz was listening to his favorite radio station KFAT and had an inspiration about putting together a music festival, a "Woodstock West" featuring his favorite progressive country music performers. He realized that while he had the financial wherewithal, he didn't know the first thing about the music industry and filed the idea away, after mentioning it to a few friends.

Woz, being the epitome of geek cool, didn't need to be rich to be happy. He didn't like to be surrounded with a personal entourage of financial counselors and wheeler dealers bent on turning his fortune into a mega-fortune.he wanted, instead, to throw a party that reflected the world that he saw craving our future. Woz wanted to diplay a world just starting to swirl with cross-currents between the arts and sciences, a mix that was giving birth to a cultural climate of innovation not seen since the Renaissance. He wanted to capture the moment that reflected the cultural movement from the selfish focus of 'me' to the social focus on 'us'.

This "personal party" of Woz was a great success. Big bands like The Police, Santana, Pat Benatar and Jimmy Buffet appeared on the 1983 "Us" and The Clash, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue and U2 played on the 1984 "Us". The concert failed to continue due to the commercial failures and Woz lost over 20 million dollars over the festival.

Souces: http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/04/25/sfiff_is_first_us_festival_to_join_festival_scope_online_viewing_platform_f/

http://www.woz.org/US/

http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=US_Festival.txt&characters=Steve%20Wozniak&sortOrder=Sort%20by%20Date

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Festival

E.T. Phone Home!

An all time great movie of the early 80's that changed the movie industry forever was 1982 science fiction film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The movie, in a nut shell, was about a boy named Elliot, played by actor Henry Thomas, who an alien comes onto the planet which he names "E. T." and has to hide it from the government and outsiders. As the story of the movie goes on the boy Elliot and E.T. become very close and it shows a bond so tight between the boy and the alien that for the majority anyone who would see the movie would and still does fall in love for the duo's friendship and relationship. Directed and co-produced by world known director Steven Spielberg.

 Spielberg has won many of the top awards for the picture and music scene, including Academy Awards and many others to say the least. Spielberg had a strong image in his brain and made a imaginary friend after his parents divorce in 1960 and wanted to create this picture for everyone to see. The actual character of E.T. by itself was a breakthrough in early mechanics being used so frequently on camera. The views that were put into E.T. were at 1.5 million dollars for the total character of E.T. After E.T. hit the movie screen in summer of 1982, it became a major hit in all movie theatre's all over the United States and had people loving the little extra terrestrial. The movie itself was a breakthrough and showed a theme of peace and to look pass what people or things look like.

E.T. was a hit! Its opening weekend did 11.9 million in the box office and stayed at the top of the charts for over four months. At the time it was the largest gross revenue a movie ever did. All critics a couple years down all called E.T. a "classic of its time". President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan were so moved by the film, also Princess Diana was in tears after watching the film. The film was viewed by the United Nations and Spielberg received the U.N. Peace Medal. The movie won awards over seas and a blue ribbon in Japan. E.T. touched the hearts of millions and remains one of the best movies ever in production.



Sources:
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1980s/qt/ETmovie.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/

images:
http://jaymckinnon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/et1.jpg
http://io9.com/assets/resources/2007/10/ET.jpg
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_01/macetsplit0202_228x340.jpg

Michael Jackson: The King of Pop?

Michael Jackson has been credited by many as the King of Pop. His albums - Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous and HIStory, are some of the best selling albums of all time, and Thriller was the largest selling record worldwide in music history. This guy sold over 750 million records across the globe. Thirteen of his singles went to #1. Did I mention he was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame? Twice. How the man who the Guinness Book of World Records credited as being the number one entertainer of all time grew up from the awkward 11 year old lead for the Jackson 5 is a wonder. MJ revolutionized the pop music industry. The use of background dancers became, and still is, a staple for good pop performers, a technique Jackson pioneered. Modern day musicians have also copied his style of music videos. His quest for fame began to peak around the time that MTV came out in August of 1981, and much of his popularity derived from the captivating music videos he released. I can talk about how today's artists imitate Michael Jackson, but the point can be proven much more by viewing some of MJ's music videos of the19 80's compared to some of our well known artists of the 21st century. Take some time and check out these videos.

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (1983) vs Chris Brown's "Wall to Wall" (2009)



Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (1983) vs B.o.B.'s "Nothin on You (2010)



Michael Jackson's "Beat it" (1982) vs Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" (2009)




Sources
http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/bio
http://socialtimes.com/mtv-vevo-youtube-online-music-video-history_b23698

The Perfect Season

In the National Football League it is hard to compete game in and game out, but to go UNDEFEATED?! That's exactly what the 1972 Miami Dolphins did with an amazing year capping it all off with a Super Bowl win over the Washington Redskins and a record of 17-0. The coach for the Dolphin's at the time that led them to a amazing season was head coach Don Shula. Shula holds the current record for NFL career wins at a very strong 347. All across the nation to sports fans the headline was being made for the Dolphins, "Perfect Season". They are the only team in the NFL to ever have a perfect record and go undefeated all the way to take home the Lombardi Trophy which is for the Super Bowl.

There have been three other teams in the NFl to have come close, but yet have not achieved the perfect season. Those teams are the 1934 Chicago Bears, 1942 Chicago Bears, and 2007 New England Patriots. All these teams that had a undefeated season in there grasp all lost in either playoff games after the regular season or in the Super Bowl. The closest team that had a chance to repeat what the Dolphins made so special was the 2007 New England Patriots which ended up losing in the Super Bowl after having a perfect record before that of 16-0.

The '72 Dolphins had a special group of players that got the job done for them. Quarterback Bob Griese, running backs Larry Csonka, and Earl Morrall, both which had over 1,000 yards running in one season. All three are now in the NFL Hall of Fame. There defense, which got the national title, "No-Name Defense' because of all the stars on the Dolphins offense, led the league in all categories and finished off number one. The Dolphins changed the way television would be watched for the NFL from every season on. In a way we have them to thank. Many people had to travel somewhere to watch a Miami game on television or just listen to the radio or go the game. Super Bowl VII which is what the Miami Dolphins played in, was the first Super Bowl to be nationally televised. What the 1972 Dolphins accomplished with having the perfect season is what many aspiring athletes have in their mind set when they dream. To be the best and have a undefeated season in whatever sport it may be. The Miami Dolphins hit the definition of perfect.


Sources:
www.google.com
http://www.72dolphins.com/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_NFL_teams_have_had_undefeated_seasons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_season
http://www.phins.com/72phins/

Images:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/multimedia/photo_gallery/0901/history.january14/images/006272945final.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JvaoyCwbcLI/SzoOVAK1AJI/AAAAAAAAAdk/p0ehn8qMZuc/s320/don_shula_1972_dolphins_undefeated.jpg

Shredding the 70's: Skateboarding in the 70's

Many activities we find popular today had their roots in the seventies. Toys such as the Rubiks Cube and the Atari gaming system changed the way kids played. However, the most revolutionary "toy" of the seventies was the skateboard.


Skateboarding had its beginnings in the fifties. The sport gained momentum until it exploded when companies began mass producing boards in the seventies. Allure faded in the sixties, but a resurgence of interest occurred with the invention of urethane skateboard wheels in 1972. This invention allowed for faster boards and a plethora of new tricks to perfect.


The most famous skateboarders of the seventies were the members of the Zephyr skate team. In 1972 Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk started the surf shop Jeff Ho and Zephyr Surfboard Productions. The group worked on innovative graphics and board designs at their home base in Dogtown, what would become a skateboarding mecca, in West Los Angeles, California. Before the Zephyr team, skateboarding had lost popularity due to the lack of durable wheels. Coincidentally, urethane wheels hit the scene the same year the surf shop opened.





The Zephyr team picked up skateboarding as a means of entertainment after they had finished surfing. Skateboarding soon turned into a new way of life for the boys. They took many aspects of surfing and added wheels. These skateboarders rode the concrete much like they rode the waves. Many tricks street skaters today use originated from the Zephyr team. Another aspect of today's skateboarding emerged when California experienced a severe drought. Many homeowners emptied their pools, and the Zephyr boys took advantage of the new terrain.



1975 was a landmark year for skateboarding. The first major skateboarding competition since the sport lost popularity in the sixties, the Del Mar Nationals, was held. The Zephyr team blew the crowd away on both the freestyle and hill courses. It was at this event that the Zephyr's made the Vans shoe popular. New fame due to their success shortly tore the Zephyr team apart, and Jeff Ho and Zephyr Surfboard Productions closed soon after. The group had helped to create monumental tricks like the ollie, the invert, and the aerial and to solidify skateboarding as a part of American culture.




Skateboarding's biggest setback occurred in the eighties when insurance companies, worried about added injury, would not cover many of the skate parks which scattered the nation in the seventies. Nonetheless, this sport is still huge today. Many 21st century skateboarders use tricks invented in the seventies, and undoubtedly show respect for the sport's forefathers.


Today, skateboarding has become a cultural phenomenon. The sport made a name for itself in 1995 when ESPN held the first X Games. There are over 20 recognized skateboarding teams in America. Now the sport is a high paying career with countless fans. Discrepancies have arisen over the industry however. Some skateboarders argue the teams and competitions have made skateboarding too mainstream. They complain that the Dogtown skaters strove to be individual and scorned conformity. It is obvious that skateboarding is now a public display, but the debate is over whether this is simply an evolution of the sport or a lapse in skateboarding's integrity. Regardless of this issue, every person who steps foot on a board can thank skateboarders like the Dogtown boys who revitalized the sport in the seventies.



Check out this video of the Dogtown boys shredding to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_LTHHEqjs8

Sources:
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/toys.html
http://www.skatelog.com/skateboarding/skateboarding-history.htm
http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardscience/a/DogtownHistory_3.htm
http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history_3.htm
http://www.skatewarehouse.com/probrands.html

Images:
http://www.visualnews.com/2010/12/07/vintage-skateboard-advertisments/
http://www.visualnews.com/2010/12/07/vintage-skateboard-advertisments/
http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2001_Dogtown_and_Z-Boys_photo.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCNeazviOeJPJrfPJB3oIAWrWcaGzT4ZA7dUL-gTpkhs6y_SrTg0jveifzB9umaUaf2KhjwdLrFgpk7V2j_oXqz1hIYezWi-unYze_PtyBkZ7kTqLd2b8TiLLkDFoz1ltMkeDwAW5sTw/s1600-h/www.futuravanguardie.blogspot.com-Dogtown_and_ZBoy.jpg
http://www.mrbikeonline.com/UserFiles/Image/skateboarding.jpg
http://www.juicemagazine.com/images/9-1-2007news/xgames-djfarley/-2007XGames1562.jpg

Taxi Driver

The 70's of America belongs to Rock N' Roll. Many great bands such as KISS and sex pistols stemmed from the Post-Beatles era. This era is also the era of the Vietnam war which created unappeasable wound and emptiness looming through the whole decade. But contrary to the decadent 21 century, America in the 70's seemed to be a place full youth energy, freedom and love. The long haired hippie with their flared pants, the mechanical meters in those yellow taxis, the big black vinyl records are all the characteristics of the 70's. The 70's also made Robert De Niro. He has the eyes that will make smiles look sorrowful. You also have Jodie Foster who is just as pretty as an angel can get swinging her long legs at the age of 17. These two artists made a movie called "Taxi Driver" which almost made the innocent President Reagan the scapegoat of the crazy love.

Taxi Driver is one of the milestone works by Martin Scorsese. It not only got many awards and good feedbacks from the audience, but also the realism and the deep meaning presented in this movie. Taxi Driver is set in New York City after the Vietnam War, a time period when most Americans started doubting about the politics and the American spirit. People lost faith in each others, division gradually formed in the society. Yet, in New York City where prosperity can be seen everywhere, loneliness and emptiness envelop each one of the individuals. The main character Travis Bickle, a Vietnam war veteran, a man from a foreign land, became extremely confused and desolated in this big city. Working as a taxi driver enabled him to see the filthy underworld of this city. He saw prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers and mafias as trash but, like most of the people, he could only watch these things happening in front of his eyes numbly and continue on with his tedious life. Despite all the vices that was happening in the city, he still desired to be accepted by it and to find true love and friendship. But repetitive rejections from the reality made him want to revenge against the society he lived in. He tried to save the young prostitute Iris and kill the presidential candidates in order to save his hollow soul from the society. In the end, he broke into a whore house and killed everyone in it as a violent redemption to all the vices in the city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCDXRTbXd2Q

Sources:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taxi_driver/

http://movie.mtime.com/10364/

The Unexpected Death of Marvin Gaye

It was a tragic day for music on April 1, 1984. Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father Marvin Gay Sr. It happen in the West Adams district of Los Angeles over an altercation that Marvin the son stepped into Between an elder Gay and his mother Albeta. Marvin was shot in his home at Gramercy Place. Gaye was shot twice, both shots were very fatal to Marvin and was named dead on arrival once ambulances and police showed up moments after the shooting. 

Gayes death proved to have huge impact on the music genre of rnb music. Motown lost a legend in Marvin Gaye. Gaye was given a burial in Forest Lawn Cemetary out in Southern California. Later Gaye had his ashes cremated and spread out all over the Pacific Ocean. Marvin's brother Frankie and his wife Irene heard the gun shots in the house next to the Gay's that night. When Irene went out after hearing the gun shots over to the house she was brought to see the tragic, crying, and screaming mother of Marvin saying "He shot my son!" As cops arrived Irene quickly told of where the gun was that the father used to shoot Marvin with. It was found under his pillow and as soon as cops got to the scene Gay Sr. was brought right in for questioning. 

Four days later Marvin had a star-studded funeral with over 10,000 mourners and a along them were a few friends from his Motown days such as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Motown CEO Berry Gordy. Starting with his soul-full music with being discovered by Bo Diddley, in a nightclub downtown in D.C.  With no number 1's on billboard however, with Gaye's early success it was true to be said he was a "hit maker." In 1963 Gaye had out a single called "Pride and Joy" which was a major hit in the spring of 1963 reaching top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. With success leading in the next couple years, in 1967 having a smashing first international hit with Kim Weston, "It takes two", which was made very famous and is song you could put a radio on today and hear it. Other notable hits such as "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" in 1967 also. Closing out his time within the next 15 years Marvin touched many people with his music all over the world. His music was thought to be soul-full and have his own smooth jazz and blues to it. The sudden death was a tragic day in Music and proved the end of a time period for a living legend. 

Sources: 

http://tracesofastream.blogspot.com/2008/07/death-of-marvin-gaye.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/index.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/13.html

www.google.com

http://www.marvingayepage.net/

Images:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/15.html

http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/marvin_gaye

Women's Rights NOW!

In the 60's in America, the Government regardless of the women's movement from either the external or the internal situations of this movement. They all are reaching maturity. Therefore, in 1966, Betty Friedan and others started an organization in order to push the women rights movement forward called the National Organization for Women.
National Organizations for Women members mainly came from middle-class women who held professional positions and middle-aged women. Most of them shared similar family background, level of education, life experiences, as well as their inferior position in the society of male chauvinism. These women worked hard at their work but got paid for only half of their male coworkers. Being tired of this situation, This group of women joined this organization which had the goal, "to take the necessary action to introduce women of the United States mainstream society, to enable them to make real men of equal status." Its strategy, to let women enter the mainstream of society, is to use the existing political system, in particular the use of its legal system, to destroy gender discrimination through law suits. The other civil rights group at the time, NAACP, was also using legal method to combat the discrimination from the mainstream world. The similarities they both had (moderate use of the means to achieve the purpose of integration into mainstream society, the similarities with their members background and the social strata of the political experience) had made them closely related through out the 60's.
Later in 1967, The NOW took a step further. It demanded, in its first national people's congress, to have equal rights amendment passed as soon as possible and urges the federal government to ensure that women's equal opportunities in employment are implemented in all states.

Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Organization_for_Women

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan

Motown Mystique in 2011

On January 12, 1959 Berry Gordy founded Motown Records in Hitsville, USA (Otherwise known as Detroit). Motown focused on creating a label for black pop singers to thrive under; and they succeeded. Signing such acts as Smokey Robinson, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and even The Jackson 5, it soon became clear that Motown was a big player in the game of pop during the 1960's. It seemed that every Motown song became a hit. American listeners trusted the label, and Gordy continued to deliver.

In the twenty first century, there is no label that monopolizes radio stations quite like Motown did in the sixties. However, Americans today have the same connection to music they are familiar with. Instead of falling in love with a label, listeners have evolved into falling in love with the artist.

When you search a familiar artist on Itunes, a list of their songs appears at your fingertips. This was not the case in the sixties. Listeners primarily listened to whatever radio hosts decided to play. Only if they bought an album would they associate directly with the artist. Americans trusted the style of music, not necessarily the artists themselves. And Motown had style. A Motown artist was guaranteed fame, unlike today where artists must stake out a name for themselves.

Popular acts of Motown vs Artists of 2011

In today's music industry, it is much harder to get into the position of Motown artists. Singers must compose hit after hit before America trusts that every single they put out will be appealing. Record labels do little in the modern era. Artists now must make a name for themselves. Only then will then find immediate success with their latest releases.

Motown did something extraordinary in the 1960's. Not only did they develop a label under which artists would undoubtedly find success, but also revolutionized the music industry for a generation.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1870975,00.html

Images
http://childofthesixtiesforeverandever.blogspot.com/2009/08/sixties-entertainment.html
http://www.rokpool.com/category/tags/martha-and-vandellas
http://www.the-temptations.com/
http://www.soulsummer.com/marvin-gaye/
http://biographydvd.com/taylor-swift-biography/
http://rihannaimages.blogspot.com/
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/09/28/lil_wayne_speaks_from_prison
http://remix.vg/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/chris-brown.jpg

The game that came with the fame.

After taking the UK by storm, The Beatles decided it was time take on the the fast life with tours, star power, and of course, music. With Please Please Me reaching number 2 on the UK charts after the dropping on March 22 1963, the team thought it was time to reach out with a nationwide tour. Even after years later a allmusic reviewer said that the album is simply "timeless". Lennon said little thought went into the making of the album Please Please Me. He said "McCartney and I were just writing songs to make no more then a sound." 

The Beatles toured the UK three times in the beginning half of the year in 1963. A Four week tour that began in February preceded with three week tours in March , May and June. As word got out and as the four took every stage another crowd was pleased and had falling in love and in the swirl of there musical takeover. As there popularity spread a name got out that was fitting for the grouple, "Beatlemania." Although not yet being tour leaders, they overshadowed other acts that they would follow such as Tommy Roe, Chris Montez, who both had a strong UK following from performing. During Beatles performances cops thought it was necessary to use high pressure water hoses to control the crowds. When the Beatles would perform it was like nothing that ever has happened with the crowds screaming outrageously and cops putting there lifes in danger it was clear to all that the Beatles were the next huge thing.

With the Beatles returning back to UK in the late 1963, all the way up to 1966 they were met every time by thousands of friends that one officer said he could describe it as "a scene similar to a shark-feeding frenzy."By the time they would get home to the UK, they would already be making there plans for the next tour, an by this time there was no telling who the headliners were. Please Please Me stayed at the top charts for thirty weeks but only to be replaced by the album "With the Beatles" , which held the top spot for 21 weeks showing the influence the Beatles had on the 60's music. 

Sources:

www.google.com

www.the60sofficialsite.com 

google images

www.beatles.com

Beatles Taking the Backstreet?

In the 1964, an English band, The Beatles, took America by storm. George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr comprised the group which stormed radio stations and record players for millions of Americans to hear. They were so popular that concerts rarely lasted over a half hour amidst a sea of screaming teenage girls. The Beatles were inspired by the Rock 'n' Roll styles of famous American musicians of the fifties. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard all contributed to the sound of the Beatles.


Much of the success of the group came from songwriting of Lennon and McCartney. They had more number one singles than Elvis Presley. Their music was unique, especially after being introduced to drugs such as marijuana and LSD. It seemed that every song The Beatles released climbed the charts instantaneously. Soon, the overwhelming crowds of young girls became too much for the innovative band. Barely being able to hear themselves play irked the band until finally they refrained from live concerts. They focused their efforts on recording in the studio, producing hit after hit.

The Beatles were a revolution in the 1960's. Girls went crazy over the band. Their appearance, music, and dancing were too much for many teens to handle. Almost forty years later, a similar phenomenon gripped America. In 1996, the Backstreet Boys dropped their first album. The record quickly reached the top of the charts in several countries, however they did not gain fame in the United States for two years. A little reminiscent of The Beatles who gained popularity in England before crossing the pond, the similarities between the two boy bands does not stop there. Fashion and personality were major attributed for both bands. Taking a page out of The Beatles' book, the Backstreet Boys too dressed in identical outfits.

The Beatles White Album
vs.
The Backstreet Boys Millennium Album

Luckily, the Backstreet Boys could perform live with less stress than The Beatles faced. New advances in stereo technology allowed speakers to drown out the thousands of screaming girls, though their numbers were greater than those The Beatles attempted to perform in front of.










In many ways, the Backstreet Boys learned and improved on The Beatles methods of entertaining. Though it can be argued that their music was not as sophisticated, it is no question that the Backstreet Boys reached the same level of popularity as The Beatles. The album "Backstreet Boys" sold over 14 million copies. The Beatles came close with "Abbey Road" selling 12 million copies. This statistic makes it clear that the Backstreet Boys gave the revolutionary sixties band a run for their money. However, it was the pioneering techniques of The Beatles which led to the success of the Backstreet boys in the late twentieth and early twenty first century. The Backstreet Boys should be thankful that The Beatles pioneered the boy band, and it is obvious that The Beatles will always be the band to idolize.

http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-beatles/bio/
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/backstreet-boys-biography/73228d6cedaf10624825686d0006ecd8
http://www.classicbands.com/bestsellers.html

Images
http://aribeqz.blogspot.com/
http://aloftyexistence.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/top-male-singers-of-the-decade-2000-2010/
http://losslessalbum.com/2010/09/19/the-beatles-white-album-1968.html
http://www.amazon.com/Millennium-Backstreet-Boys/dp/B00000IOOE
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Beatles/+images/2588646
http://www.newsmild.com/last-beatles-concert/update-news.html
http://neonlimelight.com/2009/10/31/live-shots-backstreet-boys-treat-fans-to-concert-in-madrid/