Scholars and Critics Offer Candidates.

Historian David Halberstam once identified the three most important events of the 1950s as the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the building of Levittown, and the rise of Elvis Presley. That a musician should rank among the top three important phenomena of a 10-year span is unusual, and no musician since has achieved such significance. Still, music matters a lot. It influences our perceptions, our social lives, and, sometimes, even our politics. And musicians do keep influencing us. Therefore, in advance of the Zócalo/Occidental College event “Can Popular Music Still Change Culture?”, we asked several writers and critics to address the following question: What musician, aside from Elvis Presley, changed American society the most?

Sara Marcus

[img:$uid]http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sara-Marcus_125.jpg[/img:$uid]

Common people with a cause

Michael Jackson

Frank Black

Louis Armstrong. I think he's number 1. IIRC, he not only influenced the sound of America's greatest original art form, but he may have been the first crossover superstar in "modern" music, a black man bringing black music to white audiences. Even Elvis may owe him a debt.


Other candidates:

Muddy Waters

Robert Johnson

Miles Davis

John Coltrane

Madonna (and I never thought I'd say that, but the case could be made, for good or ill)

Tupac Shakur (rap music's Kurt Cobain; spawned an army of platinum-selling wannabes)


There are other artists that changed the American sound and became legends in their own right, but who didn't really "change" America, even if they changed the sound of American music.

To me All Jazz + Cooke, Aretha, etc...

Thomas Dorsey, who had a lot to do with what became gospel, which is an influence on the later R&B, early rock n' roll, and soul music.

1. chuck berry

2. ray charles

3. the big bopper

4. bobby darin

5. ritchie valens

6.buddy holly

7.fats domino

8.little richard

9. ike turner

also see: http://www.digitaldreamdo...ts50s.html too many to name many of the listed contributed to change the sound of american music.

I think that jazz is not mainstream enough for that.
then you have to mention all the "fathers of styles."
there are a very influential artists in their styles, but leave on the street and ask passers-who is it? you will not get much.

it should only be a huge cultural icon and phenomenon to change something for the general public.

so I'm going with the triad.
The Beatles
Elvis
Michael

corny, yes.

I can to create an eclectic list, but include it in the artists that are unknown even to 15-20% of the population (even if they were at the source and changed the music itself more than these 3) and call them big changers for masses - too presumptuous

LiLi1992 said:

I think that jazz is not mainstream enough for that.

In the US, during the 1920's to maybe the 1940's jazz was the pop music of the time. So it was mainstream then, especially with the popularity of big bands. If you watch some Hollywood movies made then, there was often jazz. Some of the "crooner pop" was jazz based as well.

[Edited 5/30/13 8:01am]

^^^^^^

The question is not about name recognition in 2013.

The question is, "which musicians besides Elvis changed America?" It's a bigger question.

There is really no debate that a select number of jazz and blues musicians -- like a select number of rock and roll musicians -- changed America.

There are a lot of people who changed America whom the person on the street wouldn't know from a can of blue paint.

LiLi1992 said:

I think that jazz is not mainstream enough for that.
then you have to mention all the "fathers of styles."
there are a very influential artists in their styles, but leave on the street and ask passers-who is it? you will not get much.

it should only be a huge cultural icon and phenomenon to change something for the general public.

so I'm going with the triad.
Elvis

Beatles
Michael

corny, yes.

I can to create an eclectic list, but include it in the artists that are unknown even to 15-20% of the population (even if they were at the source and changed the music itself more than these 3) and call them big changers for masses - too presumptuous

Fixed.

MickyDolenz said:

LiLi1992 said:

I think that jazz is not mainstream enough for that.

In the US, during the 1920's to maybe the 1940's jazz was the pop music of the time. So it was mainstream then, especially with the popularity of big bands. If you watch some Hollywood movies made then, there was often jazz. Some of the "crooner pop" was jazz based as well.

Mickey knows the TRUTH!

namepeace said:

^^^^^^

The question is not about name recognition in 2013.

The question is, "which musicians besides Elvis changed America?" It's a bigger question.

There is really no debate that a select number of jazz and blues musicians -- like a select number of rock and roll musicians -- changed America.

There are a lot of people who changed America whom the person on the street wouldn't know from a can of blue paint.

I am guided not by their recognition in 2013 only, main criterion - their importance for culture and presence in different spheres of American life at the time of their peaks: 50's, 60's, 80's.

you can be the best in your style, but you have to have a massive response from the public to be "changer" to the culture.

OK, if you are not satisfied with my approach, tell me how exactly people from your list changed America?

Your list is very diverse, I do not even understand what criterion it is made.
Some pioneers of blues and jazz, which changed a lot, but were not very popular outside of their styles.
pop artist who was not the first global star, not the first female star, not the first star of using sexual imagery, but has become one of the biggest.
and rapper who was also not the first and not the pioneer, but he was very popular and died at the young age of the shocking death. also, if you include in list Tupac as "rap music's Kurt Cobain", where Kurt himself then?

I do not follow the concept.

my list though is built on very specific criteria - the popularity and presence in different (non-musical too) spheres of society.

[Edited 5/30/13 9:02am]

JoeBala said:

MickyDolenz said:

In the US, during the 1920's to maybe the 1940's jazz was the pop music of the time. So it was mainstream then, especially with the popularity of big bands. If you watch some Hollywood movies made then, there was often jazz. Some of the "crooner pop" was jazz based as well.

Mickey knows the TRUTH!

And like usual with "pop" music, a lot of folks complained about it and said it was noise and "corrupting the youth" with wild dancing & flappers and that it wasn't "real music". It was kind of race based in this case, and jazz (and the earlier ragtime) was called "jungle bunny" music.

jimi hendrix was a quickening musician who has never been matched as a performer. he was a major changer in the sound of american music then and (still) now.

when jimi performed 'the star spangle banner' at woodstock the music world stopped, listened and took an uncounted amount of steps forward that changed the sound of music globally.

'Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix's innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form."

so "'cuse me while i kiss the sky' beneath the 'purple haze.'

In no particular order:

Michael Jackson and The Beatles as far as pop stars goes.

Other mentions:Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Fats Domino, Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Charles and Sam Cooke

namepeace said:

The question is not about name recognition in 2013.

The question is, "which musicians besides Elvis changed America?" It's a bigger question.

Yes, you are so right with this. It's a much bigger question and not reflected in most of the replies here.

[Edited 5/30/13 11:59am]

I think Madonna, while not a popular choice on the Org, can be credited for being the first female artist to embrace a vibe that reflected the street style of her audience. Thinking back to the early days, when girls in my school would dress like her, it appeared Madonna didn't want to be glamorous. Instead, she influenced by her own sense of fashion (or in hindsight, lack of it). Others have certainly followed: Ke$ha, Britney Spears, and certainly Lady Gaga.

Yet, who really was baring it all first? I think that would have to go to Cher. She was very revealing, even back on the Sonny & Cher show! Plus, she even did it in a glamorous sort of way (via Bob Mackie outfits). Would it be wrong to say that Cher influenced someone like Madonna? I don't think so because they are both outspoken in their views and lack of concern about what others think about them. For women especially, I think that has been a very influential stand today's female artists take for granted. While not the best musicians - I don't think we can deny that kind of change in thinking or its inspiration on succeeding artists.

[Edited 5/30/13 13:16pm]

I'm astonished that no one has mentioned Helen Reddy who recorded the anthemic, "I Am Woman" in 1970 which impacted the entire female race (and its Female Liberation Movement) for a good long time throughout the early 70's, thus making Reddy an instant superstar.

Also, Heart (The Wilson Sisters) were the first ladies of Rock 'N Roll, were they not? Even after 40 years in the biz, they STILL don't get their props. I find this extremely disheartening and disrespectful, but again, like Reddy, they came out and empowered women via song.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Also, Heart (The Wilson Sisters) were the first ladies of Rock 'N Roll, were they not? Even after 40 years in the biz, they STILL don't get their props. I find this extremely disheartening and disrespectful, but again, like Reddy, they came out and empowered women via song.

But Heart had 3 guys in it, who people tend to ignore, so the Wilson Sisters are not much different than Grace Slick in the Jefferson Airplane/Starship or Janis Joplin. There were all female bands before Heart.

Is nobody seriously going to mention Prince? There are noteworthy reasons as to how he has helped shape pop culture in America. The first thing that comes to mind which affected something nationally was the Darling Nikki/Parental Advisory Label.

Kurtis Blow, first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. in 1980 he released the single 'the breaks' on his self titled album.

rap music changed the entire terrain of the world of musical entertainment thx 2 Kurtis and others. not to mention how much $$$$$$$$$money this type of craft brought to the major record labels.

the beastie boys 1981

there are too many to name however imo these entertainers, Kurtis Blow and the Beastie Boys changed the operations of the recording industry majorly.

[Edited 6/4/13 12:11pm]

MickyDolenz said:

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Also, Heart (The Wilson Sisters) were the first ladies of Rock 'N Roll, were they not? Even after 40 years in the biz, they STILL don't get their props. I find this extremely disheartening and disrespectful, but again, like Reddy, they came out and empowered women via song.

But Heart had 3 guys in it, who people tend to ignore, so the Wilson Sisters are not much different than Grace Slick in the Jefferson Airplane/Starship or Janis Joplin. There were all female bands before Heart.

OMG! You're RIGHT! I totally forgot that there are brothas in the band! Duhhhh!

GuyBros said:

Is nobody seriously going to mention Prince? There are noteworthy reasons as to how he has helped shape pop culture in America. The first thing that comes to mind which affected something nationally was the Darling Nikki/Parental Advisory Label.

A BRILLIANT observation! It WAS Prince who was first served with the "Parental Advisory" sticker on his album!

Additionally, it was he who put Minneapolis on the map with The Time and more importantly, Flyte Tyme Productions. If not for Flyte Tyme, there would have been a lot less "noize" (AND hits) from bands like Klymaxx and The S.O.S. Band and artists like Alex(ander O'Neal,) Cherrelle, Janet Jackson, etc... Also, that famous cowbell via the 808 was cloned so many times, it's hard just pinpointing the first NON-Minneapolis band that cloned it 4 that Minnie-Apple effect in their musings. Maybe Loose Ends on "Slow Down?" Not sure. :-O

Without Jesse, there may not have been Ta Mara and The Seen and certainly, if not 4 Prince, no Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Madhouse, Jill Jones, Andre Cymone, etc...

A lot of 80's artists owe The Purple One many props for having invigorated/REinvigorated their careers by his very musical touch. I wonder if there's a book out there on the market that's strictly dedicated to the Minneapolis R&B scene of the 80's. Worth looking in2.

GuyBros said:

Is nobody seriously going to mention Prince? There are noteworthy reasons as to how he has helped shape pop culture in America. The first thing that comes to mind which affected something nationally was the Darling Nikki/Parental Advisory Label.

you just did

Stevie Wonder

Wendy Carlos

Kraftwerk

Yellow Magic Orchestra

Giorgio Moroder

Bernie Worrell

Chris Jasper

Gary Numan

The Human League

.

THESE^ recording artists are the main reason why most musicians in America started using drum machines, keyboard synthesizers/workstations, AND/OR sequencers.

[Edited 5/30/13 18:06pm]

^

I definitly agree.

TD3 said:

I guess it depends on your taste in music and maybe the generation you've been born in. Elvis may have made an impact for some, but I don't recall him making a bleep in my community. Besides, there was a lot of music that came out of the South that would make an impact on the US... way before any of these post WWII artist where born. ===================================== [Edited 5/30/13 19:56pm]

i agree! musicians like Fats Domino

2nd pix is of Fats Domino singing "Blueberry Hilll" on The Ed Sullivan show (1956)

Fats Domino (singer - pianist) made a major impact toward the change in american music. he did songs like: 'ain't that a shame -1955', 'i'm walkin' 1958

Domino appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake Rattle and Roll and The Girl Can't Help it On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit The Big Beat was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand

bio and discography link: http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ats_Domino

excerpt:

Mr. Domino was an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s and acknowledged as such by some of the top artists of that era. Paul McCartney reportedly wrote The Beatle's song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style, etc......

"'Lady Madonna' was me sitting down at the piano trying to write a bluesy boogie woogie thing ... It reminded me of Fats Domino for some reason, so I started singing a Fats Domino impression. It took my voice to a very odd place." Domino himself covered the song later."

Blueberry Hill lyrics

I found my thrill

On blueberry hill
On blueberry hill
When I found you

The moon stood still
On blueberry hill
It lingered until
My dreams came true

The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were never to be

Though we're apart
You thought of me still
For you were my thrill
On blueberry hill

The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Weren't only to be

Though we're apart
You thought of me still
For you were my thrill
On blueberry hill.