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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 3, 2020 14:16:51 GMT
I considered Elvis Presley, too, but it lacked too many of his hits and better material, so I went with the Sun Sessions which might've been more important.
I know that you're leaving it open to the poster to take the topic in any direction they prefer. I tried to walk a fine line in choosing mostly single artist-specific albums, but where necessary, going with a comp. However, if you really want the 25 best albums to represent the era and to teach the fictional Rock & Roll 101 course, then obviously compilation albums are the way to go, just for economical reasons. But that's too easy.
For example: - The Best Of Motown - The Disco Era - The British Invasion - The Best Of Punk Rock
- The Beatles 1 - The Beach Boys - Sounds Of Summer ...and on and on
I can see one major era I'd leave out. I think it's fair to mention disco, and the effect it had on rock and roll, but I would've include Disco overall. I think the Disco Era warrants being included. First, it lasted over five years which has to be given some weight. It was important in many different ways. Disco music dominated the charts for years, moreso than other genres of music. It was responsible for the rebirth of dancing, and I say that seriously. And that, in effect, led to a lifestyle, albeit a somewhat, at times, decadent one - nightlife. Clubs were springing up all over the world and the soundtrack was disco. Movies were being made with the plots centering on the music. Musically? The music wasn't THAT bad, and if you were young and a fan, it was great. Look at the number and variety of groups that jumped on the disco bandwagon. I'm not an expert or a historian, but I do think disco music, in some way, led to electronica and rap music. And, finally, I think disco music is looked upon fondly today. It's now considered "feel good music", and that has to stand for something.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 3, 2020 14:23:25 GMT
I agree with SJS. I personally don't enjoy disco, but it certainly matters in the history books.
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Post by kds on Apr 3, 2020 15:23:21 GMT
I can see one major era I'd leave out. I think it's fair to mention disco, and the effect it had on rock and roll, but I would've include Disco overall. I think the Disco Era warrants being included. First, it lasted over five years which has to be given some weight. It was important in many different ways. Disco music dominated the charts for years, moreso than other genres of music. It was responsible for the rebirth of dancing, and I say that seriously. And that, in effect, led to a lifestyle, albeit a somewhat, at times, decadent one - nightlife. Clubs were springing up all over the world and the soundtrack was disco. Movies were being made with the plots centering on the music. Musically? The music wasn't THAT bad, and if you were young and a fan, it was great. Look at the number and variety of groups that jumped on the disco bandwagon. I'm not an expert or a historian, but I do think disco music, in some way, led to electronica and rap music. And, finally, I think disco music is looked upon fondly today. It's now considered "feel good music", and that has to stand for something. If you're doing an all encompassing history of popular music, sure. But, not rock and roll. And I would only consider the music "not that bad" when you compare it to what came later, like techno or EDM.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 3, 2020 18:44:32 GMT
I think the Disco Era warrants being included. First, it lasted over five years which has to be given some weight. It was important in many different ways. Disco music dominated the charts for years, moreso than other genres of music. It was responsible for the rebirth of dancing, and I say that seriously. And that, in effect, led to a lifestyle, albeit a somewhat, at times, decadent one - nightlife. Clubs were springing up all over the world and the soundtrack was disco. Movies were being made with the plots centering on the music. Musically? The music wasn't THAT bad, and if you were young and a fan, it was great. Look at the number and variety of groups that jumped on the disco bandwagon. I'm not an expert or a historian, but I do think disco music, in some way, led to electronica and rap music. And, finally, I think disco music is looked upon fondly today. It's now considered "feel good music", and that has to stand for something. If you're doing an all encompassing history of popular music, sure. But, not rock and roll. Not even some of it? How about this one - it was the No. 1 song of 1980, just barely beating out "Goin' On" :
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 3, 2020 18:52:05 GMT
I don't think of Blondie as disco, more just as a band that had some disco elements (as well as punk scene background, New Wave, pop, and a little bit of highly embarrassing rap).
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Post by kds on Apr 3, 2020 18:56:42 GMT
If you're doing an all encompassing history of popular music, sure. But, not rock and roll. Not even some of it? How about this one - it was the No. 1 song of 1980, just barely beating out "Goin' On" :
I think Blondie was more of a band that changed their sound more for disco. Call Me is not a disco song. Heart of Glass, different story. I think disco warrants discussion because of the effect it had on rock (and roll), with Blondie, the Stones, Rod Stewart, Floyd, The Kinks, McCartney, etc having hits with songs with dance beats.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 3, 2020 19:01:14 GMT
I don't think of Blondie as disco, more just as a band that had some disco elements (as well as punk scene background, New Wave, pop, and a little bit of highly embarrassing rap). I don't think of Blondie as a disco band either, but doesn't that say something about the INFLUENCE of the disco sound that they would incorporate into their sound? And, that it would lead to their greatest commercial success, even though I like some of their harder rock better.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 3, 2020 19:19:29 GMT
I don't think of Blondie as disco, more just as a band that had some disco elements (as well as punk scene background, New Wave, pop, and a little bit of highly embarrassing rap). I don't think of Blondie as a disco band either, but doesn't that say something about the INFLUENCE of the disco sound that they would incorporate into their sound? And, that it would lead to their greatest commercial success, even though I like some of their harder rock better. Yes, to answer the question in there. But then again, I'm not the one who was going to omit disco from the history of rock and roll!
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Post by kds on Apr 3, 2020 19:23:02 GMT
I don't think of Blondie as a disco band either, but doesn't that say something about the INFLUENCE of the disco sound that they would incorporate into their sound? And, that it would lead to their greatest commercial success, even though I like some of their harder rock better. Yes, to answer the question in there. But then again, I'm not the one who was going to omit disco from the history of rock and roll! Like I posted above, I would bring it up since it did have an effect on rock and roll in the late 70s / early 80s, but I wouldn't devote a whole lesson to the genre itself.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 3, 2020 19:34:57 GMT
I know, I was just messing around with you a little.
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Post by kds on Apr 3, 2020 19:40:50 GMT
I know, I was just messing around with you a little. OK, I just wanted to make sure.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 3, 2020 19:58:32 GMT
By the way, I just sent a note to the aforementioned friend who actually did teach a history of rock and roll course at the U of MN to see what the syllabus looked like, how the music was chosen, etc. I'll let you all know when I hear back!
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Post by jk on Apr 4, 2020 9:45:39 GMT
A heinous task, but one that has to be done--even if it means cluttering up cyberspace with a revised list at a future date. This one is sort of chronological (sort of):
01. Elvis at Sun 02. Moanin' in the Moonlight (Howlin' Wolf) 03. Chuck Berry Twist 04. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector 05. The Five Faces of Manfred Mann 06. Revolver 07. Highway 61 Revisited 08. Pet Sounds 09. The Velvet Underground and Nico 10. Odgens' Nut Gone Flake (Small Faces) 11. Axis: Bold as Love 12. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 13. We're Only in It for the Money (Mothers) 14. Odessey and Oracle (Zombies) 15. Forever Changes (Love) [out go Santana] 16. Trout Mask Replica (Beefheart) 17. The Band 18. If I Could Only Remember My Name (David Crosby) 19. Who's Next [out go The Shaggs] 20. A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson 21. Never Mind the Bollocks (Sex Pistols) 22. Dare! (Human League) 23. The Sensual World (Kate Bush) 24. Lady and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Spiritualized) 25. Neon Bible (Arcade Fire)
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Post by kds on Apr 4, 2020 11:39:24 GMT
By the way, I just sent a note to the aforementioned friend who actually did teach a history of rock and roll course at the U of MN to see what the syllabus looked like, how the music was chosen, etc. I'll let you all know when I hear back! I took such a course back in 1999 or 2000 at Towson University. Of course, with a full semester, you can the benefit of being able to discuss more pre rock and roll, as well as early rock and roll. As I recall, we had to wrap up around 1994 because we lost a class or two to snow. But, I think everything was covered, including the effects of disco and rap on rock and roll. For our final paper, we had to chose from a list of 75 essential albums (sorry, that list is long gone). I did Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 4, 2020 12:50:17 GMT
Stopping around 1994 sounds about right anyway! I think very few albums since that time have truly mattered to the broad history of even big-tent popular music, much less rock and roll.
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