1980s music and music now

Michael Jackson was the defining male artist of the 1980's, with the themes of his music moving away from simple feel good tunes to songs and videos that represent social problems of the time. His music video for the 1987 song Bad chronicles the real life story of the 1985 death of black Stanford scholarship student from Harlem, Edmund Perry by a plainclothes white police officer.

"Michael Jackson's short film for "Bad" was the first of nine short films produced for recordings from Bad, one of the best selling albums of all time. The "Bad" single hit No. 1 in three countries in 1987, topping the charts in the United States, Spain and the Netherlands and reaching Top 5 in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. In the U.S., "Bad" was the second of five consecutive No. 1 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100-making Michael the first artist to achieve this milestone. Inspired by the real-life story of Edmund Perry, a prep school graduate from Harlem whose shooting death by a plainclothes policeman galvanized New York City, "Bad" stars Michael as Darryl, a student returning to his inner-city home while on break from a prestigious academy. In the short film's extended black and white sequence, Darryl comes into conflict with his neighborhood friends (led by actor Wesley Snipes in a breakthrough role) after showing discomfort over their attempts at petty crime. Angrily dismissed by his friends for no longer being "bad," Darryl challenges them in an abandoned subway station. As the film suddenly transitions to color, Darryl, clad in the black leather outfit Michael wears on the Bad album sleeve, leads a troupe of dancers in a high energy performance of "Bad," asserting his toughness without resorting to violence and ultimately earning the respect of his peers." description of the official music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsUXAEzaC3Q 

The message is clearly anti-violence, in particular in gangs and from the police. It also represents the period as it was a defining moment in terms of choreography and became one of his most famous songs and videos.

In terms of contemporary videos that define the era, Kanye West's 2013 song BLKKK SKKKN HEAD defines modern racial issues. Obviously the title alludes to the KKK, as well do other lyrics in the song. The broad context of the song is race related crimes, especially by police. This shows that in the 23 years between the release of the songs, little has changed. However, Kanye is more obvious with his lyrical content: with such examples as  the lines 

"Stop all that coon shit (black)

These niggas ain't doin' shit (black)

Them niggas ain't doin' shit"

Rolling Stone said of the song "next time someone says America is post-race, play 'em this, and watch their head explode".  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-2013-20131204/kanye-west-black-skinhead-19691231 It is particularly interesting to note that 2013 was the year that #BlackLivesMatter trended on twitter after the aquital of George Zimmerman for the shooting of black youth Trayvon Martin. 

Then and Now - 80's Music

The song Born in the USA was a 1984 rock song that many people believed that is projected the sense of American patriotism, but it was really used for Springsteen to criticise the structure of society, war and the treatment of the working class as well as a boy who is forced into war and returns to find that there is nothing left for him in this country.

“Sent me off to a foreign land/ To go and kill the yellow man”. 

This is a clear reference to the Vietnam War. Often in war, the people lower within the class systems were forced to do the actual fighting because they had no other options. Especially in the Vietnam War when the draft was implemented, the rich were able to avoid it by going to school, but the poor didn't have those opportunities, thus going to war was there only choice.

When many veterans got back from the war, they weren’t treated with a lot of respect and had trouble getting their lives together. 

“Down in the shadow of the penitentiary/Out by the gas fire of the refinery/ I’m ten years burning down the road/ Nowhere to run ain’t got nowhere to go”. 

The only options for the speaker of this poem were to work the rest of his life at a meaningless refinery job or to go to jail. This song was a blatant critique of how we perceive war and the opportunities of America. The title serves as an ironic reminder that even in the supposed land of limitless opportunities not everyone who is born in the United States is given the same chance to succeed.

Lose yourself was one of the very few songs that not only was defining factor for an artist, but also for the rap genre as well as the decade as a whole. The track was released as a single from ‘8 Mile’ movie soundtrack which is ‘loosely’ based on Marshall Mathers’ real life.

The origin of the song is loosely based on Eminem’s life from growing up as a troubled kid to fighting underground rap battles and making it out of the shackles that restricted him from greatness. 

“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything to ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?”

These few lines encapsulate the entire essence of the song. You are given those rare chances of opportunities in your life and you have to take them. The song also represents the idea of the American Dream, it portrays a cliché but intriguing aspect of the American identity - that of individuals going from rags to riches due to perseverance and a focus on reaching one’s dreams. 

His main focus in the song is the idea of getting “one shot; one opportunity” to realize your dreams and making sure you give your all so that you don't waste it.  The idea that you can achieve anything as you put your mind to it is clearly exemplified through Eminem as he spent his overcoming adversity to get to where he is today. However it's a delivers a rather mixed message as while it may be an inspirational concept as a whole, this particular song seems to focus on celebrity as the only means to achievement.

Iconic Music of the 1980s and now

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire epitomises the 1980s because he references all aspects that represent the culture of the 80s. He highlights the history of the United States from 1949- 1989 therefore showing a cultural and historical revolution of the country on a worldwide scale.

In reference to the 80s Joel mentions Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, Heavy Metal Suicide, Foreign Debts, Homeless Vets, AIDS, Bernie Goetz, Hypodermics on the Shore, China's under Martial Law and Rock- and - roller Cola wars.

This shows the cultural impact of the 80s through game shows which highlight the changing structure of both the Music and Entertainment Industry. Heavy Metal became a popular music genre during the late 70s and 80s, the songs had very intense and meaningful lyrics which are blamed for fans committing suicide during that era.  He also takes into consideration the Presidents role as the US took on a lot of foreign trade deals which led to debt and as a result of this were major budgeting cuts. Furthermore Veterans of the Vietnam War were found to be living in awful conditions and many became homeless. The AIDS crisis of the 1980s and the rise in drug use also showed how America was changing as they had to advance medical research in order to find out more about the disease and how it could be prevented and treated. Environmentally the Hypodermics on the Shore became a crucial point in changing how America viewed dumping environmental waste. Finally the Rock-and-roller Cola Wars highlighted the huge multinationals Pepsi and Coke's economic power on the world stage. They competed against each other using the latest popular music artists to advertise their brand in order to appeal to teenagers and a younger audience.

Jay Z - Spiritual
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7431025/jay-z-releases-police-brutality-philando-castile-alton-sterling          (Song can be heard on this website)
 
Even though the song does not have a music video it represents America because it shows how he feels being Black in America whilst be surrounded by police brutality following the Black Lives Matter Movement. The repetition of the lyric "I am not poison" exemplifies how racial attitudes still exist in America and negative stereotypes of African Americans are being highlighted in the form of social media hashtags and protests. The fact that Black Lives Matter trended worldwide just highlights how prominent the issue is in America today, it has always been a problem and there are not many signs of it getting better. Looking back on this song thirty years from now there is a high chance that this will still be a major issue for America, especially as in the last few years there has been a new name every couple of months that has been killed from police brutality or has been seriously injured. Therefore music is the prefect way for people's voices to be heard and can reach a larger audience. Billy Joel and Jay Z are clearly two very different artists with completely different sounding songs, yet they both have a powerful historical message in their songs.

Sources
http://guff.com/an-explanation-of-all-117-things-mentioned-in-we-didnt-start-the-fire
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/08/entertainment/jay-z-spiritual-song/

Reading country music of the 1980s and today

The country (and western) genre of music, a descended of the jazz and blues age in the South, has often been perceived as a source of music dedicated to understanding "real life" and pouring out emotions through a southern acoustic style of music. Harlan Howard once famously stated "Country music is three chords and the truth." This form of music aims to act as a relatable concept, with an ease of simplicity to lend itself to a range of vocals, styles, and meanings. Last year, country music was labelled the top music genre for 13 U.S. states, mostly in southern and eastern regions.

 (fig. 1)

In 1980, Willie Nelson, the acclaimed grandfather of the genre released his classic On the Road Again for the soundtrack to the film Honeysuckle Rose. While the movie wasn't a great success at the box office, the song became a country music icon, even today, and Nelson received a Grammy the same year for this song. This wasn't an uncommon theme for country music in the 1980s, as the same format of release occurred with Dolly Parton's 9 to 5. Presumed to be a song about touring the country with his music and friends, Nelson's text provided an upbeat anthem for a time of uncertainty for the American people in political and social spheres. The 1980s saw giant anthems from all genres during this period.

The majority of songs holding a large cultural capital could be read with a range of intent, from political affiliations to social issues. However, I believe On the Road Again presents a shift in the dynamic of American cultural life. A new president and era would be on the way to kick-start this decade. I understand this to be a simplistic commentary to tell the listeners of the song that a new society is emerging. The lyric "Insisting that the world keep turning our way" has also been interpreted as potential American, but more specifically southern, exceptionalism. Yet this could also be viewed as drawing attention to the genre, or the artist also.

The legacy of this song is paramount also. Nelson continues to be a huge influence in the country music scene. Dozens of country artists came together to pay tribute to the CMA's 50th Anniversary video with Nelson's On the Road Again being one of the three songs heralded as iconic of the past 50 years.

In today's country music climate, Chris Stapleton is rapidly making a famous name for himself stateside. Stapleton won 'Male Vocalist of the Year' and 'Video of the Year' at the latest CMA Awards. Stapleton's debut album Traveller is one of the fastest and best-selling country albums of all time and has made an impact on the American music scene. Having written for country artists for the past decade, he released one single before releasing the video for Fire Away. The song contains the theme of loving someone, even through the hard times. The video, however, takes this theme and adds context of mental health issues and eventual suicide.

As previously stated in this blog, country music is an ode to real life and increasingly to powerful social messages also, particularly in this video. Alongside the message, the video promotes the Campaign to Change Direction initiative, a non-profit charity which provides services and help for those suffering from emotional sickness, trauma, or pain; whether the issue is medically diagnosable or not. The organisation was introduced to Stapleton by actor Ben Foster who plays a central role in the video. The video has been symbolised as a catalyst for social messages, yet is more direct in its approach than country music of the 1980s. The video highlights the artistic nature of the genre also as it was Stapleton who raised the concept for the video. He was made aware of the stigma and taboo nature of the topic, but persisted with its execution regardless. The video is below:

In conclusion, while genres like hip-hop and alternative music tend to play host to powerful political statements and promotion of progressive movements, country music is beginning to follow the same trend. Approached from an artistic manner, the public response is often positive when artists make statements such as these. The lyrics may remain simplistic, but that lends the song and the message to a larger audience and may gain a more positive response due to its relatability. Country music tends to be surrounded by themes of beer and broken hearts, but can be a stage for social change if given the dedication, as proven by Stapleton. It is because of this I believe Fire Away will remain a classic in 30 years and beyond.


References
1. http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/03/01/the-most-popular-music-genre-in-every-u-s-state/
2. http://www.wideopencountry.com/chris-stapleton-discusses-tragic-fire-away-video/ 
3.  http://www.changedirection.org/
4. http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/6890808/chris-stapleton-fire-away-video-ben-foster-margarita-levieva
5.  http://tasteofcountry.com/chris-stapleton-suicide-prevention-fire-away-video/

80s Music and Now

 

[Above] Prince performing at the American Music Awards in 1985 (YouTube, 2016). As Lionel Ritchie says at the beginning of the video, “It’s not just for listening anymore, it’s for looking.” A statement which neatly describes the sentiment of 80s music and Prince’s effect on it.

Prince had a truly eclectic style which makes him typical of the 80s. He weaved funk, pop, rock, R&B and soul and new wave psychedelic influences together into his electronically driven sound. This, coupled with his flamboyant, loud fashion statements made his music a sensory overload – especially considering the emotion which he performed with. Prince made a statement with every performance, of his goal he said; “[I don't want to be] judged for the color of my skin but the quality of my work” (Whiteneir, 2016:4). In this we see how Prince was not only transformative for music culture, but for the whole of society in the 1980s.

Maybe most notably, Prince subverted the ‘normal’ notions of masculinity and sexuality. His performances were distinctly erotic at times and I think his appearance was purposely androgynous. This speaks to Princes interaction with the society in which he lived, the way he performed and dressed was indicative of his “defiance of convention and categorization” (Whiteneir, 2016:5). Many artists displayed similar ideas throughout the decade in their performance, music and fashion. Madonna being one, and Michael Jackson another. However, few were as innovative and influential as Prince for identity in both music and wider society.

If Prince was typical of the 80s in that he was concerned with challenging masculinity, femininity and the physical image of sex and music in society then I believe, 35 years from now, with hindsight we will see the origin of revolution in the music industry towards the dominance of autonomous and self-determined independent musicians beginning in the middle of the second decade of the 2000's.

Above is an audio of All We Got (YouTube, 2016) from Chance the Rapper’s mixtape Coloring Book. Chance is a great example of the success which independent musicians – those not signed to a label – are having in recent years. On accepting his 2017 Grammy for Best Rap Album he said, “This is for every indie artist. Everybody that's been doing this mixtape stuff for a long ass time” (YouTube, 2017) evidently proud of the success and recognition he, and others, have recently attained from the wider music culture for their independently written, produced and marketed work.

In terms of wider context, I think the increasing proliferation of independent artists can be attributed to societies apathy towards large corporations and mechanisms which seemingly run society in the 21^st century. I think on the back of this there has been a greater connection with artists that showcase their skills by themselves avoiding the parameters set by large music corporations and labels who have monopolised the market. In the US and UK, independent artists have achieved huge things in terms of sales, charting records and awards this past year. The dominance and monopolisation of record label conglomerates will break down, eventually, and I think 2016 is the beginning of this revolution in the music industry.

Chance the Rapper Wins Best Rap Album, 59th GRAMMYs

The Purple Prince, Whiteneir, The Journal of the Costume Society of America, 2016

Platoon (1986) - Vietnam war in film

The  tagline of the film is "The first casualty of war is innocence." This is shown through the narrative of taking an average American teenager, played by Charlie Sheen, who sees the war as his patriotic duty before he fully understands the psychological consequences of entering a war that was perilous and misjudged from the offset.

"Chris Taylor is a young, naive American who gives up college and volunteers for combat in Vietnam. Upon arrival, he quickly discovers that his presence is quite nonessential, and is considered insignificant to the other soldiers, as he has not fought for as long as the rest of them and felt the effects of combat. Chris has two non-commissioned officers, the ill-tempered and indestructible Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes and the more pleasant and cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin. A line is drawn between the two NCOs and a number of men in the platoon when an illegal killing occurs during a village raid. As the war continues, Chris himself draws towards psychological meltdown. And as he struggles for survival, he soon realises he is fighting two battles, the conflict with the enemy and the conflict between the men within his platoon." IMDB

Even the Sergeants on the same side cannot agree, showing how at the time and in the 1980's people were divided on how they thought of the war. The war allowed for massive screw-ups by the US Army, such as the My Lai massacre of a village on March 16th 1968 which resulted in the deaths of between 347 and 504 civilians, including men, women, children and infants, simply because they thought they were Viet Cong. 

The war was by this point seen as entirely pointless, with the telling line  "we're gonna lose this war". Many Americans simply became disillusioned as to what they were fighting for, as well as there being a large drug problem in many platoons due to the stress of the war and the seeming lack of a likely victory for their side.

The film does not portray the war as an action or a sport, it shows the true psychological horrors of war that the American people had certainly realised by the 1980's. 

Iconic Huey Helicopter images

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, with the nickname "Huey", became a militarised symbol of the United States intervention in Vietnam. With it being over forty years since the fall of Saigon and the North Vietnamese pushing out the U.S. Army, this image certainly has not lost its impact. On the surface, you could argue that this picture being very dim lit and solitary shows the defeat of the U.S. Army and how the soldiers were being lifted up to be returned to the states.

The purpose of the 'Huey' helicopter was to transport personnel throughout war zones, medical evacuations, resupply ground troops and later in the war often offered armed support to ground operations. According to the website of Vietnam Helicopters Museum, this helicopter remains the most manufactured type in history with over 11,800 being utilised in Vietnam, and approximately 5,000 lost during the war. The chopper was particularly impressive as it could carry 3,900 pounds of equipment, provide 70mm rockets, multiple M60 guns at the doors and also could be equipped with M134 miniguns. Essentially, this helicopter was a devastating use of machinery which is very much symbolic of America's equally devastating intervention in Vietnam. Small villages could easily be torn apart and left desolate because of this great weapon. The 'Huey' was popularly entitled the 'Workhorse of the Vietnam War', because of the 9.7 million flight hours it collectively endured during the war.

Other images of the 'Huey' also remain very much iconic of the Vietnam War. You could easily find many images of American troops deploying from this particular military vehicle. This is because during this time with the advancement of technology the media were seeing more of the realities of war than ever before. The perceptions of war were not being hindered, which arguably brought the capabilities of some highly acclaimed films such as Platoon (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Apocalypse now (1979).