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Appendix 2: timeline

The following key events and developments are a selection of milestones in popular music, in terms of music, economics, technology, and symbolic impor- tance, or some combination of these. I concentrate on developments since the advent of recorded sound. Obviously, there are some ‘judgement calls’ here and readers can no doubt construct alternative chronologies. There are numerous such timelines on the web, variously constructed around performers, genres, and recordings.

1877 Thomas Edison patents the ‘’, a sound system based around a tin foil cylinder. 1884 Emile Berliner records ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ on a cylinder; now in the BBC Sound Archive, it is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving record. 1887 Thomas Edison’s first public demonstration of his phonograph, a talking machine, marks the beginning of recorded sound. Emile Berliner invents the flat recording disc. 1892 ‘After The Ball’, the first sheet music mega hit (Tin Pan Alley). 1896 Edison and Columbia introduce the first phonograph (later known as the gramophone) to the home market. 1899 Scott Joplin’s ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ becomes a best seller, and consolidates the craze. HMV buy the picture of a dog named Nipper, which becomes central to the iconic company logo. 1900 The Gramophone Company produces a catalogue with some 5,000 recordings. 1909 US Copyright Act (amendment) establishes the basis for royalty payments for recorded music, turning the popular into a marketable commodity. 1912 W. C. Handy publishes ‘Memphis ’, the first blues to appear in print. 1913 The word ‘’ appears in print for the first time. 282 Appendix 2: Popular music timeline

1914 American Society of , Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is formed, enabling to claim the income due under the Copyright Act. 1917 First recorded jazz, by Original Dixieland Jazz ; in 1919 they create a sensation in . Death of Scott Joplin regarded as marking of the Ragtime era.

1920 First recording of vocal blues by a black singer, Mamie Smith’s ‘Crazy Blues’. 1923 The first news-and-music US radio station, Westinghouse’s KDKA, established in 1920, begins broadcasting in shortwave. oriented The Gramophone (UK) launched; helps shape ‘gramophone culture’. 1924 George Gershwin composes ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. 1925 Regular use begins of electrical recording (using microphones). 1926 BBC is created as a public corporation; its Music Department is set up the following year. The birth of the LP: Edison produces Diamond Discs, capable of playing 20 minutes per side. 1927 The record their first record; these Bristol Sessions are seen as the origins of modern ‘country’ music. 1929 ‘The Broadway Melody’: the first ‘all-talking, all-singing, all-dancing’ film musical. 1931 The Gramophone Company and Columbia merge to form EMI – a trend toward consolidation that is to become a feature of the music industry. 1934 Jazz journal Downbeat launched in Chicago. 1936 Key recordings of Robert Johnson (). [Reissued as a box set in 1990.] Charles Delaunay’s Hot Discography published in English, establishing field of ‘discography’. 1939 Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) is formed to represent and largely ignored by its competitor, ASCAP. 1942 Billboard sets up a ‘race’ chart: the Hit Parade. 1947 Formation of in Chicago: central to the development of R&B and . 1948 CBS release the first modern long-playing vinyl records; they play at 33 rpm and need a special player. 1949 Billboard ends ‘race’ chart category; replaced by rhythm ‘n’ blues. 1951 Jackie Brenston and release ‘Rocket 88’, often considered the first rock ‘n’ roll recording. 1952 DJ names his radio show ‘’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party’. first broadcast in the US. Appendix 2: Popular music timeline 283

Harry Smith releases Anthology of American , a major influence on the folk revival. 1953 Bill Haley and his Comets release ‘Crazy Man Crazy’, the first rock ‘n’ roll record to make the Billboard charts. 1954 records ‘That’s All Right Mama’ at Sun Studios in Memphis. 1955 ’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Maybelline’: key rock ‘n’ roll recordings. Bill Haley and his Comets’‘’ is performed in the film The Blackboard Jungle. Miles Davis’s Quartet, featuring tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, first record. 1956 ’s ‘Blueberry Hill’ demonstrates the potential of R&B. Elvis Presley’s ‘’ is no. 1 for eight weeks in US; reaches no. 2 in the UK. releases ‘Rock Island Line’, popularizing skiffle in the UK. 1957 American Bandstand is broadcast nationally in the US. 1958 First stereo recordings released. 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper are killed in an air crash. Juke Box Jury begins on BBC TV: celebrities vote on whether a single will be a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. Formation of Stax Records.

Miles Davis releases Kind of Blue.

1960 US Congressional investigation into payola begins. Studios begin using multitrack recorders.

1961 The Miracles release ‘Shop Around’, the first hit for Tamla . 1962 release ‘Love Me Do’ and later their first LP, Please Please Me. Bob Dylan releases his first , the self-titled Bob Dylan.

Gerry and the Pacemakers’‘How Do You Do It?’ is no. 1 in the UK (Merseybeat). James Brown releases Live At The Apollo, the first million-selling R&B album. 1963 Ready Steady Go! begins broadcasting on Independent Television (ITV). Introduction of the compact tape cassette.

1964 The Beatles appear on . 284 Appendix 2: Popular music timeline

The Beatles play New York’s Shea Stadium (attendance: 55,600, then a world record). The pirate stations Radio London and Radio Caroline begin broadcasting in the English Channel. The first edition of BBC’s is broadcast.

Robert Moog markets his .

1965 Otis Redding’s Otis Blue album is released. Bob Dylan is booed (by some of the audience) at the Newport Folk Festival for ‘going electric’; releases epic single ‘Like A ’. The Beatles play their last ever tour , at , San Francisco. release ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’: includes rock’s most famous riff. James Brown’s ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’.

1966 television show (and the group) debut in the US; in the UK in 1967. First Grammy Award for best album cover; won by the Beatles’ Revolver (artwork by Klaus Voormann). 1967 The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; , . Monterey International Pop Festival (performers include, among others, Jefferson Airplane, , Ravi Shankar, Otis Redding, and ) is attended by 30,000 fans. Rolling Stone magazine is launched; Downbeat extends its coverage to . BBC’s Radio 1 begins broadcasting, replacing the now illegal pirate stations. The Velvet Underground’s debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico.

Hair opens; widely seen as the first ‘rock musical’.

1969 release their first album: Led Zeppelin. release their rock opera: Tommy.

The Festival attracts 400,000 fans; musicians include Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Santana. The Altamont, , organized by the Rolling Stones; Hells Angels attack and kill a member of the audience. , ‘Sugar, Sugar’, by a manufactured ‘bubblegum’ group, is the biggest selling single of the year. 1970 Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin die; the Beatles disband. Appendix 2: Popular music timeline 285

Soul Train begins on US television; syndication rights are bought by CBS TV in 1973. ’s Black Sabbath and Paronoid: seen as birth of Heavy Metal. 1971 The Old Grey Whistle Test starts on BBC2, with bands performing live. The Canadian government implements ‘Canadian Content’ regulations, which require that radio station playlists contain specified minimum amounts of Canadian music; this provides a model for similar quota policies elsewhere. Marvin Gaye, What’s Goin’ On.

King Tubby and Lee Perry create dub, the template for much modern dance music. 1972 Nuggets, compiled by Lenny Kaye, creates new interest in ’ garage bands and influences . creates Ziggy Stardust, launches .

The Harder They Come (feature film) brings Jamaican reggae to a wider audience. 1973 ’s album Dark Side of the Moon enters US charts, beginning a record-breaking stay. 1975 releases album Born to Run; it establishes ‘The Boss’ as a rock superstar. Bob Marley and the Wailers first hit single ‘No Woman, No Cry’; Marley becomes the first international reggae star. 1976 The Ramones release Ramones, epitomizing much of New York punk rock. release ‘Anarchy in the UK’; create controversy; regarded as part of the punk canon. The launch of the 12-inch single, a format that underpins house, , and . 1977 Elvis Presley dies aged 42. Kraftwerk release Trans Europe Express:influences hip hop and dance culture. Saturday Night Fever: the and bring into the mainstream. 1978 Contemporary Christian Music (later CCM) begins publication; gives its name to the genre. 1979 Introduction of the SONY Walkman. Bauhaus, ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’: credited with establishing goth in the UK.

1980 is murdered in New York. 286 Appendix 2: Popular music timeline

Monsters of Rock, (UK): the first exclusively heavy metal festival. 1981 MTV is launched in the US, later franchised globally; popularizes . Establishment of IASPM (The International Association for the Study of Popular Music). Death of Bob Marley.

Kerrang! begins publication: first mainstream music magazine devoted to heavy metal. 1982 Jackson releases the album ; goes on to become the biggest selling album of all time. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, ‘The Message’, brings rap to wider mainstream attention. 1983 The first CDs go on sale. The importance of music video is acknowledged with the first American Video Awards. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) becomes available, creating new technical possibilities for music making. New Order, ‘Blue Monday’: the best-selling British 12-inch single; very influential on dance music. 1984 Band Aid release ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ 1985 raises £50 million. Bruce Springsteen releases Born in the USA.

Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) gives evidence to Senate committee on the explicit sexual and violent content of records. Record companies introduce ‘Parental Advisory’ labelling on records to appease PMRC complaints. 1986 ’s Graceland creates controversy over whether it breaches sanctions imposed on South Africa; helps create interest in ‘world music’. ’s True Blue enters the UK album chart at no. 1, the first US artist to do this. 1987 MTV is launched in Europe. M/A/R/R/S have a no. 1 hit with ‘Pump Up the Volume’: marks the rise of music made with DJ skills and sampler technology. 1988 CDs now outsell vinyl records. Dance culture ‘’ begins in UK.

1989 Public Enemy release It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back; influential on black culture and hip hop. 1990 Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings (box set). Appendix 2: Popular music timeline 287

1991 Nirvana album Nevermind: credited with initiating grunge and mainstreaming American indie. , Metallica (The Black Album): establishes as part of commercial mainstream. 1992 , Ropin’ the Wind: the first country album to top the US pop charts. CDs outsell cassettes (as well as vinyl records, now a steeply declining format). Ice-T’s ‘Cop Killer’: heightens controversy around .

Montreux Jazz Festival (founded in 1967) renamed ‘Montreux Jazz and World ’. 1993 Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg’s : the first debut album to enter Billboard charts at no. 1. 1994 British government introduces Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which is intended to curb illegal raves (and music that uses ‘repetitive beats’). 1995 Oasis, What’s The Story, Morning Glory: the height of . ’s The Woman in Me becomes the biggest selling country album by a female artist. No Depression magazine begins publication (alt. country, Americana; roots).

1996 Pop group ’‘’ is no. l in 22 countries. Buena Vista Social Club (feature film, and soundtrack) create greater interest in world music. The , The Score: a huge commercial success and consolidates hip hop in the mainstream. 1997 MP3 is introduced. 1998 Time magazine cover story (8 February) proclaims arrival of ‘Hip Hop Nation’. Madonna wins a record six MTV Music Video awards.

Classic Rock magazine (UK) begins publication.

Elton John’s elegy for Princess Diana, ‘Candle in the Wind’, sells 1.5 million copies in its first week. 1999 Napster software is introduced, greatly increasing access to music on the internet. US charts dominated by rap/nu-metal acts: , Rage Against the Machine. MySpace launched; leads rapid growth of social networking, online culture. 2000 Napster is sued by Metallica for breach of copyright. 288 Appendix 2: Popular music timeline

Record companies establish copyright deals with internet music providers.

O’Brother, Where Art Thou? (feature film) revives interest in traditional country music. 2001 Hear’Say, a group assembled through Popstars (UK television), become the first band to top the UK album and singles charts simultaneously with their debut releases. The iPod introduced; becomes the main portable sound carrier.

Apple introduces iTunes.

2002 debuts on US television. 2003 Year of the Blues in the US. 2005 : ‘End Poverty’; the sequel to 1985’s Live Aid; ten held internationally on 2 July. Downloads of singles incorporated into the UK singles charts (reflecting rapid increase in downloading). HMV and Virgin launch online music stores.

2006 Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (Domino) becomes fastest selling UK debut album The Beatles, Love (EMI): the soundtrack of a Las Vegas show by Cirque Du Soleil; tops album charts internationally. Death of , legendary reclusive founder member of Pink Floyd.

2007 Led Zeppelin reunion: a ‘one off’ charity concert at London’s O2 venue; there is enormous demand for tickets. Apple launch iPhone: an iPod/mobile phone hybrid.

Radiohead make their latest album Rainbows available through an ‘honesty box’ system on the band’s web site, allowing fans to name their own price. Madonna leaves , after 25 years with the company, and signs a US$120 million deal with concert promotion firm Live Nation. concerts held globally to raise awareness of climate change.

2009 (UK) attended by 137,500. ‘The Beatles Rockband’, Xbox 360 video game released; success demonstrates the importance of gaming industry to music. ’s performance on UK reality TV show Britain’s Got Talent is disseminated globally on YouTube, gaining record views; her debut album sells 1.2 million copies in first two weeks of its release. Death of , ‘King of Pop’, while preparing for a series of ‘comeback’ concerts. Appendix 2: Popular music timeline 289

Guitar Hero: Metallica launched.

Taylor Swift’s Fearless is the best-selling album in the US; she wins four Grammys. 2010 announces that more than 500 million people now use the social network site. Digital sales now account for 98 per cent of singles sold in the UK and the US. is Billboard’s Artist of the Year; Time name her one of the most influential people in the world. 2011 ’s album 21 sells 14.5 million copies globally; the singer wins six Grammys. ’s ‘360’ tour boosts overall concert ticket revenue to $16.7 million.

Rolling Song magazine partners with online subscription service Spotify to offer playlists and reviews, along with free access to streamed music. tops Billboard’s list of biggest music industry money earners.

2012 Sudden death of pop soul diva Whitney . A lavishly illustrated book, The Rolling Stones: 50, is published to mark the 50th anniversary of the group’s first gig, on 12 July 1962, at London’s Marquee Club. The Spice Girls perform at the closing ceremony for the London Olympics. 2013 top the year’s international sales with their album Midnight Memories. The Rolling Stones play Glastonbury festival for the first time.

Death of Lou Reed (Velvet Undergound).

2014 Bob Dylan and the Band, The Basement Tapes. The Complete Bootleg Series, volume is released (originally recorded in 1968). Deaths of Jack Bruce (Cream), Tommy Ramone (cofounder of the Ramones), and Phil Everly (the Everly Brothers). The iPod Classic, after six generations, is discontinued by Apple.

New Zealand ‘indie’ singer Lorde wins Grammy Song of the Year award for her single ‘Royals’. 2015 Death of B. B. King. The Grateful Dead perform a series of farewell concerts.

The Beach Boys begin a tour celebrating their 50th anniversary.