Worksheet 1 1. What are some of the reasons why the popular music in the late 40

Worksheet 1
1. What are some of the reasons why the popular music in the late 40s and early 1950s was so
conservative and sentimental?
2. What were the major record companies in the postwar period?
3. What were some of the record labels that recorded country and western, and rhythm and blues?
4. What was the “Battle of the Speeds?” Who eventually won?
5. How did the rise of television affect the record industry?
6. Describe the level of fan hysteria that surrounded Frank Sinatra in the 1940s.
7. What kind of music did the Weavers perform? Why did they generate controversy?
8. Describe the musical style and career of Louis Jordan.
9. What are the distinctive elements in the music of Muddy Waters? Where did he record?
10. What was notable about the Dominoes’ hit song, “Have Mercy Baby?”
11. Compare the styles of Ruth Brown and Big Mama Thornton.
12. Discuss the career and musical style of Hank Williams
Worksheet 2
1. What are some of the factors that made the baby boom generation unique in American culture?
2. What was significant about Alan Freed’s career? What led to his downfall?
3. What were cover versions, and how did they affect early rock and roll?
4. Discuss Chuck Berry’s musical style and importance to early rock and roll.
5. The textbook remarks that for Chuck Berry’s recording of “Maybelline,” the song “is the recording.”
What does that mean, and how is that different from other pop styles?
6. Describe Little Richard’s performing style. Who were some of the musicians that he influenced?
7. How is Fats Domino’s style different from that of Chuck Berry or Little Richard?
8. What were some of the factors that led to Elvis Presley’s enormous success?
9. Buddy Holly is described in the text as an influential figure in rock ‘n’ roll. Why?
10. Describe the style, and accomplishments, of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller.
Worksheet 3
1. How did the popularity of the twist – the dance, not the song – change social dancing in the early
1960s?
2. Describe the production style developed by Phil Spector. What were some of the prominent girl
groups that he produced?
3. Compare Barry Gordy Jr.’s success with Motown to Phil Spector’s. How were they similar? How were
they different?
4. Who were some of the artists (include the house band) who contributed to the success of Motown?
5. Summarize the style and success of the Beach Boys. Who was the driving creative force in the band?
6. Who is Dick Dale? What style of music did he help create? What were some of his musical
influences?
7. Summarize the extent of the Beatles’ commercial success in 1964-66.
8. Describe how the Beatles evolved as songwriters and recording artists from 1962-1966. What were
some of the innovations that they introduced to pop music?
9. According to our text, the Beatles were “the central fact of American pop culture in the 1960s.”
Why?
10. Describe the evolution in style that marked Brian Wilson’s work on Pet Sounds and the song “Good
Vibrations.”
Worksheet 4
1. What was the Nashville sound in 1960s country music? How did it compare to earlier country styles,
and who were the artists associated with it?
2. Describe the range of musical styles that Ray Charles blended in his work. What is the relationship
between Ray Charles’s music and the soul music of the 1960s?
3. Discuss the musical style of James Brown. What musical elements were emphasized in his music?
What elements were less important? How did James Brown use his music to make political
statements?
4. How did Aretha Franklin’s style of music and recording change when she moved from Columbia
Records to Atlantic Records? How did she change the image and role of the female singer in the
1960s?
5. What made Bob Dylan stand out among the many folk singers in the early 1960s? How did Dylan’s
fans react to his decision to play electric music? Why all the fuss?
6. Name some of the bands associated with the Counterculture movement in the 1960s. Where was
this Counterculture first born and how did LSD play a major role in its development?
7. Describe the vocal style of Janis Joplin. Who were her influences?
8. How did the musical and production style of the Beatles change after they stopped touring in 1966?
Why did they stop touring to begin with?
9. List some of the key features of late 1960s power trios. Who were some of the pioneers in this rock
genre?
10. Where did Jimi Hendrix first make it big in the music world? What are some things he is most well-
known for?
11. What inspired the development of “back to basics” Roots Rock? How did Roots Rock differ from
other rock genres of the late 60s and early 70s?
Worksheet 5
1. When the 1970s was described as “The Me Decade” what did that mean?
2. How did the market for pop music change – and split – in the 1970s?
3. Describe the increasing popularity of country music in the 1970s, including the tension between
established country musicians and pop singers who “crossed over” to country.
4. Discuss the style of Carole King’s song “It’s Too Late.” Who is the market for this song?
5. What was unusual and innovative about the production in Stevie Wonder’s hit “Superstition”?
6. How does Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” reflect the nostalgia of the 70s for early rock ‘n’ roll?
7. Describe the diversity of genres and artists that were promoted under the heading of “rock music”
in the 1970s.
8. How did the technology and promotion of the rock concert change in the 1970s?
9. What was innovative about David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From
Mars?
10. What is the style and subject matter of Joni Mitchell’s Blue album? Is it a concept album?
11. Describe the style and innovations in Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. What is the LP’s subject
matter?
12. What was unusual about Marvin Gaye’s LP What’s Going On compared to the other recordings
associated with the Motown label?
13. Describe the innovations that Led Zeppelin brought to the sound of hard rock.
14. Summarize the various influences that have shaped Carlos Santana’s music.
15. What, according to our text, are some of the factors that led to the rise and popularity of disco?
What are some of the reasons why there was so much hostility toward disco from rock fans?
Worksheet 6
1. Summarize the various musical influences and styles that led to Reggae in Jamaica.
2. What was the theme of the film The Harder They Come? What role did that movie play in developing
an audience for reggae music?
3. Who were the principal members of the Velvet Underground? Describe the band’s musical style.
4. How were the Stooges different from the Velvet Underground? What were they noted for?
5. Who were the New York Dolls? Describe their look and style.
6. Describe the scene that developed at CBGBs, including the bands that first played there.
7. Describe the musical style and the impact of the Ramones
8. How did the punk scene in England differ from that in New York?
9. What are some of the musical elements that distinguish the Talking Heads?
10. What are the elements of 70s funk music that were created by James Brown?
11. How did Sly and the Family Stone differ from James Brown?
12. Who were the principal figures in Parliament/Funkadelic? Describe their unique style
Worksheet 7
1. What were some of the reasons why the music industry crashed in the early 1980s? What led to the
industry’s recovery by the mid 1980s?
2. Summarize the impact of digital and satellite technologies on the music industry in the 1980s.
3. How did the arrival of MTV change popular music? How did the success of Michael Jackson change
MTV?
4. How did the introduction of digital synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines in the 1980s change
the way pop music is created? What kinds of problems have these technologies also created?
5. What was new or unusual about the sound of the Eurhythmics?
6. Describe the circumstances that led to Tina Turner’s success as a solo artist in the 1980s.