A TIMELINE OF WESTERN MUSIC

PAGE 7

1900 CE (cont)

1970 CE

- Janis Joplin records Pearl just before her death, emotive vocalist, distinctive and bluesy.

- Singer/songwriter Cat Stevens records Tea for Tillerman, folk-rock album.

- George Harrison releases All Things Must Pass, original songs, classic rock style, experimentation with world styles and eastern instruments.

- Derek and the Dominoes release Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs lead by virtuosic guitar player, singer/ songwriter Eric Clapton, blues inflected rock, (Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, feat. Duane Allman).

- Simon and Garfunkel release Bridge Over Troubled Water, folk-rock style, tight harmony, poetic lyrics.

- George Crumb writes Black Angels for amplified string quartet, popularized by the Kronos Quartet. An experimental American composer, he explores juxtaposition of different textures, new sounds like musical saw, Tibetan prayer stones, toy saw. Also known for Ancient Voices of Children, Voice of the Whale, and Makrokosmos.

- James Taylor releases Sweet Baby James, exemplifies singer/sonwriter genre, blues influenced.

1971 CE

- Don McLean, singer/songwriter of folk-pop releases "American Pie," and American epic inspired by the death of Buddy Holly.

- Led Zeppelin releases Led Zeppelin IV, album oriented, blues influenced, classic hard rock, (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Robert Plant).

- Carole King releases Tapestry. She is a piano player, singer/songwriter, with songs played by Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, The Shirelles, The Byrds, James Taylor, The Drifters and The Monkees.

- Singer/songwriter Marvin Gaye records What's Goin On, concept album with classical and jazz influences, social commentary, redefining soul music.

- Allman Brothers Band play a concert at Filmore East, mix of blues/country/rock, Southern jam band, push boundaries of rock (Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Berry Oakley, Jaimoe Johanson, Dickey Betts.).

- John Lennon, visionary singer/songwriter and icon, releases Imagine.

- Chick Corea's fusion band releases Return to Forever.

1972 CE

- Prolific funk/soul writer Curtis Mayfield provides soundtrack for Blaxploitation film Superfly.

- Al Green, quintessential soul singer and writer, releases Let's Stay Together, gospel moans and wails set against sophisticated string arrangements.

- Todd Rundgren releases Something/Anything. A rock n' roll maverick, he experiments with different styles and technology, subtly bizarre, strong songwriting.

- Elton John releases Honky Chateau. He is a classically trained pianist and singer/songwriter of classic pop ballads and rollicking rock songs, unconventional use of piano.

- Stevie Wonder releases Talking Book. A composer, singer, piano player, he influences nearly every genre, especially funk, complex arrangements, poignant ballads, pionering work with symthesizers .

- Neil Young, prolific singer/songwriter and social critic, releases Harvest.

- Singer/songwriter Nick Drake releases Pink Moon, solo acoustic album, haunting melody, bleak lyrics.

1973 CE

- The New York Dolls release Too Much Too Soon, forge original sound, foreshadow punk and metal, (David Johansen, Syl Sylvian, Arthur Kane, Johnny Thunders).

- Herbie Hancock releases Headhunters which achieves crossover popularity with funk inflected style.

- Yes releases progressive rock album Yessongs.

1974 CE

- Singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell releases Court and Spark, bluesy folk-rock., poetic and intimate lyrics.

- Frank Zappa releases Apostrophe, eclectic style with neo-doo wop and classical influences, satirical lyrics, taste for the absurd, prolific composer.

- Jerry Goldsmith supports Chinatown with a psychological and emotive score.

1975 CE

- John Williams creates the simplistic but effective, and often imitated score for Jaws.

- Bob Dylan releases Blood on the Tracks. He is a visionary singer/songwriter who changes concepts of songwriting, blues/folk-rock style, introspective, poetic lyrics, political/social critic.

1976 CE

- The Ramones tour Britain, heavily influencing a generation of bands, playing their catchy punk style at breakneck speeds, (Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone).

- 100 Club Punk Festival in London, features The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Siouxsie, The Damned.

- Philip Glass' minimalist opera Einstein on the Beach premiers. As well as scoring films, he experiments with Eastern music, African music, electronic music and other techniques.

1977 CE

- Fleetwood Mac records Rumours, blues/rock feel with singer/songwriter style melody and lyrics, smoky vocals by Stevie Nicks, (Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Danny Kirwan).

- Bob Marley, visionary Reggae singer from Jamaica, releases Exodus, songs of revolution, political and poetic lyrics.

- Alfred Schnitke writes Concerto Grosso I. A Soviet composer, he writes 8 symphonies, Baroque allusions, prepared piano, intense, aggressive, chromatic, microtonal, Soviet restrictions being relaxed.

- The Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, first punk band out of Britian, raw hard edged sound, loud angry guitars, controversial and political lyrics (Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Paul Cook, Steve Jones).

1978 CE

- Sony introduces the Walkman, portable music player.

- Patti Smith, pioneer of New York punk rock, releases Horses, poetic lyrics, experiments with free form.

1979 CE

- Joy Division releases Unknown Pleasures, experimented with electronic textures and beats, considered first post-punk band, (Ian Curtis, Bernard Albrecht, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris).

- Pink Floyd releases The Wall, concept album, pushes pop music's boundaries of form and technology, "cosmic rock." (Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, Dave Gilmour).

1980 CE

- First Monsters of Rock Festival celebrates the arrival of metal, over the years these concerts feature AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Kiss, Whitesnake, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Black Crowes, and Def Leppard.

- The Clash, definitive British punk rock band, releases London Calling, hard edged punk style (Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon).

1980-1990 CE

- Wave of electronic progress opens up ideas about direction and space; keyboard and MIDI develop.

1981 CE

- Sofia Gubaidulina writes Offertorium, a violin concerto with Bach allusions, devotional text.

- MTV debuts with Video Killed the Radio Star, changes the entire focus of the music industry.

1982 CE

- Michael Jackson, King of Pop, releases Thriller, gospel, pop, soul influences.

- DJ Grandmaster Flash, records "The Message," lyrics of social commentary. A hip hop pioneer he develops techniques of cutting, backspinning and phasing.

1983 CE

- Witold Lutoslawski writes Symphony No. 3, uses indeterminacy and static harmony, unusual use of orchesta.

- CD's introduced.

1984 CE

- Prince releases Purple Rain, draws from myriad of styles to create coherent distinctive style, prolific composer, openly sexual themes, pop/funk/rock.

- Pierre Boulez writes Le Marteau Sans Maitre. He is a French composer and celebrated conductor, employs serialism, pointillism and sprechstimme.

- Yamaha introduces first digital instrument, the yamaha keyboard.

1986 CE

- Run-DMC releases Raising Hell. The hip hop group responsible for creating stylistic convetions of the genre, they collaborate with rock musicians. (Run, DMC, Jam Master Jay).

- Paul Simon, singer/songwriter, releases his masterpiece Graceland, folk/rock style, experimentation with South African music, innovative u se of rhythm, poetic lyrics.

- The Smiths release The Queen Is Dead, quintessential British indie rock band; rockabilly, pop and punk influences, contraversial lyics (Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce).

- Ennio Morricone supplies the powerful and expressive score for The Mission.

1987 CE

- U2 releases Joshua Tree, post-punk experimental sweeping landscape of sound, hard rock rhythm section, electronic and dance elements. (The Edge, Bono, Adam Clayton, Steve Shelley).

- John Adams writes Nixon in China. An American minimalist composer, he uses rapid refiguration of alternating chords, "gates" - constant pedal blends them into one sonority which periodically changes.

1988 CE

- Public Enemy release It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, influential hip hop pioneers, innovative cutting and sampling, politically charged lyrics, (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, DJ Terminator X).

- Sonic Youth releases Daydream Nation, experimentation with noise, free-form, guitar techniques, post-punk avante garde (Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Steve Shelley).

1989 CE

- The Pixies release Doolittle, alternative punk/indie rock, pop melodies, cryptic lyrics, range of dynamics, lays the groundwork for alternative rock music. (Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, David Lovering).

1990 CE

- Tribe Called Quest, pioneers of hip hop, release The Low End Theory, rapping about social and political issues, sample jazz and progressive rock. (Q-tip, Phife, Ali Shaheed Muhammed).

- Danny Elfman exemplifies his quirky and highly personal style in the dark and playful score for Edward Scissorhands.

- Alan Menken writes the lush and romantic score for Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

1990-2000 CE

- Digital and hard disk recording develops including ADAT, DA-88 and Digidesign's Pro Tools.

1991 CE

- Pearl Jam releases Ten, hard rock, influenced by stadium rock and post-punk, pop style hooks, dramatic live shows. (Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Dave Krusen, Eddie Vedder).

- Massive Attack releases Blue Lines, pioneering trip-hop, eclectic mix of samples, (Andrew Vowles, Grant Marshall, 3D, feat. various solo artists).

- Nirvana releases Nevermind, indie grunge rock, influenced by heavy metal, industrial noise and pop melody. (Kurt Cobain, Christ Novoselic, Dave Grohl).

1992 CE

- Beck, eclectic singer/songwriter, releases single "Loser" independently, alternative rock, postmodern irony.

- REM, heroes of underground alternative rock, releases Automatic for the People, focus on melody, direct vocals, poetic lyrics. (Michael Stipe, mike Mills, Bill Berry, Peter Buck).

1993 CE

- The Breeders release hard pop album Last Splash, (Kim and Kelley Deal, Jim McPherson, Josephine Wiggs).

1994 CE

- Jeff Buckley, singer/songwriter, releases Grace, ethereally beautiful voice, classic rock feel.

Wynton Marsalis is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Blood on the Fields, wildly popular trumpet player and composer, traditional jazz advocate, involved in education.

1995 CE

- Icelandic singer and composer, Bjork releases Debut, experiments with electronics, house and club beats, provocative lyrics, distinctive vocal style, pop melodies with innovative song structure.

20th Century

- American universities become prominent site of compositional music: Milton Babbit, Roger Sessions, Roy Harris, William Schuman, Virgil Thompson, Morgon Feldman, William Bolcom, Earle Brown.