The 50's had a split personality. The first half of the decade
belonged to the big band sound and soloists; the second half belonged to
rock 'n roll. The watershed song of the decade was Billy Haley's Rock
Around the Clock, which ushered in the rock n' roll era. Artists such as
Elvis Presley soon followed, releasing such classics as You Ain't
Nothing but a Hounding, Jailhouse Rock, Don't Be Cruel, and Love Me
Tender. Other artists who were influential in the decade were the Everly
Brothers, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry.
1960's
The 60's were a decade of great change in the music industry. Rock 'n
roll had run out of steam and for the first half of this decade, popular
music had no real direction. Dance songs like The Twist had gained a lot of
attention, but there were no real acts that could claim superstar status.
That, of course, changed in 1964 with the arrival of The Beatles. The
Beatles caused an international sensation and took the music industry on
what was going to become a decades-long ride of incredible innovation. Other
bands that formed the British Invasion, such as the Rolling Stones, Herman's
Hermits, and the Dave Clark Five, made enormous contributions as well.
During that same year of 1964, the Motown Sound took off, creating a string
of hits by such groups as The Supremes, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, The
Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and Stevie Wonder. Coupled with
the enormous success of such home-grown groups as the Beach Boys and the
Four Seasons, who also were attaining superstar status, it's no wonder that
1964 was a watershed year. The later part of the decade ushered such
various artists as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Led
Zeppelin.
1970's
The 1970's followed the pattern of the prior two decades -- a very quiet
first half of the decade and a tumultuous second half. From 1975
through 1979, there was a mirror ball looking over everyone's shoulder as
the disco era stormed onto the charts. Groups like the Bee Gees dominated
the charts, as they became the first group to score six consecutive #1
singles. Artists such as Donna Summer and an emerging new young vocalist by
the name of Madonna also became internationally known.
1980's
The 1980's ended the reign of disco as the Big 80's sound of such groups
as Tears for Fears, Mister Mister, and Duran Duran took hold. The second
British invasion, as it was known, saw a return to heavily produced songs.
Dance music was just as popular as ever, but the latter part of the decade
also belonged to Metal Bands such as Bon Jovi, and Metallica.
1990's
The 1990's gave birth to alternative rock bands such as Green Day,
the Gin Blossoms,
and Toad the Wet Sprocket. The decade also saw rap take hold as an emerging
force in popular music. The latter part of the decade saw a return to
pop as the boy bands, the Backstreet Boys, N Synch, and 98 degrees, saw
enormous popularity. The same could be said for several other
emerging artists, Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
2000's
The 2000s solidified rap as a mainstream music. Artists such as
Nelly, JaRule, and Eminem had numerous hits in the early part of the
decade. The latter part of the decade saw artists such as Akon, Beyonce,
Rihanna, and
Justin Timberlake assert themselves as leaders on the music scene.
