Popular Music: Then and Now

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 11/30/04 at 8:51am

I am reading a book on the song "White Christmas" and how much of an impact it has had on American society. I was reading how before the "time between the wars" popular music was seen as fodder for the masses but in the area between the wars popular music and classical enthusiasts merged together to embrace the music of Bernstein, Berlin, and all the other musicians of that era. I was thinking about it and popular music and the more artistic or classical music (trying to search for a better word but can't think of one) have diverged. I think it hapened more with the advent of rock and roll, but there is this distinct chasm between the two types. Can anyone elaborate on why this happened? I am just really curious because I love most of what came out of that time and was wondering if anyone knew why musical tastes grew apart again.

Updated On: 11/30/04 at 08:51 AM

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 1:09am

I stumped the boa-oard! I stumped the boa-oard! Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah!

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 1:43am

Is the book you're reading by Jody Rosen?

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 2:16am

Yep!

[JBGolightly]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 2:17am

I think that it may have had to do with an urge to listen to music as different as possible from that which their parents listened to.

After "the war" teenagers stopped being able to relate to the "old type" of music.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 2:33am

Rock on, I own that book, it's actually right next to me on my shelf.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:54am

Berlin wrote 'On the Metro' before World War 2? God, I always thought that was an 80's song!

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:27am

I thought I'd bring this back up.

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:34pm

I agree with JB -- There was a need to separate what youth listened to and what their parents were listening to. Remember, jitterbugging and jive in the 1940s were for the youth and their parents were rolling their eyes. Youth in the 1940s enjoyed Frank Sinatra while their parents had adored Bing Crosby in the 1930s ...and the 1950 generation turned to Elvis Presley.

For a long time there was a merge of tastes in pop culture. A typical Ed Sulivan Show would have a rock group like The Rolling Stones, a singer like Kate Smith and a cast of a Broadway musical all on one show -- and the whole family sat down and watched. Something for everyone...

As a side note, I recall seeing That's Entertainment Part III and remember that when they got to the end of the film and were discussing rock-n-roll's influence on the movie musical it was the first time in the movie that I could not understand/ discern the lyric to the song. I thought - wow, what a change.