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Are the Beatles the reason why modern music exists

I believe that the Beatles are the reason why modern music exists. The album that ushered in modern music was "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Although I consider it maybe their 4th best album, this is the one(One person said it was the Rolling Stones, but do you remember what their equivalent album was? It was called "Satanic Majik Mysteries", or some such{you had to be there}.) It definitely wasn't Elvis. Although good, Elvis was not the innovation that allowed modern music. One interesting thing is to ask youngsters what the Beatles' "White Album" is.
mmakshak
aldavis
202 posts
 
Louis Armstrong is the reason "modern music " exists. He and other early Louisiana jazz pioneers were the first to perform the solo instumental displaying extemporanious virtuosity. This is the basis for every guitar riff not strictly playing the melody and every "jam" session. Vocaly he invented "modern" pop (pun intended) singing. Every singer since (ella,Billy etc.)owes a debt to his phrasing and presentation. Prior to this it was choral singing or very,very bad pop singing. Later this jazz/blues style mixed with delta blues sounds like Sun House and Muddy Waters . This lead to people like Little Richard and the folks at Chess records which the Rolling Stones copied(stole) and the other modern pop groups which leaned heavily upon. So the Beatles used Louis's inventions with the deltas rythms and "whitened" them up a bit with pleasant harmonies for the mostly white pop audiences which created a sometimes very good "candied" version of some very seriously soulful roots. - Jim
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dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Yes, hats off to Aldavis. But I would add that there where other artists in the south, Robert Johnson for ex. and folks we'll never hear of, that contributed to the blues. The blues had two off-spring, jazz and rock 'n roll. Most of the British rock 'n rollers gave due praise to music that was comin from the mid-west Mississippi region. To carry that further, most of the Chicago artist were from or influenced by the black culture of the southern US. The blues, in my opinion, is where all modern popular music starts. The blues, started from poor, uneducated, untrained, folk teaching themselves how to play an instrument and express how they felt about their lot in life. Even country music has to tip a hat to the blues.
yioryos's avatar
yioryos
723 posts
 
WOW
Now I am in the know,as a tribute,I will go and get me some gold teeth.
aldavis
202 posts
 
It is impossible to condense this subject into a forum like this. Too many important people will be left out. I agree with Dan_ed that Robert Johnson deserves mention. To expand this a little further it is also important to mention Jelly Roll Morton. He claims to have invented the 4/4 signature upon which Jazz/Blues/Rock are based. This is obviously not verifiable but on his smithsonian recordings it's pretty cool to hear him tapping out 4/4 with his feet. Also, as an aside, while it's true that most early Jazz performers were largely self taught and poor there was the important influence of the Creoles who had real classical training. For diverse modern echos of all this check out 1956 Evis, any early Stones, and Led Zepplin 1. Each one DIRECTLY "borrows" from the melding of early jazz/blues pioneers and the progression through modern blues masters. - Jim
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