What are "Oldies"?

The term, "oldies," refers to both popular music from the 1950s-1970s and the radio format that specializes in this type of music. "Golden oldies" usually refers to oldies music exclusively from the 1950s-early 1960s. Oldies songs are typically from the R&B, pop and rock music genres but may also include country, movie soundtrack, novelty, and other types of popular music played on the radio from around 1950-on. Pop music genres that had their heyday before the 1950s (e.g., ragtime, big band) are generally considered "too old" to be included in the oldies radio format. Oldies music radio stations, which typically feature bands and artists such as (to name a few) Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Pat Boone, Sam Cooke, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Rascals, the Association, the Temptations, the Who, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac, cover a wide variety of styles including early rock and roll, rockabilly, doo-wop, surf rock, girl groups, the British Invasion, folk rock, psychedelic rock, baroque pop, soul music, Motown, and bubblegum pop. Oldies music also overlaps with classic rock which focuses on the rock music of the late 1960s and 1970s as well as newer music in a similar style.

The phrase, "oldies but goodies," was first coined in 1957 by renowned deejay Art Laboe who, at around that time, used to get frequent requests from his listeners for songs from the early 1950s. A central figure in L.A. radio for over half a century, Laboe was the first deejay to play rock and roll on the West Coast and one of the first to play black and white artists on the same show. In 1959, he put together the first LP to feature (mostly older) songs by different artists. This immensely popular compilation album, entitled "Oldies But Goodies," stayed on Billboard's Top 100 LP's chart for over three years and has, to date, spawned some 14 sequels.

Soon after the release of Laboe's first "Oldies But Goodies" album, the phrase, "oldies but goodies," became commonplace and by around 1960, people were waxing nostalgic for 1950s doo-wop which was already starting to be classified as "oldies." Little Caesar And The Romans' 1961 hit, "Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)" and its sequel, "Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies," both pay homage to early doo-wop and doo-wop artists. This wave of nostalgia brought about a doo-wop revival in the early 1960s which was the first of many nostalgia movements in pop music since the term, "oldies," was first applied to older pop music.

While "golden oldies" has remained a constant over the years, the larger body of pop music that we still call "oldies" today - which is made up of core golden oldies songs plus more modern material - is not fixed but has been gradually expanding forward in time to keep up with changing demographics. Nowadays, oldies music is generally considered to include all of the 1970s, even disco, and the same is expected to be true someday for the music of the 1980s, now often described as "retro." Oldies music is also expanding in breadth as thousands of long-forgotten tunes from the 1950s and 1960s that never made the Top 40 in their day are being rediscovered and resurrected. Whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, or a genuine love for good music, the oldies format has maintained a huge following and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Works Cited:

Gold, Amy. "Oldies Music-Definitions and History." 2005. 24 June 2009<http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/free-content-articles/oldies-music-definitions-and-history.html>

History of Hi-Fi Music Players and Media

Before MP3s, compact discs, and even cassette tapes, there was hi-fi. “High fidelity” is a term given to a high-quality reproduction of sounds or images. Hi-fi technology was the most popular during the 1960s and 1970s however; the background of hi-fi technology began in the 1920s. It began with the production of microphones and other electronic amplification devices.

Technology has come a long way, from a reel-to-reel machine that basically used a magnetic recording tape to long playing records and finally to compact discs and MP3s. With the affordability of digital quality sound, you can enjoy surround sound and other capabilities from the comfort of your own home. Though many people now prefer digital quality reproductions, others still stand by the quality produced by the earlier methods of reel-to-reel and vinyl LPs. Ideally, the method of high-quality recording you choose to enjoy is a matter of individual preference.

Works Cited:

"The People History."www.thepeoplehistory.com. 24 June 2009 <http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/hifi.html>

Evolution of the Treble & Bass Clef

Evolution of the Treble Clef:
In early written music (before 1750) the treble clef could be found drawn on different lines of the staff. G on the first line was known as "French style". on the second line it was known as "Italian style". The practice of having a variety of clef positions in old music came from a desire to avoid ledger lines.

Evolution of the Bass Clef:
The bass clef evolved from the letter "F".
It establishes the note "F" on the fourth line of the staff.

Works Cited:

"Learning Activity 6"www.cybermusicacadamy.org.24 june 2009

An interesting question arises as new advances come about in the music industry. Since there are so many technological opportunities as far as recording goes, are people making less music? Things are changing and today people are unaware of how privileged we are to have such easy access to music. Yes people were more dependent on music in the past, today it is everywhere. This link will take you to a video of an interview with Professor Anthony Seager and he brings up some interesting points in regards to this question.

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/did+more+people+make+music+in+the+past

Music technology from past to present

As we are all becoming more aware, we are spoiled today when it comes to being able to click a button and hear the song we just heard on the radio. But during the 1800's and before, everything was performed live and that was the only way we got to hear music. Since then, with the help of Thomas Edison and his phonograph, analog recording came about and remained popular for many years. Until digital recording was introduced in the 1980's." Tape can also have multiple tracks. Multiple track recording can record individual tracks of sound (such as drums, guitar, voice, etc) on one tape. These tracks are later mixed which is adjusting the levels of individual tracks to make a master tape. Adding effects such as, delay, echo, flanging, and phasing was also found to be possible with tape recordings.

The cassette tape, released in 1964, displaced the LP record. This medium [HL4] was available in most homes, cars, and in portable devices like the Sony Walkman. Also, the availability and functionality of tape recording devices helped in the success of the cassette tape."

After the cassette tape lost its popularity with the invention of the CD in the 1980's, music technology continued to change from there. Although CD's today are still rather popular, the i-pod is slowly taking over.

As we are all aware, music has come a long way since the first violins and cellos and the like. Technology has then advanced to record player and being able to record music. This video is a brief but effective visual of how fast musical technology has evolved.

The Role of Music in Society

Music has almost been around as long as we have and ever since then it has been affecting society. However, society affects the music that we listen to as well. As quoted in this particular website, "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Music has been that way in the past, and actually not much has changed since then. "Music reflects and creates social conditions – including the factors that either facilitate or impede social change. The development of recording techniques in the latter half of the 20th century has revolutionized the extent to which most people have access to music." So while back in the days before the technological advances such as recording were around, music was more difficult to access so it was more appreciated. "It is powerful at the level of the social group because it facilitates communication which goes beyond words, enables meanings to be shared, and promotes the development and maintenance of individual, group, cultural and national identities. It is powerful at the individual level because it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive and behavioral. Few other stimuli have effects on such a wide range of human functions." So music can be very relaxing, therapeutic, but also unpredictable. Every person perceives music differently. So in conclusion, the way music affected society in the past and vice versa is relatively the same today. While technology advances, the affect music has on us is still the same.