Early 1900s
Written by NETTA ANTONIO
Album: Ella and Louis Again
Artist: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
As one of the greatest musical teams in the Jazz Age, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong combined to create three albums together in two years.
Their second collaboration, Ella and Louis Again, showcases some of the finest musical hits of the era.
The Gershwin Brothers’, “Our love is here to stay”, is a standout on Fitzgerald’s scatting ability, while Vernon Duke’s, “Autumn in New York”, has a mellow ode to the trumpet.
With a smooth mix of Armstrong’s gravelly voice and Fitzgerald’s pure tones, the pair creates a perfect companion to a relaxing afternoon.
Artists of the pre 50s: Bing Crosby & Elvis Presley
The early 20th century was a combination of jazz, swing and Rock n Roll, with singers crooning their way to fame.
Bing Crosby shot to stardom through musicals and became the most successful recording artist of the 30s and 40s.
The Baritone produced 383 chart singles and won the first Grammy for Global Achievement in 1963.
In the 1950s, no one had a bigger impact than Elvis – the King enjoying 12 Number One hits in the decade alone.
Combining blues and country with his charismatic vocals, Presley broke down racial barriers and helped create a music revolution.
1980-1990
Written by STACEY CANAVAN
Album: Thriller
Artist: Michael Jackson
The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, started out singing alongside his brothers in the band, The Jackson 5, before persuing a solo career as a singer, songwriter and dancer. In 1982 MJ released the bestselling album of all time, Thriller.
The Thriller album contained the well-known songs Wanna Be Startin’ Something, Baby be Mine, The Girl is Mine, Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature, P.T.Y (Pretty young thing), and The Lady in my Life.
The album contained songs that were Pop, R&B, Rock and Post-disco. It was ranked number 20 on the Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of all time. The videos for Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller became so popular and helped bring the television channel, MTV, to fame.
The era
This decade saw the birth of pop music; the king and queen of pop were reinvented. During this era there were also various forms of rock music and the introduction of hip hop and rap.
The 1980’s welcomed the birth of Madonna and Michael Jackson whose fame began to rise significantly through the years.
The charts were ruled with artists whose success was worldwide: Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, Prince and Janet Jackson. These artists are still recognised for their fame and success today.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop, Madonna Louise Ciccone, is a recording artist and entrepreneur. She’s well known for her pop and dance style music. She dropped out of College to study with the Alvin Ailey School to work toward a career as a dancer.
Sire Records signed Madonna in 1982 and throughout her career many of her songs have hit number one on the charts including Papa Don’t Preach, Vogue, Like a Prayer, Frozen, Like a Virgin, Music, Hung Up and 4 Minutes. Her first single, Everybody, hit number three on the dance charts.
The accomplished album of her career was Like a Prayer, featuring Like a Prayer and Express Yourself, the biggest hits of her career. She won three Grammy Awards for Ray of Light and in 2004 she reinvented herself by releasing her single, 4 Minutes, alongside Justin Timberlake.
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