Punk And Disco
The characteristics of any musical genre are affected by the mood of the times in which it develops. This was definitely the case for developments in popular music by the mid 1970s. The preceding decade from the mid 1960s had been a time of hope in which it seemed that the efforts of the peace and civil rights movements would change the world. They had done so, but only to an extent, and by the mid-70s there was a feeling that the world had lost its way. This feeling was compounded by factors such as economic stagnation coming at the end of the long post-war boom, an energy crisis, and the rise of international terrorism. The sense that one could change the world was supplanted by a grudging acceptance that things were just the way they were and the best thing to do was just get on with your own life. In the mid to late 70s this disposition was expressed (in rather different ways) by both punk and disco.
Punk evolved from rock music practiced in garages and inspired by acts from The Troggs to MC5. It became a genre characterized by derision towards both the establishment and to those who held any hope of changing the establishment. It had a participatory ethic in that bands played live in very close quarters with audiences and its back to basics approach to music meant that a fan one week could become a musician the next. Key punk bands included The Stooges, The New York Dolls, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, X-Ray Spex, Generation X, Dead Kennedys and The Angels.
By circa 1980 the punk movement was fading but its impact on other genres was significant. It contributed to the development of hardcore. It also had an impact on the music of some major acts in the post-punk era with bands like U2, REM, and Midnight Oil focusing more on the emotional impact of a song than in the technical aspects of its delivery (these bands themselves would have an impact on contemporary rock). There was even a punk revival in the 1990s with bands like Green Day and The Living End.
Disco evolved from soul music crafted in studios and inspired by acts from Marvin Gaye to Isaac Hayes. It became a genre characterized by a wilful dismissal of the problems of the world and a desire to simply immerse oneself in fleeting gratification. It also had a participatory ethic in that the focus of all activity was the dance floor – by dancing well fans became artists in their own right. Key disco acts included The Three Degrees, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Donna Summer, The Village People, The Bee Gees, KC And The Sunshine Band, Boney M and Hot Chocolate.
By circa 1980 the disco craze was fading but its impact on other genres was significant. It contributed to the development of hip-hop. It also had an impact on the music of some major acts in the post-disco era with artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna and George Michael emphasizing danceability in their music (these acts themselves would have an impact on contemporary soul acts). There was even a disco revival in the 1990s with artists like Kym Mazelle and Stars On 54.
There was much animosity between the fans of punk and disco but both genres were a product of the same era. In responding to a difficult world punk was nihilistic while disco was hedonistic. Both rejected the focus on complexity of the progressive supergroups. Both began as grassroots movements rather than corporate products. Both were populated by members of marginalized groups whether defined by class, race or sexuality. And both became successful for a time. In circa 1980 some acts started to blend elements of both punk and disco together. The name given by the music industry to this trend was ‘New Wave’.
New Wave acts blended the attitude of punk with the infectiousness of disco. This combination proved successful and acts of this kind included Blondie, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, The Divinyls, The Police, Elvis Costello, Devo, The B52s, and The Power Station. They produced popular music that was nevertheless quirky and even subversive. They could poke fun at the world while still having fun themselves. The New Wave fad was rather short-lived but many New Wave acts went onto populate the ranks of other genres like pop. One could also argue that some bands since the 1990s have characteristics in common with New Wave acts (consider Garbage and No Doubt).
Punk evolved from rock music practiced in garages and inspired by acts from The Troggs to MC5. It became a genre characterized by derision towards both the establishment and to those who held any hope of changing the establishment. It had a participatory ethic in that bands played live in very close quarters with audiences and its back to basics approach to music meant that a fan one week could become a musician the next. Key punk bands included The Stooges, The New York Dolls, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, X-Ray Spex, Generation X, Dead Kennedys and The Angels.
By circa 1980 the punk movement was fading but its impact on other genres was significant. It contributed to the development of hardcore. It also had an impact on the music of some major acts in the post-punk era with bands like U2, REM, and Midnight Oil focusing more on the emotional impact of a song than in the technical aspects of its delivery (these bands themselves would have an impact on contemporary rock). There was even a punk revival in the 1990s with bands like Green Day and The Living End.
Disco evolved from soul music crafted in studios and inspired by acts from Marvin Gaye to Isaac Hayes. It became a genre characterized by a wilful dismissal of the problems of the world and a desire to simply immerse oneself in fleeting gratification. It also had a participatory ethic in that the focus of all activity was the dance floor – by dancing well fans became artists in their own right. Key disco acts included The Three Degrees, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Donna Summer, The Village People, The Bee Gees, KC And The Sunshine Band, Boney M and Hot Chocolate.
By circa 1980 the disco craze was fading but its impact on other genres was significant. It contributed to the development of hip-hop. It also had an impact on the music of some major acts in the post-disco era with artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna and George Michael emphasizing danceability in their music (these acts themselves would have an impact on contemporary soul acts). There was even a disco revival in the 1990s with artists like Kym Mazelle and Stars On 54.
There was much animosity between the fans of punk and disco but both genres were a product of the same era. In responding to a difficult world punk was nihilistic while disco was hedonistic. Both rejected the focus on complexity of the progressive supergroups. Both began as grassroots movements rather than corporate products. Both were populated by members of marginalized groups whether defined by class, race or sexuality. And both became successful for a time. In circa 1980 some acts started to blend elements of both punk and disco together. The name given by the music industry to this trend was ‘New Wave’.
New Wave acts blended the attitude of punk with the infectiousness of disco. This combination proved successful and acts of this kind included Blondie, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, The Divinyls, The Police, Elvis Costello, Devo, The B52s, and The Power Station. They produced popular music that was nevertheless quirky and even subversive. They could poke fun at the world while still having fun themselves. The New Wave fad was rather short-lived but many New Wave acts went onto populate the ranks of other genres like pop. One could also argue that some bands since the 1990s have characteristics in common with New Wave acts (consider Garbage and No Doubt).
posted by Dan at 22.2.06
<< Home