How Did Motown Influence White Culture
Motown’s Influence on White Culture When the 1960’s are mentioned many things come to mind. The Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, Kennedy’s assassination, the Space Race, and the Vietnam War as well as many others. The 60’s were full of ups and downs and was a very eventful. During this time segregation was starting to break down, and new forms of art and music broke through the barrier. Young people began to go against the traditional values that their parents had. The 1960’s was a time of change for the better. Motown influenced white culture greatly through the founding of the company, its style of music, the crossover between cultures, and its participation in certain movements. First, Motown’s founding and overall business …show more content…
During the time of Motown the way music was marketed was different. Music most often made for, and marketed towards white people, was considered pop music. Music marketed towards black people were considered R&B or “race” music. This created a large cultural divide between white and black listeners due to not many listening to both styles, but conforming to their racial type. Berry Gordy changed this racial barrier to make it accessible for people of all color, and making it appealing and enjoyable. Marian Smith Holmes said, “Motown combined elements of blues, gospel, swing, and pop with a thumping backbeat for a new dance music that was instantly recognizable” (Smithsonian.com). The creation of what would become known as the “Motown sound” led to a whole new style of music that could only truly be classified as the motown sound. This music was a mixture of a little bit of everything, so it gave everyone an excuse to listen to it. This style of music made a way for white people to better understand black culture and to be able to adjust to it. Due to this change in the knowledge that white people knew, it led to a way for them to socialize and accept black people easier. The Motown sound gave them a conversation topic that the two races could easily discuss. The Motown sound helped lead to young generation out of segregation and towards
Berry Gordy And Motown's Accomplishments
444 Words | 2 PagesHe was an entrepreneur, teacher, and business owner. He was determined and that is what made him successful. Motown started having No.1 songs everywhere. Motown helped the blacks become broader to the world by showing the whites that they can do something big and have it be a hit. That is when the civil rights movement began(Motown story).
Berry Gordy's Accomplishments
803 Words | 4 Pages“Berry believed that if fans were coming to Motown’s music through buying records, they’d come out in crowds to experience the music performed in front of them.” However, when the tour motorcade pulled up to their southern venues, they were met with signs that excluded African Americans. In the north, tensions lightened and the Revue was well received at black clubs, called “the chitlin circuit.” Chiltlins refer to the intestines of a hog, which degraded the performers and club-goers.
Motown Research Paper
589 Words | 3 PagesIt was the largest African-American owned record company, and business of the time and the most successful. Motown’s story of success is also the Story of civil rights in the 60’s spearheading the movement with its music. Just as Jackie Robinson tore down racial barriers for baseball, the popularity and wide acceptance of Motown music did the same in the music industry. Motown was most recognizable by the sound of its music, a blend of pop instrumentals, jazz and african american gospel. The fast pace beat and positive tone of the lyrics made it popular with the younger audiences, such as teens and adolescents across the nation, giving them a sound to dance and party too.
Motown Research Papers
1230 Words | 5 PagesFor Motown: The Musical not only was it meant to be entertaining, it was also a type of history lesson. For starters, throughout the performance, I at least recognized almost every song, many being able to sing along to. However, there were few songs I could tell you when they were written or by who. With the overwhelming presence of remakes and covers by younger, more “current” celebrities, the history of each song is lost and the lyrics, and occasionally the melodies, are all that remain. This musical brought that history to life, bringing back the original versions of each of these iconic songs.
Motown Research Papers
1007 Words | 5 PagesAlthough, Motown did not have an impact that was obvious like Dr. King or Malcolm X, Motown still played a part. After the death of Dr. King, it was time to step the game up. It was a new rising in the black movement. Instead of the “pleasing the white people” strategy that Berry Gordy set out, his artist began to embrace their blackness. The artists began to embrace their afros and original southern language.
Motown Research Paper
1489 Words | 6 PagesThose who were once dominating the charts began to fall. According to Peter Grendysa, one of America’s leading R&B historians, “For the first time, a bunch of new acts on new labels began to dominate the R&B tallies at the same time black artists were vanishing from Pop charts” (qtd. in Bjorn and Gallert 170). Labels during this time period were focused on creating names for white artists such as Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly.
The 1960s: Gender Roles And Race Relations
273 Words | 2 PagesThe 1960s brought along important and beneficial changes to America, especially changes regarding gender roles and race relations. Even after World War II and the increasing tensions between the United States and Russia and Vietnam, America’s culture was changing faster than before. During the 1960s, gender roles changed for the better and race relations improved significantly. The role of women in the 1960s changed after centuries of little to no freedom. However, women gained freedom during World War II and a sense of equality between the genders grew throughout the late 1900s.
Motown Research Papers
826 Words | 4 PagesIn the midst of the civil rights movement, motown music brought people together in spite of the racial issues going on at the time (The Sound That Changed America). Motown gave way for social and racial equality in music and, as Craig Werner said, “Motown is the foundation of rock and roll, even more than the Beatles and Elvis” (Provenzano, The magic of Motown). Motown had a large part in the civil right movement by desegregating music and demonstrating how obtainable dreams are no matter the color of your skin, while proving to the skeptics and cynics that anyone can make music. In addition, from Berry Gordy’s experience at Lincoln-Mercury, he set up a system at Motown called Quality Control, in order to ensure only top product would be released (The Sound That Changed America). In 1968, Motown had five records out of the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and accomplished another unprecedented feat by seizing the top three spots for a full month (The Sound That Changed America).
How Did Motown Influence The Civil Rights Movement
972 Words | 4 PagesMotown was a transformative sound that arrived just at the height of the civil rights movement. Such success coming from a black business and black artists forced the rest of America to reexamine their racial prejudices that they still clung to. It seemed that it’s founder, Berry Gordy, knew from the start that Motown was something special when he hung a sign that read “Hitsville USA” above the recording studio’s headquarters. The success was almost instant for most Motown artists with song after song becoming number one hits on major music charts. However, the success was not easy, as it took strenuous amounts of work to mold the artist’s looks and sounds into something that would popularize them among the white population.
Motown Research Paper
221 Words | 1 PagesMotown's impact on American culture cannot be overstated. Motown's music was a unifying
How Did The Vietnam War Affect Australia In The 1960s
668 Words | 3 PagesThe years of the 1950s and 60s was a time where many hardships occurred as global tension was high and as a result many wars occurred as well as movements. The historical issues and events of the fifties and sixties was often propelled by popular culture through art and media such as television, paintings and music. The civil rights movement succeeded in bringing equal rights to the African American population within the United States in a peaceful manner thanks to meaningful art forms. The Vietnam War was widely seen as a controversial conflict and opened insight to Australians as to what was actually happening through music and television which in turn swayed the public opinion of Australia’s involvement with the war.
The Similarities And Similarities Between The 1960s And The 2000s
790 Words | 4 PagesIn this essay, we will be telling you the differences and similarities between the 1960s and the 2000s. The year 1969 was 49 years ago but that does not mean that it was forgotten, some of the things in the 1960s are still here today in 2018. Some of the activities we will be comparing is economy, president 's, education, jobs, celebrities, dances, entertainment, and music. All of this has changed overtime but are still relevant to this modern day. The 60s has had a lot of changes since the 2000s, some of the things we learned about the 60s is that for teeagers they had a lot more opportunities to work over the summer.
Josephine Baker Influence On African American Dance
540 Words | 3 PagesSmokey Robinson said: “I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands” This shows the increasing respect for African American
Hair In The Sixties
1102 Words | 5 PagesThe ‘60s were a decade of bright colors and new trends. Hair and makeup got brighter, and shoes and accessories matched outfits! Style change from strict and conforming to free and expressive. It was a time for a total fashion transformation.
Motown's Role In The Civil Rights Movement
922 Words | 4 PagesThe artists attracted white people to their music which was only a step in the movement of whites starting to accept blacks in their communities. Berry Gordy made sure his artists were presentable and that their music would sell to the majority of the population. Whites started listening to Motown’s artists in their homes which helped with the acceptance because whites wanted to see these artists and actually listen to them even though they were black. “Gordy’s self-made ‘rags to riches’ story is a positive example among the usual bleak and unjust stories of African-Americans”(Motown). Berry Gordy used his label for not only music but for his community, he didn’t only care about the money he cared about others.
More about How Did Motown Influence White Culture
Berry Gordy And Motown's Accomplishments
444 Words | 2 PagesBerry Gordy's Accomplishments
803 Words | 4 PagesMotown Research Paper
589 Words | 3 PagesMotown Research Papers
1230 Words | 5 PagesMotown Research Papers
1007 Words | 5 PagesMotown Research Paper
1489 Words | 6 PagesThe 1960s: Gender Roles And Race Relations
273 Words | 2 PagesMotown Research Papers
826 Words | 4 PagesHow Did Motown Influence The Civil Rights Movement
972 Words | 4 PagesMotown Research Paper
221 Words | 1 PagesHow Did The Vietnam War Affect Australia In The 1960s
668 Words | 3 PagesThe Similarities And Similarities Between The 1960s And The 2000s
790 Words | 4 PagesJosephine Baker Influence On African American Dance
540 Words | 3 PagesHair In The Sixties
1102 Words | 5 PagesMotown's Role In The Civil Rights Movement
922 Words | 4 Pages