Listening to the History of Popular Music

Anonymous · 2013-08-19T01:24:10-04:00

EDIT: The original post is quoted at the bottom, but the project has evolved substantially, so I want to provide updated information. I am adding lists of historical albums to this thread as I move forward in time, soliciting for suggestions each time. Here's a rough description of the factors I consider when making my initial lists. I'm happy to discuss/refine any of these further. 1) Influence on future musicians - If there were an easy way to measure this directly, it would be the primary factor I consider. Unfortunately, I have to settle for proxies, like critical acclaim. For general critical acclaim, I use Acclaimed Music, but I put extra weight on reviews from high-profile and influential publications, like the Penguin Guide to Jazz, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork. The Grammy Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are also major resources, since their criteria for inclusion are very similar to my own. If you have other suggestions for resources, particularly for underrepresented genres, let me know. 2) Major landmarks - This will usually focus around "firsts" or low-profile artists that turned out to be important precursors to later movements (e.g., the Sonics, the Eden Abhaz). For example, in 1966, I included the "first" album to refer to itself as psychedelic. For the most prominent artists, like Bob Dylan or the Beach Boys, I'll sometimes include landmarks within their individual careers. As an example, Another Side of Bob Dylan is an important transitional album in his career, despite not garnering as much acclaim as many of his other albums. 3) Representative recordings - Unfortunately, many of the most historically important artists weren't focused on constructing "great" albums, especially prior to the late 1960s. When this is the case, I will include albums on the list as "representative recordings" from these artists. James Brown is a good example. Live at the Apollo is widely acclaimed, but most of his other albums barely register on the critical radar. It would be a shame if the Godfather of Soul was only represented by one album, however, so I occasionally mix in one of his albums to track his development. Here's a link to my personal listening list, which is color-coded by genre and frequently being updated: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l44QaUDS85RzX7qt-Cer9ITYQdQp4RilskxOZ33YykY/edit Some quick links to year lists: 1950-1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 My wife and I recently set out on a quest to explore the history of recorded popular music, with an emphasis on American-made music. Does anyone have suggestions for good recordings from before 1940 The LP didn't exist back then, so most of what we've been listening to are collections of singles or live recordings. Here's what we listened to so far (updated periodically): 1920s and 1930s Jazz ------ Louis Armstrong and the Hot Five (complete recordings) Duke Ellington (collection of early works) Fats Waller (greatest hits collections) Billie Holiday (collection of early live recordings) Fletcher Henderson (collections of early recordings) King Oliver (collections) Raymond Scott (Reckless Nights) Country ----------- Carter Family (collection of early recordings) Jimmie Rodgers (various collections) Texas Playboys (live recordings) Roy Acuff (anthology) Big Band/Swing ------------------ Cab Calloway (Live at the Cotton Club) Benny Goodman (1938 Carnegie Hall concert) Django Reinhardt (early recordings) Blues -------- Charley Patton (various collections) Robert Johnson (various collections) Blind Lemon Jefferson (various collections) Bessie Smith (various collections) Blind Willie Johnson (various collections) Lead Belly (Lomax recordings) Mississippi John Hurt (early recordings) Blind Willie McTell (early recordings) Big Bill Broonzy (various collections) Calypso --------- Various Artists (Calypsos From Trinidad: Politics, Intrigue and Violence in the 1930s) 1940s Jazz ----- Duke Ellington (never no lament) Dizzy Gillespie (RCA Victor Recordings) Albert Ammons (boogie woogie) Ella Fitzgerald (Anthology 2) Charlie Parker (Bird & Diz) Nat King Cole Trio (Complete Capitol) Billie Holiday (mid-period anthology) Country --------- Bill Monroe (Essential Bill Monroe) Hank Williams (early singles) Folk ----- Woody Guthrie (Dust Bowl Ballads) Almanac Singers (Talking Union) Big Band/Swing ------------------ Louis Jordan and Tympany Five (vols. 1 &2) Glenn Miller (ultimate, vol. 1) Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra (complete) Gospel --------- Mahalia Jackson (classic years, vol. 1) Rosetta Tharpe (The Lonesome Road) Experimental --------------- Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry (Symphonie pour un homme seul)

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Some 1971 recommendations that I can't see on your list: