28 Sep 2019

September 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part VII

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Welcome to the 1970s. Well kinda. Yep, here we are yet again, with the 7^th article in the current series of musical discovery, focusing on the delightful ‘Seventies’. As is often the case with monumental projects, the amount of work involved has been colossal and the amount of information has been considerable. The scale alone has meant that compressing it all into logical and manageable chunks has proved somewhat of a challenge. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it has been the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that have proved to be the most eventful and remarkable. This month’s article focuses on the unpredictable 1970s as it follows on from the previous two tumultuous decades.

If you would like to (re)visit the first four parts (and over 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

In terms of this article as part of the overall series, the 1970s has, by far, more content than any other single decade. While it is inherently fascinating, it makes for quite a hefty read (over 300 facts this month)… so be prepared and apologies.

The Story of Modern Music Part VII 1970-1979

The so-called ‘golden era’ of music (1950s-1970s inclusive) was characterised by major seismic musical movements. The 1950s saw rock ‘n’ roll burst onto the scene, the 1960s saw the fan hysteria of the ‘British Invasion’ followed by heady idealism of hippie flower power full of peace & love, while the 1970s heralded a very different form of youth rebelliousness, veritably bristling with vigorous nihilistic punk attitude.

Gone was the positivity and optimism to be replaced with disaffection distrust and deeply seated urban angst. Instead of striving for some sort of wistful, unobtainable utopia, the desperate pursuit for a grimy dystopian anarchy became almost an end in itself. The zeitgeist of warts‑and‑all realism was striking back.

The 1970s would ultimately descend into gritty and chaotic demands for change without a clear idea of what outcome the disillusioned generation was rebelling for or against. In many respects, it didn’t matter as the alienated youth voice was seen as irrelevant to detached and remote institutions who weren’t listening and, worse, seemed not to care.

As social provocateur Malcolm McLaren proclaimed, “What matters is this: Being fearless of failure arms you to break the rules. In doing so, you may change the culture and just possibly, for a moment, change life itself.” He went on to comment, “I always said punk was an attitude. It was never about having a Mohican haircut or wearing a ripped T-shirt. It was all about destruction, and the creative potential within that.”

Civilisation wasn’t really breaking down of course and not everything was tainted by dismal doom and gloom. However, western societies were being tested and forced to adapt to a darker, more uncertain, complex and ambiguous new world.

Historical Context 1970-1979

The self-indulgent 1970s was described as the ‘Me Decade’ (coined by writer Tom Wolfe), with a move away from the model of social collectivism (communities) to individualism (self). To many, the ‘70s may well be remembered as a caricature of kitsch, a gaudy facsimile of 1960s’ sybaritic, exuberant excess. While not devoid of conflict and warfare, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, the world was slowly becoming accustomed to a period of extended and stable peace around the globe. Even the tension of the Cold War became a continuous mutual standoff. Progressive political, cultural and social change that began in the 1960s continued, including the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement, enabling greater social mobility for many. The ever‑more liberal ‘permissive society’ was well under way representing a crucial stage in that generation’s struggle for greater individual freedom and equality. Technology was developing at a rapid pace, providing much greater work, leisure and recreational opportunities for people in their everyday lives. However, a number of disruptive economic and political events began to destabilise a long period of post‑war economic expansion. Widespread social discontent and a rejection of a stagnant status quo resulted in widespread riots, protests, labour strikes, direct action and hints of anarchy, culminating in the UK with the infamous ‘winter of discontent’.

Year	Global Events
1970	Manned moon mission Apollo 13 narrowly avoided tragedy after an emergency in space, ultimately returning all 3 astronauts safely to Earth. After being signed in 1968, 43 nations ratified The Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, intended to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and promote co‑operation on the peaceful use of nuclear power.
1971	The phenomenally successful coffee empire, the Starbucks Corporation, was founded in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The massive Aswan High Dam across the River Nile in Egypt was opened. The project had required moving the ancient Egyptian temples of Ramses at Abu Simbel (in 1964) above the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
1972	The first commercial video game, Pong was released by Atari. The classic gangster movie, ‘The Godfather’, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando was released. Britain imposed direct rule over Northern Ireland following the so‑called ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre. A Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members and a German police officer at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. Apollo 17 became the last moon landing (to‑date) where humans have walked on the surface of the Moon.
1973	The United Kingdom joined the expanding European Economic Community (EEC). The seminal and controversial ‘horror’ movie about faith, ‘The Exorcist’ was released, directed by Willian Friedkin and starring Linda Blair. A global oil crisis was triggered by OPEC, the confederation of Arab oil producing nations, which imposed an embargo on oil exports to countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War, also known as the Arab-Israeli War. The famous Spanish artist and co‑founder of the Cubist movement, Pablo Picasso died at the age of 91.
1974	American President Richard Nixon resigned from office following the Watergate scandal, to be succeeded by Gerald Ford as the 38^th U.S. president. The popular 3-D combination puzzle Rubik’s Cube was invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture, Ernő Rubik. The ubiquitous Bar Code was introduced. It was notable because it was the first standardised method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.
1975	America finally pulled out of the Vietnam War after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the formal reunification of north and south Vietnam. An historic joint American/Russian Apollo and Soyuz space mission took place in Earth orbit. It was the first time that spacecraft from different nations docked in space. Widely recognised as the first modern summer blockbuster film, ‘Jaws’ was released, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Peter Benchley published in 1974. American technology innovators, Bill Gates and Paul Allen co‑founded the Microsoft Corporation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1976	American technology entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne co‑founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in California. The infamous ‘Son of Sam’ serial murders began in New York City, sparking the largest manhunt in the city’s history. The notorious killer, David Berkowitz, was finally arrested in 1977. Chinese communist leader, Chairman Mao Zedong died, effectively ending the decade‑long Chinese Cultural Revolution.
1977	South African activist and anti-apartheid campaigner Stephen Biko died while in police custody after violating an order to restrict his movements. The cinema phenomenon and start of a major film and merchandise franchise, Star Wars Episode 4 was released, directed by George Lucas.
1978	English woman Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, was born after conception by in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF). The classic video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado, Space Invaders was released. The Camp David Accords signifying a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Egypt was signed in Maryland in the U.S.A, leading to the Egypt‑Israel Peace Treaty of 1979.
1979	Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She was Prime Minister for nearly 12 years. Russia invaded the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, starting the Soviet‑Afghan war that would last until 1989. Revolutionary Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic in the Middle East, starting decades of international isolation. The epic Vietnam war film, ‘Apocalypse Now’, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando was released. In Africa, the notorious Ugandan president and dictator Idi Amin was forced to leave the country into exile. The nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, America suffered a catastrophic meltdown.

Musical Genre Development 1970-1979

If the 1960s was memorable for its own musical revolutions, the 1970s was about to unleash its own rebellious step changes. The music of the 1970s can be categorised by bursts of creativity, using existing musical styles to come up with something relevant, new, raw and vital with something important to say. Perhaps more than any other decade, the 1970s produced greater musical diversity than any other before or since. Pop music continued to be commercially successful into the 1970s including artists like David Cassidy, The Osmonds, Abba, The Bay City Rollers and the Jackson 5.

Progressive rock, often abbreviated to ‘prog’, is a broad musical genre that grew largely from psychedelic rock and the British Canterbury Scene to achieve significant appeal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Progressive rock can be characterised by long instrumental compositions influenced by fusing classical, jazz, rock and folk styles often complemented by elegiac, poetic lyrics. Prog music was usually only released by bands on LP albums rather than singles. Studio technology and instrumental proficiency were central to the artistic soundscapes used. Like most classical music, it was intended to be listened to, rather than danced to. To some critics, prog rock was seen as avant‑garde, pompous, overblown and boring, being not readily accessible to casual listeners. For some prog musicians, it was important to elevate music from largely populist to the status of art and included experimental arrangements to create debate and stimulate interpretation. This attitude was regarded by some as pretentious and elitist, pushing the genre into somewhat of a dead end niche. Prog rock reached its peak around 1973 and had largely been rejected by the rise of punk rock in the mid‑1970s. Early artists associated with prog rock include Procol Harum, Colosseum, Soft Machine, Barclay James Harvest, Caravan and Curved Air, paving the way for the progressive giants of the genre, including Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), as well as Pink Floyd and Mike Oldfield.

The underpinnings of heavy metal began in the late 1960s as hard rock explored new musical territories. Often cited as the pioneers of the genre were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, all forming in 1968. Arguably, though, the first two, while clearly influencing metal, lean more towards hard rock and its successors. Even though many of the characteristics of metal had been used before, Black Sabbath are widely regarded as the true forefathers of today’s heavy metal. The sound of heavy metal took hard rock and laid on layers of thick, heavy distorted riffs using power chords, high volume levels, searing guitar solos, pounding drums and thundering bass. Vocals were often strong and bold and had a dark or satanic emphasis. During the formative 1970s, there were a few bands that adopted the metal tropes, including Judas Priest. By the end of the 1970s, a new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) was spearheaded by bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon and UFO. Although more rock than metal, Motörhead played their part in promoting heavy rock to audiences. The sub‑culture surrounding heavy metal grew alongside the music with fans branded as ‘headbangers’ with a dress code not unlike the rockers of the previous decade but taken further. By 1984 and the release of the mockumentary film ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, metal had reached a point of self‑parody. During the 1980s and beyond, metal gave birth to sub‑genres including hair metal (Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe), thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth), groove metal (Pantera, Blackstone Cherry and White Zombie), industrial (Rammstein and Marilyn Manson), alternative metal (Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Deftones, Tool and Queensryche) and nu‑metal (Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Korn and Disturbed), amongst many others such as glam metal, progressive metal, black metal, doom metal, death metal, power metal, metalcore, Christian metal, etc. Possibly more than any other style of music, heavy metal has proliferated sub‑genres.

Glam rock is a relatively short‑lived offshoot of rock music that developed in the early 1970s, particularly in the UK. Glam rock’s heyday was roughly between 1970 and 1975. The music was tightly interwoven with flamboyant and colourful fashions, being performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, stark makeup and pronounced hairstyles. The impact of the symbolism was to blur the traditional gender stereotyping that was prevalent before 1970. The visuals often extended to custom instruments used by some artists. Although it may not appear obvious, glam rock influenced subsequent genres such as punk rock, new romantics, Goth rock and new wave that followed. Significant artists included Marc Bolan and T.Rex, David Bowie, Queen, Sweet, Slade, Elton John, Mud, Roxy Music and Gary Glitter. Although its impact was lower profile in the USA, artists such as Alice Cooper, New York Dolls and Iggy Pop adapted glam imagery for their own purposes.

Reggae emanated from Jamaica in the late 1960s and significantly became popular internationally during the 1970s. Reggae evolved from ska and a transitional form between ska and reggae called rocksteady. Reggae is distinctive in that it has a 4/4 rhythm with the drum marking the 3^rd beat of the bar with a guitar or keyboard staccato ‘skank’ on the 2^nd and 4^th (off) beats of the bar. Reggae is also often associated with strong and heavy rhythmic bass lines, sometimes complemented by horn arrangements. Reggae is often but not exclusively connected to Rastafarianism which also features strongly in many reggae songs, as does the use of marijuana. Roots reggae refers to its African roots and the black diaspora. Jamaican record producers also played a strong part in moulding the sound of reggae and developed a complete sub‑genre known as ‘versions’ or dub reggae that used production techniques to remove vocals and remix instrumental elements of drum, bass and guitar. Dub reggae was often played on loud PA sound systems. Key producers include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, King Tubby, Mad Professor and Scientist. Reggae has been successfully exported worldwide, although the UK remains a key consumer market. One of the major artists who not only popularised commercial reggae globally but also acted as an ambassador for Jamaica was Bob Marley who, with his band, The Wailers became an international icon. Other major artists also include Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals, Burning Spear, Augustus Pablo, Horace Andy, I‑Roy, U‑Roy, The Abyssinians, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, The Upsetters, Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Nash, Third World, Gregory Isaacs and many others. British reggae artists include Aswad, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson and UB40. After Bob Marley’s death, the genre diversified into other forms, such as dancehall and ragga.

The origins of rap and hip hop music derived from vocal a cappella rapping and African American urban street music originating in New York house and block parties in the Bronx during the early 1970s. The largely vernacular spoken rhyming lyrics were backed by rhythmic percussive soul, funk and disco beats of the period. The sub‑culture expanded by the late 1970s to include MCing, DJ scratching, sampling and beatboxing frequently using drum machines. Also associated with rapping were break dancing, urban graffiti art and aggressive gangland/gun culture. The broader cultural definition has become widely known as hip hop, which is the current common categorisation. Early practitioners included Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, the Sugarhill Gang and Afrika Bambaataa. The genre spread widely during the ‘golden age of hip hop’ from the 1980s up to the early 1990s spawning many sub‑genres, often associated with the region or country. For instance, there was intense rivalry between U.S. West Coast and East Coast hip hop during the 1990s, coining the term ‘gangsta rap’. Hip hop became massively influential in many other mainstream musical genres who adapted the rhyming lyrical style and sparse percussive beats. Despite a decline in the mid‑2000s, hip hop is now a global phenomenon with numerous offshoots and diverse styles. While its origins are African American, a few white artists have been successful including the Beastie Boys and Eminem. There are way too many hip hop artists to mention all of them. However, they include Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ice‑T, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, N.W.A., The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, OutKast, Jay‑Z and Kanye West among many others.

Like other musical forms, funk and disco adapted from previous genres, becoming mainstream during the 1970s. Funk emerged from African American communities and mixed soul, jazz and R&B. Funk is recognisable by have an addictively danceable groove. Funk focused on a strong first beat of the bar and was driven by strong insistent bass and drum rhythms. Funk artists included James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire and Kool & The Gang. Later, artists like Rick James and Prince would adopt funk as a key ingredient in their dance‑fused arrangements. Funk tends to be more musically complex than its sister genre, disco. Disco originated in America and rapidly spread to the UK. It is associated with urban nightclubs and DJs mixing dance records through loud sound systems to audiences in clubs and discothèques. Discos also used complex light and strobes to emphasise the beat. Disco is a heavily produced bass and drum‑driven 4/4 rhythm, often using electronic instruments to add syncopation. Disco’s core rationale was music to dance to, so disco dancing became very popular. Culturally, disco is also associated with fashion, drug use and promiscuity. Disco artists included Gloria Gaynor, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, The Village People, Sylvester and Chic. Disco was hugely influential on later dance genres such as house, techno, drum ‘n’ bass and rave. Like many other broad genres, funk and disco have diversified into many other related sub‑genres over the years.

Widespread social dissatisfaction and a rejection of established musical forms on both sides of the Atlantic during the mid‑1970s led to the emergence of punk rock. Loud, brash, nihilistic and stripped‑back arrangements performed mainly on guitar, bass and drums were used to support often angry and alienated anti‑establishment lyrics. The result was short, sharp bursts of controversial and provocative music. The emergence of punk in America is associated with artists such as Television, Patti Smith and Ramones, building on the work of proto‑punk bands like Velvet Underground, New York Dolls and Iggy & The Stooges. Meanwhile a parallel evolution in the UK was epitomised by bands such as Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Buzzcocks, Sham 69 and The Ruts. As with many other music‑related sub‑cultures, punk led to distinctive fashions (Vivienne Westwood), art (Jamie Reid) and agressive attitudes. The anarchic punk movement spread rapidly and by 1977 was pervasive in many westernised countries. As popularity increased and punk sensibilities were adopted by the commercial mainstream, the essential ethos of punk imploded and was overtaken by the music business machinery that, ironically, was punk’s original anathema. The demise of chaotic punk rock principles led to post‑punk sub‑genres that expanded its appeal beyond the original audience, including artists like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Ian Dury, The Cure and The Sisters Of Mercy. Punk in its purest form could not and did not last long. However, it was very influential in subsequent styles such as new wave, new romantic, emo and Goth sub‑genres. Live music venues were very important for audiences to experience the visceral nature of punk rock first hand, including CBGBs in New York and the Marquee in London. Punk saw a revival in the 1990s with bands like Green Day, Blink‑182 and The Offspring but it was far more commercial and lacking the authenticity of the original.

Musical Facts 1970-1979

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
26	January	1970	American folk rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel released their 5^th and final classic studio album, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
3	February	1970	Multi-talented American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, solo artist and member of rock super group The Winery Dogs, Richie Kotzen was born in Reading, Pennsylvania.
13	February	1970	English heavy metal legends Black Sabbath released their classic, game-changing self-titled debut album, ‘Black Sabbath’ in the UK (NB. appropriately on Friday 13^th).
14	February	1970	English rock band The Who performed a concert at Leeds University. The show was recorded and released as the band’s first official live album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	March	1970	American guitarist, former member of rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and solo artist, John Frusciante was born in New York City.
9	March	1970	After changing their name from Earth, English heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath performed their debut live concert at the Roundhouse in London.
22	March	1970	Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex released their last studio album before transforming into glam rockers T.Rex, ‘A Beard of Stars’.
10	April	1970	English singer, songwriter and bass guitarist, Paul McCartney issued a press statement that he was leaving The Beatles, signalling the band’s break up.
21	April	1970	American Chicago blues guitarist Earl Hooker died of complications from tuberculosis in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 40.
1	May	1970	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and former member of indie rock band Suede, Bernard Butler was born in London.
3	May	1970	English rock band The Who released their classic live album, ‘Live At Leeds in the UK.
8	May	1970	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles released what would be the group’s 12^th and final studio album, ‘Let It Be’, after the band split up.
3	June	1970	British heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic breakout studio album, ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ in the UK.
5	June	1970	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their breakthrough hit single ‘Black Night’ in the UK.
6	June	1970	American rhythm guitarist and co-founder of Nu-Metal rock band Korn, James Shaffer (a.k.a. Munky) was born in Bakersfield, California.
8	July	1970	Innovative and massively talented American alternative rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Beck was born in Los Angeles, California.
18	July	1970	London hosted the third Free Concert held in Hyde Park featuring Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, and the Edgar Broughton Band.
14	August	1970	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind released their debut studio album, the eponymous, ‘Hawkwind’.
23	August	1970	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed performed his final live concert appearance with The Velvet Underground (bar reunions) at Max’s Kansas City rock club in Manhattan, New York City.
26	August	1970	The famous Isle of Wight Festival began at Afton Down, attracting between 600,000 and 700,000 attendees, the largest open air music festival of its kind. Tickets for the weekend cost £3.
28	August	1970	Well over half a million people attended the 3^rd day of the UK’s famous Isle of Wight Festival to see artists including Taste, Chicago, Family and Procol Harum.
29	August	1970	The 4th day of the massive Isle of Wight Festival continued starring Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, ELP, The Doors, The Who and Sly & The Family Stone.
30	August	1970	The 5^th and final day of the gigantic Isle of Wight Festival took place starring Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and Richie Havens.
4	September	1970	English rock group The Rolling Stones released their classic live album, ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’ in the UK.
6	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix played his final live concert at the Isle of Fehmarn in Germany.
11	September	1970	American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix gave his final interview for the UK weekly music magazine New Musical Express (NME).
12	September	1970	London hosted the fourth Free Concert held in Hyde Park (the 2^nd that year) featuring Canned Heat, Eric Burdon and War, John Sebastian, Michael Chapman, Stoneground and others.
18	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix died tragically of asphyxia in his London flat at the age of 27.
18	September	1970	Pioneering English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Paranoid’ in the UK.
19	September	1970	The very first Glastonbury Pop, Folk & Blues Festival took place at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by approximately 1,700 people.
19	September	1970	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘After The Gold Rush’.
1	October	1970	American guitarist Jimi Hendrix’s funeral service took place at Dunlap Baptist Church in his hometown of Seattle before he was buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Renton, also in Seattle.
2	October	1970	English glam rock band Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic breakout hit single ‘Ride A White Swan’ in the UK.
2	October	1970	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their 4^th studio album, ‘Atom Heart Mother’ in the UK.
4	October	1970	Respected American rock, soul and blues singer Janis Joplin was found dead following an accidental heroin overdose in Los Angeles, California at the age of 27.
5	October	1970	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin III’ in the UK.
10	October	1970	English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath had their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Paranoid’ reach No. 1 in the UK album chart.
23	October	1970	The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the song ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ shortly after the guitarist’s untimely death. It reached number 1 in the UK singles chart.
23	October	1970	English progressive rock band Genesis released their breakout studio album, ‘Trespass’ in the UK.
1	November	1970	Legendary American psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘American Beauty’.
4	November	1970	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ in the UK.
6	November	1970	Emerging American rock band Aerosmith made their debut live appearance in the gymnasium at what was Nipmuc Regional High School (now Miscoe Hill Middle School) in Mendon, Massachusetts.
9	November	1970	American blues/rock guitarist, singer and member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band along with hubby, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
15	November	1970	American alternative rock band, The Velvet Underground released their 4^th and possibly most commercial studio album, ‘Loaded’.
27	November	1970	Former member of English rock band The Beatles, George Harrison released his hugely successful solo triple studio album, ‘All Things Must Pass’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released the first post-Tyrannosaurus Rex studio album, ‘T.Rex’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer and songwriter John Lennon released his post-Beatles solo album, ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ in the UK.
12	December	1970	American rock band, The Doors played their final live concert with singer Jim Morrison at the Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.
16	January	1971	American blues rock band, ZZ Top, released their debut studio album, ‘ZZ Top’s First Album’ in the UK.
17	March	1971	Renowned Canadian singer, songwriter and poet, Leonard Cohen released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ in the UK.
19	March	1971	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Aqualung’ in the UK.
16	April	1971	English blues rock band The Rolling Stones released their huge hit single, ‘Brown Sugar’, taken from the album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
23	April	1971	The Rolling Stones released what was probably their career peak 9^th studio album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
29	April	1971	American rock band, The Doors released their massive 6^th studio album, ‘L.A. Woman’, including the classic single, ‘Riders On The Storm’, recorded shortly before singer, Jim Morrison’s death.
22	June	1971	The second Glastonbury Festival took place in Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by c.12,000 fans. Artists included Hawkwind, Traffic, David Bowie, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Quintessence and Melanie.
2	July	1971	English glam rock group T.Rex, led by the late Marc Bolan, released their classic hit single ‘Get It On’.
3	July	1971	American singer, poet and member of rock band The Doors, Jim Morrison died from reported heart failure at an apartment in Paris, France at the age of 27.
6	July	1971	American jazz trumpeter and singer, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack in a New York hospital at the age of 69.
31	July	1971	American guitarist known for his work with heavy rock bands Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, as well as a solo artist, John Lowery (a.k.a. John 5) was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
25	August	1971	English rock band, The Who, released their 5^th studio album, ‘Who’s Next’ in the UK.
9	September	1971	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former Beatle, John Lennon released his career-defining solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ in the UK.
15	September	1971	English heavy rock band, Deep Purple released their flaming hot 5^th studio album, ‘Fireball’ in the UK.
21	September	1971	UK broadcaster, the BBC aired their highly regarded long-running contemporary music TV programme, ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ for the first time.
8	October	1971	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind, released their 2^nd studio album ‘In Search Of Space’ in the UK.
29	October	1971	American guitarist and co-founder of rock band The Allman Brothers Band, Duane Allman died tragically in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia at the age of 24.
30	October	1971	English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his classic solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ reach number 1 in the UK album chart.
1	November	1971	The classic hit single ‘Jeepster’ was released, performed by English glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan and T.Rex, reaching No. 2 in the UK singles chart.
1	November	1971	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 3^rd solo album ‘Bless The Weather’ in the UK.
5	November	1971	Supremely versatile English lead guitarist with alternative rock band Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood was born in Oxford.
8	November	1971	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic multi-million-selling 4^th studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Stairway To Heaven’.
12	November	1971	English progressive rock band Genesis released their ambitious 3^rd studio album, ‘Nursery Cryme’ in the UK.
13	November	1971	English progressive rock band Pink Floyd released their outstanding 6^th studio album, ‘Meddle’ in the UK.
4	December	1971	The Montreux Casino in Switzerland, built in 1881, burnt down during a Frank Zappa gig, inspiring Deep Purple’s classic rock song, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
17	December	1971	Legendary English rock singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hunky Dory’ in the UK.
27	December	1971	Remarkable English guitarist with The Aristocrats and noted guitar teacher, Guthrie Govan was born in Chelmsford, Essex.
21	January	1972	English glam rockers Marc Bolan with T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Telegram Sam’ in the UK.
10	February	1972	English glam rock singer David Bowie made his debut live appearance as his legendary alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust at the Toby Jug pub in London.
17	February	1972	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, front man and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Oakland, California.
25	February	1972	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake, released his sublime 3^rd and final studio album, ‘Pink Moon’.
25	February	1972	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young, released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Harvest’.
3	March	1972	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Thick As A Brick’ in the UK.
25	March	1972	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic 6^th studio album, ‘Machine Head’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
29	April	1972	English hard rock band Wishbone Ash released their career-defining classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Argus’.
5	May	1972	English glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘Metal Guru’ in the UK.
12	May	1972	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their massive 10^th studio double album, ‘Exile On Main Street’.
6	June	1972	English glam rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’.
3	July	1972	American country blues guitarist, Mississippi Fred McDowell died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 66.
23	July	1972	British glam rock band, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic studio album ‘The Slider’ in the UK.
8	September	1972	British glam rock star Marc Bolan and his band T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Children Of The Revolution’.
11	October	1972	Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana with his band released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Caravanserai’.
17	October	1972	American rapper and hip-hop artist, Eminem was born as Marshall Bruce Mathers III, a.k.a. ‘Slim Shady’ in St. Joseph, Missouri.
10	December	1972	British singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock band Placebo, Brian Molko was born in Brussels, Belgium.
5	January	1973	American rock band, Aerosmith, released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Aerosmith’.
5	January	1973	American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his debut studio album, ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’.
30	January	1973	After changing their name to KISS, the American rock band made their debut live performance in Queens, New York.
1	February	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn released his classic 4^th solo studio album, the sublime and career-defining, ‘Solid Air’.
7	February	1973	American proto punk rock band Iggy The Stooges released their hugely influential 3^rd studio album, ‘Raw Power’.
8	February	1973	Max Yasgur, who owned the New York dairy farm on which the legendary Woodstock Festival was held in August 1969, died from a heart attack in Florida at the age of 53.
23	February	1973	English pop/rock band Slade released their classic hit single, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ in the UK.
2	March	1973	British glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘20^th Century Boy’ in the UK.
16	March	1973	English progressive rock group Pink Floyd released their career pinnacle 8^th studio album, ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ in the UK.
23	March	1973	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 5^th studio album, ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic’.
28	March	1973	British heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 5^th studio album, ‘Houses Of The Holy’ in the UK.
12	April	1973	English glam rock singer, David Bowie released his milestone classic 6^th studio album, ‘Aladdin Sane’ in the UK.
13	April	1973	Jamaican Reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their classic 4^th studio album ‘Catch A Fire’ in the UK.
17	May	1973	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor and founder of rock bands Queens Of The Stone Age and Eagles Of Death Metal, Josh Homme was born in Joshua Tree, California.
25	May	1973	Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label was launched, marked by the release of Mike Oldfield’s seminal studio album, ‘Tubular Bells’.
18	June	1973	American folk rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Ray LaMontagne was born in New Hampshire.
22	June	1973	English glam rock singer David Bowie released his classic hit single, ‘Life On Mars?’, with ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ on the B-side.
3	July	1973	English glam rock star David Bowie announced that his iconic on-stage persona, Ziggy Stardust was to retire (not Bowie himself, as was widely reported in the press).
13	July	1973	English rock/pop band Queen released their great debut studio album in the UK, the eponymous ‘Queen’.
15	July	1973	American bluegrass and country rock guitarist, a member of rock band The Byrds and an accomplished session musician, Clarence White died in a car accident in Palmdale, California at the age of 29.
26	July	1973	American southern blues/rock power trio ZZ Top released their critically acclaimed 3^rd studio album, ‘Tres Hombres’.
6	August	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Memphis Minnie (real name Lizzie Douglas) died from a stroke in a nursing home in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 76.
13	August	1973	American southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their storming debut album, ‘(pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd)’, featuring their career-defining signature song, ‘Freebird’.
11	September	1973	American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bruce Springsteen released his sophomore studio album, ‘The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle’.
19	September	1973	American guitarist with country rock band The Byrds, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California at the age of 26.
20	September	1973	American folk/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jim Croce died tragically along with 5 others in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana at the age of 30.
1	October	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his remarkable change of direction 5^th studio album, ‘Inside Out’ in the UK.
9	October	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe died from a stroke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 58.
12	October	1973	English progressive rock band Genesis released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Selling England By The Pound’.
19	October	1973	Jamaican reggae legends (Bob Marley &) The Wailers released their classic studio album, ‘Burnin’’ in the UK.
19	October	1973	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 7^th studio album comprising cover songs, ‘Pin Ups’ in the UK.
26	October	1973	English rock band, The Who, released their classic 6^th studio double album; the rock opera and ode to the UK’s mod movement, ‘Quadrophenia’.
11	November	1973	Legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his 4^th studio album, ‘Tattoo’ in the UK.
1	December	1973	English heavy metal band Black Sabbath released their 5^th studio album, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’.
5	December	1973	English former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings released his 5^th and most successful ‘solo’ studio album, ‘Band On The Run’ in the UK.
10	December	1973	The legendary New York alternative, punk and New Wave music venue at 315 Bowery, Manhattan, CBGB & OMFUG, was opened by club owner Hilly Kristal.
31	December	1973	Australian heavy rock band AC/DC made their debut live performance at a local bar in Sydney, Australia.
17	January	1974	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released the studio album recorded with The Band, ‘Planet Waves’.
15	February	1974	British hard rock band, Deep Purple released their classic 8^th studio album, ‘Burn’ in the UK.
20	February	1974	American jazz rock band Steely Dan released their critically well-received and commercially successful classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Pretzel Logic’.
8	March	1974	English rock band, Queen released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Queen II’ in the UK.
15	April	1974	American southern rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their classic breakout 2^nd studio album ‘Second Helping’.
17	April	1974	Swedish guitarist, singer and songwriter with progressive death metal rock band Opeth, Mikael Åkerfeldt was born in Stockholm.
18	April	1974	Accomplished American guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock bands Creed, Alter Bridge and as a solo artist, Mark Tremonti was born in Detroit, Michigan.
24	April	1974	English glam rock legend, David Bowie released his classic 8^th studio album, ‘Diamond Dogs’ in the UK.
1	June	1974	Talented Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, activist and actress Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Ontario.
15	June	1974	English rock super group Bad Company released their self‑titled debut studio album, ‘Bad Company’ in the UK.
1	July	1974	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 2^nd studio album, ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’.
21	July	1974	Highly acclaimed Irish blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher released his hugely successful live album, ‘Irish Tour ‘74’.
29	July	1974	Perennial Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘On The Beach’.
16	August	1974	American punk rock band Ramones played their first live concert at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
6	September	1974	English space rock band, Hawkwind, released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’.
14	September	1974	English guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his cover of Bob Marley’s ‘I Shot The Sherriff’ as a single, which reached number 1 in the U.S.
6	October	1974	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 7^th studio album, ‘Red’.
12	October	1974	American punk rock band Blondie made their first appearance at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
25	October	1974	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Natty Dread’ in the UK, the first Wailers’ album to bear Marley’s name in the title.
29	October	1974	Hugely impressive American blues/rock guitarist, Eric Gales was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
8	November	1974	English rock band Queen moved in a more commercial direction and released their successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ in the UK.
18	November	1974	English progressive rock band Genesis released their 6^th studio double concept album, and their final LP with singer Peter Gabriel, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’.
25	November	1974	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake died from a drug overdose at his home in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire at the age of 26.
28	November	1974	English former Beatle, John Lennon made his final live appearance, joining Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
16	December	1974	After 5 years as a member of The Rolling Stones, English guitarist, Mick Taylor announced that he was leaving the band.
17	January	1975	English former member of The Beatles John Lennon released his classic solo covers album, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ in the UK.
18	January	1975	American jazz, blues and country rock guitarist, Johnny Hiland was born, growing up in Maine.
20	January	1975	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his renaissance studio album, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ in the UK.
24	January	1975	Influential and pioneering British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his 6^th studio album, ‘Sunday’s Child’.
7	February	1975	American guitarist and member of nu-metal band Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns, Wes Borland was born in Richmond, Virginia.
17	February	1975	Australian hard rock band, AC/DC released their debut studio album, ‘High Voltage’.
24	February	1975	English heavy rock band, Led Zeppelin released their epic 6^th studio double album, ‘Physical Graffiti’.
7	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and true rock legend, David Bowie released his change of direction classic 9^th studio album, the soul-oriented ‘Young Americans’ in the UK.
11	March	1975	English pop/art/rock band 10cc released their hugely successful 3^rd studio album, ‘The Original Soundtrack’ in the UK.
16	March	1975	American blues legend, Aaron Thibeaux ‘T-Bone’ Walker died from pneumonia following a stroke in Los Angeles, California at the age of 64.
17	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as member of hard rock band The Darkness, Justin Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
29	March	1975	Experimental virtuoso English rock guitarist, Jeff Beck released his seminal and commercially successful 2^nd solo album, ‘Blow By Blow’ in the UK.
2	April	1975	English super group Bad Company released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Straight Shooter’.
8	April	1975	American hard rock band Aerosmith released one of their most successful records, their 3^rd studio album, ‘Toys In The Attic’, including the hit track, ‘Walk This Way’.
9	May	1975	English space rock perennials, Hawkwind, released their 5^th studio album ‘Warrior On The Edge Of Time’ in the UK.
23	May	1975	English pop/rock band 10cc released their superbly written and produced massive hit single, ‘I’m Not In Love’.
20	June	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Tonight’s The Night’.
23	June	1975	Hugely talented Scottish multi-genre singer, songwriter and guitarist, KT Tunstall was born in Edinburgh.
29	June	1975	Influential American singer, songwriter and guitarist Tim Buckley died from a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 28.
9	July	1975	Mercurial American singer, songwriter and flamboyant guitarist with The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, as well as solo artist, Jack White was born in Detroit, Michigan.
11	July	1975	British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled 10^th studio album, ‘Fleetwood Mac’.
17	July	1975	Jamaican reggae icons, Bob Marley And The Wailers performed the first of 2 live concerts at London’s Lyceum. The concerts were recorded for the classic live album, ‘Live!’
25	July	1975	English singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his hit single, ‘Fame’, co-written with Carlos Alomar and with backing vocals by John Lennon. It was reportedly a jibe at Bowie’s artist management.
16	August	1975	English singer and songwriter Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis, the progressive rock band he co‑founded.
25	August	1975	American rock icon Bruce Springsteen released his massively successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Born To Run’.
1	September	1975	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his masterful live concert album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	September	1975	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their 8^th studio album, ‘Minstrel In The Gallery’ in the UK (8 September in the U.S.).
12	September	1975	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their massive classic 7^th studio album, ‘Wish You Were Here’.
23	October	1975	English singer and songwriter, Elton John received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard.
6	November	1975	British punk rock band, Sex Pistols made their debut live performance as a support act in the Common Room of Saint Martin’s School Of Art at Charing Cross Road in central London.
10	November	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young with his band Crazy Horse released the classic 7^th studio album, ‘Zuma’.
2	December	1975	English pop/rock band Queen released their 4^th studio album, ‘A Night At The Opera’, including the massive hit single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
5	December	1975	Jamaican reggae legends Bob Marley And The Wailers released their classic live album, ‘Live!’ recorded at London’s Lyceum Theatre on 17 & 18 July 1975.
13	December	1975	American punk rock singer, beat poet and political activist, Patti Smith released her classic anti‑establishment debut studio album, ‘Horses’, produced by John Cale.
13	December	1975	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Blink-182, Tom DeLonge was born in Poway, California.
20	December	1975	American guitarist Joe Walsh joined the country rock band Eagles, replacing former band guitarist Bernie Leadon.
5	January	1976	Renowned American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his classic mid-career studio album, ‘Desire’ in the UK.
10	January	1976	American blues legend Howlin’ Wolf died from complications of kidney surgery in Hines, Illinois at the age of 65.
23	January	1976	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 10^th studio album, ‘Station To Station’.
9	March	1976	Country music legend Johnny Cash received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6320 Hollywood Boulevard.
18	March	1976	The classic sci-fi film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring English singer David Bowie was released in the UK.
19	March	1976	English guitarist with rock band Free, Paul Kossoff died from a drug-related heart attack on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City at the age of 25.
21	March	1976	Guitar pioneer, innovator and entrepreneur, Adolph Rickenbacker died from cancer in Orange County, California at the age of 89.
23	March	1976	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’.
26	March	1976	Irish rock group, Thin Lizzy released their breakout classic 6^th studio album, ‘Jailbreak’.
28	March	1976	American guitarist with rock group The Killers, Dave Keuning was born in Pella, Iowa.
31	March	1976	Legendary English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 7^th studio album, ‘Presence’.
3	April	1976	British pop group Brotherhood Of Man won the 21^st Eurovision Song Contest with, ‘Save Your Kisses for Me’.
23	April	1976	American punk rock band, Ramones released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Ramones’.
30	April	1976	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their commercially successful studio album, ‘Rastaman Vibration’.
3	May	1976	American hard rock band, Aerosmith, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Rocks’.
4	July	1976	British punk rock band The Clash made their live concert debut supporting the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan pub (known to locals as ‘The Mucky Duck’) in Sheffield, England.
27	July	1976	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former member of The Beatles, John Lennon, finally had his application for permanent American residency approved by the U.S. Government.
31	July	1976	American hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult released their signature tune and huge commercial hit, the classic single, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’.
29	August	1976	Exemplary American blues guitarist and singer, Jimmy Reed died from respiratory failure in Oakland, California at the age of 50.
13	September	1976	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their great live double album ‘One More From The Road’ in the US.
7	October	1976	Following an appeal hearing, English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his permanent residency of the USA confirmed.
8	October	1976	American jazz fusion pioneer and bass guitarist Stanley Clarke released his ground breaking studio album ‘School Days’.
22	October	1976	Influential American poet, singer, songwriter, artist and activist Patti Smith released her 2^nd studio album, ‘Radio Ethiopia’.
24	October	1976	Legendary Irish guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Calling Card’.
25	November	1976	Canadian/American rock group, The Band, played their final concert in San Francisco, California, ‘The Last Waltz’, documented by filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
26	November	1976	English punk rock pioneers, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut single, ‘Anarchy In The UK’ on EMI Records.
2	December	1976	The photoshoot for the iconic album cover to Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ (released in 1977) took place at Battersea Power Station in London, complete with giant inflatable pig.
3	December	1976	Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley was wounded when gunmen shot him, his wife and manager at his home in Kingston. The incident was widely thought to be a politically motivated act.
5	December	1976	French electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre released his milestone 3^rd studio album Oxygène in France.
8	December	1976	American country rock band Eagles released their top‑selling and career-defining classic 5^th studio album, ‘Hotel California’.
12	December	1976	English guitarist with hard rock bands The Darkness and Stone Gods, Dan Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
28	December	1976	American blues guitar legend, Freddie King died of complications from ulcers and acute pancreatitis in Texas at the age of 42.
14	January	1977	English rock singer David Bowie released his 11^th studio album and the first part of his highly acclaimed ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Low’ in the UK.
23	January	1977	Highly acclaimed English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd, released their 10^th studio album, ‘Animals’, in the UK.
4	February	1977	Anglo-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac released their massive career-topping 11^th studio album, ‘Rumours’ in the US.
26	February	1977	American delta blues guitarist and singer Booker T. Washington ‘Bukka’ White died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 67 or 70 (age disputed).
2	March	1977	English singer, songwriter, co-founder and front man of band Coldplay, Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon.
10	March	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols controversially ‘signed’ a short-lived recording contract with A&M Records outside Buckingham Palace in London.
21	March	1977	Australian hard blues/rock band, AC/DC, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Let There Be Rock’.
8	April	1977	English punk rock band, The Clash released their classic eponymous debut studio album, ‘The Clash’. Often considered to be one of the finest British punk albums.
8	May	1977	Great American blues rock guitar maestro, Joe Bonamassa was born in New Hartford, New York.
27	May	1977	In the same year as Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, British punk pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 2nd single, ‘God Save The Queen’ in the UK.
31	May	1977	The BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority banned the Sex Pistols’ controversial single, ‘God Save The Queen’ from being played on UK radio for being “in gross bad taste”.
3	June	1977	Jamaican reggae icons Bob Marley & The Wailers released their career-defining massively successful 9^th studio album, ‘Exodus’.
12	June	1977	Talented American blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born in Shreveport Louisiana.
15	June	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols infamously performed ‘Anarchy In The UK’ aboard a party boat on the River Thames outside the Houses of Parliament in London.
20	June	1977	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his 8^th studio album, ‘American Stars ‘n Bars’.
30	June	1977	Marvel Comics published the first comic book with characters loosely based on members of the American rock band KISS.
2	July	1977	British punk rock pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 3^rd single, ‘Pretty Vacant’ in the UK.
16	August	1977	American rock ‘n’ roll legend, Elvis Presley died from a drug-related heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 42.
18	August	1977	The funeral of American singing legend, Elvis Presley took place at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.
11	September	1977	Welsh guitarist and co-founder of rock band Coldplay, Jonny Buckland was born in London.
16	September	1977	Flamboyant English glam rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan of Tyrannosaurus Rex and later T.Rex died tragically in a car accident in London at the age of 29.
16	September	1977	American alternative rock band, Talking Heads, released their remarkable debut studio album, ‘Talking Heads: 77’.
23	September	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released the single ‘Heroes’, which would become one of his greatest signature songs.
24	September	1977	English heavy rock band Motörhead released their debut studio album, the self-titled ‘Motörhead’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	English post-punk and new wave singer, songwriter and actor, Ian Dury released his debut studio album with The Blockheads, ‘New Boots And Panties!!’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	Fiery American blues/rock guitarist and member of Supersonic Blues Machine, Lance Lopez was born in Galveston, Texas.
7	October	1977	English guitarist Steve Hackett left progressive rock band Genesis to pursue a successful solo career.
12	October	1977	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Bruce Springsteen released his 4^th studio album, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’.
14	October	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 12^th studio album, ‘Heroes’, the 2^nd part of his famed ‘Berlin Trilogy’.
16	October	1977	Award-winning American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
17	October	1977	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their 5^th studio album, ‘Street Survivors’, just days before the band’s tragic plane crash.
20	October	1977	Several members of American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, singer Cassie Gaines were among those tragically killed and injured in a plane crash near Gillsburgh, Mississippi.
21	October	1977	American rock band, Meat Loaf, released their best‑selling debut studio album, ‘Bat Out Of Hell’.
28	October	1977	English punk rock band, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut (and currently only) studio album, ‘Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols’.
4	November	1977	American punk rock pioneers, Ramones released their definitive 3^rd studio album, ‘Rocket To Russia’.
4	November	1977	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 7^th solo studio album, ‘One World’ in the UK.
25	November	1977	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘Slowhand’.
1	December	1977	American guitarist, producer and founding member of nu-metal rock band Linkin Park, Brad Delson was born in Agoura, California.
25	January	1978	After changing their name from Warsaw to Joy Division, the post-punk rock band made their first live performance in Manchester, UK.
6	February	1978	Influential Dutch/American guitarist, Eddie Van Halen released the eponymous debut studio album that launched the band’s career ‘Van Halen’.
10	February	1978	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Stained Class’.
3	March	1978	American punk rock singer, poet, activist and artist, Patti Smith released her classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Easter’.
23	March	1978	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their 9^th studio album and follow up to the massive ‘Exodus’, ‘Kaya’.
5	April	1978	English new romantic and pop/rock band Duran Duran performed their debut live concert at Birmingham Polytechnic.
15	May	1978	Antipodean heavy rock band, AC/DC released their storming 5^th studio album, ‘Powerage’.
19	May	1978	British rock band, Dire Straits released their breakout debut single, ‘Sultans of Swing’ in the UK.
2	June	1978	Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy released their massive live double album, ‘Live And Dangerous’ in the UK.
9	June	1978	Mercurial English guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of rock band Muse, Matt Bellamy was born in Cambridge.
7	July	1978	American indie rock band, Talking Heads, released their 2^nd studio album, ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’.
7	September	1978	English drummer with rock band The Who, Keith Moon, died of a drug overdose in London at the age of 31.
12	October	1978	English bass guitarist with the Sex Pistols, John Ritchie (a.k.a. Sid Vicious) was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.
30	October	1978	American punk rock band Blondie released their single ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, their first Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart.
2	November	1978	English post-punk rock band The Police released their astounding debut studio album, ‘Outlandos d’Amour’ in the UK.
11	November	1978	The first commercially available vinyl 7” single picture disc was released by the Elektra label, featuring The Cars, ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’.
23	November	1978	American singer, songwriter, artist and occasional guitarist with rock bands, The Kills and The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart was born in Vero Beach, Florida.
2	January	1979	The trial of English bass guitarist with Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, started in New York. He was accused of murdering his American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen in 1978.
31	January	1979	American virtuoso jazz guitarist Grant Green died of a heart attack while on the road in New York City at the age of 43.
2	February	1979	English bass guitarist of Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) died from a heroin overdose in New York City at the age of 21.
7	February	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter Stephen Stills became the first major rock artist to record tracks using digital studio equipment at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.
3	March	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Frank Zappa released his highly successful and humorous part studio, part live double album, ‘Sheik Yerbouti’.
12	March	1979	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of indie rock bands The Libertines and Babyshambles, Pete Doherty was born in Hexham, Northumberland.
24	March	1979	English rock band, Motörhead hit the mainstream with the release of their classic 2nd studio album, ‘Overkill’.
8	May	1979	English indie rock giants The Cure released their debut studio album, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ in the UK.
14	May	1979	Great American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and member of blues rock band The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach was born in Akron, Ohio.
18	May	1979	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 13^th studio album and the third part of his ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Lodger’.
8	June	1979	American guitarist, songwriter, member of rock band The Allman Brothers Band and founder of The Derek Trucks Band, Derek Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
15	June	1979	English post-punk band Joy Division released their impressive debut studio album, ‘Unknown Pleasures’.
20	June	1979	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, former member of indie rock band Ash and then solo artist, Charlotte Hatherley was born in London.
29	June	1979	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with Little Feat, Lowell George died from a cocaine-related heart attack in Arlington, Virginia at the age of 34.
1	July	1979	Japanese technology company Sony launched the first Walkman portable media player, capable of playing Compact Cassettes while on the move.
27	July	1979	Australian hard rock band AC/DC released their classic 6th studio album, ‘Highway To Hell’.
3	August	1979	American alternative rock band Talking Heads released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Fear Of Music’, produced by Brian Eno.
11	August	1979	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin played their final UK concert with their original line up at Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire.
12	August	1979	American pop singer and songwriter Michael Jackson released his 5^th studio album, ‘Off The Wall’, marking his status as a global superstar.
15	August	1979	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their last album with their original group line up, ‘In Through The Out Door’.
24	August	1979	American guitarist Peter Frampton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6819 Hollywood Boulevard.
17	September	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his studio album, ‘Joe’s Garage Act I’. The first of 3 ‘parts’.
29	September	1979	English post-punk rock trio The Police had their first UK No.1 hit single with, ‘Message In A Bottle’, the band’s 3^rd Top 20 hit.
2	October	1979	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Survival’ in the UK.
2	October	1979	English post-punk rock band The Police released their massively commercial chart-topping 2^nd studio album, ‘Reggatta de Blanc’ in the UK.
7	October	1979	English post-punk rock band Joy Division released their debut single ‘Transmission’ on Factory Records in the UK.
19	October	1979	Anglo-American rock group Fleetwood Mac released their divisive, experimental 12^th studio album, ‘Tusk’ amidst reports of the band’s excess.
27	October	1979	English rock band Motörhead released their strong 3^rd studio album, ‘Bomber’ in the UK, with the classic line up of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor.
19	November	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his classic studio double album, ‘Joe’s Garage Acts II & III’.
30	November	1979	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their epic 11^th studio double concept album, ‘The Wall’. Estimated worldwide sales are around 30 million copies.
14	December	1979	English punk rock band, The Clash released their mighty 3^rd studio double album, ‘London Calling’ in the UK.

Tailpiece

That’s more than enough for now! Looking at the list of artists, it is a veritable roll call of modern music. Just contrast the albums that started and ended the decade to see how much irreversible change had occurred in just 10 years. For many, the 1970s was the last decade to witness truly fundamental changes in musical and social paradigms. While not being strictly true, it was always going to be a tough task to sustain the energy and innovation of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s into subsequent decades. However, this didn’t stop existing and emerging artists trying to break the constraints of predictability. So, the 1980s was to prove a different kettle of fish altogether and that is what the story seeks to explore in the next article. Are you with me? Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Nobody should have to play a secondary character in their own life”

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28 Jan 2017

January 2017 – Why music affects us in the way it does

by Tony Drew | posted in: Observations, Opinion | 0

Welcome to a brand new(-sh) and shiny(-ish) 2017. One hopes that humanity comes to its senses and delivers progress towards a better, fairer, more peaceful world in the year to come. Given indications so far, I doubt it but we shall see. I hope that I’m wrong.

What will be different for CRAVE Guitars in 2017? Other than the complete change of lifestyle to a more modest form of living and the absence of any funds to take forward the vintage guitar business, it will be a year of contemplation and formation of thoughts about the future. I have to remain optimistic that CRAVE Guitars will metamorphose (again) and will flourish in some splendid new form.

Anyway… back to the present and this month’s topic, in the absence of new gear. One of the things that has fascinated me over many years is why people choose, like, and are affected by, the music they listen to. My iTunes library runs into several tens of thousands of songs, predominantly but not exclusively from the last 5 decades, so the topic is pertinent. This article tries to understand why you might like one song while I might hate it and vice versa, or why we both might like or dislike the same one. While reading, please bear in mind that my roots are completely in modern music, which comprises a massively diverse smorgasbord of contemporary music from the 1960s onwards, right up to the latest releases. While I can appreciate (some) classical or traditional music, it doesn’t impact my life in the way that ‘modern popular’ music does.

The cultural revolution (no, not the Chinese uprising of 1966-1976) that began in the early 20^th century led up to the seemingly sudden introduction of rock ‘n’ roll in the mid-1950s. However, ‘modern’ rock and pop music didn’t appear fully formed overnight and its roots in blues and jazz go much further back. What the explosion in supply and demand that has occurred over the last 6 decades has done is to open up range of musical types in such a way that defining current genres and sub-genres has become increasingly difficult. In addition, technology (for instance to facilitate composition, recording, production and distribution) provides us with convenient access to types of music that hitherto might have been difficult to reach, let alone appreciate.

When I was young, my parents listened predominantly to classical and traditional music. However, this background does not appear to have influenced my personal preferences. So what did shape my listening habits while growing up in a rapidly changing world? The ‘nature versus nurture’ dichotomy doesn’t appear to be a determinant of taste and passing years don’t appear to have modified my listening behaviour significantly. Certainly my musical choices have not been passed to the next generation either, which is more than capable of making up its own mind, helped no doubt by convenient availability of music like never before. Perhaps I am unusual, which may be why I posed the rhetorical question in the first place.

You may think that this may be a ‘heavy’ topic for the start of the year (no pics either for copyright reasons! Sorry). However, I am going to try and get inside your head a little bit, so bear with me. The focus is not only on the things we tend to like collectively but also why some of the differences in musical preference between individuals can be so profound. Exploring the foundations of musical preference a bit further provided few satisfying answers and a lot of frustrating dead ends along the way. Although he may have been biased, Beethoven said it more succinctly than I can, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy”.

To try and get to the bottom of this particular theme and gain some greater insight, I decided to delve a bit deeper into the subject matter. There is an awful lot of pure science behind music, especially the physics and mathematics of music ‘law’. While the scientific aspects are interesting in their own right, it was the psychological impact of music that provoked my curiosity. Let’s begin by breaking it down a bit…

One arm of musical science is called musicology. The word stems from the Greek meaning the ‘study of music’, so this seemed like a sensible starting point. Musicology, as it turns out, is largely formed of three different areas of study:

Historical musicology – which is often referred to as music history (in a similar way to art history) and looks at the way that music has developed over a significant period of time. However, while this may explain the main epochs of music, it does little to explain how we ‘feel’ about the music we listen to in the current era. However, it does tend to outline what musical styles were popular through the ages and the access that ordinary people had (or didn’t have) to experience performance music
Ethnomusicology – this area of music study looks at music within a cultural and/or societal context. While this may explain a bit about musical expression described by the generally common behaviours of large groups, e.g. western or far eastern music, it is very broad and doesn’t really get to the basis of individual musical preference (except within the context of a large society)
Systematic musicology – is a term that covers many aspects of music including general questions about the importance of music right through to the specifics of music theory, varying in discipline, ranging from qualitative to quantitative studies

There is also a branch of musicology called cognitive musicology, although this looks more at mathematical modelling to explain how the brain processes and interprets music in a similar way to how it might process language, including learning, attention, planning and memory. Empirical studies have shown that there is a correlation between musical training and intellectual growth and a whole branch of neuropsychology has developed around this area. Functional MRI scans have shown that the brain actively responds to musical stimulus – no surprise there. Neuroscience, though, focuses primarily on biological processes, rather than emotional, responses.

Music, like language, is an integral part of our cognitive development, which might explain why musical expression is just as important as linguistic expression to nearly everyone on the planet, and has done for thousands of years. However, examining intellectual development does not explain how we, as individuals, respond to music in such a fundamental way. It also doesn’t explain the unifying force of fandom and mass hysteria, i.e. why we congregate in large groups then react disproportionately and often very rapidly to a particular movement in taste (fads?) – anyone remember Beatlemania?

Our brains generally respond to sound in a similar way. The auditory cortex works in association with the cerebellum and frontal cortex, and is responsible for processing ‘organised sound’, including music and language. While music also affects many other parts of our brains, scientists have pinpointed the areas deep in our brains that are activated by and cause emotional responses to music, primarily the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. The amygdala determines whether our bodies need to take some form of conscious action according to the sounds we hear, while the latter regulates the release of the hormone dopamine as part of the brain’s ‘reward system’ and plays a part in rhythmic timing. Dopamine is important as it makes us feel arousal and pleasure so, perhaps, music is a drug after all. Medically, our wellbeing can benefit from using music to reduce anxiety or stress, as used, for instance, in music therapy. Our reaction to music may be divided into emotions that are ‘perceived’ or ‘felt’, which might explain why, for instance, why some people enjoy listening to sad music.

Conversely, whether consciously or unconsciously, music can also be intrusive and distracting, for instance in public places or call centre queues (e.g. ‘Muzak’), when forced to listen to music we don’t like, or exposed to music inappropriately out of context, it can be linked to production of the stress hormone cortisol within the adrenal gland. One example of cortisol production as a result of an auditory stimulus may be the brain’s reaction to fingernails scraping a blackboard causing a significant antipathetic response.

Our clever brains are constantly trying to predict what comes next (technically, the anticipatory response). Many musicians have exploited this characteristic over centuries to tease us and then maximise the ‘crescendo’ effect. Auditory and visual acuity is strongly linked, which perhaps partly explains why we like to go out and watch live music or are drawn to music videos. Closing our eyes while listening to music can suppress the visual stimulus and concentrate the auditory stimulus.

So… does a better understanding of musicology or neurology help with this particular conundrum? Unfortunately, no it doesn’t. However, it does provide a broader framework within which further questions can be asked. There are clearly links between the physical mechanics and the psyche of music, so some further delving was required. Where to look next?

Music psychology was my next point of call. Music psychology is a different approach that attempts to explain musical behaviour and experience, including how we perceive music (e.g. pitch, rhythm, harmony and melody) and our ability to learn, play and perform music. Why is it, for instance, that some people are content to listen to music (i.e. be affected by it), while others are driven to acquire the skills of musical technique and perform in front of audiences (i.e. to affect others through it)?

While the answer to the question above is beyond the scope of this article, emotion is as vital for those making music as it is to the majority of us who listen to what they create. March Bolan once said, “Emotion has to be foremost. When I feel emotional I’m equipped to express myself”, and Debbie Harry also commented, “I do know the effect that music still has on me – I’m completely vulnerable to it. I’m seduced by it”. Jimi Hendrix went a bit further by saying that, “Music is my religion”. To many, musical appreciation is as strong as faith, if not synonymous with it. Suffice to say, music is a powerful medium. Keith Richards expressed music in more survivalist terms, “Music is a necessity. After food, air, water and warmth, music is the next necessity of life”. How strongly do you feel about music’s professed omnipotence?

Perhaps a more relevant approach is to look at what psychologists refer to as ‘affective responses to music’. An ‘affect’ in basic psychological terms is how an organism interacts with stimuli including, amongst other things, the experience of feeling or emotion. Music is one such stimulus that leads to patterns of behaviour and regulation of our emotions. When looking a bit more deeply, even this area tends to break down into a number of factors that academics have attempted to measure. For instance, in relation to emotional music, the following formula has been postulated:

Experienced emotion = structural features x performance features x listener features x contextual features

While expressing emotion as an equation cannot hope to capture the nuances, it does indicate that the way we feel about music is actually a complex interrelationship between a number of human actions and situations. Studies have, unsurprisingly, repeatedly shown that music consistently elicits emotional responses in its listeners (duh!), so what is actually going on?

Why does some music make the hair on the back of our necks stand up? Psychologists refer to the ‘chill’ effect as ‘arousal’, which is a non-conscious physiological response to an environmental stimulus, caused by the hormone dopamine (again). How strong this reaction is depends on, as you might have guessed by now, a number of variables.

The psychology of music and the way it helps shape our genre preferences, again, tease us with answers. However, all it does is to identify that there are notable differences between us but not how or why these differences occur in the first place or why the emotional responses can be so varied and profound.

Perhaps delving into the characteristics of personality and self‑expression may provide some insight that has so far eluded my investigations? Some psychologists point to the ‘Big Five Personality Traits’ to explain and measure our ‘personality’. The ‘Big Five’ categories that shape our personality are:

Openness to experience
Agreeableness
Extraversion
Neuroticism
Conscientiousness

The first two are called ‘plasticity’ traits (i.e. they tend to vary according to changes in context), while the latter three are called ‘stability’ traits (i.e. they tend to be relatively unchanging in adulthood). In relation to musical genre preferences, the plasticity traits are the ones that have greatest effect on our choice of musical gratification. In particular, researchers have found a link between openness, self‑assessed intelligence and preference for more complex music such as classical or jazz. I would argue, however, that this misrepresents the picture as there is a significant sociological and circumstantial connection going on here. Openness, however, does have an affinity for emotional response from music, as does agreeableness. Openness is also associated with ‘intense and rebellious’ music (including rock, rap, alternative and heavy metal). Extroverts also tend to prefer upbeat and energetic music (including dance, reggae and electronic music). Neuroticism is linked to the use of music for emotional regulation (including slow and sad or upbeat and happy ‘pop’ music, as well as indie music). Conscientiousness tends to be associated with an affinity for up-tempo, driving, powerful and defiant music.

Breaking things down into just five discrete factors has been criticised as simplistic, with other sub-traits tending to be incorporated within these five personality ‘dimensions’. There are also a number of other variables that co-exist interdependently of the ‘Big Five’. Psychologists have explored how individual musical preferences are affected by, for instance, age, gender, ethnicity, seasonality, familiarity, peer influence, and self‑perception. To me, location and mood are also key factors that motivate what music I listen to at any given time. What this area of study does is link personality, rather than emotions, to genre choices.

As with other studies mentioned above, investigations still focus on what the variances are but not how or why they drive our listening tastes. Clearly, all of these personality, demographic and contextual factors may help to influence genre preference but it is highly unlikely that any of them will ultimately determine it. In my opinion, the various hypotheses tend to generalise, rather than differentiate.

Personality studies get a bit closer to the core of the issue. However, it still doesn’t explain why two individuals with a similar personality and societal circumstances can still have completely opposing tastes or respond to the same piece of music in fundamentally diverse ways. Also, does our taste in music change as we age? When I was young, I assumed that I liked popular music because it was a given as part of the prevailing youth culture at the time. I also assumed that, as I got older, my musical tastes would mature into the ‘grown up’ genres such as classical or jazz. Nope. It didn’t happen and it probably won’t now. Neither do I listen predominantly to the soundtrack of my youth, although one cannot avoid the occasional reminiscence. I listen to a lot of new music as well and crave (sic!) emerging and fresh musical experiences. The same applies to guitar playing – perhaps there is a link there. As John Cage once pointed out, “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones”.

In a previous article, I covered personal preference in relation to guitars. In that topic, I likened the emotional response to guitars as similar to the instinctive response that we have to attractiveness of the opposite sex. There is something about that unconscious, instantaneous and very strong, often compulsive, sensual appeal that exists but is very hard to define and articulate. To me, the same applies to music, as well as art, architecture and design. Some music has that ‘love at first sight’ written all over it and has a certain consistency of perceived aesthetic appeal, while others have a ‘grow to appreciate its deeper qualities that aren’t immediately apparent’ characteristic. Quite why some music requires multiple listens to in order to grow appreciation while other music immediately slaps you around the face is not clear. Both have their place; it isn’t a case of one is better than the other, it’s just different.

In addition, why does overfamiliarity sometimes reinforce affection in some situations while breeding contempt in others? Why do we sometimes just get bored by repeated exposure while there is some music we simply cannot tune into, no matter what? Why do we sometimes have extreme (positive and negative) reactions to what is, after all, just a piece of music? Why, also, do we adopt often very dogmatic defence of our personal preferences when challenged by others who feel equally strongly about theirs? I would also like to know why we have ‘guilty pleasures’, those potentially embarrassing tracks we really shouldn’t like but for some reason we do.

So… after all that, none of the above really gets to the root of why music evokes a strong empathetic sense of deep emotion or nostalgia (as opposed to simple familiarity). What does it say, for instance, about my personal preferences? Not a lot, actually – it’s interesting but in relation to the question in hand, it’s also a bit ‘so what?’ Where do we go from here and what more can we do to understand what makes our preferences very much our own? None of the academic disciplines or studies that I’ve looked at seem to get to the fundamentals of individual predilection.

As mentioned at the beginning, my amateur research provided few answers and raised a lot of frustrating questions. I would have expected some sense of surety (and reassurance) about my emotional state of mind. I also expected to discover that millennia of human learning would lead to a more satisfactory (or at least adequate) conclusion.

In summary, I have no easy answer in response to the title of this article. Darn it! Academia may provide a lot of informed opinion and (in my view, some refutable) evidence but it does little to satisfy my ardent curiosity. Perhaps a glib qualitative ‘because I like it’ is sufficient after all, despite its crude ambiguity and subjectivity. I therefore challenge the learned professions to come up with something better. I defy anyone to predict my preferences on the basis of the academic studies covered here. Conversely, however, it is probably relatively easy to predict my personality based on my extensive iTunes library. Perhaps we are looking through the wrong end of the proverbial telescope?

So, in the absence of incontrovertible proof, I tried to identify 20 tunes that constitute the playlist of my emotional existence. At the time of writing, the list comprises (in no particular order and excluding multiple songs from a single artist):

The song that makes me go all warm and fluffy inside: The Cure – ‘Love Song’ (1989)
The song that makes me sob uncontrollably like a girl: Death Cab For Cutie – ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’ (2005)
The song that makes me want to scream with hatred: Buggles – ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ (1980)
The protest song that makes me feel like an angry young man (again): Rage Against The Machine – ‘Killing In The Name’ (1992)
The song that makes me grin like an idiot: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – ‘O’Malley’s Bar’ (1996)
The song that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end: Ben E. King – ‘Stand By Me’ (1961)
The song that makes me think profoundly: The Clash – ‘London Calling’ (1979)
The song that makes me want to hope: Johnny Nash – ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ (1972)
The song that makes me head bang like in Wayne’s World: Blur – ‘Song 2’ (1997)
The track to play air lead guitar to: Led Zeppelin – ‘Kashmir’ (1975)
The groove that makes me want to get up and boogie: Chic – ‘Le Freak’ (1978)
The song that I wish I could have written: Louis Armstrong – ‘What A Wonderful World’ (1967)
The song that I’d like to cover live: Rolling Stones – ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)’ (1974)
The best song to get stoned to: Pavement – ‘Range Life’ (1994)
The song that I can chill out to: John Martyn – ‘Small Hours’ (1977)
The song that makes me depressed: Sex Pistols – ‘Pretty Vacant’ (1977)
The song that lifts me out of depression: The Beloved – ‘The Sun Rising’ (1990)
The song that makes me long for a balmy summer’s day: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – ‘Summertime’ (1991)
The chart single from my youth: T. Rex – ‘Metal Guru’ (1972)
The album track from my youth: Pink Floyd – ‘One Of These Days’ (1971)

Like many of CRAVE’s topics, it seemed an easy task on the face of it, however, as usual it turned into anything but. While contemplating the mix, I kept changing my mind depending on how I felt, which just proves how impulsive, volatile and value‑laden the subject matter is. I am not going to divulge why these particular tracks stir my sentiments, suffice to say that they do. I must stress that these aren’t necessarily favourite songs (especially no. 3!), just ones that evoke some sort of emotive response. What would be your 20 lifestyle tunes? What about all those millions of tracks that one hasn’t even discovered yet? I am not a betting person but I would propose quite confidently that it is highly unlikely that many people would share exactly the same list, and thank heaven for that… but why?

In conclusion, and as a final parting shot, I will say that extensive diversity and continual evolution in music are inherently good things. Only through variety and innovation can we closely match the way we feel with the music we listen to. Frank Zappa once stated that, “Music is always a commentary on society”. Indeed, when considered in those terms, culturally, it is problematic to separate the two. While some people are happy caught in that time warp of a certain period or are captivated by a specific genre, others like me are inquisitive and intrigued by what has been as well as what is yet to come. I look forward to ‘the next big thing’. My quest for new musical experiences is prominent and my personal choice is strongly shaped by disposition and attitude at any one point in time.

Existentially, I believe that music is essential for the healthy sustenance of the human condition, while the music you or I like is a very, very personal thing that contributes to our overall wellbeing. Leonard Cohen observed, “Music is the emotional life of most people”, while Robert Plant asserted similarly, “Music is for every single person that walks the planet”. The compromise between global and individual musical engagement is relevant or we wouldn’t have anything to talk (and argue) about. The similarities and, perhaps more importantly, the differences between us continually drive musical development and invention. After all, that is what motivates us guitarists to come together and create our own interpretation of music after all.

Anyhoo… I’m off to plink my planks (again) as a cathartic exercise while leaving my subconscious to attempt to unravel the mysteries of personal preference (again). Yay for the former, Sigh for the latter.

This month, I’ll finish with a quote by the late, great Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, who said, “If you think you’re too old to rock ‘n’ roll then you probably already are”. Until next time…

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