Here comes the historical knowledge!
With several important musical anniversaries upon us, the Route 1 crowd ponders this week's FRIDAY QUESTION: What is the most historically significant musical moment of your lifetime? (Listed in chronological order, to assist musical education efforts.)
Mary N.-P. -- Why at least in pop music, the Beatles landing on the shores of the
U.S. in 1964. I think it changed the whole face of American music for the best -
shook it loose and broke it open to global influences...
Brian C. -- Feb. 9, 1964 -- The Beatles make their U.S. debut, on the Ed Sullivan Show. I believe I've said this before: In today's era of MTV and dozens of cable channels, it may be hard for young people fully appreciate the impact of this TV event on American society (and youth in particular).
Rob K. -- The 1969 release of "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies. It led to a
long-distance romance with a girl in New Jersey, which only lasted 8 months, but I got a trip to New York out of it.
Erik H. -- Exactly 30 years ago today, Dec. 9, 1975, the Sex Pistols played a sparsely attended gig at Ravensbourne Art College, about 20 minutes outside London. This early gig by the punk rockers might have passed into obscurity, except for a band-formation ripple effect it caused. One of the few onlookers at the gig, Simon Barker, returned home to the suburbs with news of the new punk sensations. He told his schoolmate Steve Bailey (later dubbed Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees fame). Bailey told his friend Bill Broad (later Billy Idol). Schoolmate Sue Dallion (Siouxsie Sioux) later heard the news, as did Simon John Beverly (Sid Vicious). One sparsely attended gig helped launch the post-punk scene that reverberates through alternative music to this day.
Rick T. -- Without a doubt, August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died! Besides John F Kennedy, it is the date almost everyone knows where they were and what they were doing when they got the news that Elvis died. He was, is and always will be "The King"!!!
Jill H. -- The release of MadonnaÂs debut album.
Dave B. -- Live Aid 1985.
Mike D. -- This historical moment is one of a more personal nature, but March 21, 1987, sticks in my mind because it was the date of the first paying gig for Anxiety, a hard-rock band that my brothers and I formed. Vera's Tap in Goose Lake, Iowa, was packed with hundreds of crazed and music-starved young people. They made us feel like Bon Jovi. As a matter of fact, the first song we played was "You Give Love a Bad Name."
Shannon H. -- I don't know if it's important and it's doubtful that it's historic. But I remember where I was standing and who was there the first time I heard Nirvana's Teen Spirit. It always strikes me when I hear the song, even now. And I can't remember where I was the first time I heard any other song (except Dylan's Maggie's Farm, but that's another story.) I like hearing it now because it reminds me of being a young teen at my first real high school party with all the older kids.
(My friend and best friend were included because it was her brother's bash. He didn't want us to tell on him.) The song is so distinctive -- and funny, we thought at the time since some of us used Teen Spirit deodorant. I hope it's the former and not the latter reason that I remembered it.
Diane H. -- I still remember where I was when I heard about Kurt Cobain's suicide
(I was at the apartment of my college boyfriend, and we were watching TV), so I guess I'll name that as my important musical moment. I was never a huge Nirvana fan, but I would agree that the success of Nirvana and Cobain's suicide at the height of their popularity did a lot to change music. But I can also remember the first time I saw Michael Jackson moonwalk on TV, and that might be a more fun answer.
Scout S. -- On a rainy day in April of 1994, a DJ announced that Kurt Cobain had killed himself, which seemed like it had to be a joke, and yet at the same time was clearly not. I never met the man, had no reason to be as devastated as I was (and still am, truth be told), but it just seemed, somehow, like his death signaled the end of youth. I was 22 years old and it was suddenly clear that none of us even had a chance. Courtney systematically returned every fan letter Kurt ever got; a friend of mine got his back. It had been opened, read. I always wondered whether letters like that pushed Kurt towards his end or held him back for as long as they could. The day I saw that letter, withered and torn and practically collapsing in on itself, is the most important moment in musical history for me. Later that summer I, like most everyone else our age, wrote a song about Kurt. I never played it for anyone; it was just a way to deal with the loss of hope and innocence. I never stopped writing songs after that, and every one of them is, in some weird way, because of him. We still don't have a chance, not really, but we keep trying. One of us will get it right. We have to.
Kerstin H. -- The invention of the iPod.
Mary N.-P. -- Why at least in pop music, the Beatles landing on the shores of the
U.S. in 1964. I think it changed the whole face of American music for the best -
shook it loose and broke it open to global influences...
Brian C. -- Feb. 9, 1964 -- The Beatles make their U.S. debut, on the Ed Sullivan Show. I believe I've said this before: In today's era of MTV and dozens of cable channels, it may be hard for young people fully appreciate the impact of this TV event on American society (and youth in particular).
Rob K. -- The 1969 release of "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies. It led to a
long-distance romance with a girl in New Jersey, which only lasted 8 months, but I got a trip to New York out of it.
Erik H. -- Exactly 30 years ago today, Dec. 9, 1975, the Sex Pistols played a sparsely attended gig at Ravensbourne Art College, about 20 minutes outside London. This early gig by the punk rockers might have passed into obscurity, except for a band-formation ripple effect it caused. One of the few onlookers at the gig, Simon Barker, returned home to the suburbs with news of the new punk sensations. He told his schoolmate Steve Bailey (later dubbed Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees fame). Bailey told his friend Bill Broad (later Billy Idol). Schoolmate Sue Dallion (Siouxsie Sioux) later heard the news, as did Simon John Beverly (Sid Vicious). One sparsely attended gig helped launch the post-punk scene that reverberates through alternative music to this day.
Rick T. -- Without a doubt, August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died! Besides John F Kennedy, it is the date almost everyone knows where they were and what they were doing when they got the news that Elvis died. He was, is and always will be "The King"!!!
Jill H. -- The release of MadonnaÂs debut album.
Dave B. -- Live Aid 1985.
Mike D. -- This historical moment is one of a more personal nature, but March 21, 1987, sticks in my mind because it was the date of the first paying gig for Anxiety, a hard-rock band that my brothers and I formed. Vera's Tap in Goose Lake, Iowa, was packed with hundreds of crazed and music-starved young people. They made us feel like Bon Jovi. As a matter of fact, the first song we played was "You Give Love a Bad Name."
Shannon H. -- I don't know if it's important and it's doubtful that it's historic. But I remember where I was standing and who was there the first time I heard Nirvana's Teen Spirit. It always strikes me when I hear the song, even now. And I can't remember where I was the first time I heard any other song (except Dylan's Maggie's Farm, but that's another story.) I like hearing it now because it reminds me of being a young teen at my first real high school party with all the older kids.
(My friend and best friend were included because it was her brother's bash. He didn't want us to tell on him.) The song is so distinctive -- and funny, we thought at the time since some of us used Teen Spirit deodorant. I hope it's the former and not the latter reason that I remembered it.
Diane H. -- I still remember where I was when I heard about Kurt Cobain's suicide
(I was at the apartment of my college boyfriend, and we were watching TV), so I guess I'll name that as my important musical moment. I was never a huge Nirvana fan, but I would agree that the success of Nirvana and Cobain's suicide at the height of their popularity did a lot to change music. But I can also remember the first time I saw Michael Jackson moonwalk on TV, and that might be a more fun answer.
Scout S. -- On a rainy day in April of 1994, a DJ announced that Kurt Cobain had killed himself, which seemed like it had to be a joke, and yet at the same time was clearly not. I never met the man, had no reason to be as devastated as I was (and still am, truth be told), but it just seemed, somehow, like his death signaled the end of youth. I was 22 years old and it was suddenly clear that none of us even had a chance. Courtney systematically returned every fan letter Kurt ever got; a friend of mine got his back. It had been opened, read. I always wondered whether letters like that pushed Kurt towards his end or held him back for as long as they could. The day I saw that letter, withered and torn and practically collapsing in on itself, is the most important moment in musical history for me. Later that summer I, like most everyone else our age, wrote a song about Kurt. I never played it for anyone; it was just a way to deal with the loss of hope and innocence. I never stopped writing songs after that, and every one of them is, in some weird way, because of him. We still don't have a chance, not really, but we keep trying. One of us will get it right. We have to.
Kerstin H. -- The invention of the iPod.
posted by erik hogstrom at 7:09 AM
1 Comments:
WoW .. thanks .. goes for high to lows really quick .. for me the murder of John Lennon
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