1.

Electronica traces back to a type of avant garde music in the mid-twentieth century designed
for cerebral and esoteric listeners. It evolves into a type of dance club music in Chicago and
Detroit around 1985. Model 500 (a.k.a. Juan Atkins) constructed his techno instrumental "No
UFO’s" from loops of mostly percussive sounds over a strong dance beat. No live musicians are
employed in making the track. This is music designed for dance clubs. Moby (Richard Melville
Hall, a distant relative of the famous author Herman Melville) on the other hand, brings
electronica closer to a mainstream pop style. On "South Side" Moby constructs a song using
some techno elements, like prerecorded vocal sounds, but adds electric guitar and synthesizers.
2. Rap music is a part of hip-hop culture that also includes break dancing and graffiti.
Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler) emerged as a DJ, pioneering many turntable techniques.
In "The Message", Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five present rap lyrics that paint a dismal
picture of ghetto life. Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre combine rap and sung melody with electronic
modification and looped piano in "California Love". Eminem (Marshall Mathers) also combines rap
verses with sung melody, alternating with Rihanna , giving the listener a gritty account of the 2
sides of a failed relationship in "Love the Way You Lie". Skrillex (Sonny John Moore) collaborates
with Foreign Beggars and Bare Noize on "Scatta", giving the listener a rap song built over intricate
sound clips and electronic effects.
3. Pop music in the 1980’s was dominated by Michael Jackson and Madonna (Madonna
Ciccone). Michael Jackson was the youngest member of the Jackson 5, five brothers on the
Motown label under the direction of Berry Gordy before he became a solo act in
1978. "Thriller" features acoustic and electronic instruments and has a disco beat. The
accompanying video is a parody of a horror movie. Madonna’s "Like a Prayer" is a strange collage
of religion, racism and murder, set to a dance beat. Peter Gabriel, former lead singer of the band
Genesis, has pioneered award -winning videos to accompany some of his songs that seemed
perfectly designed for MTV "Sledgehammer".
4. Post-punk/post-disco fusion describes some of the elements fused together in the music of
Prince. The music of Prince also includes hard rock, funk, pop, and rhythm & blues. In "Sign O’
the Times" we have a rather spare texture; vocal without harmony, electric guitar (but no rhythm
guitar or bass guitar), minimalist rhythm parts, with lyrics commenting on drugs, AIDS, gangs, and
natural disasters.
5. Punk-inspired pop: Van Halen (named after brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen) give us the
high energy level, but sound more metal and pop than punk, with synth lines and a virtuoso guitar
solo in the middle of the song "Jump". The Police, led by Sting (Gordon Sumner) give us a song
that has the high energy level and fast tempo associated with punk, but with enough of a catchy,
melodic sound to become a radio hit in "Message in a Bottle".
6. Significant rock seems to have a message and a purpose beyond just sales and
entertainment; Bruce Springsteen, as heard in "Born in the U.S.A." and U2, as heard in "Where
the Streets Have No Name" have participated in fund raising events that give their music a
conscience and a unifying influence to their fans. U2, led by singer Bono (Paul Hewson) and
guitarist-keyboardist The Edge (David Evans) present in their song "Where the Streets Have No
Name" a message of hope for a world that is not divided by class, wealth or race.
7. Alternative music is usually produced in a low-budget format on indie labels. Because the
music would get little airplay outside of college campuses, alternative bands had to tour
incessantly to reach their audience. CD’s were sold at the concert venues. It presents itself as an
alternative to pop and MTV-type rock, striving to restore integrity and importance to rock music.
Unfortunately, as the bands gained success and wealth, the fans felt betrayed. R.E.M. (which
stands for Rapid Eye Movement) sometimes present songs with sudden contrasts and obscure
lyrics, as heard in "Radio Free Europe", their 1st hit. The Red Hot Chili Peppers blend together
punk, funk, hard rock  and rap to create their alternative sound in "Give It Away", their only hit
single.
8. Alienation is a musical style associated with Generation X.  Nirvana, led by Kurt Cobain give
us a rather dark song that has lyrics described as “dislocated” in "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Radiohead (named after a Talking Heads song) fuse together a strange combination of Latin
sounds, 7/8 meter, a “hymn”, and obscure lyrics in "Paranoid Android".
9. Women’ Voices describes music by women that is unbeholden to authority figures and strives
for an independent sound. Ani DiFranco started her own record company (Righteous Babe
Records) in 1989. Her Righteous Babe Foundation supports queer visibility, opposition to the
death penalty, and historic preservation. Her song "32 Flavors" from the album Not a Pretty Girl is
about a failed relationship, delivered in a low-key vocal style. Singer, songwriter and classically-
trained pianist Tori Amos released her 1st album Little Earthquakes in 1991. Songs like "Crucify"
are designed to jar the listener.  
10. Global/Pop fusion describes the music of Angelique Kidjo. Kidjo is a native of Benin, now living
in Paris, and is Africa’s best-known female singer. The popular song "Summertime" (originally
from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess) is reinterpreted with African-style vocals,
harmony, rhythms, and instruments. Global/Pop fusions also involve European or American pop
stars like Paul Simon collaborating with musicians outside of Western culture, usually from
African and Latin American countries. On "The Coast" Paul Simon first recorded his part of the
song at the Hit Factory in New York City, then flew to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, to record the parts for
the folk musicians, sharing songwriting credits and paying them triple scale to avoid the
appearance of exploitation.
11. Celtic fusions describes (in the 1st example) a fusion of folk music from the British Isles with an
American fiddle tune "Cotton-Eyed Joe", and (in the 2nd example) a fusion of folk music from the
British Isles with music from west Africa and also techno elements "Colossus". The Chieftains
were formed by Paddy Moloney in 1962. In 1979 they were introduced to young Americans as
musical guests on Saturday Night Live. The Chieftians’ version of "Cotton-Eyed Joe" is actually a
medley of 6 tunes played on Irish folk instruments (fiddle, bodhran, tin whistle, flute, harp) in
addition to guitar, banjo, bass, and drums, with vocals added by American country singer Ricky
Skaggs.
      Afro Celt Sound System, led by guitarist Simon Emmerson, is a group of international
musicians      that perform annually at Castlefest, a Medieval/Fantasy festival in the Netherlands. The
ensemble is made up of Celtic, African, and techno sounds.

1. ELECTRONICA:
Model 500*   “No UFO’s (instrumental)” (6:48)
Moby*   “South Side” (3:52)
 
2. RAP:
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five*   “The Message” (6:00)
Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre*   “California Love” (5:35)
Eminem (featuring Rihanna)*   “Love the Way You Lie” (4:27)
Skrillex (featuring Foreign Beggars and Bare Noize)*   “Scatta” (3:55)
 
3. POP in the 1980’s:
Michael Jackson*   “Thriller” (3:22)
Madonna*   “Like a Prayer” (5:38)
Peter Gabriel*   “Sledgehammer” (4:56)
 
4. POST-PUNK/ POST- DISCO FUSION: Prince*   “Sign O’ the Times” (3:44)
 
5. PUNK-INSPIRED POP:
Van Halen*   “Jump” (4:02)
The Police*   “Message in a Bottle” (4:21)
 
6. SIGNIFICANT ROCK:
Bruce Springsteen*   “Born in the U.S.A.” (4:44)
U2*   “Where the Streets Have No Name” (7:13)
 
7. ALTERNATIVE:
R.E.M.*  “Radio Free Europe” (4:06)
Red Hot Chili Peppers*   “Give It Away” (4:33)
 
8. ALIENATION:
Nirvana*   “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (4:39)
Radiohead*   “Paranoid Android” (6:28)
 
9. WOMEN’S VOICES:
Ani DiFranco*   “32 Flavors” (4:18)
Tori Amos*   “Crucify” (4:30)
 
10. GLOBAL/POP FUSIONS:
Angelique Kidjo*   “Summertime”   [George Gershwin] (3:37)
Paul Simon*   “The Coast” (5:05)
 
11. CELTIC FUSIONS:
The Chieftains (with Ricky Skaggs)*   “Cotton-Eyed Joe” (2:43)
Afro Celt Sound System*   “Colossus” (6:26)
 
Performers are indicated by the *
Composers are indicated by the [ ] brackets