Released in 1970, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On signaled an important change in direction for Motown. Departing from the traditional Motown formula, which featured singles over albums, Gaye drew on the concept album idea laid down by the Beatles to create What’s Going On. On this album, Gaye’s songs are not self-contained but linked together, flowing seamlessly from one to the next, creating the feeling of a larger, complete artistic work. Diverging from traditional (though not all) Motown material, Gaye focused his lyrics on important social issues like the Vietnam War (“What’s Going On” and “What’s Happening Brother”), the environment (“Mercy Mercy Me [The Ecology]”), and urban blight (“Inner City Blues [Make Me Wanna Holler]”). While certainly popular and influential in its own time, What’s Going On is often cited by industry professionals as one of the most important albums ever made, evidenced by its number six ranking on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (November 2003). Photo Credit: Motown/Universal

Great influence as a combination of funk and psychedelic Defined direction for black and white listeners. Dance to the Music Cross over hits Band is significant for blend of white and balck musicians and gender itegrated lineup More militant after 1971 album There’s a riot goin on No more commercial successes but widely imtated by others Other bands including the Ohio players and Kool and the gang had crossover hits: combined funky rhythms with hook vocals K and the Gnagn eventually also have hits in disco: Ladies Night and Celebration;

Sylvester Stewart is shown here at the keyboards, surrounded by his band. With his racially mixed group, Stewart combined James Brown–like bass patterns with aspects of psychedelia. As a result, Sly and the Family Stone appealed to both black and white audiences. While influencing many black artists, the group also put on an incendiary performance at Woodstock (in front of a largely white audience) and got significant airplay on white rock radio. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Tower of Power: bay Area scene White, latino, and black musicians Driving horn section Used by other recording artists

Kool and the Gang, shown here in live performance. The group started as a funk band strongly influenced by Sly and the Family Stone. As the ’70s wore on, however, their sound became smoother and they became major players in disco, scoring hits with “Ladies’ Night” and “Celebration.” Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Anchored by Maurice White’s compositions and led by Philip Bailey’s soaring voice, Earth, Wind, and Fire, like Kool and the Gang, took Sly and the Family Stone–like funk and often combined it with the smoother sounds and complicated production of disco. Photo Credit: Charlyn Zlotnick/Redferns

Motown adapted to the changes suggested in black pop 1968 recordings of the Temaptations are influenced by Sly and the Family Stone Whitfield: More aggressive groove Many funk-oriented hits Marvin Gaye as few artists having control at Motown

Stevie Wonder, one of Motown’s most successful artists, in performance. In the 1960s Wonder was a staple of Motown’s lineup of pop stars. In the 1970s, Wonder broke with Motown tradition and took total control of his music—writing, producing, and playing all instruments. Wonder combined the driving, danceable funk of Sly and the Family Stone with Sly and Marvin Gaye’s social consciousness to create several albums of lasting influence: The Music of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1972), and Songs in the Key of Life (1974), among others. Photo Credit: RB/Redferns

The Jackson 5 are seen here performing on television (Michael is holding the microphone in the foreground). While Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were demanding control over their music, the Jackson 5 were in the traditional Motown mold: Berry Gordy controlled most aspects of their sound, style, and look. The Jackson 5’s tight arrangements and short, catchy songs, combined with Michael Jackson’s powerful voice and charismatic performances, made the brothers teen idols and enormously successful worldwide. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Originally a Chicago-based disc jockey and sports anchor, Don Cornelius created Soul Train in 1969. Modeled on American Bandstand but targeted to a black audience, the show was syndicated nationally in 1971 and became as a showcase for many important black pop acts of the 1970s, including Philly soul artists produced by Gamble and Huff and Thom Bell. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Virtually all of the major artists with Stax Records performed at the Wattstax Festival, including the Staple Singers (left) and Issac Hayes (right). Hayes, composer of the soundtrack to the wildly successful film Shaft, closed the show in front of approximately 100,000 screaming fans. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Virtually all of the major artists with Stax Records performed at the Wattstax Festival, including the Staple Singers (left) and Issac Hayes (right). Hayes, composer of the soundtrack to the wildly successful film Shaft, closed the show in front of approximately 100,000 screaming fans. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Curtis Mayfield in a 1971 performance. Though Mayfield started his career as a songwriter and singer for the doo-wop group the Impressions, he struck out on his own and forged a strong solo career. Much of Mayfield’s music tackled social issues with an optimistic outlook, praising black culture while not harshly condemning whites. His soundtrack to the 1972 “blaxploitation” film Superfly (directed, like Shaft, by Gordon Parks) contained some of Mayfield’s biggest hits, including “Pusherman” and “Freddie’s Dead.” Photo Credit: Harry Goodwin/Redferns

Parliament in concert. George Clinton was strongly influenced by James Brown’s high musical standards. In fact, Clinton’s bassist, Bootsy Collins, and saxophonist, Maceo Parker, were both from Brown’s band. Clinton, however, drew influence for his stage shows from bands like Kiss and Genesis. Often Clinton’s shows had an otherworldly, comic-book feel, with a spaceship— “the mothership”—landing on stage, ready to take the band away. Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Bob Marley, the world’s most famous reggae musician, in a 1976 concert. Here, Marley performs in front of the image of Haile Selassie, the leader of the Rastafarian religion, which preached salvation for African people all over the world. Often catchy and danceable, Marley’s lyrics focused on political and social freedom, making Marley an icon for social justice movements around the world. Photo Credit: Andrew Putler/Redferns

Saturday Night Fever (1977) featured the story of Tony Manero (John Travolta), a young man from Brooklyn caught between his friends— who are content with their lives—and the dream of something more. Much of the film centers on Tony’s disco dancing. The film and the wildly popular soundtrack (featuring the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”) epitomized disco culture and music, and set off a craze for both. Photo Credit: Saturday Night Fever 1977John Badham: Paramount Pictures Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Donna Summer, shown here in concert in 1979, was one of disco’s biggest stars. Her hits “I Love to Love You Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Bad Girls” are disco classics. Summer’s music reveals disco’s strong funk roots, now with a beat and groove made for dancing courtesy of Euro-disco. Photo Credit: : Richard E Aaron/ Redferns

Taking advantage of many rock fans’ hatred for disco, Chicago disc jockey Steve Dahl arranged a Disco Demolition Night between games of a Tigers-White Sox doubleheader. When disco records were blown up on the field, the resulting riot caused the second game to be canceled by the umpires, who declared the field unfit for play. Photo Credit: Associated Press.

Black Pop and the Rise of Disco chapter 9

Black Pop Roots Sly and the Family Stone Crossover psychedelic soul “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” 1970 Marketed as a rock act, significant radio play on rock radio Ohio Players Dayton, OH “Funky Worm,” 1973 http://youtu.be/5YXPJOUD7G0

Sylvester Stewart and band

Black Pop Roots Kool and the Gang Jersey City, NJ “Jungle Boogie,” 1973 Tower of Power Oakland Multi-racial Driving horn section http://youtu.be/sH7rt48pmEs

Kool and the Gang

Black Pop Roots War Los Angeles The World Is a Ghetto, 1973 Earth, Wind, and Fire Catchy pop hooks Sophisticated and intricate horn arrangements “Shining Star,” 1975

Earth, Wind, and Fire

Black Pop Roots Commodores Funk roots “Brick House,” 1977 Ballads performed by singer (and saxophonist) Lionel Ritchie “Three Times a Lady,” 1978

Black Pop Roots Motown artists Temptations Produced by Norman Whitfield Often concerned with urban life Funk-oriented “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” 1972 http://youtu.be/3s3SNHIH0bs

Black Pop Roots Motown artists Marvin Gaye Won control over his productions at Motown Established a social voice What’s Going On, 1971

Black Pop Roots Motown artists Stevie Wonder Given complete control over his productions in the 1970s Album-oriented material Wrote, produced, and played music of his own material Complex arrangements featuring early synthesizers Songs in the Key of Life, 1976 http://youtu.be/fLvck_izETE

Stevie Wonder

Black Pop Roots Motown artists Jackson 5 New Motown group Family group featuring young Michael String of bubblegum hits to top the charts, 1969–1970 http://youtu.be/M-aSjHnbw18

The Jackson 5

Black Pop Roots Philadelphia Sound Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff Songwriters Producers Label owners Philadelphia International Records

Black Pop Roots Philadelphia Sound Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff Artists Billy Paul “Me and Mrs. Jones,” 1972 Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes O’Jays “Love Train,” 1973 MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother) House band for PIR Provided theme for Soul Train television show

Soul Train http://youtu.be/FkleiqrWji0

Black Pop Roots Thom Bell Producer Arranger Artists Spinners “I’ll Be Around,” 1972 Stylistics “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” 1972

Staple Singers

Black Pop Roots Blaxploitation soundtracks Isaac Hayes Shaft, 1971 Curtis Mayfield Superfly, 1972 http://youtu.be/CHbYLjWEEQA

Issac Hayes

Black Pop Roots James Brown Extended funk into the 1970s More emphasis on interlocking of guitar, drums, and bass “Super Bad,” 1970

Curtis Mayfield, 1971

Parliament

Black Pop Roots George Clinton Parliament More commercial Funkadelic More experimental Mothership Connection, 1974 Elaborate stage show featuring a space ship Not much radio play http://youtu.be/gjKFCYzqq-A

Black Pop Roots Average White Band From Scotland “Pick Up the Pieces,” 1974 Popular on American radio http://youtu.be/MfAJLGFWxYo

Reggae Traveling “sound system men” in Jamaica led directly to the development of rap Ska Rock Steady

Reggae Bob Marley and the Wailers Island Records Initially popular in the UK “Get Up, Stand Up,” 1973 The Harder They Come, 1973 Film starring, and soundtrack by, Jimmy Cliff Eric Clapton cover of “I Shot the Sheriff,” 1973

Bob Marley, 1976 http://youtu.be/L8br79z0kgE

Disco As rock was mostly for listening in 1970s, disco fed a new dance craze Emerged in 1977 Stemmed from the New York gay community

Disco Van McCoy “The Hustle,” 1975 KC and the Sunshine Band “That’s the Way I Like it,” 1975

Disco Saturday Night Fever, 1977 Film starring John Travolta Soundtrack by the Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive,” 1978

Saturday Night Fever, 1977 http://youtu.be/Yu8z1DIMe9Q

Disco Many major rock artists released disco records Rod Stewart Rolling Stones Kiss

Disco Village People A kind of “gay Monkees” Specialized in songs that took a playful slant in life in the gay underground “YMCA,” 1978 http://youtu.be/CS9OO0S5w2k

Disco Donna Summer “Love to Love You Baby,” 1976 Patently sexual Many other hits in the late 1970s after disco went mainstream

Donna Summer, 1979

Disco Backlash against disco in 1979 Anti-disco rally in Chicago, 1979 “Disco sucks” slogan became popular Possible reasons for backlash Rockers reacting against gay origins of disco Rockers offended by promiscuity in disco community A result of racial misunderstanding Disco stood in direct opposition to the hippie aesthetic that was the basis for 1970s rock

Disco Demolition Night