Music History Tracks

20 flashcards

Billy Murray - "You'd Be Surprised"

Written by Irving Berlin. 1919

Count Basie - "One O'Clock Jump"

12-bar blues instrumental; theme song of Count Basie Orchestra reflecting his riff style. 1937

Vernon Dalhart - "The Prisoner's Song"

Marketed as a "hillbilly" song; one of the best-selling songs of the 1920s. 1924

The Carter Family - "No Depression in Heaven"

Reflects the rural Appalachian experience during the Great Depression; features Maybelle's "Carter style" thumb picking. 1936

Robert Johnson - "Sweet Home Chicago"

Features AAB form. 1936/37

Muddy Waters - "Hoochie Coochie Man"

Written by Willie Dixon; features a full backing band and "stop time" call and response. 1954

Hank Williams - "Your Cheatin' Heart"

Classic country standard. 1952

Patsy Cline - "I Fall to Pieces"

Crossover hit on both country and pop charts. 1961

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - "Strange Things Happening Everyday"

Pioneering upbeat gospel/R&B track. 1944

Ray Charles - "What I'd Say"

Featured improvisation, controversy, and helped define "soul" music. 1959

Chuck Berry - "Maybellene"

Inspired by Berry's fascination with roads, driving, and motoring. 1955

Elvis Presley - "That's All Right"

First major recording combining country and R&B (rockabilly); originally performed by Arthur Crudup (1946). 1954

Elvis Presley - "Hound Dog"

Cover of Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's 1952 hit, featuring heavy instrumentation and controversial performances. 1956

Chubby Checker - "The Twist"

Written by Hank Ballard; No. 1 hit in 1960 and 1962 that sparked a major dance craze. 1960

The Ronettes - "Be My Baby"

Produced by Phil Spector using the "Wall of Sound" technique with a full orchestra. 1963

The Beach Boys - "Surfin' U.S.A."

Written by Brian Wilson with a songwriting credit to Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen"; defined the California sound. 1963

The Beach Boys - "Wouldn't It Be Nice"

Single from Pet Sounds featuring the "Wall of Sound" technique. 1966

Bob Dylan - "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Seen as a threat to the aesthetic and political beliefs of the traditional folk movement. 1965

The Supremes - "You Keep Me Hangin' On"

Motown hit featuring a distinct morse code-like guitar part and multitack production. 1966

Aretha Franklin - "Respect"

Originally by Otis Redding (1965); became a symbol of the feminist movement and changing racial self-consciousness. 1967