1950-1974 : World Cafe : NPR

To commemorate Girls’s Historical past Month, World Cafe is trying again on a century’s value of music historical past. Each week in March, we’re pinpointing distinct moments of yearly from the previous 100 years, 1 / 4 century at a time.

Final week, we explored 1925 to 1949. At the moment, we’re digging into moments from 1950 to 1974: The golden age of rock and roll, the civil rights motion of the ’60s and the beginning of digital music.

Whereas the earlier 25 years exploring the early twentieth century included names that will not be instantly recognizable right now, this chunk of historical past is brimming with ladies whose work continues to function a right away blueprint for musicians.

It is a era’s value of star-making debuts, unforgettable voices and record-setting moments, a few of which proceed to carry up right now.

1950: Influenced by the racism she skilled touring within the South, Clara Ward composes the gospel hymn “How I Obtained Over.” It’s going to develop into one of many best-selling gospel songs of all time, and in 13 years, Mahalia Jackson‘s rendition — carried out throughout the March on Washington — will assist impress the civil rights motion.

1951: Esther Phillips, as Little Esther, data a string of songs, together with “The Deacon Strikes In” with the Dominoes. In 2023, she might be inducted into the Blues Corridor of Fame.

1952: Nashville native Kitty Wells releases “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” The tune tops Billboard’s nation chart, making Wells the primary solo girl artist to attain the feat. Wells’ retribution of untrue males, an unusual lyrical theme throughout this period, will develop into a traditional trope in nation music.

Large Mama Thornton

Courtesy of Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame

cover caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame

1953: Large Mama Thornton releases her hit report, “Hound Canine.” The blues tune, rife with tongue-in-cheek sexuality, will promote over half one million copies. Two years later, a model with sanitized lyrics is launched by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Quickly after, Elvis Presley will rework the Bell cowl, and his model will finally promote over 10 million copies.

1954: Peruvian vocalist Yma Sumac, a pioneer of world music, releases “Malambo No. 1,” showcasing her unimaginable five-octave vary.

1955: Etta James releases her debut single, known as “The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry).” The Los Angeles-born contralto will assist create a bridge between traditional R&B and rock and roll.

1956: French singer and actress Dalida releases her debut single, “Bambino.” The tune will develop into the longest-running No. 1 tune in world historical past, spending 45 weeks on prime of the French tune charts.

1957: Patsy Cline performs “Walkin’ After Midnight” on Arthur Godfrey’s Expertise Scouts. It’s going to develop into Cline’s first hit, and she is going to ultimately be the primary girl inducted into the Nation Music Corridor of Fame.

1958: The Shirelles & the beginning of the “lady group”

On Feb. 7, 1958, a quartet of schoolgirls from Passaic, N.J. — named Shirley Owens, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee and Doris Coley — stepped right into a recording studio to chop a doo-wop-inspired tune known as “I Met Him on a Sunday” they’d initially written for a faculty expertise present.

A reasonable success, the tune piqued the curiosity of report labels, however The Shirelles would wrestle to achieve momentum after releasing a string of middling singles. For a time, the ladies carried out on the Chitlin’ Circuit alongside Etta James and Ruth Brown.

Then, in 1960, the quartet would reluctantly report a tune penned by a younger songwriting duo named Gerry Goffin and Carole King. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” would ultimately prime the charts, making The Shirelles the primary African American lady group to attain the feat.

Their configuration as a quartet of 4 younger women would develop into a blueprint that has been imitated with out finish since The Shirelles debuted. Their tight harmonies and simple lyrics would additionally inform The Beatles‘ early work, significantly their debut album, Please Please Me.

1959: On the inaugural Newport People Pageant, musician Bob Gibson brings out a shock visitor throughout his set: 18-year-old Joan Baez lends her voice to a spirited efficiency of “We Are Crossing Jordan River.” She’s going to launch her self-titled debut album the subsequent yr.

1960: Mississippi-born Leontyne Value turns into the primary African American performer to sing a lead position at La Scala, a historic opera home in Milan. A yr later, Value will debut on the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Judy Garland acting at Carnegie Corridor in 1961.

Courtesy of Carnegie Corridor

cover caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of Carnegie Corridor

1961: Following medical therapy for extreme well being points, Judy Garland returns to the stage in a tour showcasing her vocal prowess sans vaudeville acts. Her live performance at Carnegie Corridor on July 10, 1961, is recorded stay, and the following stay album will earn Garland the Grammy Award for album of the yr — the primary girl to obtain the popularity.

1962: Little Eva data “The Loco-Movement,” additionally written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Grand Funk Railroad and Kylie Minogue can even report profitable variations of the tune.

1963: Mahalia Jackson takes to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to carry out her rendition of Clara Ward’s “How I Obtained Over” in entrance of lots of of 1000’s of demonstrators throughout the March on Washington.

1964: Barbra Streisand makes her return to Broadway within the musical Humorous Lady. 4 years later, she’ll reprise her position as Fanny Brice within the movie adaptation and win her first Academy Award. She’s going to ultimately obtain EGOT standing.

1965: The Supremes launch “Again in My Arms Once more.” The tune will develop into their fifth consecutive No. 1 hit. Their unprecedented success, spearheaded by entrance girl Diana Ross, will pave the way in which for future generations of R&B, pop and soul acts.

1966: Moved to tears by a efficiency of “lo che non vivo (senza te)” on the Sanremo Pageant in Italy, Dusty Springfield data an English-language model of the tune. “You Do not Need to Say You Love Me” will develop into the English singer’s greatest hit.

1967: Aretha Franklin data her association of Otis Redding‘s “Respect” on Valentine’s Day. The tune turns into an anthem for the civil rights motion, and it’ll assist remodel Franklin into a global star. Greater than 50 years later, Rolling Stone will title it the “biggest tune of all time.”

1968: Wendy Carlos opens the door to digital music

In October of 1968, a musician from Rhode Island named Wendy Carlos releases her debut album, Switched-On Bach, which she data utilizing a novel digital instrument known as a Moog synthesizer.

A number of years prior, Carlos had met engineer Robert Moog at an audio convention, and the 2 struck up a partnership. Carlos, a skilled musician who had studied digital music at Columbia College, gave Moog crucial enter as he perfected what would develop into the primary business digital keyboard.

On the behest of her collaborator and producer, Rachel Elkind, Carlos opted to report fashionable compositions by Bach for her debut album, moderately than her personal items. Columbia Information didn’t anticipate a lot out of the album, nevertheless it was a large hit. Switched-On Bach ultimately sells over one million copies, and it earns Carlos three Grammy Awards. Regardless of the album’s success, Carlos pulls away from the highlight, fearing for her well-being as she navigates her gender-affirming course of. Carlos will come out as transgender greater than a decade after the discharge of Switched-On Bach.

Later, Carlos will rating two Stanley Kubrick movies: A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Her use of the synthesizer can even encourage an Italian producer named Giorgio Moroder to include it into his music.

On prime of her pioneering work on her debut album, Carlos can even mix the Moog synth with subject recordings to create minimal, atmospheric soundscapes on her 1972 album, Sonic Seasonings. Six years later, Brian Eno will launch an album of minimal, atmospheric soundscapes, and he’ll coin the time period “ambient music.” Critics will deem Eno’s Ambient 1: Music for Airports the “biggest ambient album of all time.”

1969: Nina Simone debuts “To Be Younger, Gifted and Black” on the Harlem Cultural Pageant. It can develop into one of many musician’s most enduring songs.

1970: Zoologist and bio-acoustician Katherine Payne, alongside her husband Roger Payne, will launch an album of humpback whale sounds recorded off the coast of Bermuda. Songs of the Humpback Whale will develop into the best-selling nature recording in historical past. It is success will assist spark the “Save The Whales” motion that was popularized within the ’70s.

1971: Janis Joplin‘s ultimate solo album is launched, simply three months after the Texas singer-songwriter’s premature loss of life on the age of 27. Pearl will ultimately be licensed quadruple platinum.

1972: Carole King wins 4 Grammy Awards for her second solo album, Tapestry, together with album of the yr, tune of the yr and report of the yr. The New York songwriter’s album will develop into one of many best-selling data of all time.

1973: Dolly Parton strikes out on her personal

On June 12, 1973, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter from Tennessee named Dolly Parton will report a brand new tune after deciding to separate from her longtime collaborator and mentor, Porter Wagoner.

“I Will At all times Love You” will attain the highest of Billboard’s nation chart the subsequent yr, when Parton rerecords it for her album, Jolene. Noting the one’s success, Elvis Presley expresses curiosity in recording the tune. After cautious consideration, Parton hesitantly declines Presley’s request as a result of his group asks for Parton to signal over half of the tune’s publishing rights.

Eighteen years later, Whitney Houston will report a brand new association of Parton’s tune; it is going to develop into the best-selling single by a lady artist of all time. Parton will ultimately earn upwards of $10 million in songwriting royalties.

1974: The Patti Smith Group data their first single, “Hey Joe.” The 28-year-old Chicagoan will incorporate a spoken phrase piece about Patty Hearst, remodeling the rock normal right into a proto-punk monitor. A yr later, Smith will launch her debut album, Horses.