"All I Wanna Do"
Artist - Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow's writing style harkens back to the polished song craft of Brill Building writers like Carole King and Cynthia Weil, but Crow's fresh, contemporary lyrics employ offbeat rhythms and irregular line lengths that convey a sense of spontaneity and uncompromised individuality.
Crow came from musical family; both of her parents played in jazz bands and insisted their children learn to play an instrument. She majored in music at the University of Missouri and spent several years teaching music to autistic children. Meanwhile, she performed in rock band at night and wrote advertising jingles for local companies. She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 to try to make it as a singer. Her advertising experience came in handy; when she was unable to find a position with a band she earned her living singing jingles; she was eventually hired by Michael Jackson as backup singer. Even with this on her resume Crow found it difficult to land a recording contract; the major labels were looking for a certain kind of pop star, and singer/songwriters were not it.
She had better luck as a session vocalist, and sang backup in the studio for artists like Stevie Wonder, Sting, Foreigner, and Don Henley. She focused on her song writing, and sold songs to a number of artists. The contacts she made during this period eventually led to a recording contract with A&M Records, but the company wanted to turn her into a slickly produced pop star, and the resulting album was judged unsatisfactory by all concerned.
Crow fell in with a group of Los Angeles songwriters called the Tuesday Night Music Club, who met every week to improvise and work on new material. When she had an album's worth of songs, she returned to A&M, who were willing to give her another try. The first two singles from the resulting album, Tuesday Night Music Club, didn't do much on the charts, but the label decided to try one last time. "All I Wanna Do"—ironically, the lyrics weren't hers, but rather, were from a book of poetry she found in a used book store—quickly became a radio favorite and rose to number two on the pop charts during the summer of 1994. It also won the Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance, and Crow was named Best New Artist.
Some members of the Tuesday Night crowd argued that Crow had contributed very little to the songs on her debut album, but her eponymous second release left no doubt of her talent as either a singer or a songwriter. The album went triple platinum and won Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Female Rock Vocal (for "If It Makes You Happy"). The disc also included "Every Day is a Winding Road," which enjoyed renewed popularity after its appearance under the credits of the movie Erin Brockovich. Crow has contributed songs to more than twenty films, including the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Leaving Las Vegas, K-Pax, Shallow Hal, and Murder by Numbers.
Also see: Carly Simon, Bob Dylan, John Hyatt, Carole King, Don Henley
Must Haves:
- "Every Day is a Winding Road"
- "If It Makes You Happy"
- "It Don't Hurt"
- "Steve McQueen"
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Fiona Apple
- Michelle Branch
- Vanessa Carlton
- Dahlia
"End of the Road"
Artist - Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men came together 1988 at Philadelphia's High School of the Creative and Performing Arts. Originally a quartet comprised of Nathan Morris, Marc Nelson, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman, the group became a quintet when Michael McCary overheard them harmonizing in the bathroom, and jumped in with the bass line. Now a quintet, the group known as Unique Attraction quickly became favorites of their female schoolmates.
After a successful Valentine's Day concert the group decided they were ready for the big time, so they sneaked backstage at a Bell Biv DeVoe concert, hoping that something would happen. It did. They convinced Michael Bivins, a former member of New Edition, to listen to their a capella rendition of that group's "Can You Stand the Rain." Bivens immediately offered to manage them, and secured them a contract with Motown Records. Nelson left the group shortly thereafter, but he continued to write songs and actively support the group.
Their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, invoked the Motown heritage with vocal harmonies and stage choreography that harkened back to the Temptations and the Four Tops. Boyz II Men's first single, the up-tempo dance track "Motownphilly," similarly recalled the classic traditions of '60s and '70s soul. "Motownphilly" and their next single, the a cappella ballad "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," topped the R&B charts and broke the pop top five; their album won that year's Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and went multiplatinum.
The popularity of Boyz II Men probably had as much to do with timing as their undeniable skills. Their smooth, four-part harmony sound was a refreshing counterpoint to the rap, sample-based dance music, and R&B/gospel divas that dominated the R&B charts in the early 1990s. In fact, their brand of new jack swing—a blend of hip-hop and classic R&B pioneered by New Edition—incorporated aspects of currently popular styles. They were the first male urban soul artists to include the elaborate gospel-influenced embellishments popularized by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and their instrumental accompaniments continually updated and refreshed their impeccably blended vocals.
"The End of the Road," recorded for the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang, catapulted the group into superstardom; it remains one of the best selling singles of all times. Their second album debuted at number one, and four successive singles broke the top five. Boys II Men seemed to have the Midas touch, and they were soon invited to record with Brandy, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, and Michael Jackson. In short order they became Motown's best selling artists ever (topping the Temptations and the Supremes), and the highest grossing R&B group ever. Their success arguably bridged the gap between New Kids on the Block and other popular boy bands of the 1980s and the resurgent craze of the late 1990s.
Also see: New Edition, The Jackson Five, The Temptations, The Four Tops
Must Haves:
- "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
- "I'll Make Love to You"
- "On Bended Knee"
- "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
- "One Sweet Day" (with Mariah Carey) "
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Dru Hill
- Jodeci
- Backstreeet Boys
- 98 Degrees
- *NSYNC
"Ladies First"
Artist - Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) is now best known to many as an actor and spokesmodel, but Latifah, also known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop," is one of the most influential female artists in the largely male-dominated world of hip-hop.
Queen Latifah grew up submerged in the flourishing East Coast rap scene. She began her career in high school, beat boxing for group called Ladies Fresh. In college she adopted the Queen Latifah moniker and hooked up with Africa Baambata's Native Tongues Collective. A demo tape found its way to Fab Five Freddy, host of the popular Yo! MTV Raps, who helped her secure a recording contract. Her first album, All Hail the Queen, was released in 1989. Though hip-hop had gained mainstream acceptance, few female MCs had broken into the upper echelons of the genre; Latifah (which means "sensitive" or "delicate" in Arabic) was charismatic, strong, and intelligent, and soon emerged as a feminist icon who served as a model for other women in the field. Her 1993 album Black Reign was the first by a female MC to go gold, and it helped convince record companies to take chances on other women rappers. Though an outstanding rapper, Latifah soon grew tired of what she described as "the same loop over and over…you had a chorus that was a phrase you said over and over, or it was some type of sample, and that just never satisfied me." She began to inject more melodic segments into songs, in a way that was more common to West Coast hip-hop, and incorporated R&B and reggae influences. She made only one album between 1993 and 2004, and then returned to recording with The Dana Owens Album, a collection of blues, pop, and R&B standards that earned her rave reviews and a Grammy nomination.
In the past ten years many hip-hop artists have launched successful acting careers (Mos Def, Ludacris, Ice Cube, Ice-T, and LL Cool J, to name a few); Queen Latifah and her contemporary, Will Smith, were the first to use rap as bridge between music and acting. In 1991 she began to appear in small parts in movies and television, and in 1993 was cast as one of the leads in the sitcom Living Single. After the series was canceled she appeared in the film The Bone Collector, with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Larger and more mainstream roles followed. She has done her most acclaimed work in movie musicals, notably her performance as matron Mama Morton in Chicago, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination, and Motormouth Mabel in Hairspray. In 2004 she founded a production company and now serves as executive producer for many of her own projects. In 2008 she became first hip-hop artist to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has also written a book, Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman, and runs a foundation that grants scholarships to economically disadvantaged youth.
Also see:MC Lyte, Aretha Franklin, Salt-n-Pepa, Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shante
Missy Elliot, Eve, Lauryn Hill, Yo-Yo, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim
Must Haves:
- "I Know Where I've Been"
- "U.N.I.T.Y."
- "Come Into My House"
- "Just Another Day"
"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang"
Artist - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg
Dr. Dre is the scion of West Coast hip-hop, and the progenitor of gangsta rap. When Dre was beginning to explore the Los Angeles rap scene in the late 1980s he met rappers Ice Cube and Eazy-E, a former pusher who had founded Ruthless Records. When Eazy-E couldn't find groups— even those on his own label—who wanted to record his songs he joined forces with Dre and Cube to found NWA (Niggaz with Attitude), releasing their first album in 1987. Though often mentioned in same breath as Public Enemy, NWA's music contained few messages about black consciousness and social uplift.
Rather, NWA related vivid portraits of the violence of gang life and the siege mentality that permeated day-to-day existence in the ghetto areas of Los Angeles. Straight Outta Compton (1988), with its aggressively hardcore gangland fantasies, quickly became an underground hit; the group reaped a great deal of publicity when the track "Fuck tha Police" made them the target of an FBI investigation and the ire of politicians. However, the track also displayed Dr. Dre's production skills to grand effect. Dre married the chaotic noise of Public Enemy's Bomb Squad to old school funk and Stax soul, creating a style he dubbed G-Funk. G-Funk made the nihilistic diatribes of NWA not only palatable, but almost irresistible. Their violent criticism of local law enforcement was vindicated when the near-fatal beating of African American motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers was caught on videotape in 1992.
Ice Cube left NWA in 1989, and Dre departed in 1991. His first solo album, The Chronic, was released on Death Row Records, a concern founded by Dre and Suge Knight. The Chronic was as dark and uncompromising as Dre's material with NWA, but his carefully crafted grooves combined funk, soul, jazz, and R&B in a way that made East Coast rap sound harsh and sterile. This extension of the G-Funk sound quickly became the sonic trademark of West Coast rap.
The Chronic also marks the debut of Snoop Dogg. Dr. Dre met the rapper, then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg, through his stepbrother, Warren G; the two began collaborating almost immediately. Dre held Snoop in such high esteem that Snoop appears on almost half of The Chronic's tracks, including "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang."
Critics—regardless of their opinions about gangsta rap— recognized The Chronic as a prophetic work that signaled things to come, but Dr. Dre did not release another solo album until 2001. After producing Snoop Dogg's quintuple platinum album Doggystyle in 1993, Dre focused on producing other rappers, which he had always considered his true talent. He split with Death Row Records in 1996 and signed an obnoxious white rapper from Detroit named Eminem to his new label, Aftermath.
Also see: Public Enemy, Ice-T, Parliament/Funkadelic, Boogie Down Productions
Must Haves:
- "Let Me Ride"
- "Fuck the Police" (with NWA) "
- "The Day the Niggaz Took Over"
- "As the World Keeps Turning"
- "Say What U Say" (with Eminem);
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Eminem
- Nate Dogg
- Mack 10
- Daz Dillinger
- Master P
"Screen Door"
Artist - Uncle Tupelo
Uncle Tupelo was originally founded in Bellville, Illinois, by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn after the lead singer of their locally successful band, the Primitives, departed from the group. Deciding to continue on as a trio, the group chose a new name derived from a cartoon character drawn by a mutual friend. The moniker was originally created by choosing two words from the dictionary at random, which inspired a character that resembled an old, fat Elvis Presley.
The band's four-song demo tape, Not Forever, Just for Now, which included the song "Screen Door," got rave reviews from College Media Journal, who called Uncle Tupelo the best unsigned act in the country; a record deal with a small, independent label soon followed. The group's original style, dating back to the Primitives, was blues-based garage rock, though its members soon incorporated more of their personal influences, which included artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols, Bob Dylan, the Louvin Brothers, and Hank Williams. Their 1990 debut album, No Depression, fused the honesty and simplicity of country music with the driving ferocity of punk to create a new musical hybrid, originally dubbed alternative country, though now called alt-country, Americana, roots rock, and cowpunk. The album was so influential that the phrase "No Depression" became a rallying cry and descriptor for like-minded groups throughout the United States, and Uncle Tupelo was hailed as the first alternative country group. Even though the group had received no royalties for No Depression it recorded a second album with its label, Rockville Records; when the record company again failed to pay royalties the dispirited group turned to performing largely country and folk covers in concert. Ironically, the strength and originality of their interpretations drew the interest of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, who volunteered to produce the group's next album free of charge. The resulting March 16–20, 1992 sold well and interested major labels in Uncle Tupelo, which ultimately signed with Sire Records.
Success, however, had its disadvantages. Personnel changes and expansion to a five-piece ensemble exacerbated creative and personal conflicts between Farrar, the main songwriter, and Tweedy, the lead vocalist, which became increasingly volatile and disruptive. After recording one more album, Uncle Tupelo disbanded in 1994.
After the breakup Farrar and Heidorn went on to form Son Volt; Tweedy and the rest of band became Wilco (though only one other former Uncle Tupelo member remains in the band's current incarnation). Both bands carry on the basic "alternative country" style of Uncle Tupelo, though Wilco has incorporated more rock and pop influences in recent years. Despite the commercial success of Son Volt's first album, Wilco has maintained a higher profile and garnered both financial and critical acclaim, winning two Grammys for its 2005 album A Ghost is Born and a nomination for Best Rock Album in 2008 for Sky Blue Sky.
Also see: Johnny Cash, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Ramones, the Minutemen
Must Haves:
- "Graveyard Shift"
- "Chickamauga"
- "Watch Me Fall"
- "Grindstone"
- "Atomic Power"