Motown Accomplishments

Between 1964 and 1967 Motown recorded sixty top fifteen pop chart hits, fourteen of which were number ones. But Motown’s success was almost unfathomable to the music industry as a record label ran by an African American with African American musicians and producers. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, managed to create black music and commercialize it directly to a white American audience that was often times only willing to consume music that was at least covered by a white musician. This all occurred in the wake of the “British Invasion”, from 1964 to 1966, where young white Americans became drawn to male-dominated guitar-based groups. With Billboard’s decision to combine

American history was radically changed when President Abraham Lincoln gave the very famous Emancipation Proclamation. This lead to the freedom of millions of African Americans who sought the same liberty and equality that was promised to everyone under the United States constitution. These liberties, of course, were not achieved right away. During the Reconstruction era, which is the decade right after the Civil War, many of the recently freed slaves did not have money, property, or credit. They could not buy the necessary things to enjoy their freedom, which lead to sharecropping, a glorified form of slavery. Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner lets a tenant use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on their portion of land (Sharecropping).. Added on to this, facilities were segregated to prevent the black man from enjoying the same things as the white man due to Jim Crow laws which were enacted after the Reconstruction era. The struggle for equality and rights continued during the Gilded Age (1873-1900), the Progressive Era (1900-1920s), the Great Depression (1930s), WWII (1939-1945), the beginning of the Cold War (1947), up until the Civil Rights movement (1954-1968). At this point in history, African Americans fought for their rights and changed the course of American history. Music was a very important tool used by African Americans that helped achieve this. Ever since the slavery times, music was a big part of their culture

Motown Records was founded in 1959 by Berry Gordy who turned his music production company into history’s most successful black-owned record label company.

Lastly there was the genre Motown which hit its peak of popularity in the 1960s. It brought a new rhythm called the “back beat” that was enjoyed because it was easy to dance to. Berry Gordy Jr. started the Motown Company in 1962 and brought up artists like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Little Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, and Diana Ross and the Supremes (Holland 109). All of these artists are well known and still listened to today.

Motown took the world over by surprise. The vivid and new sounds from Motown artists made screaming dedicated fans all over the world. With the addicted fans, Motown artists raised the bad and opened the eyes of those who thought African Americans would never amount to anything. Although there still happened to be racism, and prejudice, African Americans managed to become recognized and well known for their abilities. Not only were the Motown artists extraordinary talented, but they also were unbelievably strong and persistent for going against all those people out there who discriminated on them. They took the criticisms continued and went on with what they loved to do. One of the most famous groups during the

     The birth of Motown music came to be in a small recording studio aptly named Hitsville, U.S.A. Barry Gordy, who came from a large middle class family had borrowed money in order. The main stage of Motown music came from a small house that had been remodeled into a recording studio, the name of the company was Hitsville, U.S.A. Mr. Gordy had gathered the best jazz and blues players in and Motown was born through his genius. This small but dynamic

During the early 1930’s through the mid 1960’s there were many different approaches African American’s took for achieving social changes, and the Civil rights they deserved. Many great African American leader’s such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, and James Baldwin contributed towards the betterment of blacks living in America. Aside from individual African American leaders there was also groups that fought for black civil rights such as The Black Power Movement, Black Panthers, and Civil Rights Activist. Other events that transpired during this time period had also effected the civil rights movement in America. For instance: The altercation with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white male ultimately led to The Montgomery Bus boycott protest,

2.With performers like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gay, the Temptations, and Diana Ross and the Supremes, Motown Records changed music history. Who founded Motown Records in 1959?

Berry Gordy Jr. started Motown Records in January of 1959 with only an $800 loan from his family and a passion for music. Within a few years of opening Motown Records, what started as a small Detroit record studio, they were selling more singles and releasing more hits than any other recording company. Motown became a cultural icon changing the way music was. Berry Gordy Jr. was known as the most successful African-American owned and operated record company which gave African-American artists a chance to record and sell their music. The embrace of Motown’s artists and recordings by the entire listening audience helped control racial barriers that had plagued the country since its establishment. In its classic era, the eventful music scene of the 1960s, Motown’s artists were among the most popular, establishing a standard of excellence and sophistication that has never been exceeded.

This showed that segregation was slowly fading. One of the most important systems in society is the education system. So when this changed so did many other things. African Americans were given more opportunities for jobs and careers. This gave them the chance to become just as important or “big” as white people. “Negroes do not wish to be branded as inferiors by being segregated, and they want to walk the earth as human beings with dignity” (The Atlantic). The process of integration has started to bring equality and is closer to making it so that the black man is not looked down upon by the white

Motown was created in January 1959, by Berry Gordy Jr., with just a small loan of only $800 from his family. Within a few years Motown was selling more records than any other record company! The Motown sound was a mix of African-American church traditions, pop music sensibilities, jazz skills and alluring rhythms. There were many great artist that kept Motown at the top, some of these artist would include; Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and The Jackson 5.

In the 1960's, America was ready for a change. Black rhythm and blues known as Motown became popular. Bob

The civil rights movement is very important when it comes to African American history. This era was from 1950-1963. The civil rights movement has a very big impact of a lot of things today like education, public places and even in the work field. During this time there was a lot of racial segregation and discrimination that help blacks back from a lot of things. There are also people that even stood out during the civil rights movement that had a very positive impact on the African American society.

Black musicians gained respect and a consistent audience. Names such as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Little Richard, among others, would not be recognized if it weren’t for John Hammond. The fact that black musicians were accepted and even respected, translated to a beginning of the civil rights movement.3 This attitude slowly carried over from music to the world as a whole with the help of civil rights leaders.

There was one particular sound that really changed America and that was Motown. It was one of the most powerful social and cultural changes to happen to the music industry. Motown brought a racially divided country together and touched the hearts of everyone. It all began when songwriter Berry Gordy founded a label, bought a house, and set up a recording studio in the basement in Detroit. One of the many famous bands/artists to be signed by Motown was the Jackson 5. He got them on The Ed Sullivan show and the rest is history. His cliental grew and the talent kept coming. The lyrics and arrangements being made were simple but they spoke to the heart (Cruz 2009). The creativity that came to be because of Motown, created has a strong mark on the backbone of music.