Prince's Impact On Pop Culture

Paul McCartney was born June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England. He started his work with the Beatles, a popular classic rock band, in the 60s as the groups bass player. The Beatles

Prince, also known as Jamie Starr, Alexander Nevermind, The Purple One and Joey Coco, among others, is an American musician whose career has spanned over three decades from the 1970s. His ever-changing, androgynous style and the innovative and creative approach with which he takes on musical ventures have helped in him selling millions of albums worldwide and still allows him to have his stake in the rock, funk and R&B genres today.

What can be said for the music artist Elvis Presley, other than he is most undoubtedly the reason that Rock and Roll survived past its start, and grew to the massive popularity that it still grasps onto to this day. Although he may have been born a simple white southerner, he masterfully intertwined country music with the raw emotion of gospel and blues in order to create his own breed of unmatchable music. By him taking two vastly different genres of music from two equally different cultures, he successfully managed to blur the prominent color line that divided all of America up until the 1950s. He did all of this while enthralling the youth of America and singlehandedly caused an idea of teenage rebellion that lasted far past his popularity,

Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958. Born the eighth of 10 children, Michael grew up in a working class family in a small three bedroom home in Gary, Indiana. As a child, Michael struggled with his fame. He never lived a normal childhood and throughout his adulthood he tried to recapture his lost youth. Although labeled as an outstanding entertainer and humanitarian in the world, Michael became dependent on pain medications. Scandals of child molestation and Michael’s obsession with his appearance further fueled his addiction. Overdosing

What lasting affect did loosing Buddy Holly, Little Richard joining the ministry, Elvis going into the military, and the many other problems with Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis have on American Pop Culture?

Michael Jackson was the king of pop which was a big part of the 1980s fashion world his dancing seemed to surprise everyone. Everyone wanted to be like him and dress like him. He dressed in leather jackets and some dress shoes and suits he was mesmerizing in the public eye he influenced a lot of the

Paul told Elvis “that if it weren’t for him there would be no Beatles, that he made it possible for everyone else, that he was the king”. Everyone looked up to him when it came to his music, in 1955 Elvis began to develop his fans they were drawn to his unusual musical style with his gyrating hips and good looks. Presley opened the door for white americans to listen to African American music, his popularity increased the opportunities for African Americans which had a positive effect on racial relations. Without Presley nobody would have the courage to form a band or have more opportunities for other

Jackson and Prince worked their way up to stardom. Both men were born in the same year just a couple months apart. Also, both artists grew up in tough Midwest cities; Jackson grew up in Gary, Indiana and Prince grew up in north Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two come from famous/musical backgrounds. Therefore, working hard from a young age was inevitable. Jackson began working and rehearsing at the age of eight. He was a childhood star and

Prince was born on a beautiful June day in 1958 in Minneapolis (Prince). Considering Prince grew up in the nature of music due to his father, he was familiar with the many sounds and ways of becoming a popular musician (Kuntz). Whether it was listening to sounds and immediately catching on or creating his own music, Prince is a young, well developed, chart topping performer no one will ever forget. Every generation has a performer that changes their life and “Prince was one of the main figures in 1980’s music” (Kuntz). Prince makes it no secret that everyone has difficult times

Prince Rogers Nelson, was given this name because it was his father’s stage name. Prince was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prince was an American singer, songwriter, and multiinstrumentalist. He has has sold over 100 million records worldwide, is a seven-time Grammy winner, a Golden Globe winner, four-time MTV Video Music Award winner, and an Academy award winner. He is one of the best selling artists of all time.

Michael Jackson, a man that changed the music world forever. Jackson made his professional singing debut in 1964 with his siblings in a band called the Jackson 5. Jackson made it big with Jackson 5 having many singles reach the top 100 in the United States. But, when Jackson decided to start his own solo career in 1971 we were seeing a side of Michael Jackson that we have never seen before. Most importantly Jackson 1982, mulit-platinum selling album Thriller. Michael Jackson broke music barriers and made a change for racial equality in the music industry.

The foundations of today’s popular music were built by an unlikely source: a poor white

. During the 1980s, the way Americans perceived homosexuality, race, and violence was challenged. In response, Prince’s eccentric and extravagant music style and attire dismantled conventional gender barriers of what it meant to be masculine and feminine in American society. Therefore, his musical creations set an example by pushing the limits of authenticity and self-expression. Prince’s fearless dedication to breaking down conventional expectations of style, music, gender norms, and conformity can be seen in his vocals, instrument choice, and lyrics. In the late 1980s, Prince was a music icon who blended funk, soul, pop, and hip-hop and presented his work in an androgyny atmosphere to advocate for racial and gender equality. His musical creations and appearance had disrupted the societal confines that fenced in the minority groups and pushed the limits of what it meant to be a black man. Prince’s distinct attire, extravagant performances, and persona helped contribute to a new music era of funk-rock and challenged the taboo concepts of the 1980’s. Prince’s musical work impacted society by encouraging wildly free and creative behavior during a time where it was not acceptable to be who you were. In this paper, I will analyze the auditory significance of two of Prince’s songs: “If I was your girlfriend” (1987) and “I Would Die 4 U” (1984). Analysis for both songs were based on music videos and a scene from Prince’s film, Purple Rain. In addition to these songs, Prince’s

Paul McCartney was born June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England. His contribution in the Beatles in the 1960s helped pop music ascend from its origins in the entertainment business and morphed it into a highly respected creative commercial art form. He also remains as one of the most prominent solo performers of all time in terms of both recordings at his concerts and sales of his attendants.

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop would not be who he is today without his inspirations, James Brown and Jackie Wilson (Taraborrelli, 2). James Brown, the godfather of soul, emphasized the genre of soul and the formation of a new music style called funk. He was a well-known singer, dancer, composer and performer. In his songs, he focused on the rhythm and groove making him different from the rest of the music artists of his time. His performance style was full of energy and different with his various dance moves and he was always ready at the mic on perfect que (Appell and Hemphill 320). Jackie Wilson on the other hand was well-known also for his stage performances and his songs would be a mix between James Brown and