History of Popular Music, Research Proposal Example

Topic #1: The migration of tens of thousands of African Americans from the South at the beginning of the 20^th century allowed the blues culture to emerge in Chicago during the 1920s.  This occurred while similar urban areas became home to large numbers of African Americans in the  North, with an increased number and variety of musical performances and recordings.  Although there were a variety of genres of music brought from the South including gospel music, some of the first blues artists to record locally in Chicago were Alberta Hunter, Charles Davenport, and Blind Lemon Jefferson,.(Green).

Topic #2: The Great Depression caused financial ruin in most segments of the economy, including that of music production.  Between the years of 1926 and 1932, gross sales of phonograph records in the United States plunged from $126 million to $6,000,000; revenues for black performers slowed significantly as well, which caused  the decrease in the migration of blues artists who had been motivated to come to Chicago for economic opportunities as working musicians, both solo and in bands.  Nevertheless, Chicago continued to be a significant mecca for the generation of blues music.  Besides live performances, it was also the center for blues recording, such as Lil Green’s “Romance in the Dark”, which was an example of post-Depression popular music for blacks both in the North and South.( Myth, legend, and interesting facts.)

Topic #3: During the 1950s, Chicago blues thrived, developing its signature sound: the use of rhythmic sections, electric music and amplification, dependence on guitar and harmonica leads, and common references to the Mississippi Delta form of singing and performing, all of which continued to characterize it during the modern era.  The increase in blues recording artists in companies created new labels which signed and produced a variety of artists, including the most prominent Chicago blues representative, Muddy Waters.  The unique sound of the Chicago blues lay the groundwork for a unique precedent of popular music that came later, such as soul, hip hop, and rock and roll.( History, 2005-2010.)

References

Peer-reviewed article: A Distinctly Bluesy Condition.Full Text Available By: Rotella, Carlo; American Scholar, Autumn2002, Vol. 71 Issue 4, p. 13, 17p, Reading Level (Lexile)

Audio recording: Waters, Muddy. The complete plantation recordings. Chicago, 1993.

Scholarly book: -Douglas, Teresa Biddle. “William Christopher Handy 1873-1958.” 1988. The Tennessee encyclopedia of history and culture. 17 September 2010 http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=H013

Magazine: Doyle, Dave McGee and Patrick. “Muddy Waters.” 10 April 2010. Rolling Stone. 17 September 2010 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/14639/81565

Periodical: Guarino, Mark. “Buddy Guy: ambassador to the blues.” 28 January 2010. Chicago Sun -Times. 17 September 2010.

Organization: “History, 2005-2010.” Chicago blues foundation. 17 September 2010 http://www.chicagobluesfoundation.org/history.cfm.