50 Years of Pop Singing

There are many valid reasons why having a singer appears to be almost a requirement these days in popular music. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but some of the reasons range from connecting with the audience to introducing different timbres to the song to elevating the musical product. In this module, more of these reasons will start to become apparent. Consider the greatest groups of all time. Did ALL of their music have lyrics or did they mix it up? What was the overall effect? (Consider different versions of "Stairway to Heaven.") Singers are not always a blessing for a band... sometimes they can be a curse. More on that later! It all started somewhere, however, (and for some really basic reasons) and now the solo singer is a part of our pop music tradition.

1. What were some influences of the solo singer on popular music?

2. What were some technological advancements that helped (and hindered) singers being added to the musical ensemble?

3. How has the role of the singer changed (or stayed the same) since the 1920s? That's 100 years!