Popular Music In America

           A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke is a beautiful song that addresses the hardship and trials that Sam and possibly others have gone through and the hope they have that the future will be better because "Change is gonna come." During this time period, racial discrimination and poverty was still a huge challenge. There were colored and white bathrooms, schools, drinking fountains, and seats on the bus. Sam Cooke worked along side other civil rights leaders such as Muhammed Ali and Malcom X.           The start of the song, first details his life. He states he was "born by the river, in a little tent" and that he's been running just like the river ever since. He says its been too hard living but that he's afraid to die, meaning that his life has been so hard but he doesn't want to die just yet. He then talks about how he goes to the movies and downtown where people tell to "not hang ...

         You Can't Hurry Love is one of the classics that almost everyone knows. It appeals to even the most casual listeners through it's simple message and beat while also impressing people who have have a deep knowledge of music and music structure. It's a simple story of a mother telling her daughter about how love " don't come easy" and that sometimes you just have to wait. It repeats the same line enough for you to remember it without it getting too repetitive so that combined with the catchy beat makes for a very iconic and memorable song.       I had heard both versions of this song before, the original one by the Supremes and the later cover by Phil Collins. Both have a similar feel but I believe the original to be the better song. The original song uses a style of singing that is long lost and that is emphasized when a white male does a cover of female African American singers. The unique structure of the song provides a differ...

      Sh-Boom by the Chords is one of the all time classics. I have heard this song played on many different media platforms such as in movies, TV shows, and I have heard my grandparents talk and listen to this song numerous times. The combination of the vocal harmony, because of the doo wop style, and the overall catchiness of the song is unparalleled.     The lyrics are about a man singing to what is the love of his life about how great they would be if she just finally let him take her "up in paradise up above." The lyrics then sing about how if she would let him spend his whole life loving her then "life could be a dream." It is one of the most catchy and iconic songs and most people have heard it on one platform or another. It is simple enough that most people can understand and hear what is going on in the lyrics and in the music. It is also catchy along with it's simplicity so that whoever hears it will have it in their head for at least a day. When ...

       Glenn Miller's In the Mood is one of the most iconic dance songs ever. Whether you've heard it at a dance, movie, play or on the radio, most people know the song or have at least heard it. It's not too complicated of a song, it's has a simple melody and drums that repeat the whole time but it's the trumpets that come in and change, and really even make, the whole song.       The song is the perfect tempo for swing dancing and not too short. You can't feel sad when you hear a song like this, the occasional solos and the upbeat tempo constantly keep you engaged. The song is simple enough that most people can hear the changes and understand what is going on with the instruments. The song also has the repeating melody that is practically unforgettable. That simple riff can be recognized by almost anybody and has certainly become iconic. What separates this song from the rest of this genre of music is the simpl...