Do bad economic times make for better music?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The bullish Clinton years gave us trite boy bands and carefree pop hits, while the late 70s spawned punk. But the Great Depression also spawned plenty of happy-go-lucky songs meant to inspire escapist fantasies. Today, a look at the correlations between music and the economic cycles with Eric Weisbard, a music critic, historian and curator at the Experience Music Project.
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on music and the economy
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on music and the economy
- We're In The Money (Gold Diggers of 1933)
- Jack Hylton: Happy Days Are Here Again
- Brother Can You Spare a Dime? (Bing Crosby)
- Graph: Rock Music Quality vs. Oil Production
Comments [3]
Can anyone give me a literal meaning for the music phrase "Let's face the music and dance".
It's not like hiphop wasn't also saying,
"You should be dancing! This was party music!
Remember that music is an expression of feelings and thoughts. Hard times gives people a need to get something out. When times are good, it seems, more or less, there's less need for any kind of cartharsis. That's when music becomes merely product.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.