Specific turning point moments in Pop Music

[jaxxalude]

We all know Pop Music (and Pop Culture in general, for that matter) goes in cycles. One year it's rock 'n' roll, another is Motown, then punk-rock, and so on.

But what I'd like to know is if you guys remember, or know, of any particular moments that, in hindsight, show that an era was ending and another one starting.
I'll start with the 1991 VMA's. In the Most Embarassing Music Moments, we already discussed the mighty downfall of hair-metal (Poison) and dance-pop (Paula Abdul). The antidotes? The triumph of extreme metal on one side (Metallica's live performance) and the rise of alt.rock to the mainstream ranks (REM's seven moon-men that night for "Losing My Religion"). In a way, it blew the doors open wide to Nirvana and the grunge explosion which would occur a few months later.

Any more suggestions?

[spooky21]

Ricky Martin's performances at the Grammy's and World Cup becoming the biggest beacon for the latin pop explosion.

[Pulse]

I think Alicia Keys' "Fallin'" and JLO"s "I'm Real" helped usher in the urban movement. And then Britney doing "Im A Slave 4 U" helped confirm that too to even show that some pop artists were even making the switch

[Pink Champagne Ricochet]

I agree. When even Britney was working with the Neptunes it was a signal that teen pop was dead.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

The Spice Girls hitting #1 with 'Wannabe' pretty much worldwide signifying the start of the girl power/girl group/pop group era that went on to gross the gender with the BSB and 'N Sync.

[jaxxalude]

Just to straighten things up: what I'm asking are specific moments. The 1991 VMA's or the Ricky Martin performance at the Grammys are good examples of what I'm looking for here. Which means that the moment I wanted the.max to give was "the week the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" hit the top spot on the UK Singles Chart ushered in the era of teenpop".
I'm sure spooky21 won't take it the wrong way when I say that his suggestion was a bit too vague to actually fit in what I was looking for. ;)

[jaxxalude]

As you can see, I changed the topic's name. I think the purpose of the topic comes across way more clearly with it, don't you think? ;)

[when the pawn...]

Madonna's '84 VMA performance and the release of the Thriller video.

[Chelsea Press 2]

Mariah Carey featuring rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard on the remix version of "Fantasy."

[Minimalism]

^ I was going to say that too.

[banet2001]

These were well before my time, but Elvis Presley's and the Beatles' first performances on the Ed Sullivan Show were landmark moments in the history of pop music. Both performances showcased the talents of Elvis and the Beatles to massive television audiences and both performances really gave huge momentum to rock music in general that lead it to being the dominant popular musical form in the late 1950's and throughout the1960's.

[Pulse]

Since the specific example of Wannabe going to #1 counts for something, does You're Beautiful going to #1 here count as the beginning of this current era?

[jaxxalude]

thepulse said:

Since the specific example of Wannabe going to #1 counts for something, does You're Beautiful going to #1 here count as the beginning of this current era?

If I understand where you're getting at all, I'd say Norah Jones sweeping the Grammys in 2003 was way more important. To me, it signalled the official beginning of the current era of MOR dominance throughout the world, especially on the Album charts. James Blunt - and Daniel Powter, for that matter - going to #1 only really heightened that dominance. And with Michael Bublé, Corinne Bailey Rae and KT Tunstall now dominating the US charts, and Paolo Nutini, Scott Matthews, Sandi Thom and a host of others doing the same in the UK, it seems like nü-MOR won't be going away anytime soon.

[Caviar]

X-Tina Dirrty re-invented herself signaled a start of new dirrty divas to follow.

[Pulse]

jaxxalude said:

thepulse said:

Since the specific example of Wannabe going to #1 counts for something, does You're Beautiful going to #1 here count as the beginning of this current era?

If I understand where you're getting at all, I'd say Norah Jones sweeping the Grammys in 2003 was way more important. To me, it signalled the official beginning of the current era of MOR dominance throughout the world, especially on the Album charts. James Blunt - and Daniel Powter, for that matter - going to #1 only really heightened that dominance. And with Michael Bublé, Corinne Bailey Rae and KT Tunstall now dominating the US charts, and Paolo Nutini, Scott Matthews, Sandi Thom and a host of others doing the same in the UK, it seems like nü-MOR won't be going away anytime soon.

Oh, I think you misunderstood. Not for MOR stuff, but for the end of the urban era

[Slinky]

You could also point to "You're Beautiful" ushering in the iTunes era.

[Pulse]

Didnt that start with Hollaback Girl?

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

I'm not sure if anything as significant as something like Madonna's VMA performance or even Ricky Martin's Grammy performance has happened since. There has been a bunch of things that happened but they seem to happen more in groups than as an individual thing.

And if the iTunes thing is to be included, maybe the topic can be broadened to include not just pop music, and not just pop artists but business decisions. Like the first time iTunes was included into mainstream sales charts.

It's been awhile since there's been a single episode of something explosive happening that resulted in a significant change in pop music.

[CookyMonzta]

themaxonline said:

The Spice Girls hitting #1 with 'Wannabe' pretty much worldwide signifying the start of the girl power/girl group/pop group era that went on to gross the gender with the BSB and 'N Sync.

Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC came after the Spice Girls. En Vogue and TLC were way ahead of them in the department of 'girl power', although not as widespread around the world.

[jaxxalude]

thepulse said:

jaxxalude said:

If I understand where you're getting at all, I'd say Norah Jones sweeping the Grammys in 2003 was way more important. To me, it signalled the official beginning of the current era of MOR dominance throughout the world, especially on the Album charts. James Blunt - and Daniel Powter, for that matter - going to #1 only really heightened that dominance. And with Michael Bublé, Corinne Bailey Rae and KT Tunstall now dominating the US charts, and Paolo Nutini, Scott Matthews, Sandi Thom and a host of others doing the same in the UK, it seems like nü-MOR won't be going away anytime soon.

Oh, I think you misunderstood. Not for MOR stuff, but for the end of the urban era

It's true Urban hasn't been as strong as it was before. But claiming for an end to the Urban era is still more wishful thinking than anything else. And I think it's fair to say that the main target for that music - i.e., teens and young adults - is the one who's been steadily giving up on purchasing music legally. And the fact that it's the older target demo who's still spending real money in music is, for me, the main reason why the nü-MOR thing is big on the charts right now. If young people were actually buying music, you bet things would look substantially different than they are now.

[jaxxalude]

banet2001 said:

These were well before my time, but Elvis Presley's and the Beatles' first performances on the Ed Sullivan Show were landmark moments in the history of pop music. Both performances showcased the talents of Elvis and the Beatles to massive television audiences and both performances really gave huge momentum to rock music in general that lead it to being the dominant popular musical form in the late 1950's and throughout the1960's.

Elvis Presley's debut at Ed Sullivan was a milestone in pop music history, but I don't really know if it spawned anything. Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" topping the charts for eight weeks in 1955 was the true trailblazer for the rock 'n' roll era, I think. What Elvis did with that performance was to heighten that dominance. In hindsight, what that performance "said" was: "we're definitely here, and we're not goimg anywhere anytime soon".
Now the Beatles first performance is another thing. Without it, the British Invasion probably wouldn't have happened.

[Pulse]

jaxxalude said:

thepulse said:

Oh, I think you misunderstood. Not for MOR stuff, but for the end of the urban era

It's true Urban hasn't been as strong as it was before. But claiming for an end to the Urban era is still more wishful thinking than anything else. And I think it's fair to say that the main target for that music - i.e., teens and young adults - is the one who's been steadily giving up on purchasing music legally. And the fact that it's the older target demo who's still spending real money in music is, for me, the main reason why the nü-MOR thing is big on the charts right now. If young people were actually buying music, you bet things would look substantially different than they are now.

Well, urban stuff is still around, but I think it should count for something in terms of being the first non urban #1 in like 4 years. It definitely set up the stage for songs like Unwritten, What's Left Of Me, Bad Day, etc which previously would have never been hits. And its not just downloads, but pop radio (which used to very urban) has changed too.