'Rapper's Delight:' 1979 Song Introduced Rap To A Mass Audience

The Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | February 10, 2020 | Bo Emerson

[1FreeAmerican]

YES! My first thought also.

“And the man from Mars stopped eatin’ cars and eatin’ bars and now he only eats guitars!”

[xp38]

Rappers Delight is significant over earlier rap like offerings because it led to the hip hop rap genre we have today. The earlier ones didn’t. It’s like why Columbus arriving in the Americas was significant while the earlier Vikings weren’t. Columbus led to other Europeans arriving while the Vikings didn’t. The same argument has been made about Elvis. He wasn’t the first to make a rock and roll record but truly the rock era began during his foray into the Sun studio in Memphis.

[a fool in paradise]

Long form version of that idea. There is a 17 episode program called All You Need Is Love. You can skip the 1st episode, supposedly it is just a preview of the others.

Each runs upwards of an hour.

Covers the oral history of popular (Western) music...

It is available for streaming on many popular platforms including tubitv.com which is free and does not require registration

There are some people who may contradict others or say dumb things in it but it is oral history and that is their take; the audience gets from it what they want to take from it

https://tubitv.com/series/4351/all_you_need_is_love_the_story_of_popular_music

S01:E02 - Gods Children: The Beginnings
Tony Palmer explores the link between African music and modern American pop.

S01:E03 - I Can Hypnotise Dis Nation: Ragtime
Ragtime holds an unexpectedly profound place in the history of music, and it can be said to have laid the cornerstone of American popular music.

S01:E04 - Jungle Music: Jazz
Widely misunderstood and often maligned by lovers of pop music, this episode explores the links between Jazz and American popular music.

S01:E05 - Whos That Comin: Blues
Unquestionably American, pop music has a profound debt to blues. This episode explores the tumultuous history of blues from its New Orleans origins to its current state.

S01:E06 - Rude Songs: Vaudeville and Music Hall
With in depth interviews with musical giants such as Liberace, the garish history of Vaudeville music is explored along with its place in popular culture today.

S01:E07 - Always Chasing Rainbows: Tin Pan Alley
The commodification of music is a contentious issue for listeners and creators. This episode explores the commercialization of music, and the influence of capitalism on the current state of music.

S01:E08 - Diamonds as Big as the Ritz: The Musical
The modern American musical - in film form or on stage - borrows and expands on many genres. A musical and narrative performance full of spectacular showmanship, the musical’s place in history is explored in this episode.

S01:E09 - Swing That Music: Swing
Tony Palmer explores the slippery origins of swing music in this episode of All You Need Is Love: A History Of Popular Music.

S01:E10 - Good Times: Rhythm and Blues
The raw honesty and danceable beats of rhythm and blues drew executives by the flock. During segregation in America, this form has a fascinating and intensely influential relationship with white American pop culture.

S01:E11 - Making Moonshine: Country Music
Maligned by the rock and pop industries, country music nonetheless command a place in the history of popular music. From the settlement of the west to the powerhouse of Nashville, this episode explores its deep and compelling history.

S01:E12 - Go Down Moses: Songs of War and Protest
Youth and rebellion are inextricably linked to rock music of the 60s. More than a aesthetic, its music has a strong influence over culture and politics. In this powerful episode, Tony Palmer explores the role of music as protest, and propaganda.

S01:E13 - Hail Hail Rock N Roll: Rock N Roll
With a wide array of influences, rock and roll often evades definition. It’s influence however, cannot be denied, sparking fiery debate from its inception. Featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, and Elvis Presley,

S01:E14 - Mighty Good: the Beatles
No musical group has had as profound an impact on pop music as The Beatles. Tony Palmer’s groundbreaking documentary gives us an intimate look at one of the most influential groups in musical history.

S01:E15 - All Along the Watchtower: Sour Rock
Tony Palmer takes us through the riots, the power, the inspiration, and the chaos of The Rolling Stones era music and the infamous San Francisco concert at the Fillmore.

S01:E16 - Whatever Gets You Through the Night:Glitter Rock
Tony Palmer takes us through the riots, the power, the inspiration, and the chaos of The Rolling Stones era music and the infamous San Francisco concert at the Fillmore.

S01:E17 - Imagine New Directions
David Bowie, Kiss, Elton John - with these musical giants came a transformation of rock and roll. Slick costumes, garish theatricality, and extensively produced sounds contrast the raw sounds that had previously dominated the airwaves.

[ConservativeDude]

fantastic, thank you for the resource!

Amazing syllabus there...mostly complete. Though I do have a real soft spot for the transformative/creative power of punk, especially The Clash and The Ramones.

This guy tells a good short version of THAT story (well the Clash piece), well, and he ought to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMAlLHLFlqw

Remember when U2 went through the phase that included a collab with BB King? That was good.

[Yo-Yo]

Here is a truism: Every generation comes out with a style of music that upsets the previous generation.

[IronJack]

1979 Song Introduced Rap To A Mass Audience

And Music took a giant step back into the jungle.

[ifinnegan]

Art Carney rap sounds just like Fresh Prince theme.

[ifinnegan]

Don’t forget Last Poets.

[Mears]

That is true.When I was a teen I had a friend whose father wouldn’t let her listen to popular music on the radio......and this was the 1940s.

[a fool in paradise]

there’s a whole litany of spoken word over music

Lenny Bruce said ‘poetry and all that jazzzz...’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTB8LYisi60

[a fool in paradise]

BBC 4 has been doing some good music documentaries on music from 1970-era forward, from the British perspective

BBC Music For Misfits: The Story Of Indie - The DIY movement (part I of III)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz36_a0G7gk

Punk Brittania (full eps seem to be gone for now)
trailer (pre, 77, post)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VQfV7dBwu8

Northern Soul : Living for the Weekend BBC Documentary 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNAiKCWMv30

[ConservativeDude]

thank you again, amazing resources!

[ealgeone]

Rap has become the scourge of music.

[ealgeone]

I remember when mtv went woke in the late 80s early 90s.

[SamAdams76]

I remember that "Rapper's Delight" song. Whatever you think of rap today, that song would get everybody out on the dance floor in any nightclub the latter part of 1979. I also got into a little Beastie Boys a few years later. But by and large, the rap genre is just too angry and negative for me to get into.

I can listen to almost any type of music but can only take so much of lyrics that constantly talk about "bitches" and killing cops and so on.

[SamAdams76]

Also, I should point out that Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango from 1972 probably has a credible case for being the first "rap" song to hit the charts.

And forget about Blondie's "Rapture". I like Blondie but 90 seconds of rapping about eating cars (Suburus included) doesn't make it a rap song.

[wardaddy]

Bullshit

Dylan

Blondie

And most of all Gil Scott Heron introduced spoken word to a beat

https://youtu.be/QnJFhuOWgXg

A beat they didn’t copy ver batim btw

[gibsonguy]

Yes I really liked it before that. A lot of those videos were really creative and entertaining. Another thing ruined by the leftist a-holes.

[Cecily]

Agreed (your last sentence). “She’s Crafty” by the Beastie Boys is a better song about a no-good woman.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I always put a c in front of rap.