I think it is appropriate to say that I can assume everyone knows who Elvis Presley is. And for some strange reason you don’t, do you live under a rock? Elvis Presley was the king of rock and roll, the KING. So impactful in fact that today’s musicians are still influenced by this rock and roll icon. Spotify’s Elvisulization [5] chart allows one to see the exact path where Elvis directly and indirectly influenced musicians. Using this chart, I am going to follow the path of Elvis- Led Zeppelin- Papa Roach and try to identify any iconic musical or visual influences.

 

Elvis Presley

 

 

He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935 and rocked the earth until his early death August 16, 1977 [1]. Elvis was most known for his charismatic stage presence and sensual hip swings with a revolutionary modernistic musical take on the times blues and country genres. An absolute heartthrob, Elvis delighted listeners with sexual intrigue, sung expressive and dramatic, and would deliver sweetness one time and danger the next [2]. The following videos of Elvis Presley help show the sort of inspiration he had on his audience and how he would forever inspire future generations of music.

 

 

Elvis Presley established himself as a musical rebel, and his Rockstar bravado and modernizing rock music influenced Led Zeppelin.

 

Led Zeppelin

 

*please do not take the time to listen to the full 3hr video, or do, whatever pleases you*

 

It is evident the similarities between the rockstar bravado and musical style of Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin. The first and foremost similarity between the two groups is the rockstar bravado, the visual influence. The drugs, the partying, the women, the iconic-ness, the symbol of being a rockstar. Elvis revolutionized rock and roll and opened the door for more of these Rockstar and their lifestyles to thrive and find popularity among younger audiences. Another similarity that may be influenced by Elvis was Led Zeppelins music. Though having a unique heavy metal musical style, the groups music was influenced by early rock and roll, psychedelic rock, blues, folk, Celtic, Indian, and Arabic music [3]. Led Zeppelin music was raw and powerful with exaggerated vocal style filled with distortion and emotion, much similar to Elvis style. Heavily influenced by the music of Presley’s time (early rock and roll, blues) and the use of emotion and dramatic expression it creates obvious musical lines of influence between these two icons.

 

Take a look below to understand the what I mean by rockstar bravado and the exaggerated, distorted lyrical music exemplified by Led Zeppelin.

 

 

 

Led Zeppelin, icons of the 1970’s rock and roll era, revolutionized the industry much like Elvis Presley influencing later generations like Papa Roach to continue on the head banging rock and roll standards.

 

Papa Roach

 

 

Finally, an era of music I am more acquainted with. Papa Roach, formed 1993 in Vacaville California, is millennium band carrying on the rock and heavy metal roots. Primarily a darker side to punk rock, Papa Roach packaged rap and hardcore rage into melodic pop music [4]. When compared to Led Zeppelin, we can uncover influences they may have had on Papa Roach’s music. First, Papa Roach is a continuance of rock and roll and foremost heavy metal.  As well, both Led Zeppelin and Papa Roach contain similar cores. Drums, bass and electric guitar and vocals. The heavy use of electric guitar adds similarity between the two bands which may have been influenced by Led Zeppelin. Between these two iconic bands, Led Zeppelin may have had significant musical influence on Papa Roach.

 

 

*try to listen for heavy use of electric guitar*

 

 Overall

Quite simply, Elvis Presley revolutionized music. His influence can be witness throughout the generations that came after. In this case, Presley’s heartthrob dramatic lyrics, charismatic attitudes and sensual presence can appear to have influenced Led Zeppelin’s rockstar bravado and their emotional distorted heavy metal music which continued on to influence the heavy metal punk rock of Papa Roach.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Bibliography

[1] Elvis Presley. Encylopedia. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/elvis-presley.

[2] Elvis Presley. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/elvis-presley.

[3] Led Zeppelin. Britannica. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Led-Zeppelin.

[4] Papa Roach. Encyclopedia. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/papa-roach.

[5] The Elvisualization. Accessed July 13, 2018. http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisulization.html.

 

#M6Q1

The Elvisulization chart made by Spotify, uses the influence of Elvis Presley to identify and create links between many different artists. The root of the chart is Elvis and the connections made between him and other artists are the result of Elvis’ direct influence; for artists that are further along the chart, the influence of Elvis on them may be indirect. These artists, who were indirectly influenced by Elvis, may appear to have a musical style that is far different from Elvis’ and so the very existence of the connection to him may seem farfetched, but upon digging deep into both artists, a connection or a string of connections may be found in the form of style of music, way of performing, and fashion. For an example, we will follow the line on the chart that goes from Elvis Presley to the Bee Gees to Michael Jackson and then ends on Pharrell Williams.[1]

Elvis Presley

As many of us know, Elvis Presley was, and still is, a very influential person; even today, there are many artists who look up to him. Elvis was born January 8, 1935 and died August 16, 1977. Growing up, he listened to pop, country, church gospel, all-night gospel, and black R&B.[2] Listening to all these different genres helped Elvis create a unique sound which resulted in a new era of music, one which would influence future artists such as the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell Williams.

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were a trio of brothers that were heavily influenced by the rock genre—this already suggests that Elvis, commonly referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll,” had a great influence on them.[3][4] To see this clearer, one may look to the 1970s where the Bee Gees turned their attention to dance-oriented music, which is similar to Elvis.[5] Regarding the style of singing, Elvis had a romantic way of singing to his fans which is also evident in the Bee Gees. Yet another influence of Elvis on the Bee Gees can be found in their fashion styles. Elvis was known for his iconic attire: a white jumpsuit that had white bell bottoms and revealed some of his chest. Similarly, the Bee Gees also wore white bell bottom pants and a white shirt that left some of their chest exposed. This style is like a tease which, at that time, would be considered very unusual and sexual.

      

Michael Jackson

One of the defining traits of the Bee Gees is their high-pitched voice. This trait comes up often in later pop music, especially in the music of Michael Jackson. Being that the Bee Gees influenced Michael Jackson in this way, and that the Bee Gees were influenced by Elvis, one may then conclude that Michael Jackson was influenced by Elvis. To add to this, there is some evidence of Elvis’ direct influence on Michael Jackson through the two artists’ dance moves. Michael Jackson is well-known for his dancing which is characterized by moves involving a lot of motion with his legs. Likewise, Elvis is well-known for moving his legs when he danced. In terms of signature dance moves, Elvis had “The Pelvis” move which involved him moving his pelvis, while Michael Jackson had his “Crotch Grab,” the action of which is self-explanatory.[6] [7] Both signature moves are sexual in nature, causing people to be pleasantly caught off guard.

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams has a unique style and sound to his music, but upon listening closely to it, while keeping the music of Michael Jackson in mind, one may notice how the two artists sound similar; that is, Michael Jackson has influenced Pharrell Williams. For a specific example, one may compare Williams’ song “Happy” to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” to see that they both share the style of high soft singing.

This style of high soft singing goes back to the Bee Gees which indirectly makes Pharrell influenced by the Bee Gees. These influences, coupled with the influence Elvis had on Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees, leads to the conclusion that Elvis has influenced Pharrell Williams both directly and indirectly. The direct influence comes from the sexual aspect present in Elvis’ music and performance. This sexual aspect, as mentioned before, is present in the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson; it happens to also be present in Pharrell Williams’ music, as can be seen in the music video for “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke, featuring Pharrell Williams. In the music video, the sexuality presents itself in the form of several women walking around in barely any clothes.

As we have seen, Elvis has influenced the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell Williams, but this is just one example from the Elvisulization. Elvis has influenced many others directly or indirectly.

Endnotes

[1] “The Elvisualization,” accessed July 13, 2018, http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisulization.html.

[2] “Elvis Presley Biography – Elvis Presley Life Story – Official Elvis Biography,” accessed July 15, 2018, https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography.aspx.

[3] “The Bee Gees – Biography,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/groups/the-bee-gees.

[4] Dave Marsh, “Elvis Presley – Biography, Songs, Movies, & Facts,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley.

[5] “Barry Gibb – Singer, Songwriter – Biography,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/barry-gibb-20861655.

[6] “10 Classic Elvis Dance Moves In Honor Of The King’s 80^th Birthday,” HuffPost Canada, January 7, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/elvis-presley-birthday_n_6431940.html.

[7] “8 Of Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Dance Moves,” accessed July 13, 2018, https://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/120661/michael-jackson-dance-moves-king-of-pop.

Bibliography

Marsh, Dave. “Elvis Presley – Biography, Songs, Movies, & Facts.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley.

“8 Of Michael Jackson’s Most Iconic Dance Moves.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/120661/michael-jackson-dance-moves-king-of-pop.

“10 Classic Elvis Dance Moves In Honor Of The King’s 80^th Birthday.” HuffPost Canada. January 7, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/elvis-presley-birthday_n_6431940.html.

“Barry Gibb – Singer, Songwriter – Biography.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/barry-gibb-20861655.

“Elvis Presley Biography – Elvis Presley Life Story – Official Elvis Biography.” Accessed July 15, 2018. https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography.aspx.

The Bee Gees – Biography.” Accessed July 13, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/groups/the-bee-gees.

The Elvisualization.” Accessed July 13, 2018. http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisulization.html.

 

 

 

 

Today I will be looking at three sets of musicians that were all major influences on their era in music history.  Like you and me, we all grow up watching and listening to people who influence the way we talk, think, and act.  Some people can pin point them and some can’t, but the interactions with other human beings is what makes us unique.  Generally, musician influences can be tracked back to their teenage years when they are most malleable and susceptible to outside voices and actions.  My goal is to show how Bon Jovi was influenced by The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones were influenced by Elvis Presley, and if any distinctive crossover is seen between the generation gap of Bon Jovi and Elvis.  I’ll be mainly focusing on the chosen’s looks and sound to fulfill this.

The Back Story

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi was formed in 1983 in Sayreville New Jersey by a group of five guys, Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, Dave Sabo, and Alec John Such [1].  Their main success was through the 80’s and 90’s with notably their most successful album being Slippery When Wet but had some success in the 2000’s when they weren’t broken up. They have managed to sell over 120 million albums and had many more songs streamed in the recent years [1].  The style they’ve been placed under would be rock or a hard/metal rock [1].

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones was shaped in 1962, based in London England and consisted of seven members, Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ian Stewart [2].  Deaths have occurred, new pickups have happened, but they are still a current band to this day. They have been compared as a hard-driving, gritty alternative to the equally famous Beatles [2]. Over the evolution of The Rolling Stones sound they are most commonly considered a blues-based rock and roll group [2].

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley, other wise known as the King of Rock seems to be the quintessential musician of all time.  The fact that many artist era’s after him still consider him to be one of the most influential of all time says a lot.  Elvis had a dominate career from the 50’s until the 70’s when he sadly died at the age of 42 [3].  This style begun with a strong flavor in blues and rockabilly and evolved into its own rock voice [3].

The Rolling Stones Influence on Bon Jovi

Now lets begin to look at what similarities Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones have.  From the looks standpoint you can see Bon Jovi has a similar hair style to the Stones, long, puffy, and messy would be a few of the many words that could describe it.  Next up I could see some similarities in the ways they dressed, specifically in the jackets they wore.  In both cases they both wear flamboyant clothing with the edge to The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi being a little more edgy and “bad boy looking”.  Jon Bon Jovi and Mick Jagger the lead singers and band members gave off the impression that the jacket was part of their stage character. Lastly those two have a lot of movement in their performances, they both enjoy using the entire stage to involve the crowd, I can see the influence Mick gives from his stiff dance moves that he pulls out at just about any moment.

Now lets move to how The Rolling Stones sound can be exposed in Bon Jovi’s music.  First off, I noticed that both bands have comparable instrumentation, generally a lead vocalist, a guitar or two, bass, keyboardist, and a drummer.  They both resemble that stereotypical rock package that most people are familiar with.  Secondly, they both use backup vocalists to form harmonies or throat produced sounds throughout their songs, this is mainly done by a second band member but occasionally by a woman.  Lastly, I would like to point out they both have high tempo music along with both having a signature scream tone to it with Bon Jovi’s being a little bit more hard rock and rougher around the edges.

(You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi. This should help give a visualization of the look they had an the typical sound of their songs.)

(Jumping Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones. This should help give a visualization of their looks and rock sound.)

Elvis Presley’s influence on The Rolling Stones

Lets jump back in time a little further and see what influences the King of Rock had on The Rolling Stones.  With anyone who knows Elvis, they likely noticed two main things regarding his appearance, his bold slicked back hair and his outlandish suit.  These two things are represented in The Rolling Stones hair and clothing style, maybe not in the same sense as clean slick hair but eye catching audacious hair.  During their first big hit in the 60’s they received more attention on their appearance then the hit they produced [4].  Once again, the influence of dance is seen, they both had a stiff, choppy style to their step.  If we now flip around to the sound aspect of their acts I discovered a few similarities. I will begin with voice tone, both vocalists incorporate a muffled grainy like voice that was able to hit higher pitched tones, but it tends to settle on the low end.  Next the accompaniment of vocal harmony is apparently influential from Elvis’s use in the clear majority of his songs.  Lastly, the instrumentation pulled from Elvis is apparent, guitar, drums and piano.  Those help incorporate that blues rock sound and tempo into The Rolling Stones tunes.

(Satisfaction- The Rolling Stones)

(Jail House Rock- Elvis Presley)

Connecting The Ends

To finish I’ll round up the connections seen on the two ends.  To Begin, style is a key similarity, from the way they dress to style of dance they have.  Instrumentation also carried down through the era’s keeping that broad array of instruments.

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen. 2018. “Bon Jovi Biography & History”. Allmusic. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bon-jovi-mn0000069534/biography.
2. Erlewine, Stephen. 2018. “The Rolling Stones Biography & History Allmusic”. Allmusic. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-rolling-stones-mn0000894465/biography.
3. Marsh, Dave. 2018. “Elvis Presley Biography, Songs, Movies, & Facts”. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley.
4. Wood, Jennie. 2018. “The Lasting Influence Of The Rolling Stones”. Infoplease. https://www.infoplease.com/arts-entertainment/music/lasting-influence-rolling-stones.

Sources: Elvis Presley, Linkin Park

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Summary

Together we will explore the journey of rock and roll between the legendary Elvis Presley and the modern artist Linkin Park. Led Zeppelin and Helmet will also be discussed as they form the bridge that connect the two very different iterations of rock. With the help of  Elvisualization (made by Spotify),we can see how each band influenced one another. It is remember to note that Elvis Presley is the root in the Elvisualization graph; he has heavily influenced popular music in today’s world and will continue to in the future. First we will look at how Linkin Park was affected by Helmet. Then we will explore how Led Zeppelin impacted Helmet, and close the article on how Elvis Presley influenced Led Zeppelin.

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Linkin Park – Helmet

 

 

 

 

 

Linkin Park has transformed throughout the years, starting with an angry style of punk rock. The song linked below (In the End) is a great example of how their earlier music sounded. In 2014, Yahoo interviewed Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda and questioned him about their roots; in the article Shinoda expresses: [1]

“The kind of aggressive and angry lyrics that we were coming up with for The Hunting Party were more mature than what we would have written to these types of songs 10 years ago.”

 – Mike Shinoda (2014 , Yahoo Interview)

This aggressive style of rock expressed in the popular hit In the End is also heard in Helmet’s songs as well which we will explore soon. In an LA times interview also conducted in 2014 when their newest album Hunting Party was just released; in it they mention that Linkin Park relied on bands such as Helmet, Minor threat, and Refused for inspiration when they initially began.^[4] The Yahoo interview also confirmed that bands like Helmet, Strife, and Refused were major influences in their uprising.^[3] 

Apart from musical similarities between the two bands, one can simply look at their album and band covers to see the resemblance. Both bands tend to wear darker colours and a casual to semi-casual attire with the occasional plaid shirt mixed in as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Before we move on to talk about Led Zeppelin’s influences on Helmet, its worth talking about the song linked below One More Light – Linkin Park.

Chester Bennington, the previous singer for Linkin Park commit suicide nearly one year ago on July 17th (2017).The song expresses the importance of human life and self-worth, that everyone should care about the health and happiness of others; it will serves as a tribute to Chester and many others who’ve decided to take their own life. It also shows the transformation of Linkin Park from angry punk rock to a more soothing and relaxed punk rock that focuses on incorporating deeper meaning into their lyrics.

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Helmet – Led Zeppelin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helmet has seen several different members come and go but Page Hamilton has been with them since 1989. Its worth noting his significance to the band before we dive into an interview between him and Guitar World. In this interview Hamilton reveals that he was inspired to start playing guitar after listening to Led Zeppelin at the age of 17.^[1]  Hamilton goes onto to express his love for guitar and that he really wanted to create his own style of music. ^[1]   This explains why Helmet and Led Zeppelin have their own distinct sounds, not a carbon copy of one another. However, both have an emphasis on letting the guitar “sing” with magical solos.

Appearance-wise, Helmet was formed nearly a decade after Led Zeppelin’s first break-up in 1980; as such, there aren’t any outstanding physical similarities between the two groups. Unfortunately for Helmet, long luscious hair seemed to die with the first rendition of Led Zeppelin.  Before our next discussion, here is Unsung, a popular hit by Helmet. Notice the role that the electrical guitar plays in their song and keep that in mind when we explore Led Zeppelin and Elvis Presley.

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Led Zeppelin – Elvis Presley

 

 

 

 

 

The legendary Led Zeppelin is hard rock band that formed out of England in the late 1960’s. Their most iconic song is without a doubt Stairway to Heaven.

You might be wondering why the song is over 10 minutes long at first but will then shortly realize how much emphasis they like to put on their guitar solos. Although the band may not have the magical voice that the King, Elvis Presley had, they make up for it in their ridiculous solos. Ultimate Class Rock covers the first human interaction that Led Zeppelin had with Elvis; during their meeting, Led Zeppelin member Robert Plant made a joke about how they never perform sounds checks, but if they did it would be to Presley’s music.^[2] This puts into perspective how influential Elvis really was on the world of rock when Led Zeppelin worships him too.

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Elvis Presley’s influence on Led Zeppelin, Helmet, and Linkin Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elvis Presley serves as the ultimate role model for rock music even in today’s world. His mesmerizing guitar skills definitely had on impact on all three of the bands we focused on. Although Led Zeppelin, Helmet, and Linkin Park all had a different style and mood than Elvis, they all had strong support from their lead guitarist and drummer. They did not adopt his fashion sense or dance moves but were still able to put on a show much like he did, getting the crowd into their respective moods.

In the Ghetto is an emotional song about the cycle of poverty in America; although it is not an original, Elvis turns it into his own here.  One More Light by Linkin Park has a lot of similarities with In the Ghetto. In both instances the artists pour all of their emotion into the song to raise awareness for their listeners. It is clear to see that Elvis has made a long-lasting impact on today’s music as current artists still cast a shadow of what once was the King.

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References

1. “Interview – Guitar World – August 1992.” Interview with Auster. Accessed July 17, 2018. http://www.bluecricket.com/helmet/interviews/gw892.html.
2. Corbinreiff. “The Day Led Zeppelin Met Elvis Presley.” Ultimate Classic Rock. May 11, 2015. Accessed July 17, 2018. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/led-zeppelin-meet-elvis-presley/.
3. Wiederhorn, Jon. “Linkin Park Seek Original Sound for ‘The Hunting Party’.” Yahoo! News. June 25, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/yahoo-music/linkin-park-seek-original-sound-hunting-party-183836270.html.
4. Wood, Mikael. “Linkin Park Comes Screaming Back with ‘Hunting Party’.” Los Angeles Times. June 21, 2014. Accessed July 17, 2018. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-linkin-park-hunting-party-20140621-story.html.

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Hello everyone, my name is Allison and I’ve decided to trace the influence of Elvis Presley through Queen to Lady Gaga.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley is considered by many to be the “king of rock and roll”. He was one of rock and roll’s first true musical stars and later went on to act in movies including Love Me Tender and Jailhouse Rock. What made Elvis so refreshing to young audiences is that he performed on stage with an uninhibited, rebellious attitude and didn’t care what people thought about it. Elvis was a unique musician in the sense that he was able to emulate almost any style of music while retaining his distinctive sound.

At the time (mid 1950s) Elvis was considered to be a risk taker with his stage presence. He had cultivated a signature look of tough-teen dress, greased pompadour, and dance moves. This was in stark contrast to the typical white pop singer who simply stood at the microphone crooning. Despite criticism, Elvis refused to tone down his style essentially giving rock n roll its signature look and sound for the coming years.

One of the songs I am choosing to look at is Suspicious Minds, shown below. This was considered to be the song that signalled Elvis’ comeback success.

I chose this song because it seems to tell a personal story, it is said that the song is about Elvis & Priscilla’s early years of marriage (Greene 2015). Apparently things were already falling apart in their marriage, and you can hear Elvis’ disappointment over this in the song. Some lyrics in particular that point to this include “We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out” and “we can’t go on together, with suspicious minds” which signals that there is tension in the relationship and he is not sure how to move forward.

A few things that catch my attention in this song include:

• Elvis carrying words over more than one beat (“I lo-ove you too much ba-aby”)
• Tempo of the song slows down in the middle (1:45), then returns to original tempo (2:14)
• Drum sounds are carrying the beat, makes you want to dance or tap your foot at the same rate
• Guitar melody is slightly quieter than Elvis’ voice but still occupies a place in your mind

Queen

Queen is a rock band that formed in 1970. The name Queen was thought up by Freddie Mercury, the bands lead vocalist, and he chose this because he liked that it was “open to interpretation” by fans (Anderson 2014). This cues to me that they were interested in blurring the lines of music much like Elvis did by performing in multiple genres.

Musical Influence Elvis to Queen

The song I am choosing to talk about for Queen is Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Some things that catch my attention in this song:

• Freddie Mercury sings with a deeper voice than usual, sounding a lot like Elvis Presley’s signature vocal sound
• Mercury plays a limited chord range on guitar in this song
• Drum sound is carrying the beat

Listening to this song reminds me of Elvis Presley’s sound, and has been described as rockabilly, a form that Presley had also been known to use.

Visual Influence Elvis to Queen

Freddie Mercury was particularly concerned with the bands showmanship, and declared “a concert is not a live rendition of the music, it is a theatrical event” (Anderson 2014). This is in line with Elvis’ sexualized dancing, because at the time it was revolutionary to dance during live performances.

If you look at the below photo, you can clearly see that Freddie Mercury (in front) has the slicked-back short hair look that Elvis is known for. The band’s body language in the photo also conveys a rebellious attitude similar to Elvis.

Musical Influence Elvis & Queen to Lady Gaga

Elvis was made famous by his popular songs in the mid-1950s, and in addition to those released ballads such as Can’t Help Falling in Love, that were said to be key to his popular success in the long run (Hanson 2011). Similar to this, Lady Gaga was made famous by pop songs such as Poker Face and Just Dance in 2008 and transitioned to a more-stripped down sound, including ballads, in her latest album Joanne in 2016.

The song I am choosing to talk about for Lady Gaga is Joanne, the song for which her newest country infused, pop-rock album is named.

Some things that catch my attention in this song:

• Dragging words over more than one beat (“gi-irl, where do you think you’re go-ing?”), similar to Elvis in Suspicious Minds
• Guitar melody leads the song
• Vocals have a country-twang to them
• Song about a lost love ( in this case her aunt), you can hear sadness in her voice

Visual Influence Elvis & Queen to Lady Gaga

In the early stages of her fame, Lady Gaga dressed in over-the-top outfits and performed much in the same fashion. Her live performances can be considered as more of a theatrical experience than simply listening to music. This form of stage presence is similar to that of Queen, specifically Freddy Mercury’s vision of what a show should look like. Elvis may seem tame in comparison, but he opened the door for performances like this with his unusual stage presence and dancing.

 

Lady Gaga’s newest album Joanne is a reinvention of her musical style, featuring a more stripped down sound. To me this is similar to Elvis in the sense that he performed many types of music, starting with popular songs and branching out afterwards. Gaga is also displaying a more stripped down style, perhaps to put the emphasis on her singing capabilities as opposed to focusing on the showmanship of it all.

Elvis Presley influenced many artists, even some that we may not immediately think of such as Lady Gaga. Through these comparisons I hope to shine a light on one line of influence as found on Spotify’s Elvisualization page.

#M6Q1

Works Cited

Anderson, Sarah. NME. May 28, 2014. https://www.nme.com/photos/50-geeky-facts-about-queen-1419950 (accessed July 15, 2018).

Campbell, Michael. Popular Music In America: The Beat Goes On. Nelson Education, 2012.

Greene, Andy. Rolling Stone. January 1, 2015. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-elvis-presley-songs-151994/suspicious-minds-164924/ (accessed July 15, 2018).

Hanson, Allan. Elvis History Blog. December 2011. http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-best-ballads.html (accessed July 15, 2018).

Outfit Trends. n.d. http://www.outfittrends.com/lady-gaga-most-funkiest-and-weird-outfits-collection/ (accessed July 15, 2018).

Pelfrey, Daniel. post post modern dad. July 18, 2016. http://www.postpostmoderndad.com/2016/07/18/music-monday-queen-part-3/ (accessed July 15, 2018).

Sisavat, Monica. Popsugar. April 13, 2018. https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/How-Old-Would-Elvis-Presley-2017-43862559 (accessed July 15, 2018).

Warnes, Andrew. Cross Culture. November 16, 2016. http://thecrossculture.org/2016/11/16/lady-gaga-joanne-clean-version/ (accessed July 15, 2018).