Some trends in pop music over the last thirty years coincide with which party controls the White House. Based on these trends, let’s look at what an Obama presidency would mean for pop music. While it may seem too simplistic to assume that R&B and urban music would gain in popularity under an Obama presidency, trends show that under Democratic presidents, types of music that once had a predominantly black audience cross over for pop success.

The first example is the rise of the Motown sound, which gained mass popularity in the 60’s when President Johnson was in the White House. Before Motown, few R&B bands broke through to the mainstream. But Berry Gordy’s record label established a funky, up-tempo R&B sound that appealed to mass audiences of mixed races. While Motown’s success is rightly attributed to Gordy’s musical vision and business sense, no doubt that new attitudes about race at the time also contributed.

The Carter administration also saw the rise of an underground R&B sound that crossed over for mass appeal- Disco. The disco movement ran nearly simultaneously to Carter’s presidency. Like Motown, Disco music was a popularized version of earlier R&B sounds, repackaged for a racially mixed audience. While disco music represented the hedonistic and expressive mood of the 70’s, by the end of the decade people were tired of both disco and Carter, and a change was in the air.

After more than a decade of Republican rule, the Democrats were back on top in the 90’s, and new kinds of dance music were popularized from the R&B underground. While rap and house music started in the 80’s, they didn’t cross over for mass appeal until the Clinton administration. Rap music’s crossover is best exemplified by Will Smith, who in the 90’s became a mega star due to the hit TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” The 90’s also saw the rise of pop-rap artists like MC Hammer, Young MC, and Vanilla Ice.

Likewise, house music, relegated to underground dance clubs in the late 80’s, broke out into the mainstream under Clinton with crossover hits from house artists C&C Music Factory, Snap!, and Crystal Waters. Like the disco trend of the 70’s, which saw Rod Stewart, Kiss and the Rolling Stones making disco records, popular artists were also cutting house music tracks in the 90’s. Madonna and Cher resurrected their careers by making crossover house records during Clinton’s presidency.

In an Obama administration expect up-tempo dance tracks to re-emerge in popularity. Given the current global appeal of electronic dance music based in house and disco styles; it makes sense that dance music, which has declined in popularity in the US, would make a comeback under Obama. Recently rap music has trended towards appealing to a core audience, but it is likely that an Obama presidency would see a more pop-oriented strain of rap with lyrics that focus more on having fun and dancing. Music fashion would also follow these trends, a combination of 70’s tailored clothes (oversized collars, unbuttoned dress shirts and bellbottoms) with a 90’s rap sensibility (bright colors like early TLC, crazy hairstyles and XXXL shirts and pants).

While it might seem silly to try and predict pop music tastes based on who is president, trends over the last thirty years show a pattern of what kinds of music become popular based on which party controls the white house. Based on these trends, let’s first see how a McCain presidency might influence pop music.

Heavy rock music with a dark, emotional subtext usually does better during Republican presidencies. Going back to the Nixon years, trends have shown that heavy, theatrical rock music does well when a Republican is in the White House. Heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper first became popular during GOP administrations in the early 70’s. Critics attribute this first rise of heavy metal as a reaction to the hippy music of the 60’s, as well as a commentary on the conservative political climate.

The Reagan years saw a re-emergence of heavy metal. Bands like Motley Crue, Poison, Ratt, and Twisted Sister became hugely popular during Reagan’s time in the oval office. Big hair, makeup, flashy costumes, loud guitar solos, and wild stage shows became the mainstream at the same time Nancy Reagan was telling the youth of America to “just say no to drugs.” So oddly, metal fans and Republicans alike look back fondly to the eighties as a kind of golden age- but for entirely different reasons.

Similarly, the presidency of George W. Bush has coincided with a new-found popularity of an emerging type of theatrical heavy music. Emo bands like Aiden, Fallout Boy, Taking Back Sunday, and Hawthorne Heights combined heavy rock sounds, emotionally deep lyrics, and a new sense of fashion to create a musical trend that achieved huge popularity in the new century.

Given these trends, a McCain presidency would likely bring about a re-emergence of heavy rock rooted in both the emo and heavy metal. This new style would likely feature a dark, androgynous fashion sense, a combo of the emo-goth style and the glam rock style of the 80’s hair metal bands. The music would re-focus on the guitar mastery of earlier heavy bands like Van Halen. Lyric content would likely steer away from the emotional introspection of Emo and back to fantasy-inspired topics like the band Iron Maiden uses. So if McCain is the victor on November 5th, pull the hairspray and leather jacket out of the closet and get ready to ROCK!

Joe Jonas has never experienced such unparalleled popularity. His phone rings off the hook, the myspace page for his band gets friend request from teen girls by the hundreds, and his shows attract ever-increasing numbers of young girls. A dream come true for any musician, right? Well, not so much.

This Joe Jonas is 71-year old bluesman from Dallas, TX, and quite frankly, he finds it all rather annoying.

Ever since the Jonas Brothers shot to boy-band superstardom, pubescent girls have been confusing the 71-year-old blues singer with the dreamy 18-year-old idol.

“It’s irritating, because I’m the real Joe Jonas,” he says. “I’ve been out here way before he was born.”

The problems started last year when young girls began leaving messages and photos of themselves on Mr. Jonas’ MySpace page. So many teen Jonasites visited the page that MySpace eventually had to shut it down. Things only got worse in June when Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas bought a $2.8 million home in suburban Westlake: Suddenly, excited girls were leaving messages on Mr. Jonas’ home answering machine – a puzzling development, since his number is unlisted.

“People say, ‘You have to change your phone number.’ But I’m not changing it. I’ve had it for 30 years and if I change it, I’ll be the loser,” he says.

[From Guide Live]

Stick to your guns, Joe Jonas! Don’t let those young kids push you out of your rightful place as the “real” Joe Jonas. And when those cars full of pre-teen girls show up at the blues club and ask where The Jonas Brothers are, you keep telling them what you’ve been telling them.

“I am the Jonas brother. Not the Jonas Brothers.”

The elder Joe’s blame for the problems may be a little misplaced, however. When asked what he would say to the Joe Jonas he’s been mistaken for lately if he met him, he responded “I’ll tell him ‘You have caused me a lot of problems.’” Blame Disney.

Here’s a link to the original Joe Jonas’ myspace page. (Link has automatic music.)

And here’s a link news report about Joe Jonas, available on Breitbart. (Link has automatic video.)

Header image credit: photo of original Joe Jonas by Rick Moore, from Joe Jonas’ myspace. Other photos are of Joe Jonas in Paris on 10/10/08. Credit: Bauergriffinonline

Alvin and The Chipmunks have been among the greatest conveyors of pop music to the under-ten set for generations, releasing both original music and pop covers. Last year a Chipmunk revival was born when Alvin, Simon and Theodore hit the big screen with a CGI/live action movie with Jason Lee.

50 years after their inception, “The Chipmunk Song” is still a Christmas classic. Today’s children can sing the song along with their parents and grandparents. With a total of 44 albums released since 1958, there aren’t a whole lot of people unfamiliar with the little guys and their manager Dave.

Like most major pop acts, Alvin and the Chipmunks have big plans for their anniversary.

Fifty years after the release of their first single, “The Chipmunk Song,” the animated trio will release “Undeniable,” an album of covers (Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”), new songs and remixes on the Razor & Tie label.

“Undeniable,” which comes out November 4, could benefit from that attention. “The album has a sophisticated sound,” says Ross Bagdasarian Jr., the owner of the Chipmunks franchise and son of its creator. “The musicianship is really first-rate, so it’s not some kiddie version of those songs.”

[Reuters via News.Yahoo.com]

I’m a big a fan of Alvin and his pals, but I don’t see them getting mainstream radio play anytime soon.
The Chipmunks are great but their music isn’t quite sophisticated, and I don’t think they would want it to be. I can only imagine that Mr. Bagdasarian’s quote was tongue in cheek while acknowledging the musicians at the same time.

The Alvin and The Chipmunks cartoon was an intregral part of my formative years. The Chipmunks and the Chipettes were on the TV often, even through high school. Now that I think about it, The Chipmunks and DuckTales may have been a part of my life a little too long. I’ll be picking this cd up to play in the car… you know, for when the kids are in there.

Header image of the Chipmunks movie via Best Week Ever.

Update by Celebitchy: Here’s the original Chipmunk Song

As members of the superhit, female, R&B group TLC, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Tionne “T-boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, sold over 25 million records and won five Grammys, five MTV Music Awards, three Billboard Music Awards and one AMA. Their 1994 album “CrazySexyCool”, alone, selling over 15 million copies. Just before the release of the groups album, 3D, in 2002, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, was killed in an auto accident in Honduras while on a spiritual retreat. But we’re going to get to hear from her again.

Recordings by Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, who died six years ago, will be released as a solo album on Nov. 11.

The album features a collection of songs Lopes recorded but never released, family friend Jay Marose said Wednesday.

Lopes, who was part of the hit ’90s group TLC, was killed in a car crash in Honduras on April 25, 2002. She talked often about her death and told friends she expected to die young, Marose said.

“She knew she was going to pass away and it was her plan to get all of this out there so people could learn what she had done,” he said. “She wanted people to hear it and wanted her family to do whatever they had to do.”

Proceeds from the album will benefit Lopes’ foundation, which aims to build orphanages and schools in Honduras, Marose said.

[From Breitbart.com]

Lopes wasn’t without difficulty and controversy. She grew up in an abusive, alcoholic home, had alcohol abuse issues herself, very publically fought with the other members of the group, and was in an allegedly abusive relationship with Atlanta Falcon’s wide receiver Andre Rison which culminated in Lopes setting fire to his tennis shoes which spread and burned his mansion to the ground. Lopes was on a spirtual trip to Honduras when she lost control of the SUV she was driving, she was the only fatality. She was a month shy of her 31st birthday.

I was in my early to mid twenties during the CrazySexyCool and Fanmail days, and as a dance club frequenter at the time, I was a big fan of TLC. I liked their whole sound, but anticipated Lopes’ quick rap interludes the most. She had a style, that’s for sure. The songs to be released for this album are all new and for fans of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, they are as anticipated as her solo in TLC’s Waterfalls, which was also engraved on her casket… “Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you.”

[Information details from Wikipedia]

Lisa Lopes is shown in the header at the Soul Train Awards on 3/4/00. Credit: Bauergriffinonline. She is shown below with the other members of TLC at the Grammy Awards on 2/23/00. Credit: PRPhotos

Country superstar Tim McGraw is embarrassed and wants to tell his fans he’s sorry for his record company releasing yet another greatest hits compilation just two years after Greatest Hits 2. McGraw has expressed his desire to leave Curb Records but they’re not so keen to let him go just yet.

In order to extent the amount of time on his contract term, Curb released the Greatest Hits 3 record without McGraw’s approval or knowledge, instead of the studio album he’s been working on for over a year. Tim says the decision is confusing and embarrassing.

“I’m saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music,” McGraw said. “I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me.”

The singer said he had no involvement in the creation or presentation of the record, “Greatest Hits 3.”

The 12-track disc includes McGraw hits going back to 1995 up to his current single, “Let It Go.” It also includes two tracks not previously released on any of McGraw’s albums: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Tracy Lawrence and Kenny Chesney, and “Nine Lives” with the rock group Def Leppard.

“Sure I love the songs and I don’t want to take anything away from all the creative people who were part of making those records. But the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist.

“In the spirit of the election year, I would simply say to my fans ‘I’m Tim McGraw and I don’t approve their message,’” he said.

[From Breitbart.com]

According to a McGraw spokesperson, this isn’t the first time the record company has done this. They released the previous compilation cds when Tim was hoping to release a studio album, as well. McGraw’s contract with Curb records is for a certain number of studio albums, of which McGraw has “one of two” left, the longer they keep him from releasing those, the longer they have him under contract. McGraw has said his intention was to release the new cd he’d been working soon, even playing the new songs in concerts. Now that will have to wait.

You always hear about the demands stars make but you never think about the demands made on them. It sucks to work somewhere that you’re not happy, and it sucks even more when that place deliberately undermines you in order to get more out of it. This would be as true to someone making millions from the sales of his music as someone mopping floors and cleaning toilets at 7-Eleven. Either way, you’d want out.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and their three daughters, Gracie, 11, Maggie, 9, and Audrey, 6, are shown out in LA with some other children on 6/30/08. Credit: Fame Pictures and WENN

Britney Spears stars as four separate women seducing the same guy in the video for “Womanizer,” which first aired last night on 20/20. She’s a sexy homemaker, an office worker who xeroxes her butt, a cocktail waitress with arm tattoos, and a chauffeur. She also appears completely nude in a sauna with her legs and arms placed strategically. The home maker persona is closest to Britney’s original look and she dons a black bob wigs and a red wig for her other roles. It’s a pretty sexy video and a catch song that sure to be a hit for her.

Just Jared points out that it’s directed by Joseph Kahn, who also did Britney’s “Stronger” and “Toxic” videos and is responsible for the VMA award winning “When I Grow Up” video for the Pussycat Dolls.

Britney has called Womanizer “a girl anthem” and said “It’s basically saying, ‘We know what you’re up to.’ It’s about guys cheating on girls.”

Last week it was reported that well-respected manager Johnny Wright offered to meet with Ali Lohan and possibly become her manager. This would have been a huge coup for Ali and possibly led to an actual career where she could be more than just the lead-in to a joke about Dina Lohan. Dina, however, being Dina, completely blew the entire thing for her. She still wanted to keep Ali’s entire manager fee for herself – which leads one to wonder, exactly how she thought Johnny Wright should be compensated.

The whole thing reeked of ego. And though Ali’s camp confirmed that they took a meeting with Wright, his side is now saying that they’ve never met with the Lohans and he’d never consider managing Ali’s career. The response is really terse and it’s clear he’s pissed as hell about something. I’m guessing Dina’s ego and the resulting wasting of his time.

FAMED music manager Johnny Wright is not only saying, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Dina Lohan - he slams her and her daughter Ali in a statement to Page Six. Lohan sources said Wright - who steered the Jonas Brothers and Justin Timberlake to the top - offered to manage Ali’s career. At the time, Dina told us via a rep she was interested and would take the meeting. But forget that.

A scathing statement from Wright’s company states: “Johnny Wright would like to set the record straight regarding his involvement with Ali Lohan.

“Johnny Wright has never met with Ali Lohan, has never been introduced to Ali Lohan, nor has he had a meeting with Ali or Dina Lohan regarding Ali’s music career. While he wishes Ali Lohan the best in all her endeavors, Mr. Wright has never had any intention of speaking with Ali Lohan regarding her career. Any story that has surfaced about such a meeting holds no merit and is completely false.

“Wright Entertainment Group has never had any interest or intention of adding Ali Lohan as an artist on the company’s roster, which currently includes Justin Timberlake, Jonas Brothers, Janet Jackson and Ciara amongst others.

[From the New York Post]

That last paragraph implies a lot. Both that Dina is a moron for passing on the opportunity to have Ali managed by someone with such a client roster… and it also is implying that Ali isn’t good enough to be a part of Wright management. Which she definitely isn’t at this point, but part of being a good manager is cultivating a career. Dina obviously has some experience because she managed Lindsay, but I would think it takes a special kind of talent and experience to successfully brand a younger sister in a way that is unique and separate from the older one.

Though they deny ever taking a meeting with the Lohans, it’s pretty clear that Wright is pissed and insulted – not that I blame him. But really, the joke is on Dina. She’s so dumb and full of herself that she has no clue that whatever attention she’s getting is because people are laughing at her stupidity, not admiring her business savvy like she’d hoped.

Here are Dina and Ali at the “Georgia Rule” premiere in May 2007. Images thanks to Fame.

Kate Moss is considered a bona fide Supermodel.  She’s been a staple in modeling, in print and the catwalk for 20 years.  But Kate, who has described the modeling business as “brain damaging”, has decided to call it quits when she turns 35 in January.  But she doesn’t plan on being idle.  Moss wants to be a rockstar.

A source close to Kate confirmed: “She has told everyone she won’t carry on modeling after she turns 35.
“Songwriting and being a singer will slowly take over.”

[From The Sun]

Kate isn’t new to the music business, she’s been dating musicians for years.  Babyshambles, her ex, Pete Doherty’s band, had her onstage singing with them numerous times and featured her on their album, Down In Albion.  Doherty and Moss co-wrote a number of songs for Shotter’s Nation as well. 

Moss has been featured in music videos for artists from Primal Scream, who she also did some vocals for, to Johnny Cash and Elton John.  She also DJs occasionally at a night club in London.  Despite these illustrious credentials, Jamie Hince, her most recent ex, and his band The Kills wouldn’t let her on stage with them.

Kate Moss isn’t going to have to just worry about making it in the music business.  Moss has had her own line of clothing at UK clothing store Top Shop, and in Barney’s in the US, for a year.  In July Kate said she was going to quit modeling to devote more time to designing and expanding the line.

Moss, who was catapulted into the limelight after she was discovered by a modeling scout in the U.K. at the age of 14, said she now wants to spend her time designing, planning to expand her line at British high street chain Top Shop. Beyond her modeling career, she in fact has gotten into business and designing in recent years. In addition to the fashion line, she’s having a perfume to be launched in America this month and a hair-care line that has been a huge success in Europe.

“All that dressing up makes me say, ‘What do I want to wear?’ and, ‘What do I want to do with Topshop?’ It all kind of leads into the other things.”

[From Aceshowbiz]

Yes, Kate has always been led into all sorts of other things.  She certainly will be a busy woman when she retires.

Kate Moss is shown outside her daughter, Lila Grace’s birthday party on 9/26/08. It looks like everyone had a great time. Credit: WENN

Before Kevin Costner was a big movie star he was a struggling musician, playing the guitar and singing in a band called Roving Boy.  Now that Kevin Costner isn’t a big movie star anymore, he’s gone back to the band, now called Kevin Costner and Modern West, and will be releasing a country-rock CD on November 11.

The actor, who told PEOPLE that his unlikely turn as a lead singer elicited double-takes when the band played a NASCAR event in July, has been playing music with some of his band mates for nearly 20 years.

An early incarnation of the band (once called Roving Boy) stalled when Costner’s movie career took off, but in the past few years he’s devoted more time to music. “I remember looking out into the crowd, thinking, ‘This just feels right,’ ” Costner, 53, said in a statement about an early performance with Modern West.

[From People.com]

Costner has had more time to devote to music because he’s “scaling back his movie career to about one film a year” according to Reuters.  I was thinking I hadn’t seen anything from Kevin in a long time but there was Swing Vote earlier this year, which blinked in and out of theatres so fast it may as well have been a year without a Costner film.

Costner co-wrote a number of songs on the album, called “Untold Truths”, and the first single, “Long Hot Night“ will be sent out to country radio this week with a few other tracks from the CD.  Kenny Chesney can breathe easy, there is no threat of Kev and the guys stopping his CMA Entertainer of the Year win streak.  Something in me always pulls for better than average actors, and Costner has had some moments, to be better than average musicians, too, since the reversal seems to happen alot more often.  But while I wouldn’t consider Costner’s effort quite as bad as Scarlett Johansson’s attempt, I would still call it the Waterworld of country music.

Costner and his band will be touring in late 2008 and early 2009, before The New Daughter, Costner’s next film, comes out in March. 

Kevin Costner is shown performing at the at the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf event in Greenville, South Carolina on 4/29/06. Credit: PRPhotos